tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41638680395735382592024-02-20T06:55:16.187-06:00Adventures of an InternShawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-2698832227631761862009-08-04T11:24:00.015-05:002009-08-04T11:59:00.275-05:00Loch Ness Monster: Fact of Fiction?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">24 July 2009<br /><br />We had to be at Kings Cross Station very early in order to catch our train to Edinburgh, Scotland. It took us longer to get there than it was supposed to because the train was not able to communicate with the station and I think they were worried about our train crashing into another train - it was for the best I suppose. When we got into Edinburgh they put us onto a bus and made us go on perhaps the most boring tour EVER. It was led by an official Scot and he kept telling us every single famous person to have been born in Scotland. We didn't know who half of them were. We had lunch at an Italian restaurant and then split up for a bit. Kaitlyn and I went souvenir shopping and Mel and Christie went back to the room to shower and rest. By then it was time for dinner, so we went to a Chinese buffet.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhjre1LgrI/AAAAAAAABGg/t-nLi1pYzKA/s1600-h/DSC02537.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhjre1LgrI/AAAAAAAABGg/t-nLi1pYzKA/s320/DSC02537.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366148554673586866" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhjq6i3VmI/AAAAAAAABGQ/VBKCb2H-pSI/s1600-h/DSC02496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhjq6i3VmI/AAAAAAAABGQ/VBKCb2H-pSI/s320/DSC02496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366148544933090914" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhofR0qaPI/AAAAAAAABH4/NNf2D-r6TwQ/s1600-h/DSC02281.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhofR0qaPI/AAAAAAAABH4/NNf2D-r6TwQ/s320/DSC02281.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366153842581465330" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhof7Cbt-I/AAAAAAAABIA/0QVcb8kHq38/s1600-h/DSC02287.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhof7Cbt-I/AAAAAAAABIA/0QVcb8kHq38/s320/DSC02287.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366153853645076450" border="0" /></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhof7Cbt-I/AAAAAAAABIA/0QVcb8kHq38/s1600-h/DSC02287.JPG"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhogTeQpWI/AAAAAAAABII/K5DEJ0wSwow/s1600-h/DSC02297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhogTeQpWI/AAAAAAAABII/K5DEJ0wSwow/s320/DSC02297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366153860204242274" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhog53fa8I/AAAAAAAABIQ/nEJ-iUu9S1k/s1600-h/DSC02298.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhog53fa8I/AAAAAAAABIQ/nEJ-iUu9S1k/s320/DSC02298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366153870510615490" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">25 July 2009<br /><br />On Saturday we got back on a bus and took a 12 hour tour of the Scottish Highlands. We started in Edinburgh and went north seeing every loch and mountain. We stopped at </span>Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness and then went on a boat tour of Loch Ness. Unfortunately, Nessie was on vacation so we didn't get to see her, but it was a lovely trip anyway. When we got off the boat we saw a woman who kept a tortoise in her backyard - it was really exciting.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhlsZUUTyI/AAAAAAAABGo/VEmUxPZud9I/s1600-h/DSC02329.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhlsZUUTyI/AAAAAAAABGo/VEmUxPZud9I/s320/DSC02329.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366150769396698914" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhlsk_DPwI/AAAAAAAABGw/QBi-CySIFZc/s1600-h/DSC02381.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhlsk_DPwI/AAAAAAAABGw/QBi-CySIFZc/s320/DSC02381.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366150772528725762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhltDm-zUI/AAAAAAAABG4/PxMw-Ir6lQI/s1600-h/DSC02392.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhltDm-zUI/AAAAAAAABG4/PxMw-Ir6lQI/s320/DSC02392.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366150780749270338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhltUlz9aI/AAAAAAAABHA/UWACTPJOZsM/s1600-h/DSC02441.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhltUlz9aI/AAAAAAAABHA/UWACTPJOZsM/s320/DSC02441.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366150785307768226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhltoYXGuI/AAAAAAAABHI/wMVU5qVMYE8/s1600-h/DSC02477.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhltoYXGuI/AAAAAAAABHI/wMVU5qVMYE8/s320/DSC02477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366150790620060386" border="0" /></a>26 July 2009<br /><br />Sunday was our day to explore Edinburgh. Our first stop was Edinburgh Castle - the worst 13 pounds I have ever spent. It was extremely disappointing. Every other castle that we've seen the gift shop and the information center have been located outside. Not at Edinburgh Castle - they had built everything into the castle. It destroyed the integrity of this beautiful historical landmark. In the afternoon before we caught the train back to London at 17:00 we went to Elephant House - a cafe where JK Rowling wrote a majority of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - and finished up our souvenir shopping.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhncC6MvhI/AAAAAAAABHQ/vGPAQtNu5BY/s1600-h/DSC02498.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhncC6MvhI/AAAAAAAABHQ/vGPAQtNu5BY/s320/DSC02498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366152687526919698" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhnc7JZoSI/AAAAAAAABHg/WPDt_eOHqhc/s1600-h/DSC02508.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Snhnc7JZoSI/AAAAAAAABHg/WPDt_eOHqhc/s320/DSC02508.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366152702623064354" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhnclU2oDI/AAAAAAAABHY/g263f0b2Wqk/s1600-h/DSC02503.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhnclU2oDI/AAAAAAAABHY/g263f0b2Wqk/s320/DSC02503.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366152696765521970" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhndUmpMwI/AAAAAAAABHw/Qhae4en7jDE/s1600-h/DSC02523.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhndUmpMwI/AAAAAAAABHw/Qhae4en7jDE/s320/DSC02523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366152709456605954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhndJLE6GI/AAAAAAAABHo/95xqmgnwNI8/s1600-h/DSC02533.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SnhndJLE6GI/AAAAAAAABHo/95xqmgnwNI8/s320/DSC02533.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366152706388191330" border="0" /></a>Sorry this blog isn't very exciting...we didn't actually see that much except on Saturday, but I don't actually know what most of it was because I couldn't understand our bus driver.<br /><br />You can see all of my pictures on facebook:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124875&id=185002852&l=13157ee96d"><span>http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2124875&id=185002852&l=13157ee96d</span></a>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-79299424533534282552009-07-28T15:37:00.015-05:002009-07-28T17:40:19.066-05:00Amsterdam: A city I will only need to experience once<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Friday 17 July 2009<br /><br />We got on a coach bus very early in the morning to make our way to Amsterdam. I don't actually remember anything from the first leg of the trip because I was asleep. We had a very rude awakening when we reached Dover, England - everyone had to get off the bus whilst the ferry made its way across the English Channel on its way to Calais, France. We got back on the bus when we reached Calais and we continued on our journey to Amsterdam - once again, I don't remember much because I was sleeping. We reached Amsterdam around 18:00 and got checked into our hostel which was located in the middle of the Red Light District.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vgFg8rMI/AAAAAAAABDk/VbQkeGkhqKg/s1600-h/DSC02147.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vgFg8rMI/AAAAAAAABDk/VbQkeGkhqKg/s320/DSC02147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363628278248418498" border="0" /></a>We went on a tour of the Red Light District after we checked in. What an experience. I learned more historical information about prostitution that I think I even needed to know - I got a full accounting of prostitution from when it first started in Amsterdam to present day. The way that "things" work now, is that the "ladies" rent a window for the day and just stand there scantily clad waiting for a "customer". It was interesting to see the range of women that were there...all kinds of women in fact - young ones, old ones, thin ones, fat ones - it was kind of like one fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. We also saw the oldest church in Amsterdam...right in the middle of the Red Light District. After the tour we walked around for a bit and got dinner. Oh yea - it is perfectly OK to pee in public...they have even set up men urinals on the streets.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vg_hxAXI/AAAAAAAABD0/78Jel_p2hKU/s1600-h/DSC02165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vg_hxAXI/AAAAAAAABD0/78Jel_p2hKU/s320/DSC02165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363628293821104498" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vgZTy57I/AAAAAAAABDs/_C38cOZ3yTo/s1600-h/DSC02152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vgZTy57I/AAAAAAAABDs/_C38cOZ3yTo/s320/DSC02152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363628283561961394" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vhr97_TI/AAAAAAAABEE/vojXvRc85gg/s1600-h/DSC02174.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vhr97_TI/AAAAAAAABEE/vojXvRc85gg/s320/DSC02174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363628305750424882" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vhfIB7eI/AAAAAAAABD8/Uuwmrm3nHwY/s1600-h/DSC02167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9vhfIB7eI/AAAAAAAABD8/Uuwmrm3nHwY/s320/DSC02167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363628302303096290" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Saturday 18 July 2009<br /><br />We woke up early on Saturday so that we could visit go on a tour of the countryside of the Netherlands. Our first stop was a cheese and wooden shoe factory. We didn't actually get to see the cheese being made. They explained the process to us, but we didn't actually get to see them making it which was sad. We still had fun though. We got to sample all of the different kinds of cheese they make there - I bought three different kinds and a cheese slicer. The wooden shoe factory was just a short walk - across the parking lot in fact - away from the cheese factory. The best part about the wooden shoe factory was getting to try them on - I'm a size 37 :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92f_DK9BI/AAAAAAAABEM/3dPw3V2tZPI/s1600-h/DSC02204.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92f_DK9BI/AAAAAAAABEM/3dPw3V2tZPI/s320/DSC02204.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363635973094306834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92gQEeMhI/AAAAAAAABEU/FEbkIIgFYU8/s1600-h/DSC02206.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92gQEeMhI/AAAAAAAABEU/FEbkIIgFYU8/s320/DSC02206.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363635977663164946" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92gtCv1BI/AAAAAAAABEc/aAYt0nheFAs/s1600-h/DSC02210.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92gtCv1BI/AAAAAAAABEc/aAYt0nheFAs/s320/DSC02210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363635985440560146" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92hGMLxjI/AAAAAAAABEk/lZW4ElYa410/s1600-h/DSC02215.