A Month and a Half Later

So it’s been more than a month since I arrived in the UK. I guess that makes me British now? Cool. Now I can…ya…um…what is it that the British do again? Besides fish and chips? And imperialism? And YOUR MOM? Well, whatever it is, I do it now. No, but seriously I think I have somewhat found a routine for myself and it goes a little something like this: class in the morning (and evening, one day) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, come home, eat lunch, think about all the studying I should be doing but watch Arrested Development, Family Guy, Glee, Chuck, or whatever else they have on ch131.com, maybe go for a run in 40 deg weather, then make dinner. Mondays and Fridays I don’t have class, but because I’m in a science masters program, I should be in the lab for at least two hours every single day, including Saturdays and Sundays. I usually go every other day, just so I don’t go nuts.

Now I know what you’re all thinking: Laurie, what is it that you do in lab? What is it like to study bones? Is it as exciting as the show Bones? I can answer the last of those questions right now for you without hesitation: certainly not. That’s not to say I’m not having a good time, however. Usually when I get to lab I first put on my white lab coat (my professional factor goes up by about 10 points with it on), then I grab a big brown box containing the excavated remains of a (mostly) complete individual. Then I unpack the different portions (thorax, pelvis, cranium, leg bones, arm bones, etc) and sit there putting them on the correct side in the correct position from top to bottom (for reference, there are 206 bones in the human body – more if you have a fragmented skeleton). I do a lot of drawing of the bones and marking down where certain landmarks-…and you’re asleep. Hi! Morning Sunshine! Ya, I know you came here for the squirrels. Ok, so here’s one to wake you up:

Isn’t s/he cute? Moving on…

Well a lot of you people have been asking about the LGBT scene, so I’ll tell you the little I know about it…On a Tuesday two weeks ago, I ventured out past 9pm by myself for the first time since I’ve gotten to Durham to a bar that even google maps couldn’t correctly find for me (not an uncommon thing here in the smallest city that time forgot). There was an LGBT Association social going on about a mile from where I live so I decided to go. The bar was super cute and right on the River Weir, which is the main river in Durham. I of course was awkward and tried to talk to anyone willing to talk to me as I knew no one. Surprisingly enough, I had a good time and got to meet some fun gay people. So yay for gay networking! It’s nice not to feel like the only one anymore – there was a whole bar full of em with more people, they said, than last year. Represent.

And speaking of which – coming out to people here in Durham… I feel like I went from being as far from the closet as I possibly could be in Berkeley and LA, to being right back in there when I got here. It’s difficult to know exactly how people will react to something like that, especially seeing as all my friends are from drastically different parts of the world like the middle east, other parts of Europe, etc. But ya, you know me, and I just can’t be in the closet anymore. Been there, done that. So when it’s been coming up in conversation, I freely offer it up. For instance: “You like eating broccoli? Funny thing, I like eating broccoli. Oh and ya I’m a lesbian. Big broccoli-loving ‘mo right here.” The absolute amazing thing with my group of friends is that they are so extremely supportive and accepting, that I really had nothing to worry about in the first place. In fact, two of them have totally offered to come to gay events/clubs with me, which is awesome.

In alcoholic news, I think I have definitely found my drink – cider. My friend Rory pointed out to me that I get it almost every time we go to the pubs. It’s super yummy and usually has more alcohol than the lagers and ales. Not that I know the difference between a lager and an ale…All I know is that I think I like ales better. But to stay out of that confusing mess, I just order a strongbow, which is like the Bud Light of ciders. Classy.

The Howlands Farmlands I can see from my window

Last weekend we made our way to York, a cute little town about an hour south of here. It’s about a £15 train ride roundtrip, and it was definitely worth it. We visited the cathedral and castle, because a city isn’t a city here in England without having one or the both of those, ate lunch, explored the city walls and looked at the cute shops there. I definitely want to go back there to do Channukah/Christmas shopping, or just to go back there in general because it’s so cute!

The York Cathedral

The walls around York

This week has been busy. It’s been a mix of lab work, class, studying, preparing a paper for class, journal critiques, seminars, and the biggest source of anxiety in my life right now: PhD applications. I have been trying to figure out what I would like to do, how I would like to do it, and where I would like to do it. There are about 3 “that’s what she said” jokes in that last sentence. I’d just like to call attention to that fact without actually making those jokes. At this point in time, I think I will be applying to Berkeley, Ohio State, a school in Canada called McMaster, and maybe British schools but their application dates are further into the future. Lots of work to do with all that.

