Posts (page 2)

Saturday June 6, 2009
Oh, good lord, could my roommate be any louder in the morning??  She seems incapable of moving without making noise.  Anyhow, off to Oxford!  It's raining here...maybe not there?  An hour train trip, then today, and the plane ride.

I tried to get a better picture for my "Clutch of Constables" shot* and I think what I did instead is get myself marked as a suspicious person.  It's possible that the constable in the turban thought I was following him.
There appears to be a conspiracy in London to keep one from finding a rubbish bin.  I think the plan must be to keep everyone wandering around with a disposable coffee cup permanently attached to one's hand.  Or to induce people to furtively set it down and walk away, though that would seem counter productive.  (A train just passed ours so quickly I thought it would blow this one off the tracks!) 

The train or the rail or something seems to be having difficulties and we're stopped outside Slough station.  I do hope we get going shortly, even though I'm sure nothing is quite open yet.  The conductor just came on the intercom and said we're having trouble with the ATP system on the train.  Must look that up at some point as the only ATP I know of is Adosinine Tri-Phosphate which the body uses to produce energy, and he's probably not talking about that.  What I do know is that we've had a few false starts and some juddering clanging stops.
Of all the things one doesn't want to hear the conductor say: "at the moment, we're not able to move," ranks right at the top!  We all have to change trains at Slough and take the next one going to Oxford.

Am now on next train and v. grateful that I wore my cape and put on another skirt as it's damply bitterly cold.
Apparently ATP is a system where if you go through a wrong signal it automatically puts on the brakes.  Which is why we couldn't go anywhere.  And it seems to malfunction as often as not.

Just passed through Reading where Oscar Wilde spent two years in jail.  So many things in the world where one wishes it were possible to go back and change them.

1:57 Oxford: I'm sure this is a lovely city, when it is fair out.  Today it was not fair out.  It is miserably cold and rainy, and Husband didn't make the second credit card payment, so the card stopped working.  I managed to pay it from a phone booth, but it won't go through until tomorrow.  I do hope he doesn't get all panicky.
Anyhow, I finally found my teapot!  And bought some Oolong and Darjeeling to go with it.  Hence why the card stopped.  I saw Trinity and Balliol Colleges and the Bodleain Library and walked around the shopping district, bought a delish chicken and ham pie with the last of my cash (had to purchase an umbrella earlier) and then hied it back to the station with my skirts soaked to the knee and my shoes squeeshing.  My hair is a horrid sticky mess and I would very much like to be back at the hotel drinking tea and eating the rest of my scone.  Unfortunatley my ticket isn't until 4:30 and they won't change it.  May go back to the ladies room and try to dry off my skirts a bit more and avoid a pack of obnoxious school children.

Two things of note: 1. I am quite jealous of a young woman sitting across from me in thick leggings (gray), sturdy boots (brown leather), and lovely warm tweeds (two shades of brown) and 2. I am ready to strangle a child (who is shouting, I think, just to hear itself shout), or its mother (who is wearing the sluttiest pair of stillettos I've ever seen and ignoring the child completely).

3:59--In 32 minutes I will be on my way back to London and trying to discreetly slip off my shoes to let my socks dry.  The rest of my clothes are dry except where they sat against my shoes, and I still feel damp in general.  Ended up putting my hair up completely, as did not want to look like a bag lady.

4:32--To my dear fellow passengers--I want to get seated as much as you, therefore I will continue to move forward when I am able.  Pushing will not help.  My fingernails are blue...I shudder for the state of my feet.  Quite hungry for the moment and v. glad to be on my way back to London; also must figure out how to smuggle lunch out of breakfast tomorrow as not wanting to pay airport prices/out of pounds.

Am SO cold.  W/Renauyd's, must truly not fall asleep like this as chance of hypothermia even though warmer than usually req. for that.  Feel that for days, shower has been more shifting dirt around than taking it off.   Beginning to worry in advance of things to do when I get home: pay bills, get snake, table w/A. for the magazine...

Just remembered how Friend once said that all arguments should be conducted using a British accent and got all sad all of a sudden.  Do miss him most poisonously.  Ah well, back to reality tomorrow morning.

