Wednesday was rugby day as usual. Actually, it was my last match ever with the Newcastle University 2nd team. We traveled about 3 hours by coach to Bradford to play in the nasty, cold, cloudy, misty weather. But we have such a great time on the bus that time passes quickly. Just the 18 2nd girls had the whole bus to ourselves, so it made for great chit chat and fun. I played the entire 80 minutes as usual at hooker. No, no one stepped on my dead leg, but the other one got pretty banged up. And a slight knock to the head put me on the ground for a bit, but I kept playing. No biggie. I swear I had the best game so far, and I gained a whole lot of ground in the penalties just taking the ball into contact and driving through the opposing front lines. Sure I got bashed a bit, but if you gain 20 meters for the team it's worth it. And ... I got "Forward of the Match" again. What a great way to close out the year. I might not get to play rugby again here, unless I get called up to the 1st team for their home match next week. We'll see what happens. All the girls were really sad to see me go, and we lamented on the bus for a little bit, only to cheer up and go out as usual. The theme this week was Pink. We all actually got huge matching pink T-shirts, which I promptly sliced up on the bus and wore as a dress with leggings and a cute polka-dot belt from Rome. Adorable. Sure, rugby girls are hard-core, but we sure do know how to clean up well! Put 18 girls, pink clothes, and drinks on a 3 hour bus ride and you got yourself a proper party. We met the 1st team girls out on the town when we got back, and it was great to have all of us together again. I'm just as close with the 1st girls as the 2nds, which makes everything so much fun. I think the friends I've made on the rugby team and the travels we have together will be the part I miss the most about England.
This Thursday brought a whole busy day of seminars and lectures as usual. Nothing too exciting at all, really. I then spent half the evening writing a huge archaeology essay (which happened to be due Friday by 4pm ... plenty of time, right? Hey, last time I did an archaeology project at 3am I ended up with a 97/100. Not bad at all. I work best under pressure. Plus, I can't spend all the prime social hours being studious!). Since my paper was almost done anyway, I went out with my flatmates to the infamous BluBambu. It's been sooooo long since all the flatmates went out together as a group and not separated on different sports and club pub crawls. We had a great time, plus Lauri and I can get everyone in for free since we're both on sports teams sponsored by BluBambu. Great night of Newcastle craziness.
And that just brings us to today ... I got up early to finish the archaeology paper and *shock* turned it in 2 hours before the deadline. I finally got all my muddy rugby gear washed (last loads of expensive laundry I'll do here) and just sat around icing my bruises all day. We're having just a chill pizza and movie night in hosted by my flat tonight since we're all dead from the week of shenanigans. Tomorrow I've decided to hop on the train to York, explore the town and go Christmas shopping. Then on Sunday I'll be a tourist and take pictures of Newcastle. O yeah, maybe I should work on my essays and biochemistry before exams this coming week. Plenty of time for that later. I'm just trying to squish everything I wanted to do into the last 2 weeks here. I'm really going to miss this place ... in 2 weeks, I'll be home. Weird.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Roman Holiday
My Rome trip was, in a word, FANTASTIC! There's nothing better than arriving in a foreign country only to meet up with friends who love you and can give you a personalized tour of the city. We saw anything and everything, stopping by all the sights that my sister had recommended from her studies in Rome. The best part about visiting Anna and Janine in Rome is that they're both taking history, philosophy, and theology classes there, so they know EVERYTHING about the sites in Rome. They have classes at the Forum and Colosseum instead of in a traditional classroom, and even did research papers on monuments in Rome. Anna and Janine are definitely the best tour guides ever.
Rachel and I got up insanely early (as we always do with cheap flights) to fly out of Newcastle and into London on Friday morning. We had a nice, long layover, then finally flew from London to Rome, landing about 4pm. Janine had emailed me detailed instructions of how to navigate the airport, bus terminal, and metro lines, so Rachel and I found our hostel very easily. We settled into the Pop Inn Hostel (great location, about 50 meters from the main Termini metro and bus station), then called Anna and Janine. We met Anna at the metro station around 7:30. I've never been so excited and happy to see friends. Anna took us on the metro to meet up with Janine and their friends Laura and Jess. The plan for Friday night was to visit all the favorite places Anna and Janine frequent since all the tourist stuff was already closed. We got gelato at their favorite place, Tony's Gelaterria, which is only a few minutes walk from their house (Anna and Janine go there so often that the owner knows them well by now), then stopped for a great Italian dinner at Il Caminetto (best buffalo mozzarella cheese pizza ever!). After we were stuffed with wine and pizza, we took the tram and bus to explore Trastevere by night. The Tiber riverside is gorgeous at night, and Piazza Trilussa is packed with young Italians hanging out. We wandered around and shopped a bit, then went to Anna and Jess' favorite chocolate shop for chocolate shots. Literally an shot glass molded out of chocolate filled with chocolate liqueur, whipped cream, and chocolate chips. Delicious.
