"She Went Down to Oxford Town"

I have recently decided to make a 'City Series' of blog posts. What that means is every now-and-again I will post about a specific city I visited while here. And this time it is Oxford!

When entering Oxford there is a buffer of small shops and more rugged streets to distinguish from the open aired country highways and the city itself. From the small shops they slowly grow to become taller and more grand, but abruptly change to tall whitewashed stone walls and ancient colleges.

Walking about the smooth stone walls are never really far away and the idea of its antique nature haunts the air. There are statues of great monarchs and old priests watching the passersby walk among the sun baked streets. While a small chill floats in the air to remind all they are still in England, but it is more a comforting whisper than bone-soaking scream.

Cobblestone walkways and sidewalks break into the black asphalt rivers and bring light and diversity to the streets. Small alleys jut off the main streets as shortcuts or branch into their own main street. Shops, with their doors open wide, allow a flow of people in and out as they preview the old and new. Students in black cloaks walk to and from lessons trying to grab some food on the way.

Cafes and pubs leak out smells of fresh bread, coffee, and cooked meat, while women in windows sip tea in colorful hats. Performers sing and dance, smiling all the while. Their suitcases sparkling with sterling, reflecting the Oxford University trinkets across the street.

Men with dirty jackets sell magazines near shops while their dogs bark for plastic bottles. Young children in uniforms file through the street to try and glimpse the inside of their prized school. And old couples complain about the prices of lunch.

It is a new place, Oxford, but also an old place. And I don't mean just for me, but even for those who have always lived there. It is a changing place with changing people but somehow is stuck in this current time. I think I will like it here in the land of crossing oxen.

To see what sorts of things we have done in Oxford, visit these lovely posts by me:
Molding a New Flat

Creepy Encounters of the Laundry Kind
Holy Introverts, Batman!
All Hallows' Evening Adventure
Guy Fawkes and the Enthusiastic County Fair
Fists of Fancy
This is Museumtastic!

Colleges are my Cup of Tea

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,

Caitlin

P.S.- The title is taken from the Bob Dylan song "Oxford Town", although that song is about a town in the South of the US and is actually a rather sad song. But I liked the lyrics for the title.

"The only way to entertain some folks is to listen to them." -Kin Hubbard

Holy Introverts, Batman!

This week it seems I got a bit of a taste of what it is like to be an introvert. That is not to say that introverts are bad, but being a bit more extraverted myself, it is sometimes hard to find time for myself and I often do not realize I need some time alone until I am alone. And that is exactly what happened this week!

Recently two of my flatmate's parents came to visit and took us all out to dinner, which was very nice I of them. But then they decided they wanted some alone time with their children, and both happened to choose this current weekend as the time to do it. Amy left Thursday morning to go to London with her family, and Libby left Friday morning. That left Austin and myself alone in the flat this entire weekend, which I was very excited for. (Well, until Sunday when Amy returns.)

But on Thursday, Libby and Austin both have classes all day, and Amy was gone so I was all alone in the flat. Usually Amy and I send the day together going to a random restaurant and visiting some shops, but not this time. This time I was completely alone.

At first I was really nervous about it, because I am in a new city and I have horrible sense of direction, and what if I got lost. And who would I ramble on to? But as it got closer, I got really excited for the day alone. I realized that a day all to myself meant I could look around a store as long as I wanted, I could try on clothes forever, I could eat whatever I wanted, I could even sleep all day if I wanted. It was a day all about Caitlin, and I was totally fine with that. (Also, I love Batman, so I felt the title was fitting.)

I ended up choosing to get up early and ride the bus into the main city center for the day. I started off at a clothing store called Primark and tried on a few clothes, none of which I particularly liked, I just wanted to try on some random clothes for fun. I then walked near Christ's Church and visited a little shop I had heard of called Alice's Shop. It is suppose to be the place that Alice, the real girl who Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is based on, would go to buy sweets. 

I spent a good fifteen minutes looking about the shop, just because I could, and bought a few postcards, some Mad Hatter Tea, and Alice's Tea. I have always really liked the book, so I was very pleased to go there and look at all the Alice themed merchandise. I considered buying a mug that the Cheshire cat on it. When it would get hot the cat would completely disappear except for his smile, and I thought was really cool, but not 15 pounds cool.

I then strolled around the Covered Market and the Golden Shops which are attached to it. I did not go in anywhere, but it was nice to walk around among the busy shop keepers and customers, as well as the mixed aromas of bread, cookies, and bacon. I also ended up walking down Cornmarket street, and went past it to the other side where there is a large church and several tall buildings. I found a Tesco there and felt extremely proud of myself for the discovery.

Next, I headed to some of the really touristy shops to look around. I am usually too embarrassed to go in them, but on Caitlin's Day, nothing is embarrassing. There really was not anything I liked, so I headed to Sainsbury's, bought a Rekorderlig, then went to a Cornish Pasty stand and bought a pasty for lunch. I ate it up as I was very hungry at this point. The warm dough and chicken inside, along with the strawberry-lime drink helped heat me up against the chill winds that blew about.

