Gish-A-Go-Go

moveable feast

2006-02-06T09:08:00.000Z

I travelled to Paris via eurostar for my birthday weekend to meet up with friends from the States. I debated whether or not to go as the pressure of the semester was beginning to build, but hey, I only turn the big 2-5 once in my life and what better way to celebrate than with some great friends in a wonderful city. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and it proved to be far too short of a trip. Since I had done all the big tourist sites last time I visited, this time I preferred to sit back, relax and sip on my café crème.

The beauty of this city is unbelievable. I wonder if cities like London or Berlin hadn’t been bombed out if they would have looked the same…but I doubt it. I spent most of the time strolling around, shopping the fabulous seasonal sales, and taking pleasure in French gastronomy. The French know how to eat my friends, indeed. A quick three hour trip brought me back to the reality of London. No more fantasy land, and yes, I am now officially a quarter of a century old.

juice

2006-02-04T13:40:00.000Z

one thing i love is unfiltered, cloudy apple juice (or cider will do). it's somewhat hard to find, and i do miss the days of autumn when my parents would take us apple-picking at wauconda orchards and we'd stop by the country store to pickup some freshly mulled cider.

this morning at borough market, after i stuffed my face with a delicious chorizo-roasted red pepper-arugula sandwiche, i began to hunt around for something to quench my thirst. maneuvering through the overflowing pathways of picture-snapping tourists, baby strollers (there were way too many) and package-laden women, i found a stand with just apples and juices. in a rush, i grabbed a small bottle of cox & bramley apple juice and went on my way.

later, when i twisted off the top and took a sip, i regretted not buying a bigger bottle. this stuff was amazing. it tasted like a whole bushel of just-picked apples off the tree. kinda cloudy with bits of apple in it, this juice is definitely the best juice EVER. you can find out more about chegworth valley juices here

back in action

2006-01-07T16:27:00.000Z

Happy New Year! I'm back to work in L-town after a wonderful three week vacation in Chicago and Atlanta. My stomach and I thoroughly enjoyed the break, I don't know if I've ever eaten so much in my life.

Thanks to all of my friends and family for the great visit.

Now it's back where I left off. Unfortunately I am spending this weekend in the library, working on a paper due this week. Why do they assign work over the break? I would much rather get it all in beforehand, but then again, if I really wanted it that way, I could have exercised my self-motivation more effectively and got it done earlier. Oh well. Hopefully once this is done, I will have some more exciting adventures about which to write.

brrrr-lin

2005-12-18T21:58:00.000Z

Last Thursday, I managed to pull myself together and get to the airport on-time to make my flight to the continent.

Ah, Berlin. I love thee, I despise thee. The time I spent here almost three and a half years ago was much of an emotional rollercoaster: my german was far from fluent; it was hard to meet people; the city was vast and unknown...but by the end, I felt like I had made real progress on all levels and enjoyed the day-to-days in this amazing city. Coming back, I was looking forward to seeing what's changed, meandering through the streets and visiting with friends.

My first view of the Reichstag with its spiral glass dome still takes my breathe away. It's a phenomenal building, both physically and metaphorically. And the Brandenburger Gate renovation was completed; the city's old entrance gates seemed unworldly in this pic in contrast to the darkening sky. My old friend Christian and I visited the newly-opened Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a memorial right in the center of Berlin taking up almost a football-field's worth of space with these massively stone slabs of varying height, which you can inbetween.

Though I did not indulge in a late-night doener kebab, I surely drank my share of German beer. And managed to have a S-and U-bahn adventure that lasted into the wee hours of the morning. Before I always got stranded on my journey home inbetween night trains, at least this time I was accompanied by three amusing guys who kept me laughing while my legs were going numb from the cold.

I hadn't visited Berlin in December before; I was surprised to see the streets lit up with decorations and Christmas Markets on literally every other corner. Plus a massive carnival right on Unter den Linden! Who knew carnies existed outside of summer? Too soon I was back in London, trading the spacious U-Bahn for the cramped Tube. My long weekend was filled with good friends, memories, beers, laughs and my first snow of the year. Now it's time to pack again and make my way back to the States!

ps - props to my friend Chad, who's duking it out with the German gov't on his visa. Keep on truckin ;)

party time

2005-12-11T22:13:00.000Z

This is my friend Nirin. He's quite a jokster. Amongst other scams, at the beginning of term he tried to convince to me that he was a firefighter, when really he's just a plain old surgeon.
I decided to give him a little tug to show him who's boss.

So last night twas the Winter Ball:
1 little black dress
1.5 hours getting ready
2 bottles of champagne (compliments of my new, bestest gay friend who kissed me on the lips, go figure)
5 hours straight-up dancing
3 advils and 1 bottle of water before bed

with pre- and post- parties the night ended up being quite a long affair. Enjoyed myself immensely, maybe just a little too much. What a great way to end the term!

ps: someone must have made friends with monica, because she made a cameo at the party!

last day o' class

2005-12-09T16:00:00.000Z

Michaelmas Term is officially over at LSE. I don't why they call it Michaelmas, autumn term woulda done just fine by me. I'm in the library, spending what seems like (and honestly probably is) my 100th hour on my first essay. I keep on telling myself because this is the first one, it is the hardest. Well I hope so! I won't have this time expenditure next semester when I have to write four more essays - jeez! My back is cramped from carrying around my school and computer bags. I'm making funny contortions at my desk, I hope know one is looking.

On a higher note, I will be returning to the states in a week from Monday after a long-awaited trip to Berlin. Haven't been back there since I studied abroad before and am looking forward to seeing old friends. Unfortunately, it will be terribly cold. And the weather will probably get worst in Chicago. My skin becoming more white by the moment - when will we meet again dear sun? I am looking forward to some well deserved rest and relaxation. And a white Christmas with a REAL Christmas tree (yearly debate at our house)! Right, Pops?