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92hGMLxjI/AAAAAAAABEk/lZW4ElYa410/s320/DSC02215.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363635992191026738" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our second stop of the day was at Zaanse Schanse, a living Dutch museum. We were supposed to explore how the Dutch would have lived way back when and go see windmills, but we mostly looked at the souvenir shops that where there. Then we got lost after we used the bathroom. Oh well. We went back into Amsterdam after we left Zaanse Schanse.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92hwo4IgI/AAAAAAAABEs/zWSriJlkYnE/s1600-h/DSC02219.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm92hwo4IgI/AAAAAAAABEs/zWSriJlkYnE/s320/DSC02219.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363636003585663490" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm95jFI-tmI/AAAAAAAABE0/Z3kd5ejUALE/s1600-h/DSC02226.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm95jFI-tmI/AAAAAAAABE0/Z3kd5ejUALE/s320/DSC02226.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363639324803774050" border="0" /></a> In the afternoon we had time to ourselves so we went to the Van Gogh Museum. The Van Gogh paintings that were there were beautiful, but only one of the floors actually had Van Gogh on it - the other two floors had other artists. We took the tram back to our hostel which was exciting. It was like taking the subway, a bus, and a trolley all in one - plus it was free because we couldn't figure out how to pay.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm96aR1DNbI/AAAAAAAABE8/0IWUfd-M4Ik/s1600-h/DSC02245.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm96aR1DNbI/AAAAAAAABE8/0IWUfd-M4Ik/s320/DSC02245.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363640273102648754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm96az-GpSI/AAAAAAAABFE/bKj9fcUlcb8/s1600-h/DSC02250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm96az-GpSI/AAAAAAAABFE/bKj9fcUlcb8/s320/DSC02250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363640282267428130" border="0" /></a>Sunday 19 July 2009<br /><br />On Sunday we departed Amsterdam to make our way back to Calais to catch the ferry, but on the way we stopped in Bruges, Amsterdam for a couple of hours. Let me tell you, this was maybe the best part of the entire weekend. Bruges was so beautiful. According to the International Friends website, Bruges is Europe's best preserved Medieval City - they were right. I have never seen such lovely old buildings! We needed more time there for sure. We got Belgian waffles for lunch and then found a cute outdoor market.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm996o0cevI/AAAAAAAABFM/Ijk16_3heIY/s1600-h/DSC02266.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm996o0cevI/AAAAAAAABFM/Ijk16_3heIY/s320/DSC02266.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363644127564823282" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm997NdQMxI/AAAAAAAABFc/09s1F-gtrks/s1600-h/DSC02269.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm997NdQMxI/AAAAAAAABFc/09s1F-gtrks/s320/DSC02269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363644137399661330" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9966YFyeI/AAAAAAAABFU/gNH8RVZ5b7g/s1600-h/DSC02267.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm9966YFyeI/AAAAAAAABFU/gNH8RVZ5b7g/s320/DSC02267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363644132277733858" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm997WfYCSI/AAAAAAAABFk/Cost8FiUiPQ/s1600-h/DSC02274.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sm997WfYCSI/AAAAAAAABFk/Cost8FiUiPQ/s320/DSC02274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363644139824482594" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Follow this link to see the rest of my pictures from Amsterdam:<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123801&id=185002852&l=74d0f151cc"><span>http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123801&id=185002852&l=74d0f151cc</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-13138414236830363942009-07-20T12:20:00.041-05:002009-07-20T15:43:13.539-05:00Ireland by Bus<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Wednesday 8 July 2009<br /><br />In preparation for our flight to Ireland, Mel and I thought it best to just not go to sleep as our bus to the airport was picking us up at 03:15am. In hindsight, this may have not been a bad idea. It was surprisingly easy to stay awake until then - we packed and took showers - but we missed four hours of our first day in Ireland because we had to take a nap.<br /><br />Thursday 9 July 2009<br /><br />We got to the airport much earlier than needed. Apparently international flights aren't that big of a deal over here because an hour would have been most sufficient and we arrived two and half hours earlier. Trying not to fall asleep, we waited for Starbucks to open so that we could get something for breakfast - no coffee though because we wanted to be able to sleep on the plane. It worked, because Mel and I both fell asleep before the plane even took off. The flight was very short. It seemed like we were ascending and descending within minutes of getting in the air.<br /><br />We arrived in Dublin, Ireland around 08:30am and got a bus into the city centre. Luckily, Mel had picked up a map of Dublin before we left, so we only got a <span style="font-style: italic;">little</span> lost trying to find the hostel. We were thankful that they let us check in early because our beds were calling our names. We stayed in a room with <span style="font-weight: bold;">20</span> beds - it wasn't that bad though because it was like a long hallway with five little cubbies holding 2 sets of bunkbeds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSrHvyxQrI/AAAAAAAAAwo/LmAUL_RJtuk/s1600-h/DSC02096.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSrHvyxQrI/AAAAAAAAAwo/LmAUL_RJtuk/s320/DSC02096.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360597606054576818" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSrHUGi-_I/AAAAAAAAAwg/rQMBU7JoOpA/s1600-h/DSC01854.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSrHUGi-_I/AAAAAAAAAwg/rQMBU7JoOpA/s320/DSC01854.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360597598621334514" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We napped for around four hours before we ventured out into the city. First on our list was getting lunch. We got paninis and sat in the courtyard of Christchurch Cathedral. It was a lovely little spot, a little wet, but lovely nonetheless and our paninis were delicious! After lunch, we made our way to the Guiness Storehouse to take the tour.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSr1OrwFMI/AAAAAAAAAww/UlGQ-gkOYpM/s1600-h/DSC01776.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSr1OrwFMI/AAAAAAAAAww/UlGQ-gkOYpM/s320/DSC01776.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360598387440751810" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSr1p-pBDI/AAAAAAAAAw4/7EDjKUghn_s/s1600-h/DSC01780.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSr1p-pBDI/AAAAAAAAAw4/7EDjKUghn_s/s320/DSC01780.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360598394767737906" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The Guiness Storehouse tour was a little disappointing in that we didn't actually get to see them brewing the beer. The brewing has actually not been done in the storehouse for some time now and all that is left is an exhibit that they've created that talks about the brewing process - all the ingredients and what not - and then it also has stuff about Arthur Guiness and Guiness advertising. I enjoyed myself though. The way they presented the information was just the right balance between words and pictures to keep my attention. :) The tour ends in the Gravity Bar which is the highest point is Dublin where they give you a complimentary pint of Guiness. Mel and I choked down about a half a pint each then admitted defeat and went to St. Patrick's Cathedral.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSw1Fef4iI/AAAAAAAAAxA/wSQb2-4GCbg/s1600-h/DSC01788.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSw1Fef4iI/AAAAAAAAAxA/wSQb2-4GCbg/s320/DSC01788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360603882527384098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSw1mVzUrI/AAAAAAAAAxI/LANndCb1UsA/s1600-h/DSC01802.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSw1mVzUrI/AAAAAAAAAxI/LANndCb1UsA/s320/DSC01802.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360603891349279410" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSw11NCN3I/AAAAAAAAAxQ/GclbMlI1SI4/s1600-h/DSC01827.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSw11NCN3I/AAAAAAAAAxQ/GclbMlI1SI4/s320/DSC01827.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360603895339038578" border="0" /></a>St. Patrick's Cathedral was a wash. There was a service going on. Needless to say, we didn't actually get to go inside. We walked around the outside to take pictures. Then, while I sat and figured out where we should go next, Mel took a nap in the grass. At this point it was late enough that we didn't really want to try to do anything else so we just got dinner, at an American diner no less. It was awesome - a bit pricey - but awesome! I had the best hamburger since I've been abroad and CHEESE FRIES! When we got back to our hostel we realized that we had a cubby-mate. His name was John and he was from Chicago! We chatted with him for quite awhile before going to bed - we even made friends with him on facebook the next day!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSxwjhM9zI/AAAAAAAAAxg/BzlBNCn-zXU/s1600-h/DSC01840.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSxwjhM9zI/AAAAAAAAAxg/BzlBNCn-zXU/s320/DSC01840.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360604904204072754" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSxyEwOtYI/AAAAAAAAAxo/gCw4FsQVmo8/s1600-h/DSC01845.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmSxyEwOtYI/AAAAAAAAAxo/gCw4FsQVmo8/s320/DSC01845.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360604930305340802" border="0" /></a>Friday 10 July 2009<br /><br />We woke up very early because the tour that we had scheduled was leaving at 08:15am. Luckily, the headquarters for Shamrocker Tours was located in the lobby of our hostel, so we didn't have to get up quite as early as the other girls who were going on the tour with us. We loaded on the bus and headed toward the Rock of Cashel. Located in Cashel, County Tipperary, the Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of kings for the province of Munster before the Norman invasion. It was raining and the ground was slippery and I slipped down the hill as we were leaving to head to our next destination.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTDYNQ2KBI/AAAAAAAAAxw/glSnWlUFP6g/s1600-h/DSC01857.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTDYNQ2KBI/AAAAAAAAAxw/glSnWlUFP6g/s320/DSC01857.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360624277122328594" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTDYR4Xg_I/AAAAAAAAAx4/OUDWVYLTU1o/s1600-h/DSC01875.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTDYR4Xg_I/AAAAAAAAAx4/OUDWVYLTU1o/s320/DSC01875.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360624278361834482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTDY4Rhq9I/AAAAAAAAAyA/FF_1e0VCE5U/s1600-h/DSC01880.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTDY4Rhq9I/AAAAAAAAAyA/FF_1e0VCE5U/s320/DSC01880.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360624288667904978" border="0" /></a>The next stop on the tour was the Mitchelstown Caves. For all of you reading this from the Madison area, it was like Cave of the Mounds except not as cool AND we weren't allowed to take pictures! There were formations in there that I had never seen before. Instead of the standard stalagmite or stalactite, they were called "curtains" and they only form on sloping cave walls. They were most beautiful and kind of reminded me of Georgia O'Keeffe flower paintings. You should google them to see what they look like!