Lastly, I went inside Jack Wills to look around, just so I could say I went in there. I felt a bit out of place among the extremely fashionable and expensive clothes as I walked about in my blue raincoat with butterflies all over it. The security guard said 'Cheers' to me as I left though, so I guess I did not look too strange. I also went to Blackwell's poster store and looked around. I didn't want anything but it was fun to look around.

And that was the end of Thursday's activities, but Friday Austin and I had the whole day to ourselves so we hung out together doing whatever we wanted. We chose to go to the National History Museum, as well as the Pitt Rivers Museum which is attached.

There were all kinds of stuffed animals and skeletons you could touch. There were actually signs that said 'Please Touch'. I got to pet a cheetah, fox, random spiral shell fossils, pheasant, badger, and as many rocks I could find. There were also some amazing dinosaur skeletons, such as a triceratops skull, which I got a bit over zealous around and petted even though the sign said not to. We then saw a dodo exhibit, tons of creepy insects, a petrified human skull, animals from around the world, and creepy water parasites that made me extremely uncomfortable to look at.

In the Pitt Rivers Museum we walked around for a bit, although it was three stories tall and we started getting rather hungry, so we did not stay very long, but it was still fascinating. In the far back was a giant totem pole made by some Native Americans. I immediately, upon seeing it, exclaimed to Austin that it was from our home land and went over to get a closer look. It was almost three stories tall and had carvings of a man, bird, wolf, and several other creatures. Upon inspection of the inscription I found out it was actually made by Canadian Native Americans, which upset me a bit, but it was still very exciting to see. There were several other cases, but as I plan to go back there at some point, I will save what else I saw for another post in the future.

At home, we made some delicious brownies, which I somehow have not eaten all of yet. When then got a text from Amy saying that she got to meet Neville from Harry Potter and Rory from Doctor Who. (Sorry, I cannot remember their real names currently.) I was a bit upset, although pleased for her. But not as upset as I was when I found some bugs crawling around in our cabinets that night. I am sure they were just cold and wanted to be cosy in my kitchen, but yuck. Stay away from me and my food, please. We might have to alert the hall office if we see any more, but at least we have all the food safely secured in jars and bottles.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,

Caitlin

"Both the cockroach and the bird would get along very well without us, though the cockroach would miss us most." -Joseph Wood Krutch

Creepy Encounters of the Laundry Kind

I really enjoy where I live here in Oxford. It is nice and homey, even if the heat sometimes does not work and your mail occasionally ends up at someone else's flat. It is also a step up from the last place we lived, the mold place.

If you recall reading my "Molding a New Flat" post, I talked about our move from the old flat to our new one right down the street. The old one was not especially bad, it just had a lot of 'interesting' quirks about it.

Like for example, if I had my heater on really high and it was working, someone else's heater might not work. The kitchen was always cold. Even if the heat was on all night. Snails loved living on our glass windows and doors. Our vacuum cleaner had a face on it. Mysterious water would appear all over the bathroom floor for no known reason and from an unknown place. We could hear people walking above us as if they were practicing Irish river dancing. Sometimes a man would come and use our toilet. The hall light never turned off, so our glass front door was like a lighthouse at night.

Wait... Did you just say a man would sometimes use your toilet?
Yes. Yes, I did.
You mean like someone you knew, right?
Nope. Just some random man, who had a key. And he wouldn't even put the seat down. Come on.

Strange conversations with myself aside, it's true. He would just key into our flat use the toilet and leave. Possibly didn't even wash his hands. I'm not sure.

One time I heard him come in and head to the toilet, and I decided I would try and make it really awkward for him. So, I came out of my room and stood in the hallway, like I was going to the kitchen, but did not do anything until he came out. Once he opened the door, I just stood there and stared at him while I held the kitchen door half open. He gave me the nod and then left. It had been a failure. He was just too chill apparently.



There was also a man who would sleep in our laundry room, which I found especially creepy for some reason. I guess mainly because I seemed to be the only one who ever saw him. I would just head over to try and dry and my clothes, and BAM! He would be sitting in the only chair in the room half asleep. (And the room would always smell like cigarettes, which I hate.)

We never spoke except for the first time I saw him. He had said that lots of people took breaks in there and I just sort of mumbled a reply as I ran back into my room to regroup. I literally did not touch my laundry, just left to try and mentally prepare myself and then returned a few minutes later to finish my laundry. I saw him a few more times, but it was rather rare since from then on I would look at the laundry room from my window to try and see if he was there before going over. It was probably over kill, but I was creeped out.

But, yeah, I like it at my new place a lot. No people randomly using our toilet, no creepy people hanging out in the laundry room, but we still have the snail problem. In fact, I have a snail on my window almost everyday.