Rachel and I got up early on Saturday to check out of our first hostel (yes, we switched hostels because we're so poor). We met Anna, Janine, and Laura at 8am to travel to the Vatican. Rachel and I got in line to see the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums while the other girls went to sit in St. Peter's square to watch the Pope ordain 23 new Cardinals. The Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel are just too stunning for words. We walked through all the galleries and Raphael rooms on the way to Michaelangelo's ceiling, and one room is just more breathtaking than the other. We left the Sistine Chapel just in time to catch the others leaving the ordination. We grabbed cannoli at Janine's favorite 24hour pastry shop, then headed out to a pizza shop for a quick lunch. At this point it's absolutely pouring down rain! Disappointing, but the rain mostly stopped by the time we had to get on the metro again. Since it wasn't raining much anymore, Janine, Anna, Rachel and I went to the Forum and Colloseum. From taking classes at the Forum, the Rome girls could tell us all about the history and what the Forum used to look like. They pointed out the Imperial Palace of Augustus, Teatro di Marcello, Temple of Apollo, and Temple of Hercules in the area. We walked down around the Forum and through to the Colloseum and our lovely tour guides told us all about the gladiator fights. It was so surreal to think about what the Forum and Colloseum used to be like so may years ago. The world is certainly a drastically different place. Afterwards we walked though Piazza Venezia (gorgeous fountains and statues like all of Rome). We headed up to the Bocca della Verita at the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church. We all did the typical tourist picture with our hand in the cracked mouth of the Bocca della Verita. We walked back up through to Piazza Barberini and near where the Anna and Janine's university program is based. Just as if our day wasn't packed enough, we all headed back to the Vatican to meet Laura and Jess to see the Apostolic Palace. The Apostolic Palace is usually not open to the public, but since the 23 Cardinals had been ordained earlier in the day, people were allowed to go inside and congratulate the new Cardinals. The line, or rather mob, outside was insane, but we got in just fine. We met the new Cardinals from Philadelphia and Iraq, then went touring around the Palace (magnificent). By the time we got out, St. Peter's was dark and all the statues of saints around the top wall and fountains were illuminated. We were close enough to our hostel, so we all went to check into our second (cheaper, and nicer) hostel of the trip and change clothes for our evening out. Since we were all famished at this point, we took the metro to Spagna to their favorite restaurant, L'Archetto Spaghetteria. So many choices of pasta, and so delicious. We had a lovely Italian meal, then headed out to see the Spanish steps. Then, the girls took us to the Fontana de Trevi. Nighttime is by far the best way to view the fountain. It's just absolutely incredible. While I was there I did the traditional wish at Trevi fountain. 3 coins (one for luck, one for love, and one for a return trip to Rome) thrown from your right hand over your left shoulder as you make a wish. We left and then literally ran down the street to catch the bus to Campo dei Fiori. It's clearly the highlight of international youth culture with lots of American exchange students enjoying the nightlife. We visited The Drunken Ship and surrounding bars in the Campo, then got gelato at Blue Ice. Finally, we all headed back to our hostel or house and caught a few hours of much-needed sleep.
Sunday morning - croissants and cappuccino make the best breakfast. Rachel and I meet the girls in the late morning and head out to Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus). There's really not much there except for a huge field that's apparently great to jog around. Then we walked over to the Baths of Caracalla. Anna did her huge research paper on the Baths of Caracalla, so she gave us an amazing detailed tour of the Baths (it was drizzling, so she had the typical tour guide red umbrella deal going on. hilarious). We all ate lunch (yeah, we all like to eat - a lot) in the area right between the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. We bought really pretty Italian glass necklaces in one of the shops nearby, too. Then we went to the Pantheon, which Laura did her research paper on so we had yet another great personalized tour. Then it was onward bound back to St. Peter's, this time to go into the Basilica. At the fantastic recommendation of my sister, we went up to the top of the Copula of St. Peter's first. It's a looooong walk up really narrow and sloped spiral staircases, but it was so worth it. It's definitely the best view of Rome, and the sun was settling as we looked out over the beautiful landscape. Then we went into the San Pietro Basilica itself. Words can't describe the ornateness of the church. I'm pretty sure I stood in the middle of the Basilica in awe foe a good 15 minutes just trying to take it all in. It's places like St. Peter's that would make you never want to leave Rome. We left and got dinner at a yummy local restaurant, then went to Piazza Navona at night. We bought bottles of great Italian red wine for our nighttime walking tour of piazzas and back to Campo dei Fiori. Italy is so relaxed about everything, and I love it. Sure, walk around the street drinking wine straight from the bottle - Italy wouldn't be the same without it. Exhausted from 2 1/2 days of touring Rome by day and night, we all parted ways once more. Rachel and I went back to our hostel to sleep for just a couple hours before getting up for another early flight.
Monday was just another day of check-ins, security, and flying. Remind me to write SwissGear backpacks a thank-you note when I get back - that backpack has been the center of my life for the past 2 months. The airport security checked my bag in London, unpacking absolutely everything and wondering exactly how I fit so much stuff into a tiny bag. After 15 hours of traveling and layovers, I finally arrived back in Newcastle around 8pm Monday evening. I only missed 2 lectures (biochemistry and sociology), but I got to prep for my biochemistry lab practical in the London airport. Not to many people were around the flat, but I unpacked and got settled in once again. Then ... I got to experience fantastic British healthcare. Between walking around Rome for 3 days and flying, the massive bruise I got from being stepped on during rugby training in the mud last week had drastically increased in size and color. At the recommendation of my medic-in-training flatmate, friends in Rome, and NHS nurse helpline, I called a taxi and got myself to Newcastle General Hospital pronto. The nurse on the phone was concerned that I had still had internal bleeding or a blood clot, which is not something to mess with. Well the emergency room in Newcastle is uber-efficient, and free (nice!). I didn't have to deal with paperwork, insurance, or any of that junk, and I was seen by the doctor in about an hour. Turns out they don't think I still have internal bleeding, it's just that it's such a large area that I'll have a huge 8inch x 10inch dark purple and swollen spot on my thigh for the next 3 weeks. Guess I'll be wearing black leggings under all my skirts when I go out at night now. The nurse recommended I try tennis instead of rugby (haha, right!). Between ice, compression wraps, and pain meds, I should be fine.
Today was catching up on sleep, then the last biochemistry lab of the semester. I'm trying to get everything reorganized tonight and maybe do some work. We have another away rugby match tomorrow, and I'll be on the front lines as usual. It's our last 2nd team game of the season, and I wouldn't miss it for the world! Tomorrow's theme for the rugby social is PINK!!! I'm so excited!
Rachel and I got up insanely early (as we always do with cheap flights) to fly out of Newcastle and into London on Friday morning. We had a nice, long layover, then finally flew from London to Rome, landing about 4pm. Janine had emailed me detailed instructions of how to navigate the airport, bus terminal, and metro lines, so Rachel and I found our hostel very easily. We settled into the Pop Inn Hostel (great location, about 50 meters from the main Termini metro and bus station), then called Anna and Janine. We met Anna at the metro station around 7:30. I've never been so excited and happy to see friends. Anna took us on the metro to meet up with Janine and their friends Laura and Jess. The plan for Friday night was to visit all the favorite places Anna and Janine frequent since all the tourist stuff was already closed. We got gelato at their favorite place, Tony's Gelaterria, which is only a few minutes walk from their house (Anna and Janine go there so often that the owner knows them well by now), then stopped for a great Italian dinner at Il Caminetto (best buffalo mozzarella cheese pizza ever!). After we were stuffed with wine and pizza, we took the tram and bus to explore Trastevere by night. The Tiber riverside is gorgeous at night, and Piazza Trilussa is packed with young Italians hanging out. We wandered around and shopped a bit, then went to Anna and Jess' favorite chocolate shop for chocolate shots. Literally an shot glass molded out of chocolate filled with chocolate liqueur, whipped cream, and chocolate chips. Delicious.