<br /><br />The third stop of the day was the Blarney Castle. And yes, we all kissed the Blarney Stone! Apparently, kissing the Blarney Stone gives you the "gift of the gab" which means that you will have the gift of BS for the rest of your life, which I'm not sure I need because I'm pretty good at it already. What an awkward experience. You have to lay on your back then someone slides you backward until you are close enough to kiss it and they help you back up. One of the girls on the tour with me actually hit her head on the Blarney Stone because the guy pulled her up too quickly.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTFbNMbE0I/AAAAAAAAAyI/i1KMjYoLJWI/s1600-h/DSC01900.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTFbNMbE0I/AAAAAAAAAyI/i1KMjYoLJWI/s320/DSC01900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360626527666639682" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTFbuwlZaI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/5whYD-nEkdU/s1600-h/DSC01903.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTFbuwlZaI/AAAAAAAAAyQ/5whYD-nEkdU/s320/DSC01903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360626536676681122" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTFb2WE-3I/AAAAAAAAAyY/efuJ501CT4M/s1600-h/DSC01912.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTFb2WE-3I/AAAAAAAAAyY/efuJ501CT4M/s320/DSC01912.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360626538712988530" border="0" /></a>Our hostel for the night was located in Killarney. It was rather lovely. The six of us got to share a room and they had free wi-fi, so we took turns using Mel's iPod touch to access our email and facebooks because goodness knows we can't go a whole weekend with it. We had a lovely dinner - albeit more expensive than any of us would have liked - at The Granary with our bus driver. Then we walked around the town a little bit. It was very touristy.<br /><br />Saturday 11 July 2009<br /><br />We were on the bus by 08:30am for day two of our tour of Southern Ireland. The first stop, very quickly because it was raining, was at Dingle Peninsula - </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">a very lovely spot where people like to surf.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTKnkK2seI/AAAAAAAAAyg/sGpDh-z2G6I/s1600-h/DSC01941.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTKnkK2seI/AAAAAAAAAyg/sGpDh-z2G6I/s320/DSC01941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360632237550645730" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTKoNYsZjI/AAAAAAAAAyo/yYGS64fs8TY/s1600-h/DSC01944.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTKoNYsZjI/AAAAAAAAAyo/yYGS64fs8TY/s320/DSC01944.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360632248614544946" border="0" /></a>In between, we stopped to take pictures at Beehive Huts.<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTLItpLpEI/AAAAAAAAAyw/UOzgAYECwn8/s1600-h/DSC01947.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTLItpLpEI/AAAAAAAAAyw/UOzgAYECwn8/s320/DSC01947.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360632807029449794" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Afterward, we stopped, very briefly again because it was still raining, at Lahinch - the western most point of Europe.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTL8v57AVI/AAAAAAAAAzA/Vidg__pPmSk/s1600-h/DSC01955.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTL8v57AVI/AAAAAAAAAzA/Vidg__pPmSk/s320/DSC01955.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360633700989731154" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTL8e76lfI/AAAAAAAAAy4/a6zv89p_E_E/s1600-h/DSC01953.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTL8e76lfI/AAAAAAAAAy4/a6zv89p_E_E/s320/DSC01953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360633696434689522" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">On the bus ride to the Cliffs of Moher we were informed that scenes for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were filmed there, so we all got very excited! Luckily, the rain let up just long enough for all of us to have a proper look around. It was very windy though and several times every one of us was nearly blown over. The Cliffs were so beautiful.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTNEgcgUAI/AAAAAAAAAzg/LPjJuILsP1M/s1600-h/DSC01980.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTNEgcgUAI/AAAAAAAAAzg/LPjJuILsP1M/s320/DSC01980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360634933790396418" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTNEM_wdfI/AAAAAAAAAzY/r64l3VWLaAY/s1600-h/DSC01976.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTNEM_wdfI/AAAAAAAAAzY/r64l3VWLaAY/s320/DSC01976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360634928569546226" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTND6DC-OI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/yLDDP5h41K4/s1600-h/DSC01988.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTND6DC-OI/AAAAAAAAAzQ/yLDDP5h41K4/s320/DSC01988.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360634923483068642" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTNDnzskEI/AAAAAAAAAzI/C1yHm1Iq59U/s1600-h/DSC01968.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTNDnzskEI/AAAAAAAAAzI/C1yHm1Iq59U/s320/DSC01968.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360634918586847298" border="0" /></a>We drove to Doolin where we would be staying for the night. I really enjoyed it there because there were no tourists in site. It was frustrating though that there were only four pubs in town and they all served the same food and were all expensive. We picked the one that was closest to our hostel, naturally, and we met two very lovely couples who were vacationing in Doolin and we chatted for a better part of the evening. We got Irish coffees and pints out of it - pretty good deal if I do say so myself.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTPtnNG1NI/AAAAAAAAAzo/lwsHOchkxvA/s1600-h/DSC02015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTPtnNG1NI/AAAAAAAAAzo/lwsHOchkxvA/s320/DSC02015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360637839002752210" border="0" /></a>Sunday 12 July 2009<br /><br />The morning went just the same as the day before - on the bus by 08:30am and on to the sites of the day.<br /><br />Our first stop was at a Fairy Ring. Celtic folklore says that these are places to be avoided - especially walking inside of one - because if you do you will be cursed. It was an odd and lovely place.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTQZoxygzI/AAAAAAAAAzw/9ssnXEpMKd4/s1600-h/DSC02034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTQZoxygzI/AAAAAAAAAzw/9ssnXEpMKd4/s320/DSC02034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360638595339289394" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTQaDODxEI/AAAAAAAAAz4/0fG_sjVR9pI/s1600-h/DSC02035.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTQaDODxEI/AAAAAAAAAz4/0fG_sjVR9pI/s320/DSC02035.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360638602437182530" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Burren Plateau and Pol na Brone Dolmen - limestone formations and a burial site<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTR_koyisI/AAAAAAAAA0I/EAAkZRZundg/s1600-h/DSC02055.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTR_koyisI/AAAAAAAAA0I/EAAkZRZundg/s320/DSC02055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360640346574457538" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTR_LQIEPI/AAAAAAAAA0A/zY9JzmyY22E/s1600-h/DSC02046.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTR_LQIEPI/AAAAAAAAA0A/zY9JzmyY22E/s320/DSC02046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360640339760124146" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTSAQj0zbI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/X6k8Y9fhbx0/s1600-h/DSC02057.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTSAQj0zbI/AAAAAAAAA0Q/X6k8Y9fhbx0/s320/DSC02057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360640358364794290" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Clonmacnoise - an old Monastic settlement<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT02Fp0HI/AAAAAAAAA0o/gl9bNSWLq1Y/s1600-h/DSC02082.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT02Fp0HI/AAAAAAAAA0o/gl9bNSWLq1Y/s320/DSC02082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360642361303617650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT0Jxkk_I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/dR6xtfFc2KI/s1600-h/DSC02062.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT0Jxkk_I/AAAAAAAAA0Y/dR6xtfFc2KI/s320/DSC02062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360642349408228338" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT1MGOObI/AAAAAAAAA0w/soJltYu2Mc8/s1600-h/DSC02065.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT1MGOObI/AAAAAAAAA0w/soJltYu2Mc8/s320/DSC02065.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360642367211583922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT0iDrykI/AAAAAAAAA0g/lcdFreXndUs/s1600-h/DSC02078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTT0iDrykI/AAAAAAAAA0g/lcdFreXndUs/s320/DSC02078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360642355926649410" border="0" /></a><br />Whiskey Distillery<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTVV9rScLI/AAAAAAAAA04/1bLDD8e2rUo/s1600-h/DSC02084.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTVV9rScLI/AAAAAAAAA04/1bLDD8e2rUo/s320/DSC02084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360644029787828402" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTVWPyVJFI/AAAAAAAAA1A/qMqWir_AcHk/s1600-h/DSC02086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTVWPyVJFI/AAAAAAAAA1A/qMqWir_AcHk/s320/DSC02086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360644034649203794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTVWfuLfwI/AAAAAAAAA1I/qT-ZIy0WVGM/s1600-h/DSC02092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SmTVWfuLfwI/AAAAAAAAA1I/qT-ZIy0WVGM/s320/DSC02092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360644038926761730" border="0" /></a>We went back to Dublin in the evening. Mel and I walked around for a while, but because it was so late everything was closed as it was Sunday. We left very early Monday morning to return to London.<br /><br />Click on this link to view my facebook album from my trip to Ireland:<br /></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123449&id=185002852&l=49fb49c7de"><span>http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2123449&id=185002852&l=49fb49c7de</span><br /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /><br /></span>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-13805054809367738492009-07-07T16:20:00.038-05:002009-07-28T17:42:23.278-05:00Another day, another blog<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This past week was pretty exciting - well the beginning and the end of it were anyway.<br /><br />Monday 29 June 2009<br /><br />Class was EXTREMELY confusing. We were learning about the British political system. I'm pretty sure that it isn't that complicated, but Professor Dick was talking in circles. I'm definitely still not sure what even happened that day in class.<br /><br />Monday night was fantastic though!!! We went to see Regina Spektor in Hyde Park. I have already seen her two times live, but it was totally worth it - she never disappoints! It was especially exciting because she just came out with a new CD so she was playing mostly new material. Naturally, I had been listening to her new CD was a week straight so I was prepared.<br /><br />This is my favorite song:<br /></span><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyPgBL_Zi02NHSiht925ixnGdnAgSflxcwl8mVnCBl7bgn6QX8UP_0gBS6fgRyMiBEmVlImDNHBGp_4k7f1tQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPNXw9dd0I/AAAAAAAAAtE/KU_t5Gg8Q2E/s1600-h/DSC01605.