Today was my last day in Oxford. Tomorrow morning I am waking up really early to ride a bus and an airplane in order to arrive back int he US.
I honest cannot believe it. It is not that I don't want to believe it, my mind literally cannot seem to grasp this concept. Everyone I know is sad that our time was dwindling, and a bit happy to see their families again, I am not. Not because I have no heart, I just cannot seem to understand what is happening.
I seem to have this idea that I am going to get in a car tomorrow and drive an hour or two and be home, and then in a few weeks I will drive the few hours back. No problem. Except, that is not at all what is happening. In reality I will be dragging a 50 pound mammouth suitcase up a giant hill and then riding over an hour on a bus that will take me to the airport, where I will then check in, check my suitcase, go through security wait for a few hours, get on an eight hour plane, go through customs, get my suitcase, meet my mom, and ride in a car for three more hours until finally arriving home at almost 11 PM (AKA 4 AM in my brain). Sounds like a party, right?
I am very concerned about the day after tomorrow, December 23rd, when I will wake up in my old bed. I will look around the room and everything will be as it always is when I am home. It will be like I never left, like my entire Oxford adventure never even happened. the entire trip will just be a memory. I think this is what my brain is trying to keep itself from realizing, but there is no way that I will not get the full blast that morning.
I am however, excited to see my family and friends from home. And it will be Christmas! There will be plenty of activities to keep me busy until going back to college, allowing me to try and bury any sad feelings I may find about leaving Oxford.
When I get home, my mom has already said that we are going to make some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and other tasty snacks. I also will need to wrap gifts, make gifts, buy gifts, and give gifts! And then there is all the Christmas classic movies that I will have to be caught up on. So much to do, so little time!
Speaking of time, I am going to have to bid you all adieu for now. Sorry about the strange, short post. I will post some more once I get readjusted into the United States and I hope you have a happy holidays!
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"The author of the Iliad is either Homer or, if not Homer, somebody else of the same name." -Alduos Huxley
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rants. Show all posts
Friday, 21 December 2012
Sunday, 16 December 2012
My Dearest Friend Bilbo
Friday was the release date of the new Hobbit movie (or at least the first part of it). I have loved Lord of the Rings ever since middle school, and have made numerous jokes based off the series in everyday conversation more times than I can count.
Growing up I had always had trouble reading, and even when I could read properly for my grade level, I did not find many books I actually wanted to read. Finally my parents suggested a book to me called "The Hobbit: There and Back Again". I was hesitant at first, but after a few short days, I was hooked. The book took me to a place of magic, wonder, and where the smallest of creatures can be the most important. This book helped me take a step towards reading, becoming a geek, and becoming the odd girl that I am today. I am eternally indebted to JRR and his beautiful tale of a hobbit who never did anything out of the ordinary. Since after all, 'It's a dangerous business walking out your front door'.
When I first found out about the movie, I was thrilled. The Hobbit was my favorite book from the series and I have been waiting years for a good film about it to come out. I had actually heard about it being in production in 2010, and was already making plans to see it then.
It would have been amazing to have gone at midnight for the first showing on Thursday, but considering that I had two exams the next day, it kind of seemed like a bad option. So, instead, my housemates and I went Friday at 7:00 PM. We picked that time because my exams would be done by then and we could grab some dinner before the movie.
Being in the city were JRR Tolkien wrote his famous trilogy and its prequel, we chose to eat dinner at one of his known hang out spots, called the 'Eagle and Child'. (It is also called the 'Bird and the Baby' by locals. However, I usually accidentally call it the Eagle and the Bird.)
We had never been to the quaint little pub, but I found it very much to my liking. It looks very classic, British pub with a cramped walkway and cozy seats. You are immediately greeted at the doorway by a chalkboard sign which has a classic Merry and Pippin quote from the Fellowship of th Ring movie, where the two hobbits discuss pints, as well as small reminders of the movie placed here and there about the pub.
As you walk back further into it you find that it seems to continue on in a system of twists and turns that spiral on like a snail's shell, further into the pub. The seats range from comfy couches, to stiff wooden chairs, and benches with cushions, as well as a variety of table shapes. The bar sports Tolkien postcards you can purchase and off on the top of shelves you can see Gollum watching you order. There are also Lord of the Rings themed board games packed away up there, possibly for long nights spent there with friends.