6:44--things to bring next time:  1. small roll of packing tape, 2. small water heater for tea, 3. more hair ribbons.

8:00--aaaaand in a pinch, hot tap water will do better than nothing for tea or coffee...but only just.  As. stopped by and had me French braid her hair.  It was a bit cool being girly for a while.  She commented once again that I know soooo much and I told her that having a wonderful memory helps, but it's not a requirement for a valid life or any such thing, so not to feel bad.
Finally getting warm.  I have just about everything packed thank god.  People keep asking if I'm ready to/want to go home.  Well...not really.  These past two weeks have been a particulary easy, carefree, stress-free fun time, even with all the varied problems encounterd and I don't particularly want to go back to work, worry and responsibility.  On the other hand, I know enough to value these weeks and hope to come back and I know that if I stayed I'd have the same responsibilities, but w/no job and no safety net.  I'm still an undergrad and the friends/colleagues I've met here are only by proxy, not really mine yet.  Maybe in a few years, but not yet.  So what I'll do is go home, work very hard, and start planning for next time.  I'm good enough to get it.  I am.  I just have to keep working.  And then I can come back.

*"A Clutch of Constables" is a book by Ngaio Marsh and I snapped a picture of a whole bunch of English Bobbies but it didn't come out...

Friday June 5, 2009
Have given up caring really what my hair looks like.  I mean, it's only 2 more days and then I can have a proper bath.
Went to the British Museum this morning and spent some time in the Elgin Marbles and the Egyptian collection, then spent more time wandering around the delightful shops near Tottenham Court Road.  In the space of 4 blocks, I found 2 second hand stores and two spank shops.  I also found "Mysteries" an occult bookstore that would have sent Friend into fits.
Bought some roses...really didn't mean to, but they were SO beautiful I couldn't help it.
Well damn!  I put the roses in my hair and one of my clips broke!  I got a good shot of a man walking a white ferret across Charing Cross station and bought some lovely white chocolate coated raspberries from "Cranberry" a health food store.  Yum!  Am on my way back to Greenwich to investigate that darling second hand store.
Decided Greewich instead of the Tate because special exhibits are for a price, and that second hand store may have a little teapot.  Out the train window there are these tiny rooftops right out of Mary Poppins and the Little Princess.  Should probably toss the broken hair clip, but it's one Husband got me for Christmas, and I want to hold on to it.  And at the moment my hair is being held up quite unsteadily by the remaining clip.  Also it looks like a nest of seaweed.  I could add a Jolly Roger bandanna and pose as a pirate. 
Do wish people would close the carridge windows as it is quite chilly and rainy today.  Shall have to check the schedule when I get off, so as to plan to be back for the farewell tea @ 3.  Rather wish I had a coat.  Also, my favorite black silk skirt is shredding at the bottom.
2:22pm--found a Charlotte McCleod mystery and a Hazel Holt mystery at Halcyon Books and a teacup type block at the Greenwich covered market.  Nothing at the antique store.  Had to run back to the train.  I was thinking of changing for the party, but I may not have time and besides, it's cold.  Perhaps I'll change my shoes to the new delightful boots!
5:03--tea was delightful, must remember to thank Prof J and Prof A.  I kept As. amused by continually dropping crumbs and stuff into my lovely Earl Grey.  I took the last scone with, and it was raining.  I didn't have my umbrella or a bag, so I wrapped it in my, (probably filthy), tube map, giving rise to the phrase, "is that a scone in your tube map or are you just happy to see me?"
7:01pm--Oh, thank god, it seems the infection in my foot is mostly gone.  Still on an attention high from my time in Lille.  I do sometimes wish it was not so easy for me to fall in love.  Hideously inconvenient for everyone really.
May wait until my roommate's gone to take shower, make tea and eat my scone.  May spend some quality time repacking.  May just collapes into tiny heap and go to bed/read.
The V and A was fabulous even though the baroque exhibit was ticketed and I couldn't get in.  However, the fashion disply was magnificent.  The shoes alone!  The jewelry rooms rival the gem rooms at Chicago's Field Museum and some of the carving in the Medieval rooms was breathtaking!  The amount of detail in something that small...every inch covered, every inch carved.
V. tired.  Also v. dirty.  Hmmm...shower first then bed.

