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I've been incredibly lax about updating this journal. Haven't written anything in ages, but there hasn't been that much to report, aside from our trip to Oxford a few weeks ago. You can look at the gorgeous pictures here. I've been putting together a new website, and preparing for my return, which is tomorrow...
My time in England has come to an end, just as I was really getting settled and starting to like it here. Isn't that always the way it goes?
Last night we went out for farewell drinks with all the friends I've made since I've been over here, which was enormous fun, but bittersweet. I'm really going to miss folks once I'm back in the States again.Current Mood:  sad |
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I bought some tickets last night. I'm now officially returning to NYC on May 18th, 2005, arriving at JFK at 7:35 pm. That's less than a month away. What a strange welter of emotions this brings up. On the one hand, I can't believe that I only have a month left in England before having to be apart from James yet again. But then, on the other hand, I'm really looking forward to going home. England is great, but it's not yet home, by a long shot. The days will slip through my fingers like sand, I'm sure, each day more precious than the last. |
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Neato
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Apr. 18th, 2005 @ 05:31 pm
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I just found the most amazing art store right around the corner from me. I had noticed it a few weeks ago but hadn't gotten a chance to poke into it yet, so today was the day, and wooo boy, it was much larger and way more comprehensive than I anticipated. They had *everything* an artist could want: oil paints, acryllics, watercolors, oil pastels, soft pastels, brushes, canvas, stretchers, card stock, beautiful decorative papers, origami papers, hand-made papers, sketch pads, quality watercolor hot and cold pressed papers, glitter, molding putty, drafting supplies, colored pencils, charcoal, conte, markers etc. etc. The store was so much bigger than I had anticipated--it just kept going and going, from one little room to the next. It's sort of like discovering you have a gold mine in your back yard.
A few weeks ago I went into the city to buy some fabric ribbon and fabric paint, which was an enormous schlep, and the store I finally found wasn't even half so nice as the store that's *right* across the street from me, which also had fabric paints and ribbon. Honestly. My favorite art store in the world is Lee's art store, which is located in NYC on 57th St. inbetween 7th Ave. and Broadway, but this little Chiswick store is now my second favorite--not so little, really. Anyone in London looking for a GREAT art store, come to Chiswick. :-DCurrent Mood:  excited |
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Pictures!!!
Yes, yes, I've finally gotten around to posting my pictures from Tignes.
You can view the entire album (all 51 pics worth *wheeze* *pant*) HERE!!
Ta da!!
Last weekend was James's father's 50th birthday, which involved an amazing dinner party under a marquis and swimming in a mercifully comfortable, heated pool. It was great fun, James delivered a brilliant birthday speech, and I am pretty sure a good time was had by all. However, it must be duly noted that this was James's payback for me bringing him to my cousin's wedding 5 months into our relationship: he was absolutely inundated by relatives, which can be a very daunting thing, and the same thing happened to me at his father's 50th. James has an *enormous* family. His father has two other brothers and a sister, and each of them has a family of their own, which amounts to a pretty daunting pile-up of cousins. And here I thought I had a big family! *sheesh* However, I do repeat, it was a lot of fun, and his family has been nothing but kind and welcoming towards me. Amazingly kind and welcoming, even, and they're a very close and loving family, which is always a joy to see.
This weekend we had plans to go to Oxford, but I'm pretty sure those plans have been scrapped. We really need a weekend of doing *absolutely nothing* but just hanging out with each other. A quick look at a calendar informs me that I only have about a month left here, which is so sad I don't even want to think about it yet. I am doing my best to treasure each moment. |
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I posted this elsewhere, so sorry for the repeat for some of you, but hey, there are grandparents out there, and I promised them pictures, so here we go:
I bought a djembe for James for his 25th birthday, which is in 3 weeks. I was going to try to save it for his birthday, but I couldn't wait that long. He is a natural-bornn drummer; he is always drumming on whatever he can find: the cutting board, the steering wheel, the kitchen table, my legs, his legs etc. etc. So, obviously, he needed a drum. :-)) I found him a great one: a 12" African cedar djembe hand-carved in Ghana, with a goatskin head, rope tuning and a fur collar. It sounds *amazing*. We spent most of our brief lunchtime today whacking on the deep bass note and oohing and aahing over the ressonance.