Everything about the place told me that I was home. I could not stop smiling, half from geek-joy at being somewhere that one of my favorite authors had visited, but that it was also as amazing as I thought it would be. Unlike the 'Elephant House' where JK Rowling used to go, which is now over run with tourists. This place was just a quite place for local friends to enjoy each other's company, and probably still similar to how to looked when JRR Tolkien and his friends (CS Lewis being one of them) spent long hours discussing their lives and stories.
After our delicious meal, we vowed to return before our few weeks were over, and headed to the cinema for a movie.
The Hobbit was a wonderful film, especially considering how high my expectations were before it began. However, I do not really understand the need for three parts. I can understand two, because they have added a lot of scenes not in the books to try and tie the Lord of the Rings series with its prequel, as well as needing to cover the scenes actually in the book, but three parts? Come on, Peter Jackson. That just sounds like someone is getting a bit money hungry. Especially since the other three books were all in one film each and those worked out wonderfully. (They were really long, but they were still great movies.)
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"The most potent muse of all is our own inner child." -Stephen Nachmanovitch
Growing up I had always had trouble reading, and even when I could read properly for my grade level, I did not find many books I actually wanted to read. Finally my parents suggested a book to me called "The Hobbit: There and Back Again". I was hesitant at first, but after a few short days, I was hooked. The book took me to a place of magic, wonder, and where the smallest of creatures can be the most important. This book helped me take a step towards reading, becoming a geek, and becoming the odd girl that I am today. I am eternally indebted to JRR and his beautiful tale of a hobbit who never did anything out of the ordinary. Since after all, 'It's a dangerous business walking out your front door'.
When I first found out about the movie, I was thrilled. The Hobbit was my favorite book from the series and I have been waiting years for a good film about it to come out. I had actually heard about it being in production in 2010, and was already making plans to see it then.
It would have been amazing to have gone at midnight for the first showing on Thursday, but considering that I had two exams the next day, it kind of seemed like a bad option. So, instead, my housemates and I went Friday at 7:00 PM. We picked that time because my exams would be done by then and we could grab some dinner before the movie.
Being in the city were JRR Tolkien wrote his famous trilogy and its prequel, we chose to eat dinner at one of his known hang out spots, called the 'Eagle and Child'. (It is also called the 'Bird and the Baby' by locals. However, I usually accidentally call it the Eagle and the Bird.)
We had never been to the quaint little pub, but I found it very much to my liking. It looks very classic, British pub with a cramped walkway and cozy seats. You are immediately greeted at the doorway by a chalkboard sign which has a classic Merry and Pippin quote from the Fellowship of th Ring movie, where the two hobbits discuss pints, as well as small reminders of the movie placed here and there about the pub.
As you walk back further into it you find that it seems to continue on in a system of twists and turns that spiral on like a snail's shell, further into the pub. The seats range from comfy couches, to stiff wooden chairs, and benches with cushions, as well as a variety of table shapes. The bar sports Tolkien postcards you can purchase and off on the top of shelves you can see Gollum watching you order. There are also Lord of the Rings themed board games packed away up there, possibly for long nights spent there with friends.
Everything about the place told me that I was home. I could not stop smiling, half from geek-joy at being somewhere that one of my favorite authors had visited, but that it was also as amazing as I thought it would be. Unlike the 'Elephant House' where JK Rowling used to go, which is now over run with tourists. This place was just a quite place for local friends to enjoy each other's company, and probably still similar to how to looked when JRR Tolkien and his friends (CS Lewis being one of them) spent long hours discussing their lives and stories.
After our delicious meal, we vowed to return before our few weeks were over, and headed to the cinema for a movie.
The Hobbit was a wonderful film, especially considering how high my expectations were before it began. However, I do not really understand the need for three parts. I can understand two, because they have added a lot of scenes not in the books to try and tie the Lord of the Rings series with its prequel, as well as needing to cover the scenes actually in the book, but three parts? Come on, Peter Jackson. That just sounds like someone is getting a bit money hungry. Especially since the other three books were all in one film each and those worked out wonderfully. (They were really long, but they were still great movies.)