Rachel and I got up early on Saturday to check out of our first hostel (yes, we switched hostels because we're so poor). We met Anna, Janine, and Laura at 8am to travel to the Vatican. Rachel and I got in line to see the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums while the other girls went to sit in St. Peter's square to watch the Pope ordain 23 new Cardinals. The Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel are just too stunning for words. We walked through all the galleries and Raphael rooms on the way to Michaelangelo's ceiling, and one room is just more breathtaking than the other. We left the Sistine Chapel just in time to catch the others leaving the ordination. We grabbed cannoli at Janine's favorite 24hour pastry shop, then headed out to a pizza shop for a quick lunch. At this point it's absolutely pouring down rain! Disappointing, but the rain mostly stopped by the time we had to get on the metro again. Since it wasn't raining much anymore, Janine, Anna, Rachel and I went to the Forum and Colloseum. From taking classes at the Forum, the Rome girls could tell us all about the history and what the Forum used to look like. They pointed out the Imperial Palace of Augustus, Teatro di Marcello, Temple of Apollo, and Temple of Hercules in the area. We walked down around the Forum and through to the Colloseum and our lovely tour guides told us all about the gladiator fights. It was so surreal to think about what the Forum and Colloseum used to be like so may years ago. The world is certainly a drastically different place. Afterwards we walked though Piazza Venezia (gorgeous fountains and statues like all of Rome). We headed up to the Bocca della Verita at the Santa Maria in Cosmedin church. We all did the typical tourist picture with our hand in the cracked mouth of the Bocca della Verita. We walked back up through to Piazza Barberini and near where the Anna and Janine's university program is based. Just as if our day wasn't packed enough, we all headed back to the Vatican to meet Laura and Jess to see the Apostolic Palace. The Apostolic Palace is usually not open to the public, but since the 23 Cardinals had been ordained earlier in the day, people were allowed to go inside and congratulate the new Cardinals. The line, or rather mob, outside was insane, but we got in just fine. We met the new Cardinals from Philadelphia and Iraq, then went touring around the Palace (magnificent). By the time we got out, St. Peter's was dark and all the statues of saints around the top wall and fountains were illuminated. We were close enough to our hostel, so we all went to check into our second (cheaper, and nicer) hostel of the trip and change clothes for our evening out. Since we were all famished at this point, we took the metro to Spagna to their favorite restaurant, L'Archetto Spaghetteria. So many choices of pasta, and so delicious. We had a lovely Italian meal, then headed out to see the Spanish steps. Then, the girls took us to the Fontana de Trevi. Nighttime is by far the best way to view the fountain. It's just absolutely incredible. While I was there I did the traditional wish at Trevi fountain. 3 coins (one for luck, one for love, and one for a return trip to Rome) thrown from your right hand over your left shoulder as you make a wish. We left and then literally ran down the street to catch the bus to Campo dei Fiori. It's clearly the highlight of international youth culture with lots of American exchange students enjoying the nightlife. We visited The Drunken Ship and surrounding bars in the Campo, then got gelato at Blue Ice. Finally, we all headed back to our hostel or house and caught a few hours of much-needed sleep.
Sunday morning - croissants and cappuccino make the best breakfast. Rachel and I meet the girls in the late morning and head out to Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus). There's really not much there except for a huge field that's apparently great to jog around. Then we walked over to the Baths of Caracalla. Anna did her huge research paper on the Baths of Caracalla, so she gave us an amazing detailed tour of the Baths (it was drizzling, so she had the typical tour guide red umbrella deal going on. hilarious). We all ate lunch (yeah, we all like to eat - a lot) in the area right between the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps. We bought really pretty Italian glass necklaces in one of the shops nearby, too. Then we went to the Pantheon, which Laura did her research paper on so we had yet another great personalized tour. Then it was onward bound back to St. Peter's, this time to go into the Basilica. At the fantastic recommendation of my sister, we went up to the top of the Copula of St. Peter's first. It's a looooong walk up really narrow and sloped spiral staircases, but it was so worth it. It's definitely the best view of Rome, and the sun was settling as we looked out over the beautiful landscape. Then we went into the San Pietro Basilica itself. Words can't describe the ornateness of the church. I'm pretty sure I stood in the middle of the Basilica in awe foe a good 15 minutes just trying to take it all in. It's places like St. Peter's that would make you never want to leave Rome. We left and got dinner at a yummy local restaurant, then went to Piazza Navona at night. We bought bottles of great Italian red wine for our nighttime walking tour of piazzas and back to Campo dei Fiori. Italy is so relaxed about everything, and I love it. Sure, walk around the street drinking wine straight from the bottle - Italy wouldn't be the same without it. Exhausted from 2 1/2 days of touring Rome by day and night, we all parted ways once more. Rachel and I went back to our hostel to sleep for just a couple hours before getting up for another early flight.
Monday was just another day of check-ins, security, and flying. Remind me to write SwissGear backpacks a thank-you note when I get back - that backpack has been the center of my life for the past 2 months. The airport security checked my bag in London, unpacking absolutely everything and wondering exactly how I fit so much stuff into a tiny bag. After 15 hours of traveling and layovers, I finally arrived back in Newcastle around 8pm Monday evening. I only missed 2 lectures (biochemistry and sociology), but I got to prep for my biochemistry lab practical in the London airport. Not to many people were around the flat, but I unpacked and got settled in once again. Then ... I got to experience fantastic British healthcare. Between walking around Rome for 3 days and flying, the massive bruise I got from being stepped on during rugby training in the mud last week had drastically increased in size and color. At the recommendation of my medic-in-training flatmate, friends in Rome, and NHS nurse helpline, I called a taxi and got myself to Newcastle General Hospital pronto. The nurse on the phone was concerned that I had still had internal bleeding or a blood clot, which is not something to mess with. Well the emergency room in Newcastle is uber-efficient, and free (nice!). I didn't have to deal with paperwork, insurance, or any of that junk, and I was seen by the doctor in about an hour. Turns out they don't think I still have internal bleeding, it's just that it's such a large area that I'll have a huge 8inch x 10inch dark purple and swollen spot on my thigh for the next 3 weeks. Guess I'll be wearing black leggings under all my skirts when I go out at night now. The nurse recommended I try tennis instead of rugby (haha, right!). Between ice, compression wraps, and pain meds, I should be fine.