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPNXw9dd0I/AAAAAAAAAtE/KU_t5Gg8Q2E/s320/DSC01605.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355850190037022530" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPNXkV_1aI/AAAAAAAAAs8/Qx9h51UFPvA/s1600-h/DSC01594.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPNXkV_1aI/AAAAAAAAAs8/Qx9h51UFPvA/s320/DSC01594.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355850186650277282" border="0" /></a>The middle of the week was pretty dull - I went to work. We attempted seeing the Lion King again, but it was sold out AGAIN. I think we've given up. I can't say I'm super upset. I saw the two musicals that I really wanted to see, so seeing the Lion King would have been a bonus.<br /><br />As the week winded down it got more exciting again!<br /><br />Friday 3 July 2009<br /><br />Mel, Maggie and I woke up nice and early on Friday so that we could go get pedicures. If you could've seen our feet, you would know why! Walking around London all day every day had seriously taken its toll...I don't think my feet have EVER looked that bad. Afterward we got lunch and then went to St. Paul's Cathedral.<br /><br />St. Paul's was fantastic. Once again I was a little bored walking around on the inside - pretty only gets you so far. The inside was much prettier than Westminster Abbey though. The intricate detail work on the dome ceiling was crazy. All of us wanted to know how they did it. Of course I don't have any pictures of the inside...something about it being inappropriate to take pictures inside churches :) I wanted to know how it was appropriate to take them during weddings then - whatever. Once we finished looking around the ground floor we began our journey to the Golden Gallery, all 530 steps of it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPOJS3stCI/AAAAAAAAAtM/2qdcd1XUuuI/s1600-h/DSC01631.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPOJS3stCI/AAAAAAAAAtM/2qdcd1XUuuI/s320/DSC01631.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355851040953250850" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPOJvuJdyI/AAAAAAAAAtU/-AMA6cZPCOw/s1600-h/DSC01637.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPOJvuJdyI/AAAAAAAAAtU/-AMA6cZPCOw/s320/DSC01637.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355851048697820962" border="0" /></a>On the way up to the Golden Gallery, you pass through two other galleries on the way. The Whispering room is so cool. It is at the lowest part of the dome ceiling and because the room is completely round, you can stand on one side and whisper something into the wall and someone standing on the other side can hear what you've said. Mel, Maggie and I whispered things to each other for a good 15 minutes before we decided to make our way to the Stone Gallery.<br /><br />The Stone Gallery is halfway up the dome and it is actually on the outside. The view was lovely. We could see all of London from up there. Not to mention the breeze up there felt really good after walking up all of those steps inside a hot, hot cathedral.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQDqJKy_I/AAAAAAAAAt0/PDVmd19bB4A/s1600-h/DSC01656.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQDqJKy_I/AAAAAAAAAt0/PDVmd19bB4A/s320/DSC01656.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355853143144582130" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQDNouOoI/AAAAAAAAAts/Ga-3wCXNFn8/s1600-h/DSC01655.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQDNouOoI/AAAAAAAAAts/Ga-3wCXNFn8/s320/DSC01655.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355853135492299394" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQCnon6tI/AAAAAAAAAtk/aJLhGOetv0k/s1600-h/DSC01649.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQCnon6tI/AAAAAAAAAtk/aJLhGOetv0k/s320/DSC01649.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355853125291338450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQCTsH3-I/AAAAAAAAAtc/Rg9nqBAeIlI/s1600-h/DSC01643.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQCTsH3-I/AAAAAAAAAtc/Rg9nqBAeIlI/s320/DSC01643.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355853119937306594" border="0" /></a>The Golden Gallery is at the very top. It it also on the outside of the cathedral and I almost had a panic attack walking up there. We made it about halfway up on the scary, spiral staircases and I just couldn't go any farther because I was paralyzed out of fear. It took me about 5 minutes before I could continue climbing up to the top. Once we made it up there it was totally worth it. I can't even explain how beautiful it was up there. A little frustrating, admittedly, because there was only enough walking room for about two people, but so beautiful! Plus, on the way down there was a girl wearing a really short skirt and you could see her butt because the wind was blowing so hard. We followed her all the way around the Stone Gallery hoping it would happen again so we could take a picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQ15dx6rI/AAAAAAAAAuE/WdpmdCCK25Y/s1600-h/DSC01659.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQ15dx6rI/AAAAAAAAAuE/WdpmdCCK25Y/s320/DSC01659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355854006251023026" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQ1u8UrwI/AAAAAAAAAt8/SONK2L5libk/s1600-h/DSC01668.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPQ1u8UrwI/AAAAAAAAAt8/SONK2L5libk/s320/DSC01668.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355854003426340610" border="0" /></a>In the middle of the day we went to the Museum of London. It was the most boring museum I have EVER been to and let me tell you, I have been to some pretty boring museums in my day and this one, by far, takes the cake. That is all that needs to be said. Oh yea. We made Mel climb on top of a horse outside so we could take a picture.<br /><br />In the evening, a bunch of us went to the Absolut Ice Bar. It cost a little more than I would have liked to go to, but how often can you say that you went to a bar made entirely out of ice...never! They keep it at -5 Celcius (24 Fahrenheit) inside to keep it from melting and they give you a pull over parka and glove to keep warm. Even the glasses are made out of ice. It was really cool. In fact, if you google Absolut IceBar London and look at their gallery for 3 July you can see a picture of my friends and I.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPR4RzjCpI/AAAAAAAAAuM/liAzT-_ZZoc/s1600-h/DSC01682.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPR4RzjCpI/AAAAAAAAAuM/liAzT-_ZZoc/s320/DSC01682.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355855146656139922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPR49I0_NI/AAAAAAAAAuc/JJwDxYPVX94/s1600-h/DSC01689.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPR49I0_NI/AAAAAAAAAuc/JJwDxYPVX94/s320/DSC01689.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355855158288121042" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPR4vo5qlI/AAAAAAAAAuU/MxEwE3Wuwh0/s1600-h/DSC01687.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPR4vo5qlI/AAAAAAAAAuU/MxEwE3Wuwh0/s320/DSC01687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355855154664548946" border="0" /></a>Saturday 4 July 2009<br /><br />We woke up early again on Saturday so that we could go to the Borough Market. Mel and I had both heard very good things about the food there, so we definitely wanted to check it out. Plus, it counts as a visit for class. We took a little detour because Mel was sure that it was by her work and then after we'd already took the tube all the way down there we realized that maybe we were thinking about different markets because I'd seen Borough Market by the London Bridge tube station - we weren't very close to there. No biggie though - she showed me restaurants that her company had done the interior decorating for.<br /><br />The market was really fun. We got to sample all kinds of candies and we got delicious croissant for breakfast. I also got a whole bunch of cherries for 5 pounds. I've eaten them all already. Most delicious.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPTY0kAODI/AAAAAAAAAuk/OXQceya3Dr0/s1600-h/DSC01709.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPTY0kAODI/AAAAAAAAAuk/OXQceya3Dr0/s320/DSC01709.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355856805253625906" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPTZbSQC4I/AAAAAAAAAus/QvCI4Wj83LI/s1600-h/DSC01710.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPTZbSQC4I/AAAAAAAAAus/QvCI4Wj83LI/s320/DSC01710.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355856815648148354" border="0" /></a>In the afternoon we wanted to meet Mags in Oxford Circus to do some shopping in hopes of finding an outfit to wear to the club that night. The train decided it didn't want to go to Oxford Circus, so we had to get off at Piccadilly Circus. When we came out of the tube station there were people EVERYWHERE. As we headed down the street toward Oxford, we realized that the Gay Pride Parade was going on. It felt really good to be there to be a part of that. There was so much love and acceptance in the air. It was quite the coincidence as well because the club we were going to that night is one of the biggest gay clubs in London - it is called Heaven and we were going with our friends Lorenzo and Simon to see Lady Gaga.<br /><br />Lady Gaga was really excellent. Well, the singing wasn't really excellent, but she has so much energy when she performs and her costumes were just so bizarre. I don't really have any pictures of that night yet because I need to borrow them from Mel - she stood up on the stairs and her pictures are WAY better than mine.<br /><br />Sunday 5 July 2009<br /><br />We must be crazy, because we woke up early on Sunday after going to bed at 4am so that we could be on a bus to Brighton by 10am. It was worth it though. Brighton is on the coast of England and it is so beautiful there. When I was looking at my pictures the next day I almost didn't believe that what I was seeing was real because it is so beautiful.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPU_I66aFI/AAAAAAAAAvM/Q2kxkxuY6NQ/s1600-h/DSC01755.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPU_I66aFI/AAAAAAAAAvM/Q2kxkxuY6NQ/s320/DSC01755.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355858563065079890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPU-8A5XDI/AAAAAAAAAvE/cWzlWnRjtHY/s1600-h/DSC01748.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPU-8A5XDI/AAAAAAAAAvE/cWzlWnRjtHY/s320/DSC01748.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355858559600516146" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPU-uM3UbI/AAAAAAAAAu8/JmFwts1S47I/s1600-h/DSC01744.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPU-uM3UbI/AAAAAAAAAu8/JmFwts1S47I/s320/DSC01744.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355858555892617650" border="0" /></a>We went to a place called Jamie's Italian for dinner and it was just delicious. Mel had been there earlier in the week on a site visit for work and said we absolutely had to try it, so we gave it a shot. It was a little pricey, but it was so nice to just sit with friends, enjoy a couple of bottles of wine and a good meal. Plus, the Jamie of Jamie's Italian is Jamie Oliver from the Food Network! I love watching his show - he is fantastically English and says silly things like 'I'm just going to give it a quick whazz' when discussing putting things in the food processor.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPWKVfMSDI/AAAAAAAAAvc/jJgRszEZlBI/s1600-h/DSC01774.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPWKVfMSDI/AAAAAAAAAvc/jJgRszEZlBI/s320/DSC01774.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355859854928660530" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPWJ_Ab7xI/AAAAAAAAAvU/gpiGDgY9rZw/s1600-h/DSC01765.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPWJ_Ab7xI/AAAAAAAAAvU/gpiGDgY9rZw/s320/DSC01765.