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"The most potent muse of all is our own inner child." -Stephen Nachmanovitch
Monday, 10 December 2012
Reflecting on my Time in Oxford
Coming to England this semester was really not much of a thought for me. I knew that I wanted to return to England at some point to study, even before I knew what college I wanted to attend. I had been twice before and was really excited to go back and really emerse myself in the culture. A culture, which I knew would be somewhat different from ours in America, but I was rather confident would not be too estranged.
The few times I had visited England were spent mostly going on tourist visits around the country with lots of Americans, so I still did not have a good idea of what actual British culture was like. I a lot of expectations for how things would work here in Oxford, such as that people literally had tea every day. I also thought that everything would be cleaner, older, and fancier. I also believed the people would be more polite, more fashionable, and that they would all have beautiful accents. Some of these things turned out to be false, or half true, but nothing turned out to be always true.
The buildings here are beautiful, but they are not always older. In Oxford there are still a lot of old buildings from the local colleges, but there are also lots of modern buildings that have been put up around the city to meet the expanding population. Things were also nicer looking and cleaner here, but like any city anywhere in the world, some parts are nice while some parts are not so much. Oxford, although a smaller city, it still has parts that have clearly been a bit over looked.
I was even more wrong about people here. Although they do love to drink tea, and probably have a cup of it at least three times a day, have do not really sit down for 'tea' unless it is a special occasion. Brits are too busy with their jobs, school work, and daily lives to set aside an entire fourth meal of their day, every day. Especially since shops, schools, etc. are still running during tea time so if you are working you could not very well just stop to eat some biscuits. People also are not always more polite here. In fact, I might even say people are more polite in America, at least where I live. There is not much door holding for others, saying 'bless you' when another sneezes, nor 'thank you's and 'your welcome's being said. The Brits do say 'cheers' when they receive something, but they say that all the time. It does not really seem to mean the same thing as 'thank you', which I find to be more formal and more appreciative sounding.
A lot of people are very fashionable here, or at least wear nicer clothes and shoes, but there are still people who think track suits are formal enough for any occasion, and that wearing leggings as pants are acceptable, when they clearly are not. And people do not always have melodic sounding accents as one might imagine. Just like in the US, people have different accents depending where they are from, and some sound much nicer than others.
All of these things, and many others, added to form an extreme case of culture shock. It was strange to think that I was miles and miles away from most of my friends and family, but also that these people who I was with, did not even have similar traditions and ideals. Do not get me wrong, I love being here in England and I love the culture, but at first, it can be quite a lot to take in. Especially the thought that some things, which are very touchy subjects at home, are not much of a discussion topic here. Things like religion, which people in America fight about all the time, is discussed among friends but usually not much thought or passion is put behind it.
But because of all these differences and this journey, I have learned some important lessons and things I hope to remember when returning home in only a few weeks. I have learned how to find your way around a city without a map, for one thing, as long as you have an idea of where you are going that is. This lesson has been developed in Oxford and while traveling around new cities in England. You would be amazing how few maps some places provide. I also have learned how important a small, versatile wardrobe can be. I came over here with just one checked suitcase, as is allowed, and brought only clothes that matched other pieces of clothing. Because of this minimalistic idea of clothing choices, I ended up with several different outfits from only a few sets of clothes. I hope to be able to perfect this when I go home so that I can spend less money on clothes, but still have many cute things to wear.
Another thing I have learned is that I like traveling. Technically I already knew that, but I mean traveling in an even broader sense than just going overseas to visit for a few weeks. I mean that I am in love with moving from place to place, putting down roots in a hundred places at once, and just being able to explore, even if that means adventuring the local city that I know like the back of my hand. There is always more to discover. And this new idea that I have scares me a bit. The college I have chosen and attended for the last few years is wonderful in so many ways, but exploring is not one of them. It is a very tight, closed bubble. People do not adventure outside the school, and why would you? Everything you need is right there. But suddenly, I know that what I need is not just there, it is also elsewhere, out in the wide world. I feel like the Philosopher King in Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave'. I cannot live in the cave anymore. I know what real life is, and I have to live it.