I think they love me. It might be because in the third grade we got to do a report on any animal we wanted and I chose snails because I thought they were cool. I never touched one, that would be gross. But I liked the shells. I also my made first screen name "SnailyAndCrafts", because I loved snails, and arts and crafts. I was a strange child.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." -Lily Tomlin

God Save the Nutella

Pretty much whenever I go into the kitchen, I a too blinded by hunger to actually come up with things to eat, let alone healthy. Usually I just make porridge for breakfast and for lunch I make brie and cranberry jam sandwiches. While at dinner either someone else has taken the time to choose my meal or I have thought about it in advance.

By today I wanted something else, something new. Generally when I am in this mood I just ask a flatmate for ideas, but today was my turn to shine with culinary excellence. I had this picture in my head of me appearing on Food Network's Iron Chef and making some delicious meal and gaining instant fame. I dream big.

I ended up grabbing a bunch of random tasty ingredients and throwing them all in a bowl together and mixing them around. I put corn flakes cereal, oats, nutella, peanut butter, and honey together thinking I was making some version of preacher (no bake) cookies. The end result was an abomination.

The peanut butter and nutella had not spread out as planned and just made little collection sights of corn flakes with the occational oat spot. Meanwhile most of the oats were all laying freely in the bottom of the bowl and apperently could not be bothered to attach to anything. But upon my first bite, I was pleased to find that I had stumbled upon some distant cousin of puppy chow (a sweet treat made with chocolate covered chex cereal with peanut butter and powdered sugar). All in all, I would give it a 9 out of 10 for ease of making, lack of planning, and surprisingly delicious taste from such an ugly dish.

We have a saying around our flat that 'everything tastes better with nutella or cheese'. I am glad to see it proved true today.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"My pessimism extends to the point of even suspecting the sincerity of the pessimists." -Jean Rostand

Keep Calm and Turn Off Then On

Sunday I woke up with the delightful ability to do nothing since I had nothing planned for the day. Well, I had planned to lay about for most of the day and try to finish up some homework, but nothing very pressing. I pretty much just laid in bed reading for a good hour before even trying to get up. And when I did, I, of course, wanted to check up on my emails, facebook messages, and posts on my blog. but sadly, I was discouraged from this by my laptop refusing to turn on.

The screen would light up a tad, recognizing that it needed to be on but then would just be completely black. I tried turning it off and on several times to which I got one loading icon that froze halfway through loading and was stuck there and several blank, black screens, occasionally coupled with horrendously loud beepings. I finally just left it while it was on a silent, black screen and waited until the battery died to see if it would change, it did not.

This was followed by me emailing my parents asking for suggestions as to what to do along with my flatmates. For the most part no one knew what was wrong or what to do, except to keep trying the on-off method. I tried it a few more times, which actually got me all the way logged on at one point and I was able to run a quick virus scan which showed that the computer was clean and clear. I was very pleased until I tried to run a full scan, just to be sure, and the entire laptop froze up and would not change until I had to, once again, force it to shut down.

We all eventually came to the idea that it must be the harddrive failing, since it seemed to be the only answer that made sense. (Athough, honestly none of us are particularly gifted with technology so it was really more of a scientific guess.) I decided to go to the "Service Desk" of my study abroad school the next morning and see if they could take a look at it.

The night came and went and it was finally time to go to the computer experts here. I had tried the laptop a few more times before leaving, but to no avail. So, I headed on my short journey to the "Service Desk" armed with my faulty laptop and some questions fearing the worst.

When I arrived, I was greeted by a pale woman with a thin face who seemed a bit less than thrilled to be there, which I understood since I felt the same way. 

I began to reach for my backpack as I walked up so I could pull out my laptop and show her the issues. 
"Hello. I have been having some issues with my laptop last few days and--," She cut me off with a slight raise of her hand.
"We don't work on computers here."
"But this is the Service Desk, right? It said there was a Computer Help section here."
"No, we don't work with computers here any more. We used to, but stopped about a year ago."
"Um... Ok... Well, can you tell me any suggestions as to where someone could look at my computer?"
"No. We are not able to give out suggestions. It is entirely up to you."

I was feeling pretty irritated and upset after my meeting with the "Service Desk". I had put a lot of eggs in that basket and it turned out there really was not even a basket to put them in. I walked home slowly and tried to think of what I could do next. If my laptop had seen it's last days, then fine. Sure I had recently decked it all out in amazingly geeky decals, but if I needed a new laptop then I needed a new one. Except how did I know if I needed a new one if no one could help me?