Other highlights from the week included last night, which started out with “BAD football” with the archaeologists (soccer), and a Halloween party. If you’re wondering what my costume was, I’m sure no one will be surprised to find out I went as a squirrel. I wish I had come up with the idea sooner as my costume mostly just involved face paint and ear muffs. Maybe next year, then. Happy Halloween!

First Week or Two (?)

Well I figured the hard part of this whole blog business would be coming up with something interesting to say, but really, the hard part is remembering everything that fucking happened this past week or two since I’ve written. And I know what you’re going to say: “sippin on too much Jack, ay?” and my response would be “Um, do you know me? I don’t drink the Jack” and also “No, actually, I’ve done little drinking this week.” So I will attempt to remember everything (with the help of photos) for all of you lovely people…

Larger events of the week included:

Matriculation:

Well, I am officially a student here at Durham Uni now that we were “formally” admitted at the University through ceremony (which they’re big on here). We got into our robes (the Josephine Butler way of doing anything formal) and walked to the Cathedral, which is just absolutely beautiful. I hadn’t been before, but apparently it was voted number 2 best cathedral in the world to see and visit. And I can understand why. If you come to visit I’ll take you there.

In front of the Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral Before Being Yelled at Because Photography Isn't Allowed

On our way back from Matriculation

Start of Class:

Class began on Thursday with lecture and then later in the afternoon with lab. I know all of you know that I’ve been working with bone for quite a while now, but honestly I haven’t had to do any kind of bone practicals in nearly 2 years. So the first lab session was a bit of a struggle for me because it was almost completely about what I learned 2 years ago, but a bit more complicated. So I’m going to need to go to lab pretty much every day to work on it. Good thing they give us codes and keys to the lab and building. Bye bye life.

Newcastle:

Yesterday we took the train to Newcastle. It is all of 12 minutes (and £5) away from Durham, and about 5 or 6 times the size. It is definitely an industrial city with a LOT of shopping. We explored the Newcastle…Castle there (I don’t think that’s its actual name) which was more like a tower that they called a castle, and the cathedral. The cathedral was nice, but lacked the grandeur and size of the Durham one. We ran around the shopping center mostly, but then went to a little organic bistro. After, we went to one of the beautiful bridges over the River Tyne (the city is actually called Newcastle Upon Tyne), before literally running back to the train station to catch the 6:22 train then running when we got to Newcastle to catch the last bus back up to our college. What we’ll do to save a pound.

Different Things I’ve Noticed This Past Week and a Half:

1. British girls wear too much makeup and the most unflattering clothes. I cannot count the number of times this week I’ve seen a fresher wearing something that shows their stomach…and they shouldn’t have been if you catch my drift. No one’s going to buy the ice cream when you’re giving away the Ice Cream truck fo free! And ok, so your face might not be that pretty, but hiding it under a pound of makeup isn’t going to make the situation any better, contrary to popular British opinion.

2. Cobblestone is not ideal for any other shoes besides maybe sneakers. And even then if it’s rainy, you’re screwed. I have almost broken my ankle (again) a few times…and I’m not even wearing heels.

3. Skype is like the most amazing thing ever. I’ve talked to a lot of you on it a bunch this week and it has made living here infinitely better because I get to see you fuckers while being away from you. Need some company? Skype. Need a little girltalk? Skype. Need to hear Kayla attempt to speak after a bottle of Spanish wine then have her internet poop out on you? Skype.

4. Some Britishisms are really cool. For example, the tea and biscuits thing is pretty great on a normal basis…for my tastebuds and warmth but not so much for my waistline.

5. When it comes to food, my mantra is quickly becoming “Well, it doesn’t taste like what it purports to taste like, but it’s fine for whatever the fuck it is.” Case #1: We went to “Mexican” food the other night which tasted a bit more like Indian food with cheese on it than it did Mexican food. And the tortilla chips they served us were from a bag. I know I’m probably a Mexican food snob having lived in LA, but I mean, they could at least make their own chips! Whatever it was, it tasted fine, but I wouldn’t have called it Mexican food. Case #2: I ordered falafel in Newcastle which was more like a bean burger shaped like a falafel than it was a falafel. Let’s just call a spade a spade, shall we? No need for this masquerade, k?

In other news, I met the 6^th flatmate the other day. She’s from Lebanon and a self-described health food freak, so I think we’ll get along very well in that regard. Though I must say I need to get back on this diet thing. I’ve been so hungry when it gets to meal time lately because of all the walking I’ve been doing and because it’s been getting colder here. Hopefully my body will just get used to this again.