Today was catching up on sleep, then the last biochemistry lab of the semester. I'm trying to get everything reorganized tonight and maybe do some work. We have another away rugby match tomorrow, and I'll be on the front lines as usual. It's our last 2nd team game of the season, and I wouldn't miss it for the world! Tomorrow's theme for the rugby social is PINK!!! I'm so excited!
Thursday, November 22, 2007
3 weeks left ...
So it's been over a week since my last update. My apologies, but life over here gets mighty hectic. Here's the past 9 days in a nutshell ...
Last Wednesday was yet another rugby match day. I played the full game as hooker for the 2nd team at our home field, Cochrane park. We didn't win, but the 2nds are finally beginning to gel as a team and play well together. We don't really care about the score so much, we just like being on the field having a fun time. I survived my first "dump tackle," too. I was SO close to scoring, when out of nowhere this huge girl from the other team just picks me clear off the ground and throws me back down again, ball still in hands. Borderline illegal tackling, but hey, at least my team got a penalty kick out of it. The 1st team also played at the home fields, so we got to catch the last 10 minutes of their game, too. Afterwards, the team met up for evening activities. The Newcastle University Men's 1st team were playing our rival, Northumbria University (aka "The Poly" ... they're more of a polytechnic institute than a university. We're "The Posh kids," they're "Poly Scum." And here I thought Brits were all polite.) The game was held at the Newcastle Falcons (professional rugby) stadium, so it was a huge deal. All the rugby girls met up and went to the stadium together to cheer on our boys as a team. It was a fantastic time, and the entire stadium was packed with Newcastle and Northumbria students. Naturally, the women's rugby team went right from the stadium to our social establishments of choice. Last week's rugby social theme: School girls. Nice. I got to celebrate my birthday at midnight with the rugby girls, which of course was a great time.
Thursday ... I'm OLD. The big 20. No signs of fine lines or wrinkles yet, though. I opened all my cards from family back home and felt very loved. My flatmates and I hosted a party that evening with my favorite theme, "Anything But Clothes." Classy. We had everything from trash bags, sleeping bags, towels, and cotton batting formed into cute little outfits. Great efforts on everyone's parts, though i must say the Loyola crew back home are much more creative. Afterwards, everyone who didn't have exams the next day (about 14 of us) went to my favorite night club, BluBambu. Great night.
In the aftermath of Thursday night, everyone just lounged around on Friday and had a relaxing day. We all rested up just long enough to go out to Solution, the nightclub in the Student Union for the night. Yes ... the Newcastle University has a nightclub and bars in the basement. This is why I love England. They played great British cheesy pop from back when we were all in middle school. It seemed so strange not to know all the old songs, but my flatmates are on a mission to educate me in the British Cheesy Pop genre before I leave. Oh yes, I'll be coming home with multiple crazy British techo, dance, and pop CDs.
Over the weekend, I actually cracked down and did some schoolwork. I had a reality slap in the face when I realized that all these projects are due in a couple weeks before I leave, and to keep my scholarship I have to get good grades. So i had a minor freakout and organized all my work before going out Saturday night. Sunday I spent in the library and computer lab printing out ALL the biochemistry powerpoint handouts for the semester. I figure if they're printed and sitting my in room, I might be motivated to review them before our major exam in 2 weeks.
Monday brought the rain. Rain, rain, and more rain. It seriously rained for 3 day straight here. No sunshine, and lots of puddles. How depressing. I did the usual lectures and classes deal on Monday, then camped out in the library gathering sources for my Archeology report (totally not excited about that). And then there was rugby training ... I turned into a human icicle. Seriously, when it's raining, cold, and windy the team still plays hard. Intense, but fun.
Tuesday brought more library and work (noticing a work theme here? I was just motivated to get stuff done before I go away this weekend). Then I had my third Biochemistry lab practical, which was actually really fun. It was focused around enzyme kinetics, which was fascinating. Yes, I'm a science nerd. I've grown to accept it. Tuesday night most of the people from my block of flats hung out in my apartment discussing housing for next year. It's time for everyone to separate into apartment groups and start house-hunting. Drama, drama, drama. I'm so glad I don't have to do that. Living on campus is SO much easier. And yet at the same time I so much want to stay here with my British friends.
This brings me to yesterday, Wednesday. This week there were (shockingly) NO rugby matches scheduled, so I actually got to go to my Wednesday archeology lecture. Of course, we still had rugby training. We just played a match against each other mixing up the 1st and 2nd teams. After 3 days of rain, we were all soaked in mud. At least tackling in mud doesn't hurt as much. However, I currently have the MOST massive bruise ever on my thigh (I'm sitting here now with a bag of frozen peas bound onto my leg with plastic wrap to try and keep the swelling down.) Getting accidentally cleated/kicked in the same spot 3 times tends to be pretty painful. Then we all went out for the usual Wednesday night rugby social. "Bin Bags" was this week's clothing of choice. Believe me, you will never see trash bags look so good. We all fashioned them into dresses, skirts, tank tops, etc. Slightly hazardous since trash bags tend to rip (luckily mine stayed intact), but so much fun.
So I sit here today on Thanksgiving waiting to Skype home to the family to chat with everyone at once. I really, really miss helping out with all the cooking, the Macy's parade, and the holiday craziness. But, Loyola has sponsored a formal dinner for everyone tonight (we'll see if it stands up to American Thanksgiving standards). Then, I'll be packing my backpack full of 4 days worth of clothes and such to jet of to ROME tomorrow morning. Rachel and I leave at 5am to get cheap flights to Rome. We'll have a long-ish layover (hooray for biochem studying in the airport), but by the afternoon we'll be meeting Janine and Anna in Rome. Plane tickets and hostels are booked, all we need to do is hop on the plane. Pizza, pasta, and gelato await me. Oh yeah, and maybe some Pope and historic monument action, too!