The djembe in it's carrying case, moments after it was delivered.
The djembe itself!!!!!!!! *oooooooh*
One very happy Drummer boy. :-)
Action shots:
James has already purchased a book to teach him basic rhythyms, and has done a few searches for London drum circles. I can't wait to hear him once he really gets the hang of it. :-D Yay birthdays!! :-DCurrent Mood: excited |
| » She's baaaaaack! |
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INTERNET!!!!
I am absolutely drunk on internet access atm. :-) I've been reading through all 153 of the e-mails that have piled up in my inbox, chatting (*chatting*!!) to friends I haven't spoken to in weeks (*weeks*!), and generally catching up on LJ, world news and the sorry state of my bank account. Whew.
I just got back from a week of skiing in Tignes, France, which was *awesome*. The last time I went skiing was during my sophomore year of college, back in 1997, so I was a bit rusty, but hey, I've been skiing since I was three, so I quickly found my ski groove again after a few days of sore thighs and knees. We skiied some *lovely* slopes, although they call them pistes in France instead of slopes, and have a complex vocabulary involving words such as piste, off-piste, piste-basher (aka a snow cat/snow groomer) and piste-mobile. Interesting, non? I think my French vocabulary has doubled in size since the last time I was in France, where the only words I knew were bonjour and merci. This trip I managed to: 1) order french onion soup in french (soup l'onion, s'il vous plait), and even ask for additional cheese (avec fromage, s'il vous plait), 2) inquire as to the whereabouts of the toilette, 3) ask a clerk how much something cost, and 4) profusely thank a clerk at a ski store with the added grace of a merci boucoup. I also got to try all sorts of new foods, such as tartaflette, pir rad (sp?), and reclette, but alas, no cheese fondue. The skiing was superb (though sometimes icy/slushy), and after hanging out with James's close family and kin for an entire week, I can say with relief that 1) I am finally warming up/feeling comfortable around them and 2) I really do think they like me. Three cheers for that. :-)
Here is an interesting observation, though: I think there were more English people at Tignes than actual French people. The place was crawling with Brits on Easter holiday. I heard more English than French being spoken.
Getting back into England again was quite a chore, as well. Immigration grilled me for a good long while and were quite dubious about the current state of my affairs. I had brought print-outs of my bank accounts to prove to them that I wasn't working illegally, seeking assylum or living off the dole, but it really took some convincing. I even got a special stamp in my passport this time, which indicates that I have a record and notes which need to be looked up by the next immigration officer, next time I try to enter the country. Yikes.
I desperately need a haircut.
British word of the day: Muppet: n. Describing someone as a muppet is generally equivalent to calling them a dimwit, however, this is usually done so very lovingly and affectionately. You would never call someone you hated a muppet; you'd call them an idiot. However, if your younger sister is being a complete and total dork and you want to lovingly tell her so, or tease her about her latest blunder, you'd call her a muppet.
Apr. 5th, 2005 @ 03:35 pm
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| » FYI |
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Just a quick service announcement: Yes, while it is true that I live with 2 (two) techies who actually work for a computer company and spend their day writing code, unfortunately their brilliance and technical know-how still can't save us from hardware plastic parts that just flat-out *break*, which is what happened to our router, apparently.
So, router is dead, and there is no internet connection in our flat atm, until the old router can be sent back to the company, and a new one acquired to replace it.
Le boo. :-(
I will not be updating this on a regular basis for awhile, obviously, and otherwise pining. It's amazing how quickly you start to feel disconnected when you haven't checked your e-mail for three days. Scary.
Anyway, I'll let you all know once I'm back online on a regular basis again, obviously. Until then, I'll be checking my e-mail sporadically at James's office, whenever I can manage it.