That’s it for now. Hope all is well with all of you. Say hi to me if you see me on skype! I miss you all very much!!

I shall leave you with terrible (but catchy) British music I heard this week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHh86ySgKrA&ob=av2e

Enjoy.

Off to Durham

Apparently I should’ve updated sooner because I feel like I’ve been doing so much here in the UK that I can’t quite remember everything. Let’s see…

Well my parents and I (Sara opted to stay home) took a day trip out of London to go see Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath. Thankfully it didn’t rain when we took the trip, but it was definitely cold (a common British theme, I’m discovering). Windsor Castle was beautiful – it is where the Queen goes on the weekends a lot and I think during the summers, but no, I didn’t catch her there. However, I do get to see her on pretty much all of the money I have, so maybe that counts? Then we went to Stonehenge which was very interesting to see. Then the end of the day we went to the Roman baths in…Bath. I think I liked Bath the best – there was so much obvious archaeological work that had been undertaken there and they even had a skeleton laid out (so guess where I stood for about 20 minutes) :-D

Windsor Castle

Stonehenge

Bath

The next few days we mostly took it easy. Apparently running around site-seeing every day, going on the Tube, and being constantly surrounded by people got my dad and me sick. But we did do a little shopping and exploring in Covent Garden and other areas of London. We went to a place called Selfridges (a gigantic department store) which just opened a shoe gallery with more than 4,000 shoes. It was huge. I got a new pair of boots that I’m eagerly waiting to scotch-guard and wear.

So after our long stay in London, it was time to say goodbye to our lovely Holborn/Russell Square flat and move on up to Durham. Did I mention we rented a car? Did I also mention that the British drive on the other side of the road and have a bunch of ridiculous roundabouts? No? Alright, well there you have it. Thankfully, my dad is an amazing driver and got us up here safely. Hopefully none of the traffic cameras caught him doing something illegal…

We saw A LOT of countryside between London and Durham during the 4 ½ hour drive, so naturally I thought Durham was going to be some backwoods tiny one-horse town in the middle of nowhere, sheep running rampant through the streets. Thankfully, I was wrong. I think. Durham is a beautiful, bustling little city and I’m sure once the “freshers” move in and the undergrads come back to school it’s going to be even more populated. Also a (hopefully) good gay omen - double rainbow on Wednesday and a regular rainbow Thursday (see pic left).

I moved in Wednesday and Thursday to my room. I live in the Josephine Butler College which is apparently a newer dorm and fun fact was named for a woman who lobbied for rights for prostitutes and women in the early 1900s I think. I was very happy to hear that as I am a feminist at heart (could you tell?). Anyway, so my flat has 6 people in it. We each have our own rooms and bathrooms, and share a kitchen/common area down the hall. I’ve met 4 out of the other 5 so far, and got to hang out with 2 of them. In my flat alone, we have people from Malta, the Channel Islands (not the ones in CA, but the ones near here), China, India and of course I’m representin Amurrrica. And across the way from us is another flat with a guy from Germany and another guy from New Jersey. Oh, to be an international student…

Last night was the postgraduate formal dinner. We were told to wear smart/formal attire (smart is their word for dressy) and that gowns would be available to borrow if we needed. I don’t know about you, but I was like “whoa, what? Gowns? Is this a black-tie affair?” Nope. Apparently Durham University is a “robed” university which means we have to wear our robes to formal events like dinners and university ceremonies. Yup, like what Harry Potter and those people wear. Another fun fact: the castle that is technically one of the colleges of Durham University was used in the Harry Potter films. Anyway, back to the story, so we bought robes at dinner and had to stand for the “high table” (and weren’t allowed to get up while the professors were still there all throughout dinner). They served a 3 course meal and my table (all 5 of us) collectively downed 6-7 bottles of wine (that we stole from other tables when they left – hey, it was free [see pic left]). We then dropped off our stuff and headed out to a night club in I guess “downtown” Durham and danced it up. First impressions, I’m definitely liking it here. But then again, classes haven’t started so check back again in about a week or two.

Oh and I do hope all is well with all of you people. I miss you all terribly. I have a ton of pictures on my wall now so I can see your lovely faces every day. Well, on second thought, maybe I don’t want to see your face. Ohhhhh that’s what your mama said last night! Oh shit, wait…

First Days...

Ok so for the first blog post on this very specially named blog, here is the squirrel picture. Yes, I have found one already!! And guess where he got that almond? Yup, from me (and Sara).