These past few weeks have been rather hectic, particularly with my earlier-than-I-have-ever-woken-up-before start time at work. This week was our holiday party at Cafe de Paris, this large nightclub in Piccadilly Circus. I promised myself to take it easy since I had a long week ahead of me...but when do I ever listen to myself??? Nevertheless, it was a super fun time and I got to meet loads of people on my floor who I had never spoken with before.

Anyways, I have to stop my procrastination (this) and get on with my essay. Happy Holidays!

i guess it's the holiday season?

2005-12-05T00:18:00.000Z

The only reason I have to believe it's the holidays is when I walk to work in the AM and pass under the suspended decorations on Oxford Street, which almost seem lit up since it's still not completely light outside at that time in the morning. Maybe one night I'll brace the shopping mob and see the scene at night. In the meantime, I've been plugging away at essays, end of term presentations and work. I took a breather this afternoon and attend an advent carol service at my res hall. Quite nice, the room was candle-lit and there was a robust choir; "Silent Night, Holy Night" gets me every time! The brief sermon felt kind of like a lecture though...the speaker wanted us to keep 4 images in our heads throughout the advent season: (1) pregnant woman (expectation) (2) paths (to enlightenment) (3) baby learning to walk (innocence and learning) and (4) CHE GUEVARA..hmmm don't really know where this one fits in, I think the speaker may be a leftist revolutionary. Go figure. Afterwards we got to enjoy mulled wine and mince pies, classic British fare.

I do admit, I am rather tired of dorm-living. Living out of one-room with a sink for washing up, dishes and the occasional laundry just does not seem sanitary to me. Running down the hall whenever I have the go to the loo plus meeting strangers on the way to the shower while I don my bathrobe just is not comforting. Not to mention the dining hall food. Oy. This is not the place for a foodie. At first, I found it decent, tolerable. Now I would prefer to boil some bland pasta with pesto in my room than be exposed to whatever mystery meat stew they offer downstairs. But of course there are some benefits. I can walk down to the bar at any time of day and have a conversation with a new acquaintance or old friend. And there are tons, I mean tons, of activities here. Like I've mentioned before, I could forgo the whole school thing and just keep busy doing clubs here! This Saturday is the Winter Ball, o la la. But I am very much looking forward to returning to the comforts of home and the company of my friends and family. Until then, I'll be absorbed in schoolwork, drinking gallons of coffee and glued to my laptop.

it's a small world after all

2005-12-05T00:16:00.000Z

Did I ever mention that there are two guys living in my residence hall from Emory? Both were a year behind me, in the same major and all three of us had the same professor write our recommendations. Of course I did not know either of them in my undergraduate years and only met them here in the getting-to-know-you-game. Coincidence?

movin' on up

2005-11-28T23:37:00.000Z

So I have officially been upgraded to adult status (or at least grad student) in my care packages. My darling parents sent me a lovely care package filled with proper English treats. Even a bottle of wine! A wicker basket full of red currant preserves, clotted cream biscuits and Christmas pudding is more adult-like than the popcorn tins I received at Emory (not that I didn't appreciate those!). Hmmm, this is one passing as an adult that I like... Thanks again Mom and Dad - I will enjoy!

filter coffee

2005-11-26T12:42:00.000Z

This morning as I entered Borough Market, I spotted Monmouth Coffee and headed on over. The company has both a stall in the market and a store outside on the street. It was still relatively earlier, so the market was not crowded at all and there was thankfully no line for coffee. I ordered a filter coffee and waited for that delicious cup of energy to come my way. This time I got to witness how exactly they make the filter coffee. Before I assumed they had a jug of pre-made coffee like every other coffee shop does. But no, not Monmouth. They individually craft each cup of coffee by-hand. Take a look at the pic above, see each cup and the silver tin below it? Its lined with a filter, filled with grinds and then manually poured hot-water seeps through the filter to your cup o' love. Amazing. Time-consuming. Worth every pence of the 1.80 gbp pricetag.

mid-day break

2005-11-25T14:26:00.000Z

As I'm spending the day reading and writing my first essay, I grew restless and I stepped out to grab a bite from the coffee shop on the corner (they make excellent paninis btw). First I noticed the neighbourbood Italian restaurant had setup an outdoor Christmas market of sorts with pastas, cakes and antipasta. Then I realised that the entire street was a buzz with people, music and yummy smells! I stumbled upon a street fair, right in my neighbourhood! Woo hoo!

I instinctively made way to the local gourmet foodie shop. I knew whatever they had to offer, I would want. Bingo, whole suckling pig being roasted over an open grill. I gobbled up a lovely roast pork sandwich with gravy, rocket salad and crisp crackin' skin. I wandered around the street, browsed around some shops I had not visited before, like the sweets shop ala Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-style with a secret showroom in the back, displaying some very good-looking shoes. Unfortunately, I was informed, it was a private showroom. Then I fell into line for "delicious, sexy ITALIAN hot chocolate". It's more like the drinking chocolate I had here than your average cup o' chocolate. Probably had enough calories in it that I would consume for the weekend, but oh well, whatcha gonna do?

The weather is quite cold, feels like true autumn weather. I brought my puff-coat out of the closet for its yearly debut today. Man that thing keeps me warm! I slowly made my way back to the dorm, determined to be more efficient and productive than the morning. So far so, um, good.

monica sighting

2005-11-24T20:21:00.000Z

Well folks, I finally spotted her. The main library, last night around 6pm, she was sitting at a computer station in plain view. I almost didn't recognise her, her hair is much longer and wavier, she's still got those voluptuous curves. But there she was! OK, checked that one off the list of to-do’s.