I returned home with the disheartening news to which one of my flatmates said her father would be visiting soon and he could probably look at it for me, which I really appreciated. I also decided that in the mean time I would email the IT department at my home university who had gotten me through several computer issues. They had found several of my missing papers on my laptop, eradicated a virus from it, and helped me with buying the very laptop I owned currently as well as other technological things. They also were always very friendly and helpful. So, I chose to email them and while asking for help tell them how much I appreciated all of their hard work and how I missed them more than my stuffed dog I had had since I was born.
They seemed to take well to the emotional bride and emailed back quickly with the same idea I had been thinking, that it sounded like the harddrive dying, but that they could not be sure since they were not there to physically see it. I then told my parents and spent the rest of the day sending about 500 emails to practically everyone I knew, all while typing on the tiny touch screen of my ipod. It was a glorious day.

And honestly, the beauty of it lives on. We have decided I need a new laptop but where we will get it or when it will get is are two very large, unanswered questions. We also do not know where to send it since, as I told you all earlier, we have had issues with the mail system here at the school.

Although, one good thing did happen today. I went to the hall office and found out that they have a computer room where I can go and type to my little heart's desire, as well as print (although that will cost me). The only issue was that my login was not working so I was still stuck working on a small touch screen, but at least I know I can go there if I need to!

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." -Mary Chase

That Sounds Familiar...

Recently, as in yesterday, I found this amazing website that lets you listen to different dialects and accents from around the UK. I find this very exciting and entertaining, as some accents I can barely understand, but perhaps if I listen to these enough on this site I will be able to understand them better. This will also allow me to work on my British accent.

I have a link here to it if you want to check it out. I think it is very interesting. I have also tried to find one for American accents, but have been unsuccessful. Let me know in the comments if you found one and I will post it here.

I just love that I can study how people talk and possibly work on getting a more realistic British accent.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"Life is a zoo in a jungle." -Peter De Vries

No Post on Sundays

Postcards.

They are not really something that you might think of as people growing attached to, but yet, I somehow have. Over the last few trips overseas and around the US, I have grown a fondness for postcards. Usually when someone I know goes somewhere i have not been I ask them to get me a postcard. It's all I want.

And honestly, I do not even really hang them up that much. I just keep them all in a box in my room and collect them. They take up a lot less space than cats or teapots. (Although honestly, I do have a small collection of teapots, but that's beside the point.) Here at Oxford, I have amassed a large collection of them as we travel about the UK and from general shops. And by large, I mean over 100, but that is mainly due to buying a set of 100 at a shop for a really good price. Which leads me into my next point, sendign postcards.

As I love receiving mail and postcards in general, whenever I go overseas I always end up with a giant list of people to mail postcards to while here. I cut it down a bit this trip and only had 25 people, but that is still a lot. Especially when you think about the cost of postage. Because of this I bought that giant 100 pack and have been sending people postcards from that. So basically they are receiving postcards with book covers on them instead of ones with historical sites. They probably hate me.

Also, when I send a postcard, I have to draw myself on it. If it's a picture of Stonehenge, you will receive a postcard with Stonehenge and a small stick-figure sitting on a rock which is labelled 'me'. I am not sure when I started doing this, but it is probably rooted in the fact that I am horrible at remembering to take photos at historic sites, especially with me in them. So I suppose the sick-figure is suppose to somehow prove that I was there even though there is no photos of me ever being there. I also like to think that people see the stick-figure and smile or laugh a bit at the silliness, although I have a feeling they just look at it and think I am mentally-ill.

One of my favorite postcards I have ever gotten was from an exchange student from Japan that came to my High School. (Why a teenage Japanese girl would want to come to Virginia is beyond me, but she did.) She was living with one of my good friends so I hung out with her once or twice, but before she left she gave me a postcard from her home town and gave me a hug. I thought the hug was interesting, since I thought people from Japan did not like physical contact that much unless they were really close, but whatever, I like hugs. 

Back to the postcard, it is just a general mountain scene when the words 'Okinawa' written in a pretty purple cursive in one of the corners, along with the kanji/katakana version. I liked this postcard so much because I barely knew this girl and she felt I was nice enough to receive a piece of her culture. It really touched my heart, especially when some of my friends at High School could not remember to pick me up postcards from their families' home states. (I also have never been to Japan, and when I was younger I thought that would be a brilliant place to live, it being an island an all.)

Overall, postcards to me just represent not only the place you went but what you did there, who you met, and who you were when you were there. Or if you have never been there, what you have to look forward to/are missing out on. And those feelings might be attributed to my photo taking issue and my love of travel, but I seriously love postcards. Here at Oxford I am using them as small posters to decorate my room with and to remind me of all the exciting adventure I have had so far.

Love postcards and they will love you back.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." -Mark Twain

Little Red Riding Cardigan

The walk home from classes is a rather short one. It only takes about 15 minutes at a leisurely pace, mostly because my classes are just right across the street.

It begins with a short trot through some academic buildings and then a quick hop across the street, followed by a couple yards of sidewalk that you follow up to the entrance of what I consider 'the way home'. Everything before entering the opening into our street is just leaving class as it still has a city and suburban feel to it. But upon beginning the way home, the atmosphere completely changes.