Last Wednesday was yet another rugby match day. I played the full game as hooker for the 2nd team at our home field, Cochrane park. We didn't win, but the 2nds are finally beginning to gel as a team and play well together. We don't really care about the score so much, we just like being on the field having a fun time. I survived my first "dump tackle," too. I was SO close to scoring, when out of nowhere this huge girl from the other team just picks me clear off the ground and throws me back down again, ball still in hands. Borderline illegal tackling, but hey, at least my team got a penalty kick out of it. The 1st team also played at the home fields, so we got to catch the last 10 minutes of their game, too. Afterwards, the team met up for evening activities. The Newcastle University Men's 1st team were playing our rival, Northumbria University (aka "The Poly" ... they're more of a polytechnic institute than a university. We're "The Posh kids," they're "Poly Scum." And here I thought Brits were all polite.) The game was held at the Newcastle Falcons (professional rugby) stadium, so it was a huge deal. All the rugby girls met up and went to the stadium together to cheer on our boys as a team. It was a fantastic time, and the entire stadium was packed with Newcastle and Northumbria students. Naturally, the women's rugby team went right from the stadium to our social establishments of choice. Last week's rugby social theme: School girls. Nice. I got to celebrate my birthday at midnight with the rugby girls, which of course was a great time.
Thursday ... I'm OLD. The big 20. No signs of fine lines or wrinkles yet, though. I opened all my cards from family back home and felt very loved. My flatmates and I hosted a party that evening with my favorite theme, "Anything But Clothes." Classy. We had everything from trash bags, sleeping bags, towels, and cotton batting formed into cute little outfits. Great efforts on everyone's parts, though i must say the Loyola crew back home are much more creative. Afterwards, everyone who didn't have exams the next day (about 14 of us) went to my favorite night club, BluBambu. Great night.
In the aftermath of Thursday night, everyone just lounged around on Friday and had a relaxing day. We all rested up just long enough to go out to Solution, the nightclub in the Student Union for the night. Yes ... the Newcastle University has a nightclub and bars in the basement. This is why I love England. They played great British cheesy pop from back when we were all in middle school. It seemed so strange not to know all the old songs, but my flatmates are on a mission to educate me in the British Cheesy Pop genre before I leave. Oh yes, I'll be coming home with multiple crazy British techo, dance, and pop CDs.
Over the weekend, I actually cracked down and did some schoolwork. I had a reality slap in the face when I realized that all these projects are due in a couple weeks before I leave, and to keep my scholarship I have to get good grades. So i had a minor freakout and organized all my work before going out Saturday night. Sunday I spent in the library and computer lab printing out ALL the biochemistry powerpoint handouts for the semester. I figure if they're printed and sitting my in room, I might be motivated to review them before our major exam in 2 weeks.
Monday brought the rain. Rain, rain, and more rain. It seriously rained for 3 day straight here. No sunshine, and lots of puddles. How depressing. I did the usual lectures and classes deal on Monday, then camped out in the library gathering sources for my Archeology report (totally not excited about that). And then there was rugby training ... I turned into a human icicle. Seriously, when it's raining, cold, and windy the team still plays hard. Intense, but fun.
Tuesday brought more library and work (noticing a work theme here? I was just motivated to get stuff done before I go away this weekend). Then I had my third Biochemistry lab practical, which was actually really fun. It was focused around enzyme kinetics, which was fascinating. Yes, I'm a science nerd. I've grown to accept it. Tuesday night most of the people from my block of flats hung out in my apartment discussing housing for next year. It's time for everyone to separate into apartment groups and start house-hunting. Drama, drama, drama. I'm so glad I don't have to do that. Living on campus is SO much easier. And yet at the same time I so much want to stay here with my British friends.
This brings me to yesterday, Wednesday. This week there were (shockingly) NO rugby matches scheduled, so I actually got to go to my Wednesday archeology lecture. Of course, we still had rugby training. We just played a match against each other mixing up the 1st and 2nd teams. After 3 days of rain, we were all soaked in mud. At least tackling in mud doesn't hurt as much. However, I currently have the MOST massive bruise ever on my thigh (I'm sitting here now with a bag of frozen peas bound onto my leg with plastic wrap to try and keep the swelling down.) Getting accidentally cleated/kicked in the same spot 3 times tends to be pretty painful. Then we all went out for the usual Wednesday night rugby social. "Bin Bags" was this week's clothing of choice. Believe me, you will never see trash bags look so good. We all fashioned them into dresses, skirts, tank tops, etc. Slightly hazardous since trash bags tend to rip (luckily mine stayed intact), but so much fun.
So I sit here today on Thanksgiving waiting to Skype home to the family to chat with everyone at once. I really, really miss helping out with all the cooking, the Macy's parade, and the holiday craziness. But, Loyola has sponsored a formal dinner for everyone tonight (we'll see if it stands up to American Thanksgiving standards). Then, I'll be packing my backpack full of 4 days worth of clothes and such to jet of to ROME tomorrow morning. Rachel and I leave at 5am to get cheap flights to Rome. We'll have a long-ish layover (hooray for biochem studying in the airport), but by the afternoon we'll be meeting Janine and Anna in Rome. Plane tickets and hostels are booked, all we need to do is hop on the plane. Pizza, pasta, and gelato await me. Oh yeah, and maybe some Pope and historic monument action, too!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Losing my accent ...
Sunday's trip to Durham was fantastic! I went with my flatmate, Sarah, who loves Durham and hasn't visited the town in ages. We stopped off at Starbucks in the morning for a holiday-flavor latte (yes ... they have all the holiday flavors here, too! So excited!), then hopped on a noon train from Newcastle to Durham. It only takes 15 minutes to get there, so we had a great chunk of the afternoon ahead of us. Durham is SO unbelievably picturesque. We wandered through the city center and along the riverside up to the Durham Cathedral which is, in a word, stunning. This tops all cathedrals I've seen thus far - seriously. The stained glass windows, architecture, statues, everything is just so gorgeous. Then we headed into a pub and out of the cold for lunch, then back up the hill to the Durham castle. We took ourselves on a (semi-lost) self-guided tour of the castle, which turned out to be much more fun than a usual stuff tour-guide version. Shopping in Durham was fun, too, and we found a few fun little boutiques with adorable clothes.
The weather here has started to turn horribly cold. I had 5 layers on (including 2 huge sweatshirts) at rugby training Monday night, was running around, and was still absolutely freezing. The wind is the worst part, though. Luckily it hasn't been too wet yet, and I'll be gone by the time all the snow arrives after winter break. I'm really glad I got to tour around Newcastle while the weather was still warm enough.