Life is moving at an alarming rate. I have two weeks left of classes this semester – yikes! My weekends are spent in the library huddled over books while I research for two papers that are due soon, too soon. My mornings are spent at the internship, which is going quite well. I am left mostly on my own, so slowly but surely I am figuring out what exactly is corporate social responsibility and what I can do to help promote it internally and externally. My afternoons are spent trying to stay awake during lectures, which are perfectly timed for my afternoon slump. Definitely need coffee intake beforehand! And evenings, well evenings have been super busy as well – going to career events, networking, attempting to study and even some web surfing if I’m lucky.

Right now I’m stuffed from eating Thanksgiving dinner at my res hall. No, it wasn’t anything like the real thing, a poor substitute, but it’s the thought that counts. Fortunately on Saturday night, I will be joining my second cousin once-removed (or something like that) and his lovely wife for a belated, yet proper, Thanksgiving meal. He’s quite a good chef, and she’s a bit of a wine connoisseur, so it should be really enjoyable. I might even wake up early and beat the crowds to Borough Market and pick up a lovely dessert!

Happy Thanksgiving!

desperately seeking mani-pedi...

2005-11-20T18:50:00.000Z

Now there is a lot to adjust to living in a new city, but one area that most people don't think about is beauty maintenance. When I was in Berlin, instead of fighting it, I gave up and went a la natural - my highlights faded, my hair grew long, my eyebrows grew thick, the list goes on. It was simply too daunting for me at the time to find all of the services I needed (auf Deutsch as well!).

And now in London, it is not only finding these services but also finding ones I can afford. This city is ridiculously expensive. My eyes and ears have been open, desperately searching...At last yesterday one of my prayers were answered! Hallejuah! Someone at my residence hall had arranged for an Indian threading/waxing woman to come in and provide very inexpensive services to us students. For 4.50 gbp (compared to 15-20 gbp they charge at salons) my eyebrows have returned to normalcy. And tomorrow I have an appointment for mani-pedi at a student beauty school nearby that looks pretty cool. They can't mess up your nails too bad, eh? Cross you fingers.

So hopefully by the end of the week, I'll feel more like a W-O-M-A-N.

p.s. So I cheated a little - I haven't made a full transition to London, beauty-wise. I booked color and cut appointments with my old people in Atlanta. How could I resist, especially with this exchange rate???

classmates

2005-11-20T12:16:00.000Z

Here's a pic from last weekend when we celebrated one of our classmate's birthday. Represent Greece, China, Taiwan, Chile, South Africa and Turkey...

when i grow up...

2005-11-16T14:55:00.000Z

I want to be a:
(a) ballerina (age 5)
(b) high-power executive with power-suit (age 16)
(c) wanderer (age 24)

The evolution of my career objectives. After 4 years of undergraduate education (thank you mom and dad), 2 not-so-fabulous desk jobs and now 1 year of postgraduate education (thank you uncle sam), I am still at the same place I was at the beginning: I want to do X, but am not there yet..but now it's more like: I do not even know what X is! Or even how to find X! Or even if I decide on X, how do I get there?

Most of my friends who have recently graduated from college are in the same boat. Particularly those with a liberal arts degree. Not that I'm knocking it, I have one myself, but let's just say it's a bit more broad than for example, accounting. However, in the end, the most important qualifications one can acquire with any degree are writing skills, critical and analytical skills..basically good communications skills.

And if good communications skills can be acquired from all types of degrees, well, think again. Flashback to my senior year at Emory when I decided to boost my resume by taking a course in the b-school, "Business Communications". It was not only the most depressing and un-creative class I have ever taken, but also everything that came out of the professor's mouth was complete bunk. At the end of the semester, the kids in the class could not write an effective brief or give an interesting presentation to save their lives. This experience only validated my instinct that the b-school was a machine-filled factory that produced monotonous-thinking corporate lemmings (apologizes to those who went to b-school, I was almost one of them).

But I digress.

Maybe if I had popped out of the b-school factory with finance degree in hand I would be in a different and far more boring scenario, but I am not. Instead, I am exploring life. Yes, I have to deal with the insecurities and challenges that come with these uncertainties, but I have hope that through my relentless wandering, I will eventually find a focus to which I can devote my knowledge and skills, and have it be satisfying and fulfilling. I think that's what all of my recently graduated friends hope for as well as they change jobs, go back to school or move to a new city. The quest may be never end, but let's at least hope we'll learn something worthwhile along the way.

cheese factor

2005-11-13T01:07:00.000Z

This weekend I went out to the two of the most entertaining clubs (in a bad way) I've been to in a while. What determines cheese factor you might ask? It's a conjunction of music, interior design and crowd.

Friday night with the mob (see earlier post), it was decided to go to "CRUSH", LSE's on-campus party. This party was indeed in the student union of LSE, which was converted into a club scene. Music = bad 80's and classic oldies (what kind of mix is that?!?), Interior Design = trashy miami style, Crowd = young, drunk and stupid.
I don't think I'll ever walk foot in there again after trampling through inches of beer and who knows what else on the floor. This was definitely an undergraduate scene. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not my cup o' tea. When there are guys moshing around where clown wigs, it's time to hit the pavement.

Saturday was my dear classmate's birthday and started off in her dorm's bar. It seems like all of the res halls here, including mine, have bars. Cheap booze and convenience...Emory apparently never caught on to this concept. After a couple of 1.50 gbp beers we headed out to Bar 101. Hmmm...definitely the best parts were the free entry and these massive lighting fixtures circa Scarface. Nevertheless, the place was packed with drunken, buffoons dancing to corny, early 90s tunes.
"...That girl is poisooooooooon! Poison! She's dangeroussssss..."
Now while this music may have a certain novelty in some cases, mainly when I myself am intoxicated to the point where I'll sing along to these Chicago-style B96 radio station hits, this night I decided early on it's time to hit the hay.