Mar. 19th, 2005 @ 03:41 pm
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| » Happy belated St. Paddy's Day, y'all |
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Well, it's been ages since I updated this journal, and for that I sincerely apologize.
I have pictures to appease you with, however. Soon.
And we have finally, FINALLY finished our move to our new flat, which is a much nicer flat and living situation in all ways. It's cozier, cuter, and more convenient to everyone and everything we want to be close to. I wish I could stay. Having finally gotten settled in again, the thought of moving *again* back to the US is disheartening, not to mention moving yet *again* when James finally arrives to join me. The Gods must be toying with me, knowing that I am a Cancer and therefore I like to build a nest, sink my roots and STAY PUT. Grrr.
Today James, his mother and myself had high tea at the Ritz, which was just about as British as you can get. The decour was opulant mock Regency, complete with palms and gilded statues and cupids carved on the ceiling. There was a pianist playing sonatas while waiters in tails served you tiny sandwiches without crusts, and little tiers of pastries, and scones and clotted and strawberry jam, and made quite a production out of refilling your tea pot with fresh water if it had been sitting for too long. And of course, no tea bags in sight; instead, each person got their very own tea infuser, complete with a little stand on the table to set your infuser into when you weren't using it and catch the drips. They even had tea mitts with the Ritz logo embossed on them to use so you wouldn't burn yourself on the handles of the ornate silver tea pots. It was quite an experience; fluffy and decadent, but enjoyable nonetheless. We then spent the rest of the day browsing up and down Regeant St., Carnaby St. and Oxford St., just "having a look", trying a few things on, and occasionally purchasing some of them. I haven't really gone shopping since I got here, so it was lovely to actually do so again, and all in all, I'd say the three of us made quite a team when it came to helping each other spend our money. Shaftworthy, but much fun. :-)
Mar. 14th, 2005 @ 11:56 pm
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| » A day of faff |
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I spent a fair bit of time today sorting out my life:
I wrote a letter to the Dean of Student Affairs, asking permission to return from my Leave of Absence from school.
I called the Office of the Registrar and updated them with my current address.
I asked a friend at home to stop by the post office and change the forwarding on my mail, so it will be forwarded to my new address.
I consolidated my Federal student loans (well, at the very least, *applied* to have them consolidated.)
I sorted out the details of my student loan repayments (fun fun fun!), which begin April 1st, 2005, and will end April 1st, 2020. (yes, I'll be 42 by then) :-/
I filled out the Juror questionaire sent to me by the NYS Court, pointing out that they can summon me all they like for jury duty, but I really can't show up atm.
I looked at prices for return tickets back to New York in May (which were quite steep. I'll search again next week and see if they've gone done at all)...
And I did a fair bit of chatting.
I did not pack a damn thing. Maybe I'll get some of that done tonight. Nor did I write a word.
Mar. 3rd, 2005 @ 08:18 pm
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| » Oh, and I forgot to mention: |
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We're moving this weekend! And strangely enough, I'm actually looking forward to all the packing, b/c it will provide a great excuse for me not having to do my novel. ;-)
Additionally, captions for the pictures from Bath which I posted two entries ago are now up, FYI. :-)
Mar. 3rd, 2005 @ 01:06 pm
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| » Here comes the sun |
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Sun!! Sunny!!! w00t!! It feels like it's been *ages* since we had a sunny day. For the most part, the weather here has been a very strange mix of freezing cold overcast days and light dustings of snow that refuse to stick. Today, though, there is actual, bonefide sunlight streaming in through the windows. Yay!
Yesterday, I made most of a teapot at my pottery class. I threw the body of the pot, the spout and the lid. I even made a gallery in the body, which is basically the small sunk recess at the top of the pot which supports the lid. So next week, all I have to do is join all the pieces together, and put a handle on it, and voila! a teapot!
So pottery is going pretty well. :-)
James and I are also going pretty well. We've been having our share of ups and downs lately, especially in light of the fact that I will be returning to the US in May, and he won't be joining me until Nov. But we're screwing our courage to the sticking point and have pretty much determined that yes, it's going to suck big time, but this is worth it, and we'll get through it, somehow.
