Have been battling nasty cold for past three days. Beginning to think am like Native Americans brought over to England who perished from inability to cope with European illnesses. Okay, perhaps not, but it's a possibility. Was able to give my presentation in my Art & America class with a very hoarse voice. Fortunately my skills as an actress paid off and I got the class to laugh both at and with me during the presentation, making it a paramount success.
Desperately need to wash my sheets, air out the room and take a boiling hot shower before Morgan arrives tomorrow. Poor girl thinks she will be able to brave my germi-ness for the sake of making our spring break travel plans. By the by, have I mentioned my spring break is five weeks long? (Sigh.) We are planning on spending a couple weeks somewhere warm in an attempt to thaw out from this perpetual English chill.
Lovely boyfriend made wonderful comparison between beauty of a flower and sunset tonight... refuse to quote it directly because I'm being selfish and keeping it all to myself. Suffice to say, there's nothing like dating a poet. If presented with the opportunity, I highly request dating one. Just not mine.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A Taste of Home
Morgan visited this weekend, taking a few days off from the blustery north winds of Sunderland. Arrival was melodramatic, running towards one another in coach station with many approving lookers-on. First time I've seen someone from home.
Deposited bags, told lots of stories, and made our way back to City Centre for dinner at Latin restaurant called La Iguana. Wonnnnderful atmosphere. Decided to take advantage of their 2-for-1 cocktails and ordered margaritas... whoa. Probably 90% tequila, but worth it once food arrived. Morgan had left to use toilets so was only person at the table when tapas were delivered... taquitos, a quesadilla looking thing and then some meaty dish with a sort of pink grass looking garnish sticking out at odd angles.
When Morgan returned, we started on the garnish pile of unknown, but only took me 5 seconds to realize that what she pulled off the plate was in fact a shrimp. Head, eyes, legs, antenna. All intact. Am convinced will never look at shrimp the same way again. Only got through the dismemberment of one of four, and relinquised my second to Morgan. Ohh the tiny little legs... oooh. Not fun. Took a walk for an hour and went back to Iguana for banana dessert. Mmmm. Much better. Highly recommend the restaurant, perhaps not the shrimp for the squeamish diner.
Rest of the weekend consisted of a movie at The Phoenix with Caitlin (Vicky Christina Barcelona-- apathetic), high speed shopping at Primark (of course), a birthday party for Morgan's "twin" cousin in Coventry complete with bracing English walk in country-side, take-out kabobs on Saturday night, sharing the same computer screen to catch up with boyfriends and a movie on my laptop last night (Stage Beauty--loved it). Was just dropped off back home after meeting Morgan's dad at the bus station, and am planning on gym visit as have not been in three days.
Have massive scary presentation on Tuesday... wish me luck!
Deposited bags, told lots of stories, and made our way back to City Centre for dinner at Latin restaurant called La Iguana. Wonnnnderful atmosphere. Decided to take advantage of their 2-for-1 cocktails and ordered margaritas... whoa. Probably 90% tequila, but worth it once food arrived. Morgan had left to use toilets so was only person at the table when tapas were delivered... taquitos, a quesadilla looking thing and then some meaty dish with a sort of pink grass looking garnish sticking out at odd angles.
When Morgan returned, we started on the garnish pile of unknown, but only took me 5 seconds to realize that what she pulled off the plate was in fact a shrimp. Head, eyes, legs, antenna. All intact. Am convinced will never look at shrimp the same way again. Only got through the dismemberment of one of four, and relinquised my second to Morgan. Ohh the tiny little legs... oooh. Not fun. Took a walk for an hour and went back to Iguana for banana dessert. Mmmm. Much better. Highly recommend the restaurant, perhaps not the shrimp for the squeamish diner.
Rest of the weekend consisted of a movie at The Phoenix with Caitlin (Vicky Christina Barcelona-- apathetic), high speed shopping at Primark (of course), a birthday party for Morgan's "twin" cousin in Coventry complete with bracing English walk in country-side, take-out kabobs on Saturday night, sharing the same computer screen to catch up with boyfriends and a movie on my laptop last night (Stage Beauty--loved it). Was just dropped off back home after meeting Morgan's dad at the bus station, and am planning on gym visit as have not been in three days.
Have massive scary presentation on Tuesday... wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Special Request
I know it's been a while and I should have lots of stories to tell about spending Valentine's Day in a monastery, but tonight I am putting that aside.
This weekend a girl on my floor, named Thea, died in a car accident. Please pray for her family and friends.
"The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, 'The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!' The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love." Lamentations 3:22-26; 31-32
Love to everyone at home.
This weekend a girl on my floor, named Thea, died in a car accident. Please pray for her family and friends.
"The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, 'The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!' The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love." Lamentations 3:22-26; 31-32
Love to everyone at home.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Last Supper
Father Peter asked all of the international students at CSA (Catholic Student Association) to please bring dishes from our home countries to share at the International Dinner last Sunday. Wonderful. America is, definitively, a melting pot of cultures. No real ethnic food belongs specifically to America besides McDonalds, meatloaf and mac'n'cheese. Not particularly culinary masterpieces.
What to do, what to do.... ah! English breakfast, although magnificent in presentation, has some flaws. Shall cook glorious French (urgh) toast served with maple syrup, American (hoorah) bacon--cripsy, not how the English do it with meat still in a recognizable form--and a berry crumble dessert. Sensible, yet elegant. Right.