London, where you at??? I am in need of some good tunes and luscious drinks.

well-deserved friday

2005-11-11T19:25:00.000Z

The week is finally over. And somehow, Fridays are always marathon days for me. But I never am at a loss to find something to smile about! Overheard this afternoon in the waiting room at my GP:

young woman: so I'll have the taxi pick us up in 10 minutes.

elderly man (practically yelling, obviously doesnt have hearing aid in): OK, ONE THING...MUST STOP BY WINE SHOP.

young woman: ok

elderly man: I ASSUME YOU DON'T HAVE ANY ALCOHOLICS. AHH...I MUST HAVE MY FAVORITE DRINK. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE DRINK? MINE IS WHISKEY, GIN, (SOME MIXER)...I NEED TO THINK OF A NAME FOR IT. MAYBE HEAVEN? OR JUST LOVE.

(amy trying to contain her smile as she overhears)

Can you imagine an 80something man at the bar ordering a "love" drink? Ain't that fabulous?

I need a love. Or maybe just some heaven.

pooped de looped

2005-11-08T20:46:00.000Z

Gosh, I am dead tired. These past couple days of internship and class have wiped me out. I attempted to go to special evening lectures at LSE yesterday and tonight, but once I finish class for the day, I am shot. Well plus having drinks with classmates both evenings doesn't help my motivation either. This is a time to use one of my favorite rants: "blah blah blah!!!"
blah.

glorious morning

2005-11-05T16:49:00.000Z

Didn’t start out that way. Alarm woke me up early this Saturday morning, in preparation for the sample sale to end all sample sales. A touch of a hangover forced me hit snooze repeatedly. Finally, dragged myself out of bed, threw on some clothes and headed out the door. One hour later after switching from tube to bus to foot - what a schlep - I fell into line to enter the “billion dollar babes sales”. It was 9 am and it was already utter chaos.

After salvaging myself from the even more-chaotic dressing rooms, I high-tailed outta there empty-headed. Pity me please. It was on my walk back to the Notting Hill tube station that I noticed “Churrieta Espanole”. Ding ding! Churros! My stomach growled and I quickly snagged a table. I know it’s going to be my kind of place when they have “drinking chocolate” on the menu. My breakfast consisted of two fried eggs and some lovely, spicy chorizo sausages. And for dessert I ordered a cup of drinking chocolate and a couple freshly-fried churros. Fried is a common theme here, but I’m not complaining! Ah, it was heavenly. The churros had a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar and were to be dipped in the chocolate as I so pleased. The drinking chocolate was smooth and thick and hmmm nice ‘n rich. By the time I finished, the sun had disappeared into the clouds, but I had a huge smile on my face – this little gem definitely made up for the disappointing sample sale.

appendix a

2005-11-04T17:01:00.000Z

some other notable eats this week:
- First cooking experience in dorm buttery (still haven't figure out how to pronounce that properly; i.e., the kitchen): My Spanish friend just found a new technique to cooking tortilla, a Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions, and wanted to try it out. Of course I invited myself! The whole process lasted two hours, but well worth the wait. We included re-constituted porcini mushrooms in the recipe and also tossed together a green salad with olive-oil packed tuna. A filling, yet light (and late), dinner.

- Patisserie counter at Selfridges department store: After visiting the Wallace Collections, my friend and I hit up the food court at Selfridges, and got enraptured by the good-looking pastries. I gobbled up a blackberry-apple tartlet, which had a perfect, almost-shortbread-like, golden crust encasing a not-too-sweet fruit filling. I accompanied this with an extra-dry (i.e. more foam) cappuccino, just how I like it!

belly full and legs tired

2005-11-04T13:14:00.000Z

Last night ventured out to Edgeware Road for some Persian eats. Our group displayed the classic behaviours of “freshman year mob mentality”. I label it “freshman year” because this is when these incidents occurred most frequently for me. Let me explain. You know your freshman year when someone had an idea to do something and invited one person, who in turn invited another and so forth until you had a massive mob? And then the original organiser was overtaken by another, and then another, and then there were far too many cooks in the kitchen?

And so my night went… departure was delayed numerous times waiting for one more person, then one more then one more…you get the drift. Then there was discussion about which tube to take. Then there was discussion about how to best walk to said tube station. At this point I wanted to throw your hands up and scream out loud. I kept it in. At this point organiser #2 recommended that mob stop by a liquor store to pick up some wine, because this resto may be BYOB, but mob decided against.

Finally arrived at Persian resto, who were already ticked off because mob was very, very late. Nevertheless got seated, managed to reach consensus on appetizers. (aside: time to kick myself, it was BYOB) A full platter of mixed salads and dips came to the table accompanied by overbearing baskets of naan. Yum yum! I debated between ordering a kebab or the special of the today: Abgooscht. Wimped out and choose the kebab. Though I am never disappointed with a simple kebab plate: white rice, grilled meat and usually a charred tomato. Simple, clean and filling. Drank a few pots of spiced tea and finished the meal with a shot of Turkish coffee.

An Iranian girl at the table knew how to read fortunes from the coffee…so when the last sip was sipped, she turned over the cups onto the saucers and waited for the grinds to cement against the insides. Then she interpreted the shapes that the grinds had formed. One guy’s fortune read: a woman with large bosom is sitting upon a camel and her third eye is being watched over by an older man. Beware of this woman!