As for the novel...well...blah. It's really been rough going lately. I'm a little over 19,000 words, which is about 75 pages, and I feel quite stuck. Dragging myself to the keyboard every morning seems an overwhelmingly difficult chore, and I feel like my novel is utterly disjointed, not to mention unredeemingly crappy. Obviously I'm not going to make my deadline. Coming into this week I was hoping to make 25,000 words by my deadline, which would be halfway there--and even writing a novel in two months would be pretty impressive. But I'm not so sure I'll be making that deadline either. :-(
Last night I let james read some of my novel, for the first time ever. I was cringing through most of it, but he wasn't utterly repulsed. In fact, he even said parts of it were quite readable. Basically, though, I feel like I have too many characters, and the characters who are supposed to be minor, supporting characters are taking up all of the stage time so far, while my gorgeous, flamboyant main character is lurking in the wings. Another thing is that my characters keep doing and saying things they're not supposed to be. I've created conflicts between characters that are supposed to be friends heading into the *big* conflict, which I hvaen't even begun to write aboutt. It's a complete and utter mess, and I don't know how to fix it. I'm so unenthused about writing, atm, I can't even begin to tell you...
Mar. 3rd, 2005 @ 12:38 pm
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| » At long last |
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Some pictures from our trip to Bath. I haven't had a chance to caption all of them, but you can at least look at them HERE
Here's a quick pic, just to tantalize you, of the Roman Baths themselves, which were fascinating:
The other images in the gallery are from Cheddar Gorge, which is located in Somerset countryside, and was quite breathtaking. Did you know that cheddar, as in the cheese, was invented in Cheddar, Somerset, UK? Little known trivia fact, for next time you're playing Trivial Pursuit. I'll put up some captions soon enough. Enjoy!
And now, I am off for a fiddle lesson with Karen Ryan, who is supposedly one of THE two fiddle teachers to learn from in London (the other being Brendan Mulkere, who isn't accepting new students until April.) Wish me luck!
Feb. 28th, 2005 @ 05:26 pm
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| » OMFG!! |
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Okay, okay...it's been a couple of days. James's desktop computer died a few days ago, so between his crashed computer and my broken laptop (see angry post, below), we were utterly computerless for a little while.
However...while I was bemoaning this to any/all who would listen, little did I know that EXTRAORDINARY plans had been set in motion to fix my laptop-less state, nearly two weeks ago.
The plans went something like this: one of my dear friends, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) raging_viking, who lives in New York, contacted James upon hearing that my laptop had just passed on to never-never-computer-land, and he and James began to connive. They continued to connive, and managed to get *several* of my friends, both from the US and UK, to connive with them. It was a plot of staggering proportions.
Two days ago, James casually mentioned that I should come in to meet him for lunch because he had something for me. I went to lunch anticipating a cadbury cream egg, or a hunk of cadbury fruit and nut chocolate (I've been having a bit of a chocolate craving, of late)...but no, it wasn't chocolate... It was a $%&^!*"$£&@!! top of-the-line IBM THINKPAD LAPTOP WITH A PENTIUM 4 PROCESSOR, 15" SCREEN, DVD ROM, LOADS OF RAM, 2 USB PORTS ETC. ETC. CUSTOM-CONFIGURED BY JAMES WITH WINDOWS XP, MICROSOFT OFFICE, ADOBE ETC. ETC. (and not illegal copies of this software, but all of it legit, in my name), AND EVEN A NEW COMPUTER CARRYING-CASE, PADLOCK, AND DESKTOP STAND.
Uh. Yeah.
Stunned doesn't even BEGIN to cover it. I was in tears. Speechless.
I don't think I have ever recieved such an unbelievable gift from my friends--and not just the gift itself, but the spirit with which it was given. It was under the auspices of an early birthday present...but omfg, some birthday present!! As James said: Birthday-shmirthday, the need was now. I have been absolutely floored, brought to my knees by the overwhelming GENEROSITY and LOVE of my friends. Many of whom are in the U.S., and whom I miss like crazy.