When I return to the US, I am hoping to travel a bit every once in a while. Maybe go to the beach, visit some new cities, find new places that I can learn to love and appreciate, and fill my time with exploring even if it happens to be around the local city and my own college for a while. But whatever happens, I know I cannot just sit around and wait as I feel like I used to. I must move and grow as a person, and I cannot do that while in a stagnate state.
In conclusion, I have learned some important lessons, debunked a few stereotypes, and had lots of fun while on this journey. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels, and I hope these next few weeks, while the last of this journey, will be the start of a new one. And I hope that you start a new journey as well. Try something different, learn a new language, visit a new city, become your own Philosopher King. I promise the journey will change you and take you where you need to go.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other." -Chinese Proverb
The few times I had visited England were spent mostly going on tourist visits around the country with lots of Americans, so I still did not have a good idea of what actual British culture was like. I a lot of expectations for how things would work here in Oxford, such as that people literally had tea every day. I also thought that everything would be cleaner, older, and fancier. I also believed the people would be more polite, more fashionable, and that they would all have beautiful accents. Some of these things turned out to be false, or half true, but nothing turned out to be always true.
The buildings here are beautiful, but they are not always older. In Oxford there are still a lot of old buildings from the local colleges, but there are also lots of modern buildings that have been put up around the city to meet the expanding population. Things were also nicer looking and cleaner here, but like any city anywhere in the world, some parts are nice while some parts are not so much. Oxford, although a smaller city, it still has parts that have clearly been a bit over looked.
I was even more wrong about people here. Although they do love to drink tea, and probably have a cup of it at least three times a day, have do not really sit down for 'tea' unless it is a special occasion. Brits are too busy with their jobs, school work, and daily lives to set aside an entire fourth meal of their day, every day. Especially since shops, schools, etc. are still running during tea time so if you are working you could not very well just stop to eat some biscuits. People also are not always more polite here. In fact, I might even say people are more polite in America, at least where I live. There is not much door holding for others, saying 'bless you' when another sneezes, nor 'thank you's and 'your welcome's being said. The Brits do say 'cheers' when they receive something, but they say that all the time. It does not really seem to mean the same thing as 'thank you', which I find to be more formal and more appreciative sounding.
A lot of people are very fashionable here, or at least wear nicer clothes and shoes, but there are still people who think track suits are formal enough for any occasion, and that wearing leggings as pants are acceptable, when they clearly are not. And people do not always have melodic sounding accents as one might imagine. Just like in the US, people have different accents depending where they are from, and some sound much nicer than others.
All of these things, and many others, added to form an extreme case of culture shock. It was strange to think that I was miles and miles away from most of my friends and family, but also that these people who I was with, did not even have similar traditions and ideals. Do not get me wrong, I love being here in England and I love the culture, but at first, it can be quite a lot to take in. Especially the thought that some things, which are very touchy subjects at home, are not much of a discussion topic here. Things like religion, which people in America fight about all the time, is discussed among friends but usually not much thought or passion is put behind it.
But because of all these differences and this journey, I have learned some important lessons and things I hope to remember when returning home in only a few weeks. I have learned how to find your way around a city without a map, for one thing, as long as you have an idea of where you are going that is. This lesson has been developed in Oxford and while traveling around new cities in England. You would be amazing how few maps some places provide. I also have learned how important a small, versatile wardrobe can be. I came over here with just one checked suitcase, as is allowed, and brought only clothes that matched other pieces of clothing. Because of this minimalistic idea of clothing choices, I ended up with several different outfits from only a few sets of clothes. I hope to be able to perfect this when I go home so that I can spend less money on clothes, but still have many cute things to wear.
Another thing I have learned is that I like traveling. Technically I already knew that, but I mean traveling in an even broader sense than just going overseas to visit for a few weeks. I mean that I am in love with moving from place to place, putting down roots in a hundred places at once, and just being able to explore, even if that means adventuring the local city that I know like the back of my hand. There is always more to discover. And this new idea that I have scares me a bit. The college I have chosen and attended for the last few years is wonderful in so many ways, but exploring is not one of them. It is a very tight, closed bubble. People do not adventure outside the school, and why would you? Everything you need is right there. But suddenly, I know that what I need is not just there, it is also elsewhere, out in the wide world. I feel like the Philosopher King in Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave'. I cannot live in the cave anymore. I know what real life is, and I have to live it.