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355859848894082834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPWKjY8FEI/AAAAAAAAAvk/cTe8rM-Al_I/s1600-h/DSC01763.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SlPWKjY8FEI/AAAAAAAAAvk/cTe8rM-Al_I/s320/DSC01763.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355859858660529218" border="0" /></a>Thats all :)<br /><br />Check out the rest of these pictures in my facebook album:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2122518&id=185002852&l=bee8b64d29"><span>http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2122518&id=185002852&l=bee8b64d29</span></a>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-45285524542416107312009-06-28T19:32:00.019-05:002009-07-28T17:43:47.690-05:00Liverpool: Home of the Beatles and other cool things too<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ok. So I didn't just go to Liverpool this week, but that was mostly it. That was the exciting part at least.<br /><br />On Monday, I took two walking tours - one not by choice and the other by choice; however, both of them were extremely disappointing. Naturally, the one I did not do by choice was for class. Our professor, Malcolm Dick - yes, that is really his name - took us around the Mayfair area of London. Mayfair is an extremely swanky, up-scale area and he lectured on what it would have been like to live there 100 years ago or so. The way he chose to do this was absolutely ridiculous - he lined a bunch of us up according to the caste hierarchy and made us all really uncomfortable by saying we were married, etc. Also, apparently if you were wealthy back in the day you displayed pineapple outside your house.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgNRNzyFmI/AAAAAAAAApw/DeXr5FHh-QQ/s1600-h/DSC01093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgNRNzyFmI/AAAAAAAAApw/DeXr5FHh-QQ/s320/DSC01093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352542746545624674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgNRdMGroI/AAAAAAAAAp4/oMfooPVrThs/s1600-h/DSC01094.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgNRdMGroI/AAAAAAAAAp4/oMfooPVrThs/s320/DSC01094.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352542750674169474" border="0" /></a>After class, Mel and I went on a self-guided walking tour of the Kensington Gardens area - what a joke. First of all, we got lost. Second of all, a park that belongs to the Royal Family should be kept better. Third of all, Kensington Palace don't close 30 minutes before you are supposed to.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgPDc6sgWI/AAAAAAAAAqA/HG7lLWymyks/s1600-h/DSC01115.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgPDc6sgWI/AAAAAAAAAqA/HG7lLWymyks/s320/DSC01115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352544709106237794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgPDtiOEsI/AAAAAAAAAqI/tlCiyfYfBx0/s1600-h/DSC01118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgPDtiOEsI/AAAAAAAAAqI/tlCiyfYfBx0/s320/DSC01118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352544713566982850" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgPDyGJHKI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/e3AhQ3dQuPM/s1600-h/DSC01128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgPDyGJHKI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/e3AhQ3dQuPM/s320/DSC01128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352544714791394466" border="0" /></a>Friday night, Mel, Christie and I went to see Romeo and Juliet at the Globe, THE GLOBE. What an experience. We had standing tickets, or we were "groundlings" to use Shakespeare terms. It was fun to watch the cast members weaving through the see of people in the yard. Highly enjoyable. Juliet was rather disappointing, however. Everything else was fantastic.<br /><br />Saturday I woke up extremely early so that I could shower and be ready to go by 07:30. I took the national rail system to Liverpool, stopping first in Chester and changing trains. I actually arrived in Liverpool around 11:20. I got lost whilst trying to find my hotel and wandered all over hell and gone looking for it. Nothing over here is clearly labeled, so even after I stopped at a bookstore and purchased a map I still couldn't figure out where I was going. Alas, I found it around 12:15. I stayed at the International Inn/Cocoon - it was rather pleasant. I had my own room with a king size bed and flat-screen TV.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgRlzzAfHI/AAAAAAAAAqY/4dTHvnu9Iog/s1600-h/DSC01131.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgRlzzAfHI/AAAAAAAAAqY/4dTHvnu9Iog/s320/DSC01131.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352547498386816114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgRmsfmWYI/AAAAAAAAAqo/V7jMQcQOjNw/s1600-h/DSC01153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgRmsfmWYI/AAAAAAAAAqo/V7jMQcQOjNw/s320/DSC01153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352547513606232450" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgRmIrWfxI/AAAAAAAAAqg/vUBjAnFpHWo/s1600-h/DSC01135.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgRmIrWfxI/AAAAAAAAAqg/vUBjAnFpHWo/s320/DSC01135.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352547503991848722" border="0" /></a>Being that it was already almost 14:00 when I got going on Saturday I made the decision to just wander around and not try to see anything specifically - I would do that on Sunday. The city of Liverpool made the decision not to demolish a church that was bombed during WWII - St. James Church - and it was absolutely breathtaking. Most of what I took pictures of on Saturday was what Liverpool used to be. For my class I have to write a research paper and I am doing mine on Liverpool, so I made sure to document, in photographs, the change from past to present.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgT98FxtSI/AAAAAAAAArA/8-2enR-OT2k/s1600-h/DSC01183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgT98FxtSI/AAAAAAAAArA/8-2enR-OT2k/s320/DSC01183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352550111953138978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgT9mHakfI/AAAAAAAAAq4/LnOKzv5ojfk/s1600-h/DSC01182.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgT9mHakfI/AAAAAAAAAq4/LnOKzv5ojfk/s320/DSC01182.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352550106054431218" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgT9Q5DTVI/AAAAAAAAAqw/P7TT1ZGyAVQ/s1600-h/DSC01177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkgT9Q5DTVI/AAAAAAAAAqw/P7TT1ZGyAVQ/s320/DSC01177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352550100357041490" border="0" /></a>The major attraction on Sunday was the Beatles Story. I spent a good three hours there and I have to admit that when I made it to the end and they had a section dedicated specifically to John Lennon I started to cry a little bit. He was such a beautiful human being and he was taken much too soon. It was neat to see their story from beginning to end...I never knew they had so many members before finally settling on the four that we all know today.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhujCKTjPI/AAAAAAAAArI/A7SwzPO5sqk/s1600-h/DSC01350.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhujCKTjPI/AAAAAAAAArI/A7SwzPO5sqk/s320/DSC01350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352649705284406514" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhujU6l1aI/AAAAAAAAArQ/WGzjPO-I2io/s1600-h/DSC01370.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhujU6l1aI/AAAAAAAAArQ/WGzjPO-I2io/s320/DSC01370.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352649710318769570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Skhujue2wkI/AAAAAAAAArY/IWH1A51-5W4/s1600-h/DSC01379.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Skhujue2wkI/AAAAAAAAArY/IWH1A51-5W4/s320/DSC01379.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352649717181760066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Skhuj9ecZUI/AAAAAAAAArg/gfL9gUiDZYs/s1600-h/DSC01417.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Skhuj9ecZUI/AAAAAAAAArg/gfL9gUiDZYs/s320/DSC01417.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352649721206564162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhukLkAtKI/AAAAAAAAAro/D_T_u8KfWzw/s1600-h/DSC01420.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhukLkAtKI/AAAAAAAAAro/D_T_u8KfWzw/s320/DSC01420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352649724988011682" border="0" /></a>After visiting the Beatles Story, I continued on my walking tour which takes you through the Cavern Quarter - an area frequented by the Beatles. In fact, the club where they were discovered is down there as well as two other pubs where they used to hang out before and after shows. I went into the Cavern Club and it gave me chills...to stand where the Beatles may have once stood was crazy! I was in Beatles heaven.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhzbaWDjMI/AAAAAAAAAsA/9cws2Ejtu7s/s1600-h/DSC01490.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhzbaWDjMI/AAAAAAAAAsA/9cws2Ejtu7s/s320/DSC01490.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352655071895325890" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhzaRi7WuI/AAAAAAAAArw/SNLYEH9Vi2E/s1600-h/DSC01474.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkhzaRi7WuI/AAAAAAAAArw/SNLYEH9Vi2E/s320/DSC01474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352655052353526498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Skhza3H3RPI/AAAAAAAAAr4/GxuWz1ypuoU/s1600-h/DSC01483.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Skhza3H3RPI/AAAAAAAAAr4/GxuWz1ypuoU/s320/DSC01483.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352655062440559858" border="0" /></a>Unfortunately, I was not able to visit Penny Lane or Strawberry Fields because they were in the suburbs of Liverpool and I was in the city centre. I took pictures of them at the museum :) I learned last night that Abbey Road is just up the street from where I am currently living, so I will be going to visit that soon!<br /><br />I saw lots of other stuff too, but it was all boring kinds of things like museums and statues. I just really wanted to tell you about the Beatles.<br /><br />See all the rest of the pictures in my facebook album:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2122267&id=185002852&l=39d3c9fb03"><span>http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2122267&id=185002852&l=39d3c9fb03</span></a>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-8665754401873913752009-06-21T14:44:00.010-05:002009-06-21T16:37:33.587-05:00Yes, I know I've been in London for 2 weeks...part 2<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">14 June 2009<br /><br />I met Megan and Leonard at their hotel at 11:00 and we went to Covent Garden. The Covent Garden market is just fantastic. I bought the most beautiful amber ring - my most expensive impulse purchase since arriving in London - and two photographs of a famous graffiti artist's work. We wandered around the Oxford and Regent Street area for the rest of the day. When we came back to my room we bought tickets online for a Derren Brown show. Leonard was absolutely geeked - he loves Derren Brown.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6PDoflGEI/AAAAAAAAAkU/XdA7T6CDcKI/s1600-h/DSC00899.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6PDoflGEI/AAAAAAAAAkU/XdA7T6CDcKI/s320/DSC00899.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349870699934980162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6PD8Ow_xI/AAAAAAAAAkc/EqSIF7NrWLQ/s1600-h/DSC00903.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6PD8Ow_xI/AAAAAAAAAkc/EqSIF7NrWLQ/s320/DSC00903.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349870705233166098" border="0" /></a>15 June 2009<br /><br />I woke up even earlier because I was meeting Megan and Leonard at Regent's Park by 10:00 - we were in a bit of a time crunch because I had class at 13:30 and we wanted to go to The Globe and lunch beforehand. While Megan and I toured The Globe Leonard went to the Big Ben area and took pictures.