This walk that I take everyday (since you have to walk down this road any time you leave our dorm) is barbaric. I say that because whenever I walk around it, I cannot help but think of all the ways in which a real road, such as this, should act and how this one does none of that. It has a wild, untamed feeling and I like it.
 
It begins with a long stretch of speckled grey stones that make a wall about six feet tall. The wall stretches on into the distance and continues to curve beside the road until disappearing behind some shrubs and trees. The road itself is a mix of jet black and storm grey as holes have been patched and filled. Even so, there are a series of holes ranging in size from a few peddles to an adult man with varying layers and texture.

The causeway makes small 'splash' and 'squish' noises under your shoes as you wade through puddles and mud trails. The dead leaves mix in the mud and water adding extra crunches and snaps where appropriate. They also make an interesting patterned camouflage for the road and pathways. The entire area around smells like moist earth and decomposing plants, due to the nearby trees and grass already entering into the stages of fall.

Along the road a bit further, the shrubs grow and heighten, almost making a canopy all around you of green, burly leaves, thorns, and pale berries. Through small breaks in the natural foliage you can see old cottages overrun with ivy, glints of glass windows with small lights shining through then, and another stone wall coming slowly into focus, winding its way towards your trail. And just when the slate, moss eaten wall apears that it will colide with your humble walk way, it halts and continues parallel, only leaving gaps for small roads and trails to student homes in the distance. Occasionally you can hear an odd person or two chatting quietly or even a young woman practicing her vocals.

Eventually you too take one of these small roads and disembark from the main route. You enter into a true canopy made of the boughs of trees which are still jade, except where the sunlight hits and they have begun to turn gold. The air smells like newly cut grass and rain. All around are mixed plants from bushes to flowers to grass to ivy. There are small animals that you can hear scampering through the the brush, but never quite see. There is also the wind that blows slowly through the thicket and makes a thin whisper in your ear. At this point your fingertips start to feel a bit chilled along with your nose and tops of your ears. You could bundle up more, but why when the crisp air feels so calming and fresh. 

As you continue to descend deeper into the trail, it begins to broaden and open and the sound of people talking can just be heard over the deep silence of the woods. If you continue on you will see some of the student dorms and people walking about to do laundry or go to class. But it is at this moment that I stop for a moment and look back. I wish to stay in the cool trees' shade and rest under the sparkles of sunlight through the canopy. But I can't because it starts to rain. So I rush back home with my red cardigan tightly around me and forget most of my adventure upon entering the door.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me." -Noel Coward

Molding a New Flat

For anyone who is interested, I am going to tell you the tale of the 'Moldy Walls'. It is based on a true story that only happened about a week ago. So, without further ado:

'Moldy Walls' by: Caitlin

Once upon a time there was a lovely young lady, who everyone loved. Her name was Caitlin, of course. Now, Caitlin had been hearing stories about people finding black, poisonous mold in their rooms, but Caitlin had been moving her furniture around in her room and never saw any, so she paid the stories no mind. Well, one day at about midnight, when Caitlin was getting ready for bed, her roommate asked her to look at a sploch on her wall, and guess what it was? Correct! It was black, poisonous mold!

Well, Caitlin was worried about her friend sleeping in the room with the mold, so they moved her friend's bed to a mold-free room, emailed the people in charge, and took a picture of the mold as proof. Because of this, and all the other issues with nearby rooms getting mold, the school sent a contractor down to inspect the building and decided that the issue was structural, so the building should be renovated and everyone moved out.

After a long weekend of waiting patiently (because the school was not sure where they had room to move everyone) Caitlin and her friends awaited the news of where they were going to live, and did their best to avoid the murderous mold. Finally they were told they could move to another flat nearby, which they did immediately. It was hard to move everything, but it was worth it.

Once the move was complete, Caitlin and her friend's rejoiced by going out and getting curry and a pint for 5 pounds at a nearby pub instead of cooking dinner. And they all lived happily ever after. The End.

Below I have also attached a short poem I wrote about the same issue, also titled 'Moldy Walls'.

Moldy Walls

Mildew, Moist,             Rotten, Rejoice.

It grows and stretches,
Leaving behind traces of poison.

I can feel it here.                                     The spores in the air,
Are flying about,           Sitting deep in your hair.

There is some on the wall,            Some in carpet,
Some on the ceiling and some in the hall.
I hope it leaves soon,
             This plant world viper.
                         It calls on other bacteria,
Like a third-world piper.

                   It is black and splotchy,
Like a lizard’s new egg.
      I hate this damn stuff,           I think it is toxic.

You can’t hide in here,           There, or over there either.
It knows where you are,   You can’t move any farther.
Good luck to you all,
        I hope we survive.
But honestly, sir,                                        We are deep in it's hive.

              I am leaving,
Forever from here.                        I cannot be asked to stay,
         When the company's grey.
Outside in the air,            I can breath once again.
And pass on the horrors,
Of the mold's long reign.