Thank you so much, guys.
And James...you organized all of this...you...scoundrel! I love you. :-)
As one of my UK friends aptly pointed out, though, I now have absolutely NO excuse for not getting my novel done.
And to that end, I spent all day yesterday writing on my brand new laptop at Cafe Nero, and my wordcount is now a staggering 18,743.
The new comp has been named Gus, in honor of my much adored and much missed kitty. I will be taking pictures of it soon enough, and as I now have a laptop and therefore internet access, I promisepromisepromise, pics will be forthcoming. Many pics. Of Bath, even. And my new red hair (I purchased a whole bunch of henna from Lush a few weeks ago and James helped me apply it to my hair Tuesday night, and voila! Red! However, it's only a hair varnish, and not permanent...but I rather like how it looks). :)
Feb. 26th, 2005 @ 06:50 pm
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| » Hmmmm.... |
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Interesting Article on Social Security
Someone tell me again why people think this is such a good idea??
Word count: 15,550
Feb. 22nd, 2005 @ 04:24 pm
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| » The briefest of brief |
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I went to Bath this weekend with James to visit his younger brother, and we had an incredible time. It was great to get away, even for only a few days!! I took {{{ 76 }}} pictures, which I will be posting as soon as possible, but it will take awhile to get so many pictures resized.
Other than that, things are very good. We're getting ready to move soon. The Levellers are THIS WEEK, and my word count is currently 14,464, and I'm going to try to increase that big time this week, as this is Week Three. *eek*
Feb. 21st, 2005 @ 12:19 pm
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| » In which the author eats humble pie... |
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Upon re-reading yesterday's review and taking into account a few of the things said to me by various people, I would like to make a few concessions. First, my review is rather hypocritical and biased. As soon as you start talking about "good art", you are walking down a very dangerous and slippery slope, because there is no such thing. Good art is whatever you think is good, and whatever you like. There is no gradient, no art that is "better" than other art. And making art, for it's own sake, is the point of it, and its higher good. My novel (to take the most pertinent example that springs to mind) may be complete and utter shit, but I am deriving pleasure and benefit from making it, and someday others might derive some pleasure and benefit from reading it, and that is the point. Secondly, inverted snobbery is just as bad as forthright snobbery in the first place, and it was unfair of me to look around at the other audience members in the theater I was in, and make huge assumptions about their backgrounds, when in fact, I had no idea what their backgrounds were/are. James (again taking the most pertinent example) went to Cambridge, for instance, but he didn't go to a prep school, and he was the first person in his family to go to college right after high school. The audience might have been full of people like that. You can't really make any assumptions. So, there ya go. My inverted snobbery comes from being rubbed up the wrong way by people who share the attitudes of those portrayed in the play, and that leaked into my "review", with a vengeance.
And now, moving on.
I finished reading Now is the Time to Open Your Heart, by Alice Walker. I liked it. No review forthcoming ;-)
I didn't get a single scrap of writing done yesterday, but I did eat nachos and pizza, and watch a movie with friends, so nneah :-P
And finally, (again, courtesy of jereeza's journal), I have learned how to make sparkles!!!
Feb. 16th, 2005 @ 11:05 am
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| » And a final note to self... |
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On re-reading this lj, I have noticed that I have been using wee-ha! way too much as an exclaimation, and am now in the market for a new exclamatory phrase.
Kick-ass? w00t?
Been there, done that. Need something new, fresh and invigorating.