Soooo where to start. Well, to explain, my sister and mother are NOT travelers. They take pills to calm themselves because they absolutely HATE flying. And by pills I don’t mean over-the-counter herbal remedies, I’m talking about the pills you hear celebrities going to rehab for (hello, Lindsay Lohan - well, not METH but you get it). And that’s still not enough, usually. So the adventure at the airport included massive stomach problems for Sara because of said pills and crying from anxiety. Suffice it to say, the crew of the plane was worried. They asked at least three times if she wanted to de-board because otherwise they would have to make an emergency stop in Greenland (and if you remember from 5^th grade geography, that’s the icy one) where the flight would be canceled. In other words, we would have been the most hated people in fuckin Greenland. They strongly “suggested” she leave the plane, but she sucked it up (and the pills finally kicked in and she fell asleep).

So we made it to England! All four of us. And after another small snafu with the taxi situation, we made it to our 2 bedroom flat in Holborn. Holborn is right near Soho and Russell Square, if you happen to know London geography. It’s very cute and clean. There are cute pubs around us and some nice restaurants and a shopping center called the Brunswick which we’ve eaten at quite a bit.

Soooo where have we been, you ask? Well, I will spare you the minute details as I feel everyone and their mother has been to England/London. Let’s see, we’ve been to: Russell Square, Soho, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, the West End, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace/Gardens, Notting Hill/Portobello Street Market, and yesterday we went to Paris. Basically, London is a gorgeous city which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. The architecture is just beautiful and there is just so much history here. I have so many pictures (yes, they will be uploaded to facebook when I am no longer on an internet connection that has a limit). I think if I had to pick one favorite place so far in London, it’d be Trafalgar Square (see pic below right). It had these beautiful views of London and I got to climb up on one of the large monuments to take pictures so it was even better.

We also got to check out the gay part of Soho. Yes, the Roderick family went GAY! Ahaha no. Still just me. Though my father does like musicals…Like most other “gay” areas of cities, Soho seems a bit like “boys town”, but it was very cute and I look forward to going out there at night sometime this year. And I know some of you might be happy to hear that the British have their own version of Q Bar like where we went out to EVERY time we went to Castro: Ku Bar. Hope it can live up to the legendary-ness (there’s gotta be a better word for that that is escaping me right now) of Q Bar.

Ok, onto Paris (see pics below). We went to Paris yesterday for the day – it’s about a 2 ½ hour train ride. Well, what can you say about Paris? I know what I can say: crazy drivers with death wishes, beautiful monuments and sights, and people who like to sit and watch fountains. Don’t get me wrong, I like water shooting around in a fountain as much as the next person, I just wasn’t aware this constituted a social activity. To explain, as we walked from the Louvre to the Arch du Triumph (excuse my spelling), we walked through a large garden/park area where at 2 different fountains people had oriented their chairs along the outer ring of the fountain watching the water. I guess I can’t knock it till I try it. And furthermore bravo to any of those people who had perhaps driven to get to said fountain for making it there alive. I know I wouldn’t have if I had had to drive in the clusterfuck that is Paris traffic.

The Seine in Paris

The Requisite Eiffel Tower Picture

Today we went to Harrods. I would call it a department store, but really, it’s just SO MUCH MORE than that. They have a large candy/chocolate shop, gelato, meats, cheese, bakeries, fudge, sushi bar, fruit and vegetables, cafes, perfume, Gucci, lingerie, women's clothes, men's clothes, Versace, and everything and anything a department store could ever have...and more. Today we also had Indian food for the first time since we’ve been here. It definitely lived up to what everyone has been saying. I got the Chicken Tikka Masala (I know, white girl food, but I wanted to be able to compare) and my dad got Chicken Vindaloo. Yummy is all I have to say.

We leave London next Monday and will be driving up to Durham then (hopefully we make it on the other side of the road in one piece). Definitely excited to see Durham as London has, I think, given me a view of “England” that may be quite different to Durham. However, I did hear from a local that Newcastle (the next town over) is like the “Miami” of Northeast England. And I heard they also have a gay area so that’s exciting too! Yes, I am focused on locating the gays.

And ok, I feel a bit guilty about writing this blog because I know people in way more “hardcore” places where they don’t speak the language, or where they barely have internet access, and I feel like England is kinda like the US, but better dressed. Oh yes, I pretty much ALWAYS look underdressed for activities like walking, eating, or anything in public. I think people know I’m not a local merely based on the fact that I am not wearing stockings and high heels. Anyway, I feel ridiculous writing a blog here, but if it seems like people are fine with it, I shall continue writing it for all of you.