[End]

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"Never fight an inanimate object." -P. J. O'Rourke

Over the River and Through the Fairy Woods

Recently, I just came back to Oxford after a short weekend trip to Dublin, Ireland. It was a wonderful city full of interesting characters and events, but I will talk more on that later. Right now I want to discuss something that I am interested in and have heard a bit about around England and Scotland, but a lot while in Dublin. And that would be, of course, fairies (as well as other mythical creatures).

As a child, I always found fairies and goblins, etc. very exciting and interesting. I still read fantasy books today and am enthralled with talk of magic and mystery. So, naturally, while in Dublin my flatmates and I went to the Leprechaun Museum where they discussed leprechauns and other magical folk. This exciting adventure, then inspired me to write this very post where I will tell you about all kinds of magical creatures that hail from the British Isles (while keeping it to an alphabetical list).

Aos Si - Also known as the Sidhe (pronounced: 'she'), they are a mythical race in Ireland and Scotland who live in an alternate world to the one humans live in. They are easily appeased with offerings, but special care is taken not to upset their dwellings for fear that will get angry and take revenge.
Banshee - A fairy woman who wails and screams when death is approaching. They do not bring death, but morn it. In some stories it is said if you hear their cry you will die within a fortnight.
Changeling - A fairy child that is left in place of a human child who has been taken to the fairy world. The stolen child usually become a fairy itself, unless the changeling is brought back to the fairies in exchange for their real child.
Dragon - The European dragon is spiteful and malevolent. They breath fire and look like giant lizards with wings. They generally live in caves and protect huge hoards of treasure.
Elves - Depending on where you hear about elves they can range in looks and temperament. They are generally immortal in all stories though. Some believe them to be small and mischievous, while other say they can be as tall as people and either be malevolent or benevolent, depending on the specific elf.
Fairies - (There are several different spellings, but this is the main one I have seen while in England.) Fairies tend to look like tiny people with butterfly wings. They can be benevolent, but are usually more malevolent in stories, having taken children and replaced them with a Changeling or caused bad luck for people who have disturbed them and their homes.
Giants - They look like large humans, but are usually unintelligent and uncivilized. Because of this they usually just do whatever they feel like doing.
Hobgoblin - Unlike a goblin, they are usually friendly and tend to look after children and do chores when no one is looking. They tend to live in forests and therefore are more ragged looking.
Imps - Very mischievous, they tend to look like either small people with wings and horns (occasionally even with a tail) or a strange brown furry creature with red eyes. They tend to do more harm than good.
J (Selkie) - (I could not find a J, so I decided to talk about Selkies instead.) A creature that lives as a seal in the water, but sheds its skin to be human on land. It is said that if you hide their skin they will be trapped on land and there are many stories of men hiding a female Selkie's skin and marrying them.
Kelpie - A creature than looks like a horse drenched in water. They are said to transform into beautiful women so as to lure men into traps. If someone tries to ride a Kelpie, they will not be able to get off and the horse-creature will drown and/or devour them.
Leprechauns - Small human like creatures that have gold hidden at the end of a rainbow. If you catch one they have to lead you to their gold, but if you look away for one second, they will disappear and will use any means of tricks to get you lost.
Mandrake - A root that  once pulled out of the ground will emit a high pitched scream which can drive people insane. They appear as atomically correct humans varying from white to black and red.
Neck - Also known as Nix, they are water spirits with beautiful voices who lure men and women to their death by drowning them. Some also can play the violin very well and if brought the proper gift, they will teach people how to play the violin equally well. One famous neck in English folklore is called Peg Powler.
Ogre - Similar to giant, but always hungry and apparently uglier. They love to hunt people and eat them.
Puca - A horse-like animal that is similar to a Kelpie but more mischievous than dangerous. They can talk and occasionally give advice to keep people from danger, although they are also known to try and scare people for fun.
Q (Brownie) - (Again, no Qs, so I will talk about Brownies.) They are small humanoid beings who do friendly things for people, like the hobgoblin. They tend to wear brown clothes and live in peoples houses, but keep hidden.
Red Cap - A malevolent creature who is said to live in ruins of castles. They supposedly kill any travellers who stray near their homes and stain their hats with their victims' blood. If the hat dries out they will die.
Sea Monster - A large reptilian animal that lives in the water, usually the ocean or sea. They typically are creatures of desire, and do whatever they feel like. If in contact with a ship that bothers them, they will attack it, but generally stay hidden underwater. The most famous one in British folklore is the Loche Ness Monster, which is said to live in Loche Ness (or Lake Ness) in Northern Scotland and hide beneath the dark water.
Trolls - Ranging in size from very small to very large, they tend to live in the untamed wilderness and gain physical characteristics similar to that of where they live. If the sun shines on them they will turn to stone.
Unicorn - An animal that looks like a horse, except for the large horn on its head. They tend to be completely white and are incredibly fast. They are rather skittish but are very benevolent if around people. Their horns are said to detect poison and dispel it.
V (Sluagh) - A restless ghost like creature that was not accepted into heaven or hell and is forced to stay on earth. They are said to fly in packs on the West wind and will try to enter the house of a dying person to take their soul with them.
Will-o-the-Wisp - Is a ghostly light that will appear to travellers at night and recede when approached; drawing people away from the safe path and towards a bog or marsh. It is debated whether they are the souls of unbaptised children or are completely separate from people and are creatures of their own right.
X (Griffins) - Part bird, part feline, they have the head, claws, and wings of an eagle, but the body of a lion. They make nests in the tallest mountains and line them with gold and treasure. Occasionally they mate with horses and make hyppogriffs.
Yeth Hound - Supposedly a headless dog who is the soul of an unbaptised child that lives in the forest and makes wailing noises at night. Possibly the inspiration for the story "The Hound of Baskervilles".
Z (Wulver) - A kind of werewolf with the head of a wolf and the body of a human. Although, they do not transform and are in no way human. They tend to be shy and non-aggressive if left alone.