Any/all suggestions welcome. C'mon, people. Help me out here. ;-)
Feb. 15th, 2005 @ 04:20 pm
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| » Poor Yorick, I knew him well... |
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(Icon courtesy of jereeza, who has inspired me)
Updates: Went to the Royal National Theatre on Sat. and saw a performance of Alan Bennett's The History Boys, which was incredibly well acted and was a beautifully done production, but was overall, in my own humble opinion, a bit too smug and self-satisfied. It's the story of a group of young prep school boys at a small all-boys academy in Sheffield, which is the British equivalent of a run-down mining/industry city long past its prime (think Detroit or Pittsburgh). Thanks to the help of a brilliant but very eccentric teacher, these boys have done exceptionally well on their A-levels (sort of like the pSATs that sophmores in US high schools take), and now the headmaster is entertaining hopes of actually getting a few of them into such exalted schools as Oxford or Cambridge (in England, this level of schooling is collectively called "Oxbridge", and can be used in a sentence the same way one would talk about sending their kids to the "Ivies" in the States), so he hires a young whippersnapper teacher to come in and teach them exactly what they need to know to pass the entrance exams--i.e., how to lie flawlessly and believably, and how to look for angles in everything, and spout off the appropriate faff to impress the Oxbridge interviewers. This type of teaching goes directly against everything the boys older teacher has taught them, and there's conflict, of course, all wrapped up with some pretty blatant (and cliched) homosexual prep-school underpinnings. The thing is, the play was written specifically for the type of audience who attends the National Theater--an exceptionally posh, well-to-do crowd, most of whom had gone to Oxbridge, had been priviledged for their entire lives, and who would enjoy a self-congratulatory play waxing idyllic about their bygone prep-school days. If you are lucky enough to be priviledged, at least have the decency to realize that you are, and to not take it for granted! There was a ton of quoted poetry for no good reason other than to show-off "higher" learning and make the audience feel pleased with itself for recognizing bits of it, there was only one female character in the whole thing (who, to her merit, was given a brilliant soliloquy about how history is a commentary written by the winners, and is therefore a chronicle of the fuck-ups of men, and completely misses the stories of the other 95% of the world)--there was an entire scene done only in French, with the correct assumption that most of the audience would understand French, since it is apparently the language of choice at British prep-schools (however, if, like me, you chose to study Spanish, the entire scene was completely lost on you). I dunno. I was disenchanted. I didn't laugh at nearly any of the jokes (which were all very British in-jokes, and difficult to understand unless you'd grown up in England). I was looking for a piece of myself in the play, and I couldn't find one any where, and to my own way of thinking, good art (and plays in particular) should be able to reflect part of yourself back at you--they should be trying to get beyond individual upbringings and in-jokes, and more towards the fact that we all share universal things in common which are True. There are *plenty* of universally funny things in the world, that EVERYONE in an audience will laugh at, that don't revolve around having had a specific upbringing--they're harder to uncover, and even harder to write about, let alone pull off, but I guess that's what makes them great. If you read old Greek classics--The Birds, The Frogs, Lysistrata--they're still ridiculously funny today. Aristotle got a few things right in his Poetics. The only True thing I saw in this play is the fact that if you take a bunch of boys and their male teachers, and throw them all in the same room for years and years and years, they will inevitably start to fancy each other, and then become very angst-ridden as they question their sexuality. The End.
Word count: 12,859. Weekends are never very good for writing. I am beginning to think I should just subtract weekends out of my 30 days all together, and tack those days onto the end instead, so that I'd get an extra week of writing, more or less, b/c really...weekends shouldn't count. :-P
Next weekend, for instance, we're going to Bath to visit James's younger brother, who is going to school there.
We're also going to a Levellers concert of Feb. 23rd. Have I mentioned that? ;-)
Feb. 15th, 2005 @ 01:42 pm
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| » All hail Eros! |
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Because I am a hopeless hopeful romantic.
Feb. 15th, 2005 @ 01:37 pm
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| » "Don't get it right, get it written" |
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That's some excellent writing advice right there.
Three great things today: 1) I'm just about caught up to where I should be in my wordcount, as in, I now have a whopping {{{{{{ 11,156 }}}}}} words. That's 40+ pages. By the end of last night, given all the mechanical difficulties I was having, I had only amassed 8,819 words, so as you can see, today was a big day.
2) I got to relax, go to my weekly session, kick back, have a pint, play a few tunes, and not think about my novel at all.
3) James is adoreable, and I currently live with him. :-)))))
Feb. 11th, 2005 @ 12:30 am
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