I'm doing a very hard thing these days.  I'm taking 21 pages, over 200 messages off my myspace inbox, from Friend, putting them all into a word file, and deleting them from my account.  Then I can go back and look at them when I'm ready.  Still, I read little snippets while I'm copying and pasting, and it stings.  I hate this.  There is no reason for all this pain and tension.  I hate this.

I'm going to skip June 3, it was all work, and really only interesting to me.
Almost Thursday June 4, 2009
Well, the Petrie Museum was very rewarding.  The first conversation with Lord Carnarvon (the man who discovered King Tutankhamen)!
12am  Well, my roommate is back from dancing and has been making noise ever since.  I can't sleep, so I'm being gracious about it.  Doesn't cost me anything, might as well.
Found the most fabulous boots at Beyond Retro they were 35 pounds, but I remembered that Husband usually has to make me buy things, so I bought them; high lacing, Victorian style black boots with kitten heels!  Woo hoo!
9:30--managed to sleep well for the rest of the night, even though had strange archeological themed dreams.
Tried something new today washing my hair with that soap Best Friend gave me.  I'll find out the results as it dries...  I'm just so incredibly tired of having sticky hair.  Bleagh.  And yestereday, during our tour, just like that my plan for my Fulbright application solidified; Roman influence on British architecture.  And looking at the diaries yesterday!  I am so cut out for research!  I could have done that all day, barring breaks for coffee.
Oh, and the British Museum!  The cases and cases of seal rings in the Enlightenment room!  How remarkable.  Of course, everyone had one so it's not all that incredible that there were so many, but still...  So I think that if Mom's lavender is blooming when I get back I'll mark the pages of My Magazine for T.  A very small way to repay his kindness. 
I've been having the BEST ice cream luck this trip!  Today I found a Baskin Robbins with...get this...Tea and Scone ice cream w/berry swirls!
Today we did Hampton Court Palace, and then went to the Sherlock Holmes' museum and it even smelled correct!  Like his lovely pipe tobacco.  Today was a day of smells; clear air at the Palace, the Holmes' museum, and then almost DYING of attar of roses on the tube back to St Jameses park.
I've got my ticket to Oxford and have 20 pounds left.  Tomorrow I'm going to do the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert again, and the Blake exhibit at the Tate if it's free.  Tonight one last walk through the absolutely magnificent Hyde Park rose gardens.  That's where I'm writing now, though I might move on very shortly because there is a truly Religion crazy dude preaching to a small crowd by the dolphin statue.  And he's making me a bit nervous.  I forgot to charge my camera last night and it just died.  But not until many many rose pictures.  On this trip I truly thank my dad for the artistic eye and street smarts and my mom for the knowledge of how to avoid an angry bee.
8:39 back in the room.  Oh my foot hurts.  I think a cut got infected.  I'm trying a sort of improvised bandage with a cotton ball over antibiotic gel over lavender oil as a sort of drawing gel.  I hope it works.  I don't want to have to say anything to the profs, but if it's not better, or god forbid if it's worse, by morning, I'll have to.
So I've mostly repacked as all there is left is tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday morning.  I've got outfits picked out and clean socks for the three days and have everything else except my night clothes either in my main suitcase of two carryons.  Have not yet made a decision about ditching my socks or not, as will make it lighter, but only by about 2oz total.