When I return to the US, I am hoping to travel a bit every once in a while. Maybe go to the beach, visit some new cities, find new places that I can learn to love and appreciate, and fill my time with exploring even if it happens to be around the local city and my own college for a while. But whatever happens, I know I cannot just sit around and wait as I feel like I used to. I must move and grow as a person, and I cannot do that while in a stagnate state.
In conclusion, I have learned some important lessons, debunked a few stereotypes, and had lots of fun while on this journey. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my travels, and I hope these next few weeks, while the last of this journey, will be the start of a new one. And I hope that you start a new journey as well. Try something different, learn a new language, visit a new city, become your own Philosopher King. I promise the journey will change you and take you where you need to go.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other." -Chinese Proverb
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Is it Thursday Yet?
Over the semester, my roommate, Amy, and I have been hanging out on Thursdays because neither of us have class that day, while our two other roommates have class all day. We refer to Thursdays that we spend doing fun things together, or really anything together, as 'Thursdays with Camy' or 'Camy Day'. (Camy because it is a combination of Caitlin and Amy. It was created by one of friends at our home univerisity because we were roommates and spent a bunch of time together.)
At the beginning, Camy Day was all about going to a new place to eat lunch and ordering something interesting. We did because we cook meals for ourselves all the time and it seemed only fair that at least once a week we eat out somewhere exciting while we are studying in Oxford.
We went to several cafes and a few restaurants on Camy Days, getting food ranging from a Twix Crepe and Bagel Sandwich with Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Sauce to Jacket Potato with Cheese. Usually the food places we choose are really tasty, such as the local pub Angel and Greyhound (although technically we went there on a Friday) and Georgina's. But recently Camy Days have somehow morphed from tasty new restaurant experience into tasty new flavored milkshake from Shakespeare's.
I am not entirely sure when this change happened. One week we planned to go to a local pub called Chequers, but it was not open so we went grocery shopping instead. Did we get milkshakes that day instead? I am not sure. We also were usually not that hungry for an entire meal anyways, though, because we wake up late and eat breakfast late. I know that we planned to get Shakespeare's one week because it looked like a fun, new, hip place. (I mean, it's named after an old, famous poet, so of course it is going to be cool.) And we did plan to get milkshakes as a celebration for winning elected positions in our home organization's board.
But however it happened, we now have to get a milkshake at least once a week. I actually went with Austin over the weekend while Amy and Libby were in Paris, so I think I am going to end up having gone there twice in one week, which is crazy.
And if you are wondering why I seem to always end up talking about candy and sugar, take this picture as your answer:
If you want to read more about my sugar addiction, check out my older posts, Sweet Tooth and Sweet Tooth II: Sugar Rampage.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"Camping is nature's way of promoting the motel business." -Dave Barry
At the beginning, Camy Day was all about going to a new place to eat lunch and ordering something interesting. We did because we cook meals for ourselves all the time and it seemed only fair that at least once a week we eat out somewhere exciting while we are studying in Oxford.
We went to several cafes and a few restaurants on Camy Days, getting food ranging from a Twix Crepe and Bagel Sandwich with Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Sauce to Jacket Potato with Cheese. Usually the food places we choose are really tasty, such as the local pub Angel and Greyhound (although technically we went there on a Friday) and Georgina's. But recently Camy Days have somehow morphed from tasty new restaurant experience into tasty new flavored milkshake from Shakespeare's.
I am not entirely sure when this change happened. One week we planned to go to a local pub called Chequers, but it was not open so we went grocery shopping instead. Did we get milkshakes that day instead? I am not sure. We also were usually not that hungry for an entire meal anyways, though, because we wake up late and eat breakfast late. I know that we planned to get Shakespeare's one week because it looked like a fun, new, hip place. (I mean, it's named after an old, famous poet, so of course it is going to be cool.) And we did plan to get milkshakes as a celebration for winning elected positions in our home organization's board.
But however it happened, we now have to get a milkshake at least once a week. I actually went with Austin over the weekend while Amy and Libby were in Paris, so I think I am going to end up having gone there twice in one week, which is crazy.