<br /><br />The Globe was amazing. They were able to replicate it almost exactly using personal accounts from people alive at the time and by extrapolating from what little of the foundation they were able to find. It is called The Globe because they have designed the stage in such a way as to represent hell, earth, and heaven - and the theatre encompasses it all. They even used the same materials that they would have used "back then". All of the props and costumes for the shows are made by hand using processes from the time period the play would have been taking place.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TOWYkKGI/AAAAAAAAAkk/UHtCaiN9UMo/s1600-h/DSC00920.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TOWYkKGI/AAAAAAAAAkk/UHtCaiN9UMo/s320/DSC00920.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349875282098792546" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TOnbeu5I/AAAAAAAAAks/_WzqqeRz_J0/s1600-h/DSC00927.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TOnbeu5I/AAAAAAAAAks/_WzqqeRz_J0/s320/DSC00927.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349875286674422674" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TPPStaHI/AAAAAAAAAk0/f2lS5beHaLc/s1600-h/DSC00951.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TPPStaHI/AAAAAAAAAk0/f2lS5beHaLc/s320/DSC00951.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349875297375053938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After the tour, while eating a panini, I rushed to class to learn about British newspapers - what a waste of three hours. Afterward, I met Megan and Leonard in Leicester Square and the Transformers 2 premiere was going on. I've got pictures of a gigantic Bumblebee, Shia LeBouf, Josh Duhamel, and Tyson Beckford - so exciting!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TPtmKrXI/AAAAAAAAAk8/a4-e-Qu0fVQ/s1600-h/DSC00972.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TPtmKrXI/AAAAAAAAAk8/a4-e-Qu0fVQ/s320/DSC00972.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349875305509727602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TP2r--rI/AAAAAAAAAlE/yW_4rKNmNuE/s1600-h/DSC01002.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6TP2r--rI/AAAAAAAAAlE/yW_4rKNmNuE/s320/DSC01002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349875307950045874" border="0" /></a>The Derren Brown show was brilliant. He is an illusionist. I have no idea how he does what he does and am at a loss for words to describe it. It was unbelieveable! We said goodbye to each other on the train home before I got off to go back to my room.<br /><br />16 June 2009<br /><br />Tuesday meant more work. The day went by really fast because I was going offer letter after offer letter, all day long. After work, I took the bus to Piccadilly Circus because I had a ticket to see "Waiting for Godot" with Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. I got dinner on the way to the theatre and went to take pictures outside before the show. Ian McKellen is hilarious - his comedic timing is perfect. It was a really good show.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6WlOXm5FI/AAAAAAAAAlM/_lwV8YRk9uw/s1600-h/me3+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6WlOXm5FI/AAAAAAAAAlM/_lwV8YRk9uw/s320/me3+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349878973619168338" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6WlW48CFI/AAAAAAAAAlU/NskQ2gHbG08/s1600-h/me3+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6WlW48CFI/AAAAAAAAAlU/NskQ2gHbG08/s320/me3+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349878975906449490" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">17 June 2009<br /><br />Wednesday was boring. I was doing more of the same, except I've finally got a log-on name and an email account. I've also filled out the paperwork to get a name badge. Once I get it I will finally feel like I belong. In the afternoon I was told that next week I am going to start training on the ESR system so that I can work with employee records and I'll be starting a rotation around to the different areas of human resources! They even said that I might get to sit in on interviews and disciplinary meetings. I ended the day dreading work on Thursday because I knew it would suck knowing what was coming the next week.<br /><br />I went grocery shopping after work and then we started booking weekend trips. So far, we're planned trips to Ireland, Scotland, Amsterdam and Paris. I also booked a solo trip to Liverpool so that I can start doing research for my paper. We also want to go to Barcelona and Italy.<br /><br />18 June 2009<br /><br />Work on Thursday was fantastic. I met the HR manager and he invited me to attend a training that he was giving and told me that I would be sitting in on a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday. After the training, he sat down with me and we discussed how it went and he wanted my input. It was nice to do real work. I'm really looking forward to next week.<br /><br />19 June 2009<br /><br />It was nice to be done with work for the week and to be going something fun on Friday. In the afternoon we went to Buckingham Palace. I had been there before, so I knew what to expect, but I think I had more fun this time and I got better pictures. There was a fountain around the monument to Queen Victoria and Maggie had me position myself in such a way that it looked like I was throwing up in the picture that she took. Mel was showing Maggie the tattoo on her lower back and someone honked at her.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6eDziaV9I/AAAAAAAAAls/uk2kF5WzTNA/s1600-h/DSC01040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6eDziaV9I/AAAAAAAAAls/uk2kF5WzTNA/s320/DSC01040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349887195574065106" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6eDoqiEGI/AAAAAAAAAlk/b62T9MSydwA/s1600-h/DSC01036.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6eDoqiEGI/AAAAAAAAAlk/b62T9MSydwA/s320/DSC01036.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349887192655335522" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6eDHQjCiI/AAAAAAAAAlc/Du-kixm_0xg/s1600-h/DSC01020.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6eDHQjCiI/AAAAAAAAAlc/Du-kixm_0xg/s320/DSC01020.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349887183687977506" border="0" /></a>We walked along Princess Diana's walkway to get to Trafalgar Square. It took us alongside St. James Park. It was beautiful. There was a lake and it was neat to see all of the people just out enjoying themselves. Trafalgar Square was an absolute madhouse when we got there. It is one of the tourist-y areas in London, so there were tons of people. We dared Mel to climb one of the lions on the monument there. She couldn't get up by herself, so a nice young man jumped up there first and pulled her up - what ensued was fantastic hilarity.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6g6U5kIOI/AAAAAAAAAl0/dqKtrGUHxm0/s1600-h/DSC01047.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6g6U5kIOI/AAAAAAAAAl0/dqKtrGUHxm0/s320/DSC01047.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349890331265736930" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6g6ob-HtI/AAAAAAAAAl8/ISVS4de_AFg/s1600-h/DSC01059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6g6ob-HtI/AAAAAAAAAl8/ISVS4de_AFg/s320/DSC01059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349890336510320338" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6g7LvekvI/AAAAAAAAAmE/c4pFYAKsBhM/s1600-h/DSC01066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6g7LvekvI/AAAAAAAAAmE/c4pFYAKsBhM/s320/DSC01066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349890345987379954" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The National Gallery was kind of boring. We weren't allowed to take pictures and there were only a few artists that Mel and I wanted to see. Naturally, Monet was among them :) After the gallery we took the tube to Piccadilly Circus to see if we could get tickets for "Priscilla Queen of the Desert"...and we did!<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6hyBZeBLI/AAAAAAAAAmM/xa49kHVbGxE/s1600-h/DSC01067.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6hyBZeBLI/AAAAAAAAAmM/xa49kHVbGxE/s320/DSC01067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349891288103519410" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The show was super funny. I love the movie, so I have been really excited about seeing it, and I think the show was extremely well done. They did an excellent job of adapting it to the stage and adding music. The costuming was almost spot on with the movie, so that was great. Afterward we waited by the stage door and I got the autograph of the man who played Mitzy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6inQ80eMI/AAAAAAAAAmc/vQeXxbS0eys/s1600-h/me+047.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6inQ80eMI/AAAAAAAAAmc/vQeXxbS0eys/s320/me+047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349892202811390146" border="0" /></a>20 June 2009<br /><br />Saturday we woke up early and went down to Victoria to see if we could get tickets for "Wicked". We were able to get really good seats for only 25 pounds. Mel and Maggie have both already seen it, but they loved it so much that they were willing to go see it again which was great for me because I've never seen it! It was by far the best show I have EVER seen. The music and the costuming were just great.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6ncd7pYsI/AAAAAAAAAnA/YyCYvNbDJwk/s1600-h/DSC01075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6ncd7pYsI/AAAAAAAAAnA/YyCYvNbDJwk/s320/DSC01075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349897514875708098" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6ncn84X1I/AAAAAAAAAnI/zsZ-Hh_7Rhw/s1600-h/DSC01079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6ncn84X1I/AAAAAAAAAnI/zsZ-Hh_7Rhw/s320/DSC01079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349897517565239122" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6nc6Mj4iI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/vgb3cDcnxao/s1600-h/DSC01080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6nc6Mj4iI/AAAAAAAAAnQ/vgb3cDcnxao/s320/DSC01080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349897522462843426" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In the late evening we went to a gay bar with a couple of guys that Mel met at ISHbar. Both of them are students and fantastic and they wanted to show us a good time. We were able to get in free with fliers that they gave us. It was a bizarre experience. We had to wait in a queue for almost 45 minutes to get in, so by the time we actually made it into the bar it was almost 01:00, but it was totally worth it! I had the most fun that I have had in ages going out and the music was awesome. We didn't go to bed until almost 04:00 by the time we took the bus home.<br /><br />21 June 2009<br /><br />Sunday was a really relaxed day. Because of the lateness of our bedding, we didn't wake up until 13:00 and didn't leave the room until 16:00. Mel and I did loads of laundry and went to Harrods. For a majority of the evening, I have been working on my blog and then I am going to write up a couple of go-see papers.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-10489400409475518082009-06-21T14:41:00.003-05:002009-07-28T17:45:07.849-05:00Yes, I know I've been in London for 2 weeks...<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I know, I know...I've been here for two weeks and I'm just now updating my blog. I have been so unbelievably busy since I've gotten here that this is re</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ally the first good amount of time I've had to just sit in front of the computer to do this - plus, I've just gotten internet on my computer. We tried for a week or so to just</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> have internet on one of our computers which clearly has not worked as we all have internet on our </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">computers now.