June 2, continued
2:15-oh MY what an odd day so far.  Rather rudely propositioned by a piratey looking person--long blond hair, missing shirt and teeth, and tattooed--who gave me an extremely colloquial assessment of his probable pleasure with me.  Then was winked and kissed at by a mime!  Sort of a techno-industrial mime, actually.  Had more of that lovely ginger-honey ice cream (back in Greenwich today) and stopped into that used bookstore I spotted yesterday.  I picked up a new Terry Pratchett book for Husband and a mindless romance for myself and then had to dash cause I need to be at the Petrie Museum by 3.  Yet for some reason the train is stopped...hmm...
Oh, and I spotted Julian Dibbel's book (My Tiny Life) at the bookstore!  How coincidental.  It's the first book I was assigned the first time around in college, and here I am on the other side of the world...
I'm really loving this Oyster pass thing!  Wish we'd had this for the bus at home. 
Yech...I really wish she'd x-rayed my foot.  I do think that bone is dodgy, (the one I broke sophomore year in high school).  I don't think you're supposed to be able to pop the middle of your foot.
Woot!  First day at the Petrie Museum, doing research for my project!  Being treated like a visiting scholar!  I'm trying everso hard to live up to that...and I still have to reach my stop and then hoof it.
I hope that the girls on this trip don't realize that when I say, oh, of course I love you, I adore you, that if not lying, I am at least severely kidding.  Though I do like several of them quite a bit, there is only one person on this trip that I "love" who is officially or semi-officially connected with it.  It is a wonder no poetry has occurred yet.
Okay, so the mindless romance is not mindless though it is quite romantic.  It's the Moneypenny Diaries and it's tres darling.  One truly identifies w/her.  It occurs that I have this whole inner romantic life going on that has little at all to do w/reality--Friend, the Prof., though I suppose I should call him T. if I'm going to be writing to him, and others throughout my rather odd and comparitively short life.
Thinking of that, I almost have a why didn't I stay single moment.  Then I remember the comfort, stability, care, and tenderness of my dear husband and think that the reason(s) I did not stay single are 1. I know a good thing when I see it, 2. It is very rare to find, 3. It rarely sticks around long w/out some sort of committment, 4. I hated being single because, 5. I mainly attracted crazy people and married men.  T. does not seem crazy, but he is married so despite being an incredible ROI he does not in fact break the pattern. 
10:29pm  Still feeling a bit guilty.  I mean, I was flirting with him in his house w/his wife present.  I know I haven't done anything wrong, (it's just a crush, sheesh), and neither has he, but still it feels like I'm being unfair to her in some way.  And yet...irresistable.  Something that must be felt.  Though it seems stupid still to think he would be giving any further thought to me.
This is pg 110 of my trip journal!

Tuesday June 2, 2009

(Continued from yesterday)  So I stayed for about 20 minutes and then thought, gee, this is dumb, but I didn't bring her #...so I walked to the nearest place selling ciggarettes and crisps and asked if there was an internet cafe anywhere around.  He said there was and gave me directions and so I went and looked up her number on my facebook page, (Rebecca Gibson, btw if you want to add me), and called her.  It turns out they were right across the street at a quaint little tea shop, however that's not where I met Ambercat because when she asked what I could see from the internet cafe I told her the inside of the phone booth. 

They were all SO WONDERFUL!!  Sweet quiet Upfi, funny caring Ambercat, Janet whom I already love, darling silly Tidmum, motherly Annipuss, and of course, Gibbocat, sarcastic as ever.

And there was no tension or uneasiness at all!  It was just like falling back into conversation after stepping out of the room for a moment. Everyone brought lovely cheezgifts and Annipuss brought cookies! 

We spent quite some time together and I ended up getting to the Globe 15 minutes before show time.  (Side note: I found a WONDERFUL little ice cream shop, just off the side of the main road into Greenwich Park.  OMG--Ginger honey ice cream!)  (Side note II:  One SHOULD be able to ask any native Londoner where the bloody damn river is and they SHOULD be able to point one in the right dierction, but NOOOOO...) 

So the play was fantastic!   We say As You Like It and the man who played Count Orlando was HAWT!!  Like Robert Pattinson meets David Tennant!   And midway through the play they sprinkled the "forest" and the audience with letters!  I never thought I would get one but tried anyway...and saw a hand pluck the one I tried for right out of the air :(  BUT it turned out to be Prof J and he GAVE IT TO ME!!  WOOT!

So, on to today.  It's back to Greenwich Park to the Royal Observatory.  I opened the bathroom window and it's a bit chilly, but it's supposed to get MUCH warmer and I don't want to be carrying my wrap up that hill. 