And if you are wondering why I seem to always end up talking about candy and sugar, take this picture as your answer:
If you want to read more about my sugar addiction, check out my older posts, Sweet Tooth and Sweet Tooth II: Sugar Rampage.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"Camping is nature's way of promoting the motel business." -Dave Barry
Saturday, 24 November 2012
TV Show Trials
I have begun watching an interesting show called 'American Horror Story'. I am all caught up on my main shows (New Girl, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, etc.) and needed something to watch in my down time.
The show is interesting to say they least, and it definitely lives up to the 'horror' in it's title. i am not on the sixth episode and I am not sure if the show is getting less scary and creepy or I am just becoming acclimated to the scary parts.
I admit, I do like a bit of horror every now and then when looking for something to watch. Romantic Comedies actually upset me as to how easy the plot is to figure out. In horror and suspense movies the plot is usually more difficult to figure out, which I love. I think I also like them because of the adrenaline rush. I am quite a big baby at scary scenes, and usually cannot sleep for a few nights after watching a scary movie, but I cannot help but watch them. It's like those iced cookies at Walmart that always look delicious, but then you actually eat one and you remember that they taste horrible.
Also, if you end up watching 'American Horror Story', feel free to tell me what you think about it. There are some weird characters and some plot twists I am trying to foresee. And let me just tell you some of the weird, unimportant scenes that really stick out to me. This will either make you want to watch it, or really turn you off from it.
There is a girl who lives next door to the main (haunted) house who has down syndrome, and loves to break into the haunted house. The mother will be painting and Adeline (the girl I just mentioned) will show up out of nowhere and tell the mother that she is going to die. The daughter will be upstairs dancing to her music, when suddenly a hand grabs her, but lo! It is just Adeline being silly. There is even a scene where the family wakes up in the middle of the night to an intruder and they find out that Adeline has broken into the basement and is playing down there, just for fun. Yeah, I love hanging out in creepy basements at 2 AM also. But when the anyone talks about it, they are just like, "Oh, Adeline. She just does that. Isn't she precious?"
There is also a scene where a strange goblin-thing attacks these two girls in the basement. But instead of killing them or really hurting them at all, it just wiggles its fingers around in their faces while the lights flicker. Don't get me wrong, I would be scared to death if that happened to me, but what? This is a horror show, shouldn't it be doing something a bit more... horrible? Especially after it killed some little boys earlier in the show (it happens in about the first five minutes, don't worry).
Besides TV shows though, I have really been wanting to see 'Wreck-It Ralph'. I think it looks really cute, even though I think it got some bad reviews. I also wanted to see 'The Raven', which is about Edgar Allan Poe helping to solve a murder case (that is based off his stories), but apparently that came out in about February so I guess I missed that one.
I also saw a trailer for 'Taken 2', and I really do not understand why someone would steal Liam Neeson's daughter ever, but especially for the second time. He is clearly a bad a** so why would you mess with him? Besides even the fact that he played Aslan in Narnia and Batman's coach in the Dark Knight series, he is still awesome in the Taken series. He tracks down his kidnapped daughter all across the globe in less than 48 hours, using nothing more than a description of a tattoo and a few matches. Don't mess with that guy. One of my roommates thinks that Taken 3 is going to be about him kidnapping someone, I disagree, but that's alright.
There has also been the 'Perks of Being a Wallflower', 'Breaking Dawn Part 2', and 'Looper' out since I have been in the UK. Two out of three of those sounded interesting, but I (luckily) am not really excited about seeing any of them. This has allowed me to resist going to the cinema and spending loads of money, as well as keeping me from missing home and all of its amazing films.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"It never hurts to ask. Unless you ask for hurt." -Takayuki Ikkaku
The show is interesting to say they least, and it definitely lives up to the 'horror' in it's title. i am not on the sixth episode and I am not sure if the show is getting less scary and creepy or I am just becoming acclimated to the scary parts.
I admit, I do like a bit of horror every now and then when looking for something to watch. Romantic Comedies actually upset me as to how easy the plot is to figure out. In horror and suspense movies the plot is usually more difficult to figure out, which I love. I think I also like them because of the adrenaline rush. I am quite a big baby at scary scenes, and usually cannot sleep for a few nights after watching a scary movie, but I cannot help but watch them. It's like those iced cookies at Walmart that always look delicious, but then you actually eat one and you remember that they taste horrible.