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In order to do this properly, I had to sit down and write everything in a journal. It took me three days and 22 pages in order to capture every</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">thing that has happened in the last two weeks. I am going to try to take highlights from each da</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">y and add in some pictures for dramatic effect. I apologize in advance - this may b</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e a b</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">it long...<br /><br />7 June 2009</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We arrived in London around 08:30. Customs was mostly h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">armless - the employees were just confused because of the new UK visa regulatio</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ns and</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> they weren't sure what to do with us. International Programs chartered a coach bus to take us to International Students House which would be our home away from home for the next 10 weeks. The bus ride was really quiet. I'm not sure if it was because we were all t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">oo tired or if it was because we were all too scared to talk to one another. I couldn't help but share all the wisdom</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> that I have about England with the girl that was sitting next to me :)<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">When we got dropped of at ISH, we weren't given an</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">y i</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">nstructions. All of us piled into the lobby and looked around helplessly; finally, someone got brave enough to ask the person at the front desk what we were supposed to do. They informed us that we would actually be staying in the other building, so they gave us our room ke</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ys and some crap directions and we were off. It must h</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ave been a ridiculous site watching 20 kids dragging their luggage down the sidewalk. We got lost twice, so a journey that no</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">rm</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ally takes five minutes ended up taking 30 minutes. When we finally made it to our rooms we we</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">re dog tired, but we were resolved to stay awake, so we unpacked.<br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJsNXmnQLI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/vsbME9R_YEA/s1600-h/me4+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJsNXmnQLI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/vsbME9R_YEA/s320/me4+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350958284199641266" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJsMbMrcOI/AAAAAAAAAoI/PJtNO9uw2sw/s1600-h/me4+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJsMbMrcOI/AAAAAAAAAoI/PJtNO9uw2sw/s320/me4+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350958267984736482" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJsNlHwCbI/AAAAAAAAAoY/Q2ifaW-UXe4/s1600-h/me4+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJsNlHwCbI/AAAAAAAAAoY/Q2ifaW-UXe4/s320/me4+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350958287828289970" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The rest of the afternoon we spent doing preparatory work. We had an orientation at the main ISH building and then we went and purchased necessities - oyster cards and mobiles. Oyster cards are credit card like things that we pre-load with money so that we can ride the underground or the bus at a discounted price. All of us wanted to get mobiles so that we could get a hold of the other interns should the occasion call for it. They are also useful if the tube is running late and you need to let your supervisor know that it'll be a little bit before you get to work. In the evening we went to the first pub w</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">e could find for dinner. We had to sit at three tables - their were like 12 o</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">f u</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">s - and the service was horrible, but I had some of the best fish and chips I've ever had.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJslbm4mgI/AAAAAAAAAog/QWSD1PUXn4M/s1600-h/First+Dinner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJslbm4mgI/AAAAAAAAAog/QWSD1PUXn4M/s320/First+Dinner.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350958697591380482" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">8 June 2009</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Monday was such a busy day. We had two meetings at Anglo-American where we will be having class on British culture every Monday and then many of us went exploring. It was an exciting morning because many of the people on the trip were having their first experience with the underground and we must have been quite the spectacle trying to get from the tube station to where our class is located - we definitely got lost.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After our last meeting, Mel and I went off to try to find where our jobs were located. We decided to find mine first. The journey there was OK. We didn't get on the wrong train and we managed to ask someone for directions. I was extremely excited because my tube station had a Starbucks. By the time we were done at my job we decided to call it quits because it was late and we'd had some difficulties navigating the journey back home. We got on the wrong train a couple of times.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">9 June 2009</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Mel and I got up early on Tuesday so that we would have time to do something fun after we found her job. Finding her job was slightly more complicated than finding mine. We had NO IDEA which way to go once we excited the tube station and ended up walking in the wrong direction for five minutes. She has to walk through a kind of scary area to get to work.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Later on we went to Piccadilly Circus which is like the Times Square and Broadway of London - there are tons of lights and there are theatres EVERYWHERE! While walking around we stumbled upon China Town and SoHo completely by accident. China Town wasn't very exciting and SoHo had lots of gay bars and bookshops </span></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">with porn in the basement.</span></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJtkDRQzvI/AAAAAAAAAoo/ZtxnshKjRjQ/s1600-h/me+033.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJtkDRQzvI/AAAAAAAAAoo/ZtxnshKjRjQ/s320/me+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350959773389999858" border="0" /></a></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJtkjrY0SI/AAAAAAAAAow/gkuxBvPC5Jo/s1600-h/me+034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJtkjrY0SI/AAAAAAAAAow/gkuxBvPC5Jo/s320/me+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350959782089511202" border="0" /></a></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJtk9gzCeI/AAAAAAAAAo4/XOPa7wJAWAA/s1600-h/me+044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJtk9gzCeI/AAAAAAAAAo4/XOPa7wJAWAA/s320/me+044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350959789024414178" border="0" /></a></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We met up with some other people from our group and took a self-guided tour of Westminster Abbey. It was very pretty, but boring. To me, it was just a church with tons of dead people and you couldn't take pictures! We had to cut the day short because the tube union was going on stike starting at 19:00 which would surely make for an interesting first day at work. For the rest of the evening we researched online how to get to work by taking the bus because, naturally, we'd all figured out how to get there by tube.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJu9uh4F6I/AAAAAAAAApQ/ruLEVM17CHg/s1600-h/DSC00864.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJu9uh4F6I/AAAAAAAAApQ/ruLEVM17CHg/s320/DSC00864.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350961314010765218" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJu9J1rx-I/AAAAAAAAApI/xiP6xcwbBZM/s1600-h/DSC00888.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJu9J1rx-I/AAAAAAAAApI/xiP6xcwbBZM/s320/DSC00888.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350961304161732578" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJu87wKC0I/AAAAAAAAApA/XWyspTnUODQ/s1600-h/DSC00891.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJu87wKC0I/AAAAAAAAApA/XWyspTnUODQ/s320/DSC00891.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350961300380453698" border="0" /></a><br /><br />/></span>10 June 2009<br /><br />Wednesday was my first day of work. I got up really early because I wasn't sure what the bus ride would be like because of the strike and I wanted to make sure I got there on time. When I got to the hospital I easily found lift bank C - elevators- and went to the lower ground floor where human resources is located. When I went into the office I was told to, I was informed that my supervisor was out sick for the day and that she hadn't left any instructions except that I was coming.<br /><br />I felt so bad that first day, like I was annoying them or something. They had to scramble to find things for me to do. That first day was kind of slow. I was definitely worried because I was scared that everyday would be like that. We're not here to file and do crap paperwork, we're supposed to be getting real experience and that it not how I would classify my first day as an intern.<br /><br />When I was taking the bus home it just decided that it was no longer going to Warren Street and that the last stop would be Piccadilly Circus - about half way. Because of the tube strike, Piccadilly Circus were an absolute madhouse. I looked up another bus to pick up to get home, but it was nowhere in sight and I would've had to wait forever. I walked...it took me at least 1.5 hours. I didn't get back until almost 19:30 and I got done with work at 17:00 - yuck!<br /><br />11 June 2009<br /><br />Work didn't get better on Thursday. They taught me how to do offer letters - basically filling in blanks on a template - and I made phone calls all afternoon. The day went faster, but it was just as boring. I was extremely glad to be done.<br /><br />After work we went to ISHbar for karaoke night. I actually sang two songs! Mike and I sang "All the Small Things" - everyone said we were awesome! Then Kevin, Katie and I "sang" "Cleanin' Out My Closet". I wouldn't say we were awful, but we certainly weren't good. It was almost time for us to go up and this is the conversation that transpired:<br />Kevin: "You know the words, right?"<br />Me: "Yeah, why?"<br />Kevin: "Because, Katie and I don't!"<br />I couldn't believe it - they were the ones who wanted to sing it in the first place and they didn't even know the words! By that time I had had three strongbows - delicious hard cider - and everyone else was drunk too! It was pretty amazing, I was drunk, but I didn't get sick or feel icky the next day. I suppose sleeping until 13:00 on Friday may have helped a little.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6HlBrf4QI/AAAAAAAAAjE/mYg5_kU9YXg/s1600-h/me2+018.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6HlBrf4QI/AAAAAAAAAjE/mYg5_kU9YXg/s320/me2+018.