Some of the girls have taken to calling me the princess because of how I dress...at least I really think that's why...it's certainly not my attitude which is far less whiny and entitled than some I could mention.

Have now taken several jillion pictures and strongly resisted the urge to make off with the bog standard tea pots for both the Albert Pub and Vandon House.  Only the fact that neither would fit in my purse...they were SO cute.

More of this entry tomorrow!

It was pointed out to me that there are many Rebecca Gibsons on Facebook, so here is my ID#673198194

Monday June 1, 2009
Oh, this hotel is much nicer than any of the others!  The breakfast is better, the bed more comfy, etc.  Today is the Cheezmeet!*  Woot!
    London, what I've seen of it, is just lovely!  It is much more modern than Paris, as it was bombed and Paris was not.  It reminds me a lot of Chicago, though, truly, all Chicago's buildings are 250 years old or less and here I snapped a picture of a building that said "this school founded in 1688."
    Not at all tired this morning which is a very good thing.  Went to the grocery store along Victoria St. and got veggie chips, bread, marmalade (which I may keep intact and take home with me), and ginger snaps.  Oh and petite tiramisus!  mmmm.  I also purchased a reusable bag that is probably going to be my second carryon.  I was going to buy a fountain pen here, but possibly I won't.  I only ever use this one anyhow, and if a pen is not in constant use the ink dries it up and it seals up shut.  No need to get something else to take care of...  but maybe a nib pen for that scented ink I bought in Paris, if I come across one.
    So...Shakespeare tonight!  At the Globe, his own theater!  Prof J suggested I just meet them there as it will give me more time w/my cheezpeeps  I'll still have to keep a really good eye on the time.
    Clean clothes!  I just can't get over it!
    So-Hyde park rose garden and V and A museum at which I wish I could have spent more time-and then I dashed off to meet the ladies and one man at Greenwich Park.  However, they were not at Greenwich Park and I started to think...oh shit.

*a meeting of some friends of mine, whom I met on the yahoo group Friends of ICanHasCheezburger.

...When we met back up with the Lille students for dinner Friday night, the profs also met to go have dinner on their own and I caught Prof. D's eye across the group, (OH, sunlight!  We're in England), and it was such a piercing, searching, knowing look I had to look away very quickly to avoid doing, saying, or even looking something that might cause embarrassment.  Especially in the highly unlikely, yet still possible, case that I am totally misreading the situation.  Unlikely because when no one sat down on the other side at the pub table, he made no effort whatsoever to shift away and in fact moved ever so slightly closer.  Okay, so I'm having a little bit of a hanging on problem.  He's just so...  Must not feel  bad, must repeat to self, married not dead, married not dead, and realize it applies to all...  and of course I am rather glad to leave it where it is and not need to contemplate another uncomfortable conversation which would resemble one I've had way too often in the past.
    Around 5ish-bad-shampoo exploded so when I tried to dump the travel plastic out for somewhere to put my damp clothes when I carry them up from the Vandon House laundry room (!) it spilled all over.  I think a trip to the darling (big) grocery store Prof J showed us will be in order.  Also almost out of soap.
    Good-I found a small packet of teeny tiny itsy bitsy after eight mints!  Like Rolos only square and minty instead of round and caramely.
    Bad-keep getting grit in my eyes, and feel like I've been repeatedly bitten by small insects.
    Good-get to wash clothes!  I've never valued it more highly.
    Bad-the effing exchange rate bites ass!  $250 in traveler's checks turned into 147 pounds!  Effing weak dollar!  And I still forgot to exchange those 4 singles I got from Sophie.  Perhaps I'll keep them for the trip from O'Hare.
    I saw no dropped flowers today.  I heard they are in a drought so maybe people just aren't buying them.  Perhaps I'll have to collect something else this time. 
    London's architecture is quite lovely, but one can tell it was bombed as there is a lot more modern architecture than in Paris.  I almost wish I'd done architecture instead of letter writing, except that I have my 1838 letter and it would be impossible, (as well as illegal), to take a piece of 1838 architecture home with me. 
    I rather think I've encountered something called a duvet.  It's like a comforter/sheet/mattress pad that goes over one.  V. nice.  Comfy. 