Also, if you end up watching 'American Horror Story', feel free to tell me what you think about it. There are some weird characters and some plot twists I am trying to foresee. And let me just tell you some of the weird, unimportant scenes that really stick out to me. This will either make you want to watch it, or really turn you off from it.
There is a girl who lives next door to the main (haunted) house who has down syndrome, and loves to break into the haunted house. The mother will be painting and Adeline (the girl I just mentioned) will show up out of nowhere and tell the mother that she is going to die. The daughter will be upstairs dancing to her music, when suddenly a hand grabs her, but lo! It is just Adeline being silly. There is even a scene where the family wakes up in the middle of the night to an intruder and they find out that Adeline has broken into the basement and is playing down there, just for fun. Yeah, I love hanging out in creepy basements at 2 AM also. But when the anyone talks about it, they are just like, "Oh, Adeline. She just does that. Isn't she precious?"
There is also a scene where a strange goblin-thing attacks these two girls in the basement. But instead of killing them or really hurting them at all, it just wiggles its fingers around in their faces while the lights flicker. Don't get me wrong, I would be scared to death if that happened to me, but what? This is a horror show, shouldn't it be doing something a bit more... horrible? Especially after it killed some little boys earlier in the show (it happens in about the first five minutes, don't worry).
Besides TV shows though, I have really been wanting to see 'Wreck-It Ralph'. I think it looks really cute, even though I think it got some bad reviews. I also wanted to see 'The Raven', which is about Edgar Allan Poe helping to solve a murder case (that is based off his stories), but apparently that came out in about February so I guess I missed that one.
I also saw a trailer for 'Taken 2', and I really do not understand why someone would steal Liam Neeson's daughter ever, but especially for the second time. He is clearly a bad a** so why would you mess with him? Besides even the fact that he played Aslan in Narnia and Batman's coach in the Dark Knight series, he is still awesome in the Taken series. He tracks down his kidnapped daughter all across the globe in less than 48 hours, using nothing more than a description of a tattoo and a few matches. Don't mess with that guy. One of my roommates thinks that Taken 3 is going to be about him kidnapping someone, I disagree, but that's alright.
There has also been the 'Perks of Being a Wallflower', 'Breaking Dawn Part 2', and 'Looper' out since I have been in the UK. Two out of three of those sounded interesting, but I (luckily) am not really excited about seeing any of them. This has allowed me to resist going to the cinema and spending loads of money, as well as keeping me from missing home and all of its amazing films.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"It never hurts to ask. Unless you ask for hurt." -Takayuki Ikkaku
Monday, 19 November 2012
Happy Birth to You!
Today is my little sister's birthday, and I just wanted to congratulate her on being super, duper old! Have a great day, little sis! I love you more than ice cream, which I like a lot.
Speaking of my little sister, every time I come overseas (which has only happened three times, mind you), I make sure to get her a small animal. I am not really sure why, it just kind of developed over time.
When I went to People to People's Leadership camp for a week one summer, I got her a tribal horse from a museum I visited. It was one of the first times I had been away from her for an extended period of time (not that a week is really that long, but it seemed long then). So, I wanted to give her a gift when I returned, also since Washington DC is just cool and I thought she needed a gift from there. The tribal horse somehow ended up being named Senor Wally Pringles (by me, although I am not sure where I got that name). I was in seventh grade and probably thought it was hilarious.
Then when I went to the UK in eighth grade for about three weeks, I wanted to get her a cool animal gift again since she really liked the last one. I think that was when I got her a Dragon named Dennis. If I remember correctly, he was bought in Wales, but I could be mixing him and another animal figure up. I have bought her quite a few over the years now, and it is hard to keep them all straight as well as remember them all.
Either way, Dennis is a bad ass. He is not very large but he is made of a dark gray, shiny rock and looks like he would kill you as soon as he looked at you, if he was alive. (Luckily, he is not.) And he is definitely from the UK, whether from the first or second trip overseas is the real question.
When I went overseas the second time after twelfth grade, i got her quite a few animal figurines. I actually attempted to get one from each country I went to, but that was a bust since not every one of the ten countries I visited had figurine shops in easy access and/or I had almost no time to look around at them.