My flatmates commented today that I'm starting to lose the edge off my American accent. It's definitely not as strong as it used to be. When the girls from Rome came to visit, they told me that my inflection is different, and that I ask questions like a Brit. I've even started to pick up on all my British flatmates' sayings ... I can't even imagine what I would sound like if I was staying here for a year.
Tomorrow is a rugby match at home. I should be playing for the 2nd team again, which makes me really happy. I really liked playing with all the Fresher girls I've been training with, plus it's just a lot less intense than the 1st team. I'm all about having fun as a team, not about winning. Then, the entire school almost is going to watch the Newcastle Uni men's team take on the Poly (our rival school) at the Newcastle Falcon's stadium. It should be INSANE. I'll be splitting my time between sitting with the womens rugby team and my group of latmates and friends. Then, it's out for the usual Wednesday night rugby social craziness. Who knows what will happen when the clock strikes midnight ... the team celebrates birthdays like no one's business. Half of me is dreading leaving the teenage years, then again it's one year closer to being 21.
The weather here has started to turn horribly cold. I had 5 layers on (including 2 huge sweatshirts) at rugby training Monday night, was running around, and was still absolutely freezing. The wind is the worst part, though. Luckily it hasn't been too wet yet, and I'll be gone by the time all the snow arrives after winter break. I'm really glad I got to tour around Newcastle while the weather was still warm enough.
My flatmates commented today that I'm starting to lose the edge off my American accent. It's definitely not as strong as it used to be. When the girls from Rome came to visit, they told me that my inflection is different, and that I ask questions like a Brit. I've even started to pick up on all my British flatmates' sayings ... I can't even imagine what I would sound like if I was staying here for a year.
Tomorrow is a rugby match at home. I should be playing for the 2nd team again, which makes me really happy. I really liked playing with all the Fresher girls I've been training with, plus it's just a lot less intense than the 1st team. I'm all about having fun as a team, not about winning. Then, the entire school almost is going to watch the Newcastle Uni men's team take on the Poly (our rival school) at the Newcastle Falcon's stadium. It should be INSANE. I'll be splitting my time between sitting with the womens rugby team and my group of latmates and friends. Then, it's out for the usual Wednesday night rugby social craziness. Who knows what will happen when the clock strikes midnight ... the team celebrates birthdays like no one's business. Half of me is dreading leaving the teenage years, then again it's one year closer to being 21.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
5 week countdown
Sad realization ... in just 5 weeks I'll be back in the USA for the holiday season. Where has all my time gone? I have so much more I want to do here, and yet I've done so much already. I've been so busy jetting off to different countries on the weekends that I've completely lost a sense of time. So I took this weekend off to continue exploring my Northeast England region.
Today might be the first day with absolutely nothing on my agenda. So I'm thinking maybe I should sort out some schoolwork, book my hostel for Rome, get groceries since I have no food left, and maybe do laundry. Or maybe I'll just sit around with a cup of tea and crumpets, act British, and relax. Then tonight I'm going out with my flatmates and friends to an 80's Pop party at the union. I figure I have to party it up now or never ... it's my last weekend of being a teenager! I turn 20 on Thursday ... that's OLD!
Tomorrow I'm hopping the train to Durham. It's only about 15 minutes away, and it will make for a really nice day trip touring the Cathedral and castle, and just shopping around the town. My flatmate Sarah is going with me, and then we're meeting up with my other flatmate, Natalie, who will already be in Durham for the weekend visiting her family.
Not to much to report from this week except from the Rugby game. Wednesday both the 1st and 2nd teams played in Sheffeild, so we all traveled together on the 3 hour bus ride South. I played the entire 80 minute game for the 2nd team, which was a lot of fun since I haven't played with the other Freshers yet. We lost terribly, but it was all in good fun. I was just happy to be on the field as part of a team and playing my heart out. Sheffield's front row girls were pretty huge and hit really hard, so my shoulders are still quite bruised. Oh well, what else is new? We hopped on the bus, then went to pick up the 1st team, then all 40 of us rugby girls went to pick up our 1st team Vice Captain from the hospital (she got a major concussion) on the way home. Just picture a coach filled with rugby girls dressed in neon and UV glow paint (the rugby party theme this week was Rave) pulling up to the front door of a hospital ... not exactly something you see everyday. We all got our "Rugby Moms" on the bus ride home, too. It was all supposed to be a surprise, but Kelly had requested me as her daughter within the first 2 weeks of the season, so I already knew who my rugby family was. Nothing says 'team bonding' like 3 hour bus ride craziness.
Thursday and Friday were just filled with classes ... boring. Traveling and sports are so much more exciting than lectures and seminars. But my final exams and papers are all due mid-January after I get back to the States, so I figure I have the entire 3 week break to catch up on academic junk. I'm only going to be living in the UK once, why waste my time with classes? Live up the once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Today might be the first day with absolutely nothing on my agenda. So I'm thinking maybe I should sort out some schoolwork, book my hostel for Rome, get groceries since I have no food left, and maybe do laundry. Or maybe I'll just sit around with a cup of tea and crumpets, act British, and relax. Then tonight I'm going out with my flatmates and friends to an 80's Pop party at the union. I figure I have to party it up now or never ... it's my last weekend of being a teenager! I turn 20 on Thursday ... that's OLD!
Tomorrow I'm hopping the train to Durham. It's only about 15 minutes away, and it will make for a really nice day trip touring the Cathedral and castle, and just shopping around the town. My flatmate Sarah is going with me, and then we're meeting up with my other flatmate, Natalie, who will already be in Durham for the weekend visiting her family.
Not to much to report from this week except from the Rugby game. Wednesday both the 1st and 2nd teams played in Sheffeild, so we all traveled together on the 3 hour bus ride South. I played the entire 80 minute game for the 2nd team, which was a lot of fun since I haven't played with the other Freshers yet. We lost terribly, but it was all in good fun. I was just happy to be on the field as part of a team and playing my heart out. Sheffield's front row girls were pretty huge and hit really hard, so my shoulders are still quite bruised. Oh well, what else is new? We hopped on the bus, then went to pick up the 1st team, then all 40 of us rugby girls went to pick up our 1st team Vice Captain from the hospital (she got a major concussion) on the way home. Just picture a coach filled with rugby girls dressed in neon and UV glow paint (the rugby party theme this week was Rave) pulling up to the front door of a hospital ... not exactly something you see everyday. We all got our "Rugby Moms" on the bus ride home, too. It was all supposed to be a surprise, but Kelly had requested me as her daughter within the first 2 weeks of the season, so I already knew who my rugby family was. Nothing says 'team bonding' like 3 hour bus ride craziness.