Sunday May 31, 2009
Ugh.  Too tired to move, but of course I have to.  This morning we move from Lille to London.  And my luggage appears to have expanded in size and weight.
    Oh, but blessing of blessings Prof. J has gotten us breakfast and I'm having coffee.  Everything can be better with caffeine.
    Although I will miss France it will be quite nice to be somewhere that one doesn't have to struggle with the language all the time.  That said, I think if I stayed on I would become quite proficient.  The only problem I'm having now is that they speak faster than my brain processes the language.  Were I able to bring that up to speed, everything would be peachy keen.
    Cannot wait to change everything over to pounds.  At the moment it would be nice simply know exactly what I have and what I could do with it.
    Will be very glad to get out of this hotel w/its permanent mold smell and nautical theme which for some reason has just plain irritated me.
    10:30ish  Bad bad thing about rail stations...pay toilets.
    12:05  The Eurostar!  The Chunnel!  London!  Woohoo!  A quite nice young man helped myself and several of my classmates put up our luggage.
    Oh yum!  Prof. J just passed aroudn a "goodbye to Fr. treat" lovely chocolates and I got a dark chocolate covered lemon peel! mmm...
    Had wickedly bad dreams last night: all about mom having a stroke and about Friend's kids, whom I miss dreadfully.  *sigh*
    So probably several miles of French countryside, followed by darkness under the English Channel, followed by several miles of English countryside.  Or maybe not.  I don't know exactly where London is situated.
    Further thoughts on Prof. D.  I bet if I compared notes w/everyone on the trip we could all come up with moments where there was something special to our experiences with him.  Which is of course, his appeal.  Tres romantique.  And the very definition of Amour Impossible. 
    One of our students has been acting the total tart!  Trying all the time to get a French man to kiss her.  Oy.  And of course we've been together most of the time so I have to sit through her clingy agressive questions to guys.  And she showed her questions in a notebook to C. who said in all seriousness, "Oh, you want me to kiss you?"  It was quite sweet, like she was a bit puzzled, but not bothered at all.
    Um...whoopsie, accidentally switched my watch an hour in the wrong direction.  I do believe I've fixed it, but I'll have to check again when we get in.
   
More later.

Saturday May 30, 2009
So today was the last full day in France.  I skipped breakfast because this blasted hotel wanted 8 euros for it! WTF??  Then F, L, and I went to meet C and J, (two students from Prof. D's class), to go to the museum.  It was quite nice and very interesting, but I could have done without it.  I do love museums, yet we're seeing so many on this trip already that I'm feeling museum dissipation.
    I had to activate my credit card to eat lunch, and feel bad cause it was really only supposed to be for emergencies.  However it was only 10 euro 50 so it shouldn't be that bad.  Husband's still in Florida so he shouldn't be using it at all.  So perhaps he won't notice.  And the transaction did go through.  I wish I'd done this yesterday and not taken the money from Prof. A.  Now I owe her that and I owe F for a 4 minute call to the States to activate the credit card.
    Some of the girls are meeting back up with C for a concert in the park but I really don't want more noise.  And I found an Hypermarche at a small mall by our metro stop which I really wish I'd found sooner as it is super cheap.  At least I bought breakfast for tomorrow and have enough euros left for if I need to buy a metro ticket tomorrow-as long as the machine takes the smaller cent pieces.

Also the book is now available at:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/flights-of-fancy/7270105

Uh, hi.  I just realized that if any of you out there read my book, you'll be able to know exactly who I'm writing about, pictures, full names, and locations.  So much for sneaky anonymity.  Aaaand, since some of the stuff I'm writing here is personal, and the persons involved don't know that I'm writing it, (and please if you like and respect me at all, they never will), I've decided that I'm going to continue writing, but take all the entries down when I'm finished.  So, I'll let all my readers know, and then I'll begin removing the earlier ones.  And I must ask the persons written about, if you ever see this, please understand it was an honest mistake.  Sry. :(

Too demoralized at myself to post another entry today, so later all.