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349862477538517250" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6Hkwzv5jI/AAAAAAAAAi8/4HNXxJfFRrE/s1600-h/me2+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/Sj6Hkwzv5jI/AAAAAAAAAi8/4HNXxJfFRrE/s320/me2+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349862473009718834" border="0" /></a>12 June 2009<br /><br />It was almost 16:00 when Mel and I finally got going for the day. We decided to just go to Piccadilly Circus again and then we headed to Oxford Street to go shopping. Mel had to go to the bathroom so bad by the time we made it to Marks & Spencer that she rant to the escalator to get to the third floor...it was fantastic!<br /><br />We went out again, but I was not feelin' it. Plus, I got hit on by a creepy, middle-aged man who had just gotten done telling me that he had gotten engaged the week before. On the way home, we saw a DEAD person. As we approached Marylebone we saw that the cops had blocked off the street. When we got closer we saw all these cop cars and ambulances. When we passed the scene there was a man on the ground covered by a blanket and he was surrounded by blood. That is something that I will NEVER forget. And poor Kevin, he saw the whole thing happen - he was the one who called 999 (London's 911).<br /><br />13 June 2009<br /><br />On Saturday, I woke up early and Christie and I went to Regent's Park to see "Much Ado About Nothing" in the open-air theatre. On the walk there, we went through Queen Mary's Garden and it was breathtaking - there must have been at least 100 different kinds of roses. I took a million pictures...it was so beautiful. The play was absolutely fantastic!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJrvNqUqFI/AAAAAAAAAoA/bAZ_Bh2qM2o/s1600-h/me2+079.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJrvNqUqFI/AAAAAAAAAoA/bAZ_Bh2qM2o/s320/me2+079.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350957766134769746" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJrua2KxBI/AAAAAAAAAn4/PPNHJoyPeP4/s1600-h/me2+069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJrua2KxBI/AAAAAAAAAn4/PPNHJoyPeP4/s320/me2+069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350957752494244882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJrtqqyeNI/AAAAAAAAAnw/NL9YUdT6Nxo/s1600-h/IMG_0188-1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7lmXID0KEU/SkJrtqqyeNI/AAAAAAAAAnw/NL9YUdT6Nxo/s320/IMG_0188-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350957739561613522" border="0" /></a><br />After dinner, Megan and Leonard arrived. I met them at the Regent's Park station and we walked to McDonald's.<br /><br />This entry is long enough...I am going to do week two in the next one :)<br /><br />See the rest of the photos from my first two weeks here in my facebook album:<br /><br /></span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121016&id=185002852&l=8ad796c6d0"><span>http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2121016&id=185002852&l=8ad796c6d0</span></a>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-69113718278285404522009-06-04T21:19:00.002-05:002009-06-04T21:35:27.810-05:0045 Hours and counting<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">It is roughly 45 hours until I will be on a plane to London. My bags are almost packed and I am starting to get really sad about leaving. I'm also worried about forgetting things and screwing everything up. The pressure is starting to build because I am beginning to realize that my entire college career is riding on this internship - I won't graduate if I suck it up. <br /><br />To top it all off, the professor in charge of my internship finally sent out the syllabus yesterday...I have to journal, keep him updated on my portfolio and write <span style="font-weight: bold;">TWO</span> 4-5 page papers :( I am going to have to keep on top of everything in order to pull this off.<br /><br />My last day in Madison should be relatively stress free. I am going to get my nails and toes done during the day for sure...and I am hoping that my boyfriend is planning something romantical for tomorrow night! Saturday is going to be a LONG day. We have to leave Madison by at least 11 so that we make it to O'Hare with enough time for a proper goodbye and I very highly doubt that I will get anywhere near a decent amount of sleep Friday night or Saturday on the plane.<br /><br />I'm not sure how long it will take me to get the internet situation figured out once I'm in London, so I probably won't be able to post again until the middle of next week sometime. I'll miss everyone while I am there!!!<br /></span></span>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-77095894709064089082009-05-28T00:02:00.002-05:002009-05-28T00:20:21.513-05:00Finally!<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I finally received my placement this morning! I am going to be interning at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals in London. I will be working closely with the human resources department. According to Anglo-American - the placement company - this is an extremely prestigious placement, so I am appropriately excited, but also extremely nervous as well. To be honest, that is about all I am aloud to say about what I will be doing as I am required to sign a confidentiality agreement because of the nature of the work that I will be doing. I will try to keep you all posted with other exciting things that I do!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">It is such a relief to FINALLY have my placement because that means the shopping can begin. My sister and I are planning to go shopping on Saturday in Milwaukee, which means I have a lot of work in store for me in the next couple of days. I need to inventory what I already have to see what I still need to purchase. </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I do know that I am going to be needing MORE SHOES! I know it is probably hard to believe, but I only have two pairs of shoes in my ENTIRE closet that will be suitable to wear to work and they're flats - ugh! The only problem is that no matter what tube stop I get off at, I will still have a 15-20 minute walk to get to the hospital. I have to pray that I find REALLY comfortable heels or I am going to have to wear trainers and change when I get there, which I REALLY do not want to do...so not chic!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I already know that I have at least one fun thing planned. I am going to go see a play featuring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart! The theatre program to London had extra tickets and international programs offered them to the interns, so I snatched one up right away! Who would pass up a chance to see a play featuring Gandelf the Gray/White and Jean Luc Picard/Dr. Xavier??!! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">I am also hoping to convince someone to go to Scotland with me in the middle of July. There is a music festival going on there called "T in the Park" and it features about 10 of my most favorite bands! What a perfect excuse to travel! I am waiting to get an idea of my work/class schedule before buying my tickets because I wouldn't want anything to conflict.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Well...that is about all of the exciting news I have for now. I considered telling you all about the visa fiasco, but it just makes me bitter. </span></span><br /></span></span>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-61434449195653705462009-05-13T21:12:00.009-05:002009-05-13T21:29:26.574-05:00Biometrics AppointmentTo be honest, I don't have much of an update since my last blog. The only thing worth noting is that I went to a biometrics appointment in Milwaukee on May 5.<br /><br />The biometrics appointment was a required part of the visa application process. A girl from downstairs - who is also going to London - traveled to Milwaukee together for our appointments and it was nothing super special. When we scheduled our appointments, we were only able to schedule them on the hour, so Katie and I expected to spend at least 2.5 hours in Milwaukee at these appointments. Not the case.<br /><br />We spent 6 hours in the car to spend 30 minutes in the Department of Homeland Security. When we got there, we had to go through a metal-detector and our bags had to be x-rayed. Once we got there, it only took 30 minutes for each of us to have our "appointments"...if by appointments you mean a chance to get finger-printed and photographed by the federal government then that's what they were.<br /><br />I've been getting tons of emails from the secretary in the International Programs office because they've apparently been having problems with visa applications getting returned. So far, I haven't heard anything back on my application, but I'm thinking that whatever the people in International Programs have been doing is to prevent anymore of our applications from getting returned. Fingers crossed, I guess.<br /><br />I also have not received my placement. I am starting to get REALLY antsy because I want to start getting ready for my trip. More importantly, I want to go shopping for clothes to wear to my internship!!! How am I supposed to do that if I don't know where I'm going to be working?!<br /><br />My finals are going to be wrapping up tomorrow. So far, I've taken two finals - I know I aced the first one and the second one is debatable. Only two of my final grades have been posted so far - both A's!!! Now I am just patiently...OK, not patiently...waiting for graduation on Saturday. I know it isn't official until after I come back from London, but walking across that stage is the last thing that I have to do in Stevens Point before I get to move home for good.<br /><br />Hopefully by next week I'll know more about what is going on with my trip!Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4163868039573538259.post-34700228049571860962009-04-26T00:14:00.002-05:002009-04-26T00:28:50.704-05:00First One!<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I have to warn you...I'm not very good at this! I am starting this blog so that all of my friends and family can follow my internship in London. I haven't left yet...I don't leave until June 6, but I thought I could share what is going on with my trip so far.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">As of right now, I have not received my placement. International Programs predicts that a lot of our placements should be coming in this week though! I'm hoping to work in human resources in a larger company, so fingers crossed. I hope that my placement comes this week because I want to finish buying clothes for my trip. I kind of need to know where I will be working before I can.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am still working on financing my trip. Hint, hint! Financial aid and alternative loans can be so confusing, but I think I finally have everything figured out. The people in the financial aid office are so patient. I've only called them a few times, but each time I was freaking out and they were very helpful!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I had my departure workshop today which means I am that much closer to going on my trip. The next step is to attend a biometrics appointment in Milwaukee on May 5. I'm not sure what happens at a biometrics appointment. All I know is that I have to go in order to get my visa to study abroad, so that is enough for me. Kind of inconvenient though...I have to skip all my classes and miss work to go.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am starting to get really excited now that everything is starting to fall into place. I'm sure that as the actual departure day gets closer I will be FREAKING out! Besides, I need to make it through the rest of the school year before I can truly start thinking about getting ready for my trip. I've still got tons of stuff due before I'm done...and then I graduate on MAY 16!!! I can't wait. </span><br /></span></span>Shawnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07956677657312525007noreply@blogger.com