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"To be great is to be misunderstood." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Not a Trifle of a Dessert

My grandmother was half British and half Russian. Her family lived in England for most of her youth and then later moved to the United States where she met my grandfather. Because of this she grew up with lots of British influence and would make different British desserts and food. One specific dessert was the Trifle.

Trifles are a dessert made with layers of fruit, cake, and other items. They are a traditional dish over here in England and they date back to the first recipe being printed in 1596. There are several variations depending on where you live and the ingredients you can come by, but they are also a very easy and forgiving dish allowing for a wide range of simple changes and it still remaining a beautiful trifle.

Because of my grandmother making them a lot while I was a child, I decided that I would make one while over here for my flatmates and a few friends. I looked up several recipes but they are really all very similar. (I even called my mother to ask what my grandmother usually made them with, but there was a wide range of things since she could not always get a hold of specific foods she wanted to make them with.)

To make one you need about four base ingredients: Pound cake, Fruit, Custard, and Double Cream. That being said there are multitudes of ways to change it to work for you or to satisfy your cravings. Instead of pound cake, you can use lady fingers, angel food cake, or regular vanilla cake. (Although the angel food will absorb fruit juice better than regular vanilla.) They can be made from a box or from scratch. As far as fruit, it can be frozen or fresh and can be any mix of fruit you want. I have seen ones only using bananas and some using all kinds of tropical fruit. (Just be sure you will like the taste of all the fruit together.) For the custard, you can substitute vanilla pudding. You could probably even change the pudding flavor, but vanilla would be more traditional. And lastly for double cream, you can also get whipped cream, from a can even.

When putting the trifle together, you should try and use a glass bowl if you have one, or something that is translucent. This will allow all the layers to be visible and allow you to show of your beautiful dessert. Then layer the pre-baked cake over the bottom. Next comes the fruit (which before hand should be (thawed if frozen) soaked in juice, sugar water, or a liqueur depending on which you would prefer as it adds lots of flavor). Layer the fruit over the cake and try to completely cover it, as this will make more noticeable layers. Then put the custard/pudding over top. At this point you can either continue with multiple layers of the same style or just do three really thick ones. (Hence the name trifle, for the three main layers of dessert.) You can even have some layers thick and some small, have custard in three layers and cake in only once. On top, you put the whipped cream topping and can add fruit garnish if you want. (Some people even make savory ones with meat and vegetables.)

I made one about a week ago, as I said was my dream, using a pound cake mix, frozen mixed berries (which I soaked in sugar water), Devon custard from a can, and double cream that I had to whip by hand. (If whipping your cream by hand, just put it in a jar and shake, it is much, much, much, much easier if you do not have a mixer or whisk.) The only glass dishes we had though, were glass whiskey glasses we got from Edinburgh on our whiskey tour, so I made tiny trifles in those for us to eat as well as a big one in a regular bowl.

It was really good, even though it was clearly a poor man's version of the classic. Our British friend came over and ate some with us and commented that it was actually really good, especially for it being the first trifle I have ever made.

To me it tasted like a very moist fruit cake. The juices from the fruit oozed down into the cake and the custard mixed a bit on the top with the berries making it almost seem like one entity instead of three layers. The berries were clearly the main singer in the band and the cake and custard were more back up dancers. I would recommend that you are sure you put enough custard on though, although I am sure it has to do with personal preference. But I thought mine could have used thicker layers of it to help bring out its taste more. Also, it smelled like summer time, which I am sure had to do with the mixed berries, but it just reminded me of my mother making berry cobblers and the 4th of July when I bit into it and smelled it.

I hope you all try making it and share it will some family and friends! It is definitely an easy and tasty dish. My grandmother knew what was up!

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What's a sun-dial in the shade?" -Benjamin Franklin

Reading and Listening

I recently have been reading 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte, and some of the passages are just too funny. Because of this, I have decided to post them along with other humorous things I have over heard.