Searching for provisions at local ASDA proved more difficult than anticipated. Tiny bottles of maple syrup hiding between rows of jams, cinnamon not in the baking aisle, but rather mixed in with spices, no frozen berries so substituted with canned and to top it all off, the bacon did not look promising. Still, the two American pioneers sailed off into the north with packages to arrive at Chaplaincy extraordinarily early. Lucky us, set ourselves to cleaning the kitchen in order to make it a useful environment.
Despite best efforts to plan enough time for baking and frying, ran into massive problems when confronted with gas stove. Hmm... matches. Ah. Wet matches. Ummm... right, there we are. Oooh--well, not hot enough for bacon. OH! Too hot! Smoke! BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.... &c.
Hungry students came pouring in spot on 15 minutes before we were ready. International dinner seemed doomed to be a burnt American dinner. Only had 8 pieces of French toast and bacon enough for probably 4 hungry lumberjacks. I became, for a moment, our Lord multiplying loaves. Slice, slice, slice... Like magic, 16 steaming pieces of toast appeared on my plate. I applauded my own ingenuity. Unfortunately Father Peter not quite so impressed, for in my panic I had neglected to flip over the piece of toast, whose smoke he regarded with some concern.
Eventually more food arrived and everyone was well-fed. Thank heavens for international cooperation.
What to do, what to do.... ah! English breakfast, although magnificent in presentation, has some flaws. Shall cook glorious French (urgh) toast served with maple syrup, American (hoorah) bacon--cripsy, not how the English do it with meat still in a recognizable form--and a berry crumble dessert. Sensible, yet elegant. Right.
Searching for provisions at local ASDA proved more difficult than anticipated. Tiny bottles of maple syrup hiding between rows of jams, cinnamon not in the baking aisle, but rather mixed in with spices, no frozen berries so substituted with canned and to top it all off, the bacon did not look promising. Still, the two American pioneers sailed off into the north with packages to arrive at Chaplaincy extraordinarily early. Lucky us, set ourselves to cleaning the kitchen in order to make it a useful environment.
Despite best efforts to plan enough time for baking and frying, ran into massive problems when confronted with gas stove. Hmm... matches. Ah. Wet matches. Ummm... right, there we are. Oooh--well, not hot enough for bacon. OH! Too hot! Smoke! BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP.... &c.
Hungry students came pouring in spot on 15 minutes before we were ready. International dinner seemed doomed to be a burnt American dinner. Only had 8 pieces of French toast and bacon enough for probably 4 hungry lumberjacks. I became, for a moment, our Lord multiplying loaves. Slice, slice, slice... Like magic, 16 steaming pieces of toast appeared on my plate. I applauded my own ingenuity. Unfortunately Father Peter not quite so impressed, for in my panic I had neglected to flip over the piece of toast, whose smoke he regarded with some concern.
Eventually more food arrived and everyone was well-fed. Thank heavens for international cooperation.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Poetic Justice
"...well if he wants to play the little poetry reader in a game of basketball and get his ass kicked he is more than welcome..."
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Snow, Superbowl, Sickness
Unlucky enough on our first real weekend here to get a stomach virus. Very unpleasant, up at all hours of the morning on Saturday, couldn't keep anything down. Luckily wonderful, amazing Caitlin looked after me beginning at 4am. Can't do without people like her. Not that she actually did much in the way of actively taking care of me. Instead offered Ibuprofen and sympathy, while trying to keep from dozing off in an upright position. Nice of her though. Have survived on cereal bars and Powerade for the better part of two days until this morning.
Attempted to go to 9:30am mass, which turned out to be impossible. Although Englishmen love running about in skimpy clothes for exercise at 8am, the demand for a bus into town must be low. Buses do not begin routes until 9:36am or something dreadful like that. Stranded at the bus stop for 15 minutes with personal nurse (see above) debating what to do. Had the sense to take first bus that arrived and get breakfast in town before mass. Extremely grateful that we did, as to observe the typical English breakfast: sausage, 1/2 tomato, hashbrowns, toast, eggs, mushroom and beer! Everyone was drinking alcohol! As if it were COFFEE! Ridiculous. Wish I'd had my camera.
Superbowl is tonight, but contagious nasty sickness keeping me from celebrating into the wee hours of the morning. Will heartily cheer on the Cardinals from the confines of my bed and dream of victory. Also, it is snowing. Can't believe it. Flurries of snow, in fact. Beginning to think that family and friends at home are so jealous of our above-freezing temperatures that their feelings have been transported across the ocean in the form of precipitation. Thanks much.
To Morgan, who just arrived in Sunderland last night (hopefully), I love you! Welcome! And Happy Birthday!
Attempted to go to 9:30am mass, which turned out to be impossible. Although Englishmen love running about in skimpy clothes for exercise at 8am, the demand for a bus into town must be low. Buses do not begin routes until 9:36am or something dreadful like that. Stranded at the bus stop for 15 minutes with personal nurse (see above) debating what to do. Had the sense to take first bus that arrived and get breakfast in town before mass. Extremely grateful that we did, as to observe the typical English breakfast: sausage, 1/2 tomato, hashbrowns, toast, eggs, mushroom and beer! Everyone was drinking alcohol! As if it were COFFEE! Ridiculous. Wish I'd had my camera.
Superbowl is tonight, but contagious nasty sickness keeping me from celebrating into the wee hours of the morning. Will heartily cheer on the Cardinals from the confines of my bed and dream of victory. Also, it is snowing. Can't believe it. Flurries of snow, in fact. Beginning to think that family and friends at home are so jealous of our above-freezing temperatures that their feelings have been transported across the ocean in the form of precipitation. Thanks much.
To Morgan, who just arrived in Sunderland last night (hopefully), I love you! Welcome! And Happy Birthday!
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