Travelling back to the dorm was another ordeal. First mob had to decide whether to take tube or bus. This was an ongoing debate as we paused at each bus stop past. Finally decided on tube, but got confused because there were two entrances to station and each had different tube lines. Couldn’t find correct entrance, more walking, more debate about taking bus, confusion, confusion, confusion. Finally found entrance and travelled safely home. The end.

dragon fly

2005-11-02T10:09:00.000Z

last week o freedom

2005-10-31T18:10:00.000Z

Things are about to get mighty hectic 'round here. Found out today that I got the internship position I applied for (!) and am starting next week. Which means I'll be working in the mornings, going to class in the afternoons and studying in the evenings. Which means no more sleep-ins. Which means cranky me in the mornings. Which means I'm about to up my coffee in-take.

Let freedom ring...till Monday.

weekend lessons

2005-10-30T23:33:00.000Z

- when going to a phd economics party, be prepared to bring your own entertainment.

- doing a rain dance may not help stop the rain, but it does help to bring around the night bus when you're tired, wet and in need of a doner kebab (see earlier post).

- tube stops at 12.30 am, plan accordingly.

- taking a dance class and horseback riding lesson back-to-back is not a good idea if you want to be able to walk the rest of the weekend.

- listening to an ipod alleviates the desire to curse out people on the street. slow, ignorant, stopping right in front of you, cutting you off people. of course i would never, ever do any of those things.

- taking advantage of freebie events at the residence hall is great on the wallet. saturday night i attended the cooking club and served up some delicious indian cuisine, tonight i saw "the conversation" at the movie club. yipee for being on a student budget! (not)

i've waited four long years for this...

2005-10-29T14:15:00.000+01:00

I finally found a dance class for me! Again, I know many of you do not care or may not understand, but this has been a mission of mine after I had to stop dancing my junior year due to my achilles tendonitis. I'm very particular about the pedagogical method of the instructor and am inclined to towards this modern dance style I fell in love with at college. I have been on the hunt ever since and nothing has come close to making me happy. Fortunately there is a well-known studio within a fifteen minute walk of my dorm and last night I tried out a class taught after my favourite style. It was spectacular and felt unbelievable to move like that again. A great lift to my spirits. Of course, today I am massively sore and it doesn't help that I took horseback riding lessons this morning. I think I'll spend the rest of the day reading in bed.

i hope you dance

2005-10-27T20:49:00.000+01:00

On my first day here in London, I wandered around the neighbourhood and of course got lost. I embraced my mother's motto of "it's an adventure (or we're not really lost)" and continued onwards. As fortune may have it, I ran across Sadler's Wells, this famous dance theatre. So I popped in, purchased a ticket for that evening's performance and had a grand time for my first night out. The performance was amazing - a 90 minute, non-stop modern piece entitled "of the heart".

I know most of you don't know exactly what modern dance is...but all I can say is that this dance follows emotions and philosophies as well as rationale and chaos. That may be a confusing answer, but when you observe modern dance that is done well, you know it. Or rather your heart does.

Moving on...can I tell you it was how refreshing and enlightening it is to be a part of an established dance community? This past Friday I took a friend to her first dance performance, Mark Morris Dance Group, at Sadler's Wells as well. This massive theatre was packed! Sold out! (Where does this happen beyond NYC?) It was interesting to hear her reactions and observations to each of the pieces. Everyone has their own interpretation. Particularly when you don't want to pay another 4 gpb for a programme brochure, you reallllyy have no clue what's going on on-stage. Regardless, this performance was well done, though not my own cup of tea. I just rejoice in the fact that dance is alive and well in London!!!

jewels of the day

2005-10-25T19:07:00.000+01:00

While on my never-ending quest to find a decent school bag (along with tall boots and the perfect jeans), I came across Monmouth Coffee Company. I had read about them in the Gourmet Magazine issue my mother o-so-nicely saved for me, because the issue was all about London. Even though it was past lunchtime and I not eaten, I quickly decided to spend my lunch money on a 1.80 gbp cup of filter coffee. white, please. And I can tell you about the sugar? It was a bowl of super-fine brown, natural crystals that quickly dissolved into my cup with a stir of a wooden spoon. It tasted deep and rich. You know how Starbucks coffee is so dark and acidic it rips you apart? Well that is nothing compared to this. Even Aurora coffee is a bit much for me. But this cup, man, a dark and smoldering roast, smooth with delicious chocolate undertones. Delicious!

On the same journey into Covent Garden on my class break, I walked past a Bloch dancewear store. Now for most of you, this means nothing. But for me, who treasured her Bloch catalogues with the beautiful, elegant dancers and always wore Bloch shoes and leotards, I was tickled pink! I didn't even know a Bloch store existed! So I popped in and browsed. Maybe this will motivate me to go to dance class this week.

On a side note, I think I have finally decided on my Information Systems essay, outline due Friday. After pursuing what seemed like millions of journal articles and books, I am going to focus on utilising CRM systems as tools in creative and innovation management. Fun stuff.

brighton beach

2005-10-24T11:33:00.000+01:00

Thursday 5:00 pm overhear students discussing weekend getaways
Thursday 5:10 pm light-bulb goes off. ah ha!
Thursday 7:00 pm recruitment
Thursday 9:00 pm book tickets
Thursday 2:00 am finally finish first essay, in need of major R n’ R.
Saturday 9:00 am we've got a full tank of gas, a half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark outside and we're wearing sunglasses. hit it.

When I think about weekend exclursions, I think planes, airports, chaos and frustration. So when I realised I could get to some pretty cool places within a couple hours via bus or train, I jumped on it. I had heard lovely things about Brighton from Miss Byrd, who studied abroad there, but never had I been. It’s only two hours away from London and on the seashore. Nevermind that it wasn’t summertime - it would be relaxing to spend some time watching the waves and seagulls.