Thursday and Friday were just filled with classes ... boring. Traveling and sports are so much more exciting than lectures and seminars. But my final exams and papers are all due mid-January after I get back to the States, so I figure I have the entire 3 week break to catch up on academic junk. I'm only going to be living in the UK once, why waste my time with classes? Live up the once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Newcastle and Dublin with the Rome crew
It certainly has been a crazy and exciting week for me. I've had a fantastic time being a tourist in my own town, traveling to Ireland, and just being with some of my best friends from home.
Tuesday night the Rome ladies arrived, the Ocho girls Anna and Janine from Loyola, and they brought along Laura from their Rome program who goes to CUA back in DC. She's a great girl and a lot of fun, so she was an excellent addition to the group! We all headed back to my flat to get them some dinner at 10pm and get settled. Naturally, my British friends and flatmates named us "Team America" for the week. And what does Team America do upon arrival in Newcastle? Go out and enjoy the nightlife, of course!!! So we went out and about on the town ... the Rome crew agrees that it's a lot crazier here than anywhere else we've been. We managed to collect pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags from my flatmates and rearranged the furniture to fit all 4 of us into my tiny bedroom. It was a challenge, but we made it work.
Wednesday we got up early to tour around Newcastle. We toured the Newcastle University campus, the city center, Grainer Market, and gathered the makings for cheap Halloween costumes. Then we headed on the metro to the coast town of Tynemouth. It wouldn't be a proper England trip without seeing castle ruins or the North sea. We wandered about Tynemouth, saw the old castle and priory, and walked along to the seaside and lighthouses. Breathtaking English coastline views. Of course, for lunch we all had fish and chips in the village chippery. We got back around dinner time to get our costumes ready, meet up with my flatmates and friends, and went out for Halloween. Everyone got along brilliantly, and as usual all my British friend were extremely welcoming. It was so nice to see my home world and my Newcastle world collide all at once. Great time. Newcastle does Halloween even crazier than Baltimore (and I did not think that was possible!). The usual Wednesday scene was even wilder then usual, and we all had a great time. There were about 20 of us in the group of Team America, flatmates, and friends from the block hopping from one place to another. What a night to remember!
Thursday we had unfortunately early wake up calls to get out and get going. Anna and Janine headed up to Edinburgh on the train to visit Clarice who was there for the weekend, and Laura wanted to continue touring around Newcastle. We all got breakfast and dropped Anna and Janine off at central station, then Laura and I did a bit more Newcastle touring before I headed off to catch all 4 of my Thursday lectures. I met back up with Laura after classes and we went out to dinner with my flatmate Natalie and Graham. Being the good little Catholic girls that we are, Laura and I headed to church (darn those Holy Days of Obligation!). Then we met up with Rachel who wanted to see the Loyola Rome girls and we all headed to be Anna and Janine's welcoming committee at Central Station. We all headed down to the Quayside upon the River Tyne to see the riverside and the Tyne and Millennium bridges at night (gorgeous!). We grabbed some dessert down at the Quayside and tried to head back for a semi-early night before Dublin.
4:30 am wake up! Off in a taxi to the airport by 5am to catch an early (but cheap!) flight to Dublin! We got to the Marlborough hostel by 11 am, only to find that we couldn't actually check in until 1:30. All we wanted to do was take a quick nap before touring! We managed to plan out trip though and grab lunch before crashing for a bit. The accommodations were ... interesting. We were all for a cheap vacation since we're all running out of money, and of course a EuroTrip college student style just wouldn't be the same without at least one crappy hostel. The common areas were nice and they had internet access and all, but the beds and showers were not to pretty. O well, all in the poor student experience! We got out Friday night to explore the Temple Bar and Medieval district areas by night, got a bite to eat at a pub, then saw some live Irish music and dancing. The Liffey River at night is quite the social scene and beautiful as well.
Saturday was a jam-packed tourist day! We got out and walked ALL over Dublin to see Trinity College, Christ Church, St. Steven's Green and St. Patrick's Cathedral. We managed to catch a tour of the Dublin Castle, too, which is still used today as a working political building. And of course a trip to Dublin wouldn't be complete without a tour of the Guinness Storehouse and a pint at the top at the Skybar! The Irish certainly know how to brew their beer. Once all the tourist places closed in the evening, Laura and I stopped in for a weekend mass. I was really glad I went with her as we ended up in one of the most impressive churches I've ever seen. Then we went shopping and got dinner, then headed to a pub for more music and beer (do the Irish even do anything else at night?)
As usual with our tour group, we got up early Sunday to catch out tour bus for the Irish countryside (Janine's great suggestion). We booked a trip with Over The Top Tours, which took us for an all-day tour of all the lakes and mountains surrounding Dublin. We went on the Wicklow and Glendalough tour, stopping at multiple places along the way just to take in the views. In a word - stunning. I've never seen so much green and natural beauty in my life. And it was the perfect season to tour the countryside, too ... all the leaves were just beginning to change colors! What a perfect day! We spent the night at the famous and very popular Temple Bar sampling all the traditional Irish brews, and even saw some of our friends from the countryside tour there.
Then, 3am wake up for me to head out to the airport for a 6am flight back to Newcastle. Ridiculously early, but seriously inexpensive.
It's back to the usual routine here again. Tomorrow the rugby 1st and 2nd teams both have away games in Sheffeild, so the entire team will be on the 3 hour bus rides together! It should be a fantastically fun time lasting from 7:45 am until about 2am the next day! I'm supposed to be starting and playing the entire game for the 2nds to I get playing time (and apparently help them out since they haven't been winning much). But who knows ... they like to change teams around on me pretty often! Since we'll all be on the party bus together tomorrow, we'll get our "Rugby Moms" and "Rugby families" just like sororities do. Kind of cult-ish, but more crazy and fun. Then we'll all head out directly from the bus on the Newcastle University Athletic Union bar crawl. Every sports team will be out tomorrow night on a massive bar crawl wearing matching blue TShirts. Just because we're insanely fun, the rugby girls are setting ourselves apart. This week's theme ... Ravers! We'll all be busting out the neon tights and glow bracelets along with our Athletic Union Ts (I saw half the team out in the mall today shopping!). This could get wild!