' "Do you intend parting with the little ones, madam?" [talking about puppies]
"They are not mine," said the amiable hostess more repellingly than Heathcliff himself could have replied.
"Ah, your favorites are among these!" I continued, turning to an obscure cushion full of something like cats.
"A strange choice of favorites," she observed scornfully.
Unluckily, it was a heap of dead rabbits. '
-Wuthering Heights

"Don't pay for the internet here. You can't even get YouTube."
-A man on the train

"Sorry. Trains."
-One student said halfway through a lecture as they walked in late

"If I get a Master's then i can get a PhD. People will say I have an academic mind."
"You're so full of yourself, it's quite weird actually."
"I have hope..."
-An exchange between two students

"I've been living here 18 years, and I have no idea what's going on."
-An American said about living in England

"When everyone running the Government has 'posh' accents, you should worry about it."
-Same American

"Kids are flipping out all over the place in public and parents are trying to give them candy."
-Same American about another country

"Check out fire. Burn yourself once. I mean, it's not recommended, but it sends a strong message."
-Same American

"Most of what we do in America is say that we are different in the same ways."
-Same American, again (I found them full of interesting comments)

"How strange! I thought, though everybody hated and despised each other, they could not avoid loving me."
-Wuthering Heights

"Where are you all from?"
"America."
"YOLO!"
-An exchange between someone working at the Harry Potter Set and my flatmates

"Look a Christmas bird!" [Refering to a bird that was red and green]
"It the ghost of Christmas Pheasant."
-A flatmate and myself conversing

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"Always behave like a duck - keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath." -Jacob Braude

October Eight

October the 8th must be some magical saint's day who helps the poor college students, because most of our flat's main issues were all resolved (at least for the time being) yesterday.

Our mail for one thing has been finally arriving to us. Before the semester even started, I had ordered a SIM card to be sent here so that I would be able to call people when I arrived, but it never came. My flatmate also had a SIM card sent to our flat and a book bag shipped here to use, and neither of those came. After about a week of expecting them, we went to the hall office and asked if they had any mail and just were not giving them out yet. The woman at the counter told us that if your name was not on a list of summer students, everything (up until the first day of Fresher's week) was sent back. This was really irritating because they never told us that, my flatmate had paid almost $50 to ship her book bag and other stuff, and we had arrived a week before everyone else so they probably came while we were living there but the school just sent them back.

We ended up ordering a phone cover and two more SIM cards, but still nothing arrived. Eventually I received three different letters, which was a shock. Apparently regular mail can get to our flat just fine, but anything else is stopped. Although a different room-mate did end up getting a package from her dad, and because of that my first room-mate, Austin, and I went back to the hall office to see if her book bag had arrived now since her parents had not gotten anything back. The woman at the counter repeated everything she had said earlier, but this time rather rudely. Austin and I asked her some more questions which she pretty much answered, "it was sent back", but when I asked if they had a list of what was sent back and who it was for, she said, "no". All in all, it is just a very disorganized system that makes almost no sense. 

Eventually, about a week ago, Austin ended up getting a letter in the mail telling her to pay more money to get her package from the local post office (who knows why it was there) and we received two of the four SIM cards all on the same day. Austin, reluctantly, paid the money and just got her book bag yesterday. It was a joyous day here in our flat, but I am still rather irritated about the poor system that the post office and school seem to have.

What also ended up working yesterday, was our heat! We have been here a month now and not once did we have any whisper of heat. Luckily we had some extra blankets and sweatshirts to keep us warm, but it was still freezing at night.

We had asked the hall office about that as well, to which they told us multiple different stories all of which were apparently untrue since our heat never came on. Finally, my last room-mate, Amy, and I went down to the hall office and filled out a form saying that our heating was broken (since by this point all the other flats around us had heat) to which they sent out someone who got it turned on yesterday! I woke up this morning all warm and snuggly, and could not help but feel happy that I was not going to have to wear my winter coat to bed this year.

And lastly, I got a new phone. My mom let me take her blackberry overseas since it is suppose to work over here, but it had been a while since anyone had used it so it was very finicky and would just die almost right after charging it. So, I had to go to a pay as you go phone company and purchased the cheapest phone they had without a SIM card (because I had finally received mine). It is this extremely cheap, flimsy black Nokia that people probably haven't been using in real life since phones stopped being attached to cars. (Although, it is very small. It is only about the size of a pack of gum.) Also, it has almost no features except adding contacts, sending/receiving texts, and calling people. And yet, I find myself in love with it. This probably stems from the fact that it actually works when I need it to and what it does do, it does it without complicating everything. I wish I could take it back to America and use it there too, but I think it is purely a British phone. How will I be able to part with it?

Until next time...

Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin

"If absolute power corrupts absolutely, does absolute powerlessness make you pure?" -Harry Shearer