Arrived late Saturday morning to a last-minute bed and breakfast booking. Every other place was completely sold-out, so we felt lucky to snag a room in this place, even though the decorating theme was reminiscent of pepto-bismol. Lovely. The sun was peaking through the clouds and we headed down to the pier. Kitsch transcends borders: the carnival on the pier was on par with good ol’ Lake Zurich’s Alpine Days. But instead of some Def Leppard or Bon Jovi blaring through the speakers, it was euro-trash techno beats. We wandered around the casino, candy kiosks and rollercoasters… picked up some piping hot greasy doughnuts and coffee for breakfast and then headed back into town. Brighton is small enough to manoeuvre and its neighbourhoods each have their own personality…from high street to bohemian to gay. The streets were filled with hippie-dippies, students, screaming kids, families…all strolling along on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday we did more of the same…meandering around the sidestreets, people watching, walking on the boardwalk. Settled down to a spot on the beach to admire the skeleton of what was a pier that burnt down recently. The beach consisted of stones that were smooth to the touch and easy to toss into the sea. In the afternoon, the light rain drove us into the local cinema, where we watched "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” with loads of shrilling babies and whiny kids. The weekend was soon over. But before heading back to London, we sat down to a proper Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, roasted veggies and of course some delicious meat. Yummy!

Now back to reality…

notable read

2005-10-19T18:00:00.000+01:00

Yes, I am attending classes as well. I thought I would share with you an interesting article that discusses the regulation of the Net.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1589902,00.html

We use it every single day of our lives and many of us have grown quite dependent on it. Do you remember life before the computer? Do you know how the Net came to be? Do you know where it's going? I've realised since I've been in class, learning about all this jazz, is that you should not take it for granted. All hail Google!

things to be happy about this week

2005-10-18T11:40:00.000+01:00

1. New sheets on my bed. I’d had enough of the itchy linens that came gratis with the room.

2. Beautiful London weather. Hard to believe ,eh?

3. Finding a shower caddy (or something like it). Remember back in the freshman dorm you had one of these to carry your shampoo, conditioner, body poof, soap, i.e. a bunch of stuff you cannot possibly carry in your two hands? Well they don’t exist here. However, I managed to find this laundry-clipper basket that (a) has holes in it and (b) even has a handle. It's the little things that get me, I tell ya...

4. Sleeping in. And having afternoon classes. This is so far the biggest perk of being a student again. I can sit at my computer in my PJ’s, drink my coffee and check my emails in peace and quiet. Wonderful. And yes I do my homework too!! I swear!!

5. Decent lecturers. Yesterday our rotating lecturer for “Methods in Research” cracked the entire audience up time after time. It was like being at a stand-up comedy show. Except I had to take notes.

6. Greek yogurt. I fell in love with this Greek yogurt they sold at the Dekalb Farmers Market, but could not find it anywhere else. Fortunately the Brits know what I’m talking about; a major grocery chain here sells it and catch this, in honey-flavour. Ohhh, ahhhh.

7. My powerbook. Thank you again Char-latte and Ajay because this was by far the best purchase I have ever made. It’s smart, sexy and well, just plain cool. Now that we’re spending more time together, I sure do appreciate her a lot more.

8. The tube. And being able to walk to a lot of places. Instead of my car getting mileage, my legs are doing the work. I do miss being able to jam up the music in my car and cruise down Ponce, but now I can do that with my ipod and have a dance party on the way to school. Watch out for my tripping though.

9. New friends. It’s a tad bit difficult to get beyond the whole “Where are you from? What do you study?” stage, but I’m managing…and meeting some pretty cool kids from all over the world.

10. Roses. Even paper-and-tissue ones.

how you like them apples?

2005-10-16T12:14:00.000+01:00

Some of you are probably thinking why is she posting a picture of her leg on here? Others of you know, typical gish move - she loves them bruises.

And why do I love them, you ask? Well, they are something I've dealt with all of my life because I am a K-L-U-T-Z. Sometimes referred to as "klutzo".

I think it all started in my terrible-twos when I learned to walk like my mother, on my toes (yes Mom you walk on your toes...and Dan does too). My theory is if you don't put you heel down when you walk, then you are bound to be less stabile. Or some excuse like that. Years of dance have not changed my tendency to trip. When I’d go out jogging at college, my mother warned me to be safe. Oh, I thought, she feared for my personal safety from evil strangers. Nope, she told me, she feared for my own capacity to injure myself.

Well, folks, this one came to be not because of my klutziness, but from horseback riding. Quite a nasty one, eh? But it is no comparison to the freshman year bruise-of-the-century, a lovely mark from my ankle to my bum. Quickly learned never to dance on high platforms again. And just after that healed, I had a trip in the woods, which gnawed up my calf. And of course both incidents occurred in the midst of a Hotlanta Indian summer; perfect timing for not being able to wear shorts or skirts.

Just gotta laugh at myself. And I can’t wear that cute new skirt either!

impromptu opera

2005-10-12T21:07:00.000+01:00

So I'm sitting at my desk. Used-up tissues and electronic cords piled up around me with a scattering of juice and tea cups in-between. Yes, I'm still sick. My window is open to the courtyard and suddenly I hear the voice of the Opera Guy, yet again.

While it is quite impressive living with a multitude of musicians (see post below about concerts), this one takes the cake. Opera Guy will randomly sing at any given place in the dorm: dining hall...reception...courtyard...everywhere. I personally think OG prefers the courtyard because his voice echoes there, and therefore he has the biggest audience.

At first OG entertained me, but now I find him rather annoying. OG has the tendency to interrupt everything...conversations, homework, movies. And above all else, WHY does he do it??? This OG is on a power trip.

How do you strain someone's voice again? Don't you put lemon in their tea or something?

the inevitable

2005-10-10T13:06:00.000+01:00

My intuition told me I should have taken Vitamin C in massive quantities since my immune system would naturally be challenged this past month...moving, living in a dorm, in contact with loads of new people...but I chose to ignore.