And Rachel and I just booked our flights to Rome ... I'll be in Italy November 23 - 26! SO excited!
Tuesday night the Rome ladies arrived, the Ocho girls Anna and Janine from Loyola, and they brought along Laura from their Rome program who goes to CUA back in DC. She's a great girl and a lot of fun, so she was an excellent addition to the group! We all headed back to my flat to get them some dinner at 10pm and get settled. Naturally, my British friends and flatmates named us "Team America" for the week. And what does Team America do upon arrival in Newcastle? Go out and enjoy the nightlife, of course!!! So we went out and about on the town ... the Rome crew agrees that it's a lot crazier here than anywhere else we've been. We managed to collect pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags from my flatmates and rearranged the furniture to fit all 4 of us into my tiny bedroom. It was a challenge, but we made it work.
Wednesday we got up early to tour around Newcastle. We toured the Newcastle University campus, the city center, Grainer Market, and gathered the makings for cheap Halloween costumes. Then we headed on the metro to the coast town of Tynemouth. It wouldn't be a proper England trip without seeing castle ruins or the North sea. We wandered about Tynemouth, saw the old castle and priory, and walked along to the seaside and lighthouses. Breathtaking English coastline views. Of course, for lunch we all had fish and chips in the village chippery. We got back around dinner time to get our costumes ready, meet up with my flatmates and friends, and went out for Halloween. Everyone got along brilliantly, and as usual all my British friend were extremely welcoming. It was so nice to see my home world and my Newcastle world collide all at once. Great time. Newcastle does Halloween even crazier than Baltimore (and I did not think that was possible!). The usual Wednesday scene was even wilder then usual, and we all had a great time. There were about 20 of us in the group of Team America, flatmates, and friends from the block hopping from one place to another. What a night to remember!
Thursday we had unfortunately early wake up calls to get out and get going. Anna and Janine headed up to Edinburgh on the train to visit Clarice who was there for the weekend, and Laura wanted to continue touring around Newcastle. We all got breakfast and dropped Anna and Janine off at central station, then Laura and I did a bit more Newcastle touring before I headed off to catch all 4 of my Thursday lectures. I met back up with Laura after classes and we went out to dinner with my flatmate Natalie and Graham. Being the good little Catholic girls that we are, Laura and I headed to church (darn those Holy Days of Obligation!). Then we met up with Rachel who wanted to see the Loyola Rome girls and we all headed to be Anna and Janine's welcoming committee at Central Station. We all headed down to the Quayside upon the River Tyne to see the riverside and the Tyne and Millennium bridges at night (gorgeous!). We grabbed some dessert down at the Quayside and tried to head back for a semi-early night before Dublin.
4:30 am wake up! Off in a taxi to the airport by 5am to catch an early (but cheap!) flight to Dublin! We got to the Marlborough hostel by 11 am, only to find that we couldn't actually check in until 1:30. All we wanted to do was take a quick nap before touring! We managed to plan out trip though and grab lunch before crashing for a bit. The accommodations were ... interesting. We were all for a cheap vacation since we're all running out of money, and of course a EuroTrip college student style just wouldn't be the same without at least one crappy hostel. The common areas were nice and they had internet access and all, but the beds and showers were not to pretty. O well, all in the poor student experience! We got out Friday night to explore the Temple Bar and Medieval district areas by night, got a bite to eat at a pub, then saw some live Irish music and dancing. The Liffey River at night is quite the social scene and beautiful as well.
Saturday was a jam-packed tourist day! We got out and walked ALL over Dublin to see Trinity College, Christ Church, St. Steven's Green and St. Patrick's Cathedral. We managed to catch a tour of the Dublin Castle, too, which is still used today as a working political building. And of course a trip to Dublin wouldn't be complete without a tour of the Guinness Storehouse and a pint at the top at the Skybar! The Irish certainly know how to brew their beer. Once all the tourist places closed in the evening, Laura and I stopped in for a weekend mass. I was really glad I went with her as we ended up in one of the most impressive churches I've ever seen. Then we went shopping and got dinner, then headed to a pub for more music and beer (do the Irish even do anything else at night?)
As usual with our tour group, we got up early Sunday to catch out tour bus for the Irish countryside (Janine's great suggestion). We booked a trip with Over The Top Tours, which took us for an all-day tour of all the lakes and mountains surrounding Dublin. We went on the Wicklow and Glendalough tour, stopping at multiple places along the way just to take in the views. In a word - stunning. I've never seen so much green and natural beauty in my life. And it was the perfect season to tour the countryside, too ... all the leaves were just beginning to change colors! What a perfect day! We spent the night at the famous and very popular Temple Bar sampling all the traditional Irish brews, and even saw some of our friends from the countryside tour there.
Then, 3am wake up for me to head out to the airport for a 6am flight back to Newcastle. Ridiculously early, but seriously inexpensive.
It's back to the usual routine here again. Tomorrow the rugby 1st and 2nd teams both have away games in Sheffeild, so the entire team will be on the 3 hour bus rides together! It should be a fantastically fun time lasting from 7:45 am until about 2am the next day! I'm supposed to be starting and playing the entire game for the 2nds to I get playing time (and apparently help them out since they haven't been winning much). But who knows ... they like to change teams around on me pretty often! Since we'll all be on the party bus together tomorrow, we'll get our "Rugby Moms" and "Rugby families" just like sororities do. Kind of cult-ish, but more crazy and fun. Then we'll all head out directly from the bus on the Newcastle University Athletic Union bar crawl. Every sports team will be out tomorrow night on a massive bar crawl wearing matching blue TShirts. Just because we're insanely fun, the rugby girls are setting ourselves apart. This week's theme ... Ravers! We'll all be busting out the neon tights and glow bracelets along with our Athletic Union Ts (I saw half the team out in the mall today shopping!). This could get wild!
And Rachel and I just booked our flights to Rome ... I'll be in Italy November 23 - 26! SO excited!
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