Now I am suffering the consequences and have a horrible sore throat. Stocked up on lozenges, zinc and vitamins so hopefully this will blow over soon. :(

square pies

2005-10-10T13:05:00.000+01:00

Had my first proper English meal, consisting of a steak and Guinness pie, mash + gravy and mushy peas. And it was, well, heavy…and rather difficult to balance it all on my lap plus a cold Stella in my hand. Yeah for being able to buy alcohol on Sundays! Take that Georgia!

Experienced this meal at Spitalfields Market, a mixed clothing, art and produce market about 10 minutes away from my res hall. The hall was ridiculously packed on a Sunday afternoon, so managed to get my food and get out relatively quickly.

The best part of the once again gloriously sunny day (is this really London?) was the walk to the market. We walked along the streets near Brick Lane, the infamous kitschy India/Bangladesh neighbourhood. And vendors of all sorts filled the sideways, selling batteries, toiletries and everything else you could possibly imagine. From where do they manage to collection all of this STUFF? Each stall looked like someone’s messy junk closet.

Amidst the junk, there were an impressive number of vintage clothing sellers and indie fashion labels. Although too crowded to browse, I do want to return and check out the goods. Speaking of fashion, the 80’s have returned to the streets here. Think tapered jeans, Capri leggings under mini skirts and ballerina flats. And I have spotted a few mullet hairstyles, even a rat tail! I’m considering re-opening a Units store here, any one remember them??

back in the saddle

2005-10-08T17:10:00.000+01:00

After some fifteen years, I slipped my foot in the stirrup and hopped back on the horse. You see, as a child I loved horses and even though Santa never delivered the pony I wished for, my parents recognized my interested and signed me up for horseback riding lessons. I thoroughly enjoyed them and became a decent rider. My best friend at the time also became a decent rider and, well, eventually trumped me time after time at the local competitions. I’ll admit it; I was jealous. I’m just a tad bit competitive!

Long story short, I ended up trading in horses for ballet slippers and haven’t looked back. Now that I have aged and matured (ask anyone and they’ll say I’m not old enough to drive), I can see the folly of my youth…maybe I should not have given up so easily? So this morning, I followed my heart and jumped back into the saddle. Started off in a beginner’s class but my instructor, Paolo, picked up on my experience and made me the guinea pig for the other students. Unfortunately I had a brat of a horse named Fen, and had to be quite aggressive with her. Lots of kicks and whistles. But to feel again the movement of the horse under me and to feel my body fall in sync with her was quite an exhilarating experience. The beauty ended there though; I certainly am in need of more conditioning and training. I’ll see how it goes next week.

I signed up for the horseback riding club along with…the cooking club, meditation club, hiking club, book club and poetry club (don’t ask). I think I’ll quit school and just do all of these activities instead! Wishful thinking. My residence hall organized a welcome week with the clubs and societies fair, the infamous boat party (see earlier post) and free food! This Thursday was the monthly dining-in night where everyone packs into the dining hall for some free grub. Afterwards, the student musicians performed a short concert with everything from jazz to opera to Billy Joel. Quite unbelievable how talented these folks are; it is a humbling experience to be in their presence. Now I must attack my homework with the same vigor as I have with these activities…do I reeaaallly have to study???

SWF ISO PDK

2005-10-06T11:25:00.000+01:00

*Single white female in search of perfect doner kebab*

It is a must for the late-night walk home. For those of you unfamiliar with the doner kebab (and I do pity you), it is a greasy, messy pile of meat, yogurt sauce, salad and sometimes if you're lucky, french fries! After spending six months in Berlin, I knew if I was going to neighbourhood ABC, then I could hit up kebab stand XYZ on the way home. This truly had to be thought of when making a night out on the town! And when there was more than one in proximity to the bar, an intense debate would develop on which place trumped the other. Hmm...maybe this is why my pants were extra-tight at the end?? :)

Sadly, I have yet to find a kebab stand anywhere when wandering around the neighbourhood. And even more importantly, we did not find one last night while walking a long trek home from the dorm boat party. Yes, folks, our lovely dorm organized a three hour late-night cruise on the Thames last night. Inside the boat was utter chaos - long queue at the bar, misunderstandings of dialects, people dancing everywhere possible and of course the slow rocking of the boat. Of course I had a fabulous time!!! It would have been even more fabulous had we found a kebab stand, but alas I had to settle for a toasted ciabatta. Oh the tragedy.

So in the meantime, I will continue to be a SWF ISO PDK.

off to the market

2005-10-02T15:35:00.000+01:00

Though Borough Market may be a tourist destination, it also attracts regular Londoners doing their weekend shopping. We arrived on a beautiful, sun-filled Saturday morning. The paths overflowed with baby strollers, old couples and hustling women with their arms full of packages.

Most of the stalls offered gourmet, pricey delicacies such as homemade apple-tamarind preserves and peppercorn-rosemary infused olive oil. Some had winding queues in front of them with hungry people waiting patiently for the next fresh, hot off the grill kebab.

For me, well, I had a lunch of spicy, grilled Spanish chorizo with roasted red peppers and arugula, served in a charred bun that glistened with olive oil. After wandering around, I found myself the perfect little lemon meringue tartlet for dessert. It must have been quickly baked under a broiler because as I bit through the sugar-crusted outer layer, my mouth melted away a soft and almost wet foamy meringue underneath. Delicious!

i miss you guys!!!

2005-10-02T10:39:00.000+01:00

Snagged this one from Karen. Had such a fabulous summer in Atlanta with all of my friends...let the good times roll!

my almost done dorm room (or I heart IKEA)

2005-10-01T10:01:00.000+01:00

Let's see. It's been two weeks since I arrived in London. And today, finally, I took the time to straighten up and properly arrange my room. I made a pilgrimage to IKEA last week via foot, bus and tube...picked up lots of inexpensive goodies and, of course, some practical things to make this feel more like a home. I am prepared and ready to go for the year! Woo hoo!

first day o' school jitters

2005-09-29T16:26:00.000+01:00

Today was my first real day of school. I had my departmental and programme inductions today; my department being Media and Communications and my programme being "New Media and Knowledge Systems" (sounds fancy, doesn't it?). Basically this was an opportunity to meet the faculty, staff and other students. Interestingly so, about 70% of the department's and my programme's students are women. Based on my past work experiences, this may not be necessarily a good thing! Women + hormones can be a dangerous combination, men I know you can back me up. Ironically, our programme has a couple classes with the Information System department, where the proportion is vice versa. Maybe that'll balance it out a bit!

My programme has about 15 students, rather small compared to others. I am the only American in the group and the people are from Greece to China to Israel. Most I would estimate are in their mid-late twenties/early thirties. Another observation is that there are 4 journalists from China; I am very interested in learning more about the media industry and regulation under their quasi-communist regime. All but one have several plus years of work experience in media, creative services, IT, advertising - a wide spectrum of backgrounds. The first official day of classes is Monday and I have already been forewarned from a part-time two-year student that this term is the most strenuous of the year with loads of reading. Hopefully my study skills will come back to me and I'll keep the procrastination skills that have built up over the years at bay. Who would have guessed that cleaning would become my favorite procrastination technique?

the city beat me up

2005-09-28T14:15:00.000+01:00

I forgot what it's like to live in a city: the fatigue that sets in once I've walked too long. the chill of the wind against my skin when I miscalculated the weather and wore too light of clothes. brushing up against strangers in the fight to win control of a space on the sidewalk. taking chances crossing the street, not knowing when a mad taxi could rush up on me.

Today the temperature quickly dropped and wind strengthened its force. My decorative scarf tied around my neck provided little protection against the cold. Wind-whipped and exhausted, I made my way back home. I was blessed with a moment of peace when I glanced over at the children's park, which is situated en route to the dorm. Observing kids laughing and playing makes me calm and I stay just long enough for a smile to form on my face.

Entering my room, I sigh with relief and check up on my newly-acquired buddies, Curly and Spike. I've never had much of a green thumb, but I could not pass on the looks of these guys. Hopefully they'll prosper with my new resolution to give them proper attention and treatment.

gish-a-go-go-italy

2005-09-27T18:35:00.000+01:00

Just arrived back in London this afternoon from Bari, Italy. The weekend excursion to the heel of Italy proved to be relaxing and enjoyable; just what I needed before classes start up later on this week!

Will post more details shortly, however to quench the thirst of curiosity that is mainly my mother's, here is a quick glimpse of what ended up to be the itinerary - we decided as we went. Naturally I have included a short summary of the most memorable meals - the seafood was plentiful and the typical meal began with multiple plates of raw shellfish and other sea creatures.

Friday 23 Sept
London> Bari> Lecce
*Coastal driving
*Lunch at unknown location between Bari and Lecce: Antipasti: Raw shrimp, prawns, clams, mussels, oysters, octopus, calamari; Pasta: Black ink Orecchiette with zucchini blossoms

Saturday 24 Sept
Lecce> Otranto> Castro Marina
*Sight-seeing in Lecce
*Coastal driving
*Sight-seeing in Otranto
*Grotto Zinzulusa

Sunday 25 Sept
Castro> Santa Maria di Lueca (tip of heel)> Gallipoli
*Coastal driving
*Stop at monastery near S.M. di Lueca
*Sight-seeing in Gallipoli
*Dinner in old town Gallipoli: Mixed antipasti plate: cold risotto vegetable salad, baked mussels, braised octopus, raw sliced tuna, baked tuna in olive oil; Fritti: Fried sardines, fried mixed seafood balls; Pasta: Linguini with zucchini and shrimp, penne with shellfish and eggplant; Main: Prawns baked in salt; Dolce: Gelato

Monday 26 Sept
Gallipoli> Taranto> Bari
*Gallipoli beach sunbathing–
*Coastal driving, then inland to Bari
*Sightseeing in Bari
*Dinner in Bari: Antipasti: Raw: squid, clams, octopus, mussels, oysters, sea urchins, Cooked: braised octopus, risotto/potato mixture, steamed mixed shellfish in white wine; Pasta: Broken lobster with linguini; Dolce: Frutti di Bosco tarte

Tuesday 27 Sept
Bari> London

pics

2005-09-22T20:43:00.000+01:00

I have created a flickr account to post pics. To visit please click on "view my complete profile" to the right, then click under contact "my web page." This should direct you to my flickr website. There's not much on there yet BUT there will be more to come!

1 Pipe, 2 Pipes, Red Pipe, Blue Pipe

2005-09-22T13:04:00.000+01:00

"From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere." Dr. Seuss

Oh why do have I an archaic washbasin in my dorm room? When I visited London before, I encountered this foreign idea. And it isn't pleasant. The hot water pipe is VERY hot and the cold water pipe is VERY cold; it is difficult to use either one alone.

Therefore one must plug up the sinkhole, turn both pipes on and mix the water temperatures manually in the basin. Brilliant. Just what I am capable of doing in the morning after pulling myself out of bed and before drinking my first cup of coffee.

Through the grapevine I heard that other, more modernized rooms in the dorm have mixers. Alas I have yet to see one in person. Maybe it is a myth.

p.s. Welcome friends and family to my blog, Gish-A-Go-Go. I hope to keep you all updated of my time abroad in the UK and travels elsewhere. Thanks for visiting!