I know that in Italy I got her a glas, white stallion. His name escapes me, but I would guess something along the lines of Fernando. In Germany I bought her a small porcelain doll that looked a bit like her and named it Lurane (purposefully spelled strangely). I know for a fact that I got her something else in Germany as well, but I cannot remember what it was. I also got her a postcard of Prince Charles's face in England that trip, and although it is not technically an animal or a toy, I still count it.
That postcard was actually a bit creepy also. It was definitely not one of the best photos of Prince Charles that they could have picked. She thought it was hilarious though. And honestly, we could not remember the Princes' names (William and Harry) so we thought he was suppose to be one of them, and we spent quite some time trying to figure out if he was suppose to be the hot one or not. (We did not find him attractive, but why would you make a postcard of the less hot one, and not then make one of the hot one?) Luckily our mother sorted us out and told us he was the father of Harry and William. I really do not know why we did not just google it.
This trip I have worked really hard to get her gifts of animals from every country we have gone to. I think it is driving my flatmates, who I travel with, crazy. We will go into a shop and I will look around for small animals, and if they are too expensive, or not good enough, I will tell them we need to keep looking. In Scotland I think we went into fifteen shops before I found one I liked.
I do not want to spoil the surprise for her, so I will just say that I got two things from Ireland, two from Wales, one from Scotland, and two from England. We are planning to go to Spain in December and I hope to get something good from there too!
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." -Austin Phelps
Speaking of my little sister, every time I come overseas (which has only happened three times, mind you), I make sure to get her a small animal. I am not really sure why, it just kind of developed over time.
When I went to People to People's Leadership camp for a week one summer, I got her a tribal horse from a museum I visited. It was one of the first times I had been away from her for an extended period of time (not that a week is really that long, but it seemed long then). So, I wanted to give her a gift when I returned, also since Washington DC is just cool and I thought she needed a gift from there. The tribal horse somehow ended up being named Senor Wally Pringles (by me, although I am not sure where I got that name). I was in seventh grade and probably thought it was hilarious.
Then when I went to the UK in eighth grade for about three weeks, I wanted to get her a cool animal gift again since she really liked the last one. I think that was when I got her a Dragon named Dennis. If I remember correctly, he was bought in Wales, but I could be mixing him and another animal figure up. I have bought her quite a few over the years now, and it is hard to keep them all straight as well as remember them all.
Either way, Dennis is a bad ass. He is not very large but he is made of a dark gray, shiny rock and looks like he would kill you as soon as he looked at you, if he was alive. (Luckily, he is not.) And he is definitely from the UK, whether from the first or second trip overseas is the real question.
When I went overseas the second time after twelfth grade, i got her quite a few animal figurines. I actually attempted to get one from each country I went to, but that was a bust since not every one of the ten countries I visited had figurine shops in easy access and/or I had almost no time to look around at them.
I know that in Italy I got her a glas, white stallion. His name escapes me, but I would guess something along the lines of Fernando. In Germany I bought her a small porcelain doll that looked a bit like her and named it Lurane (purposefully spelled strangely). I know for a fact that I got her something else in Germany as well, but I cannot remember what it was. I also got her a postcard of Prince Charles's face in England that trip, and although it is not technically an animal or a toy, I still count it.
That postcard was actually a bit creepy also. It was definitely not one of the best photos of Prince Charles that they could have picked. She thought it was hilarious though. And honestly, we could not remember the Princes' names (William and Harry) so we thought he was suppose to be one of them, and we spent quite some time trying to figure out if he was suppose to be the hot one or not. (We did not find him attractive, but why would you make a postcard of the less hot one, and not then make one of the hot one?) Luckily our mother sorted us out and told us he was the father of Harry and William. I really do not know why we did not just google it.
This trip I have worked really hard to get her gifts of animals from every country we have gone to. I think it is driving my flatmates, who I travel with, crazy. We will go into a shop and I will look around for small animals, and if they are too expensive, or not good enough, I will tell them we need to keep looking. In Scotland I think we went into fifteen shops before I found one I liked.
I do not want to spoil the surprise for her, so I will just say that I got two things from Ireland, two from Wales, one from Scotland, and two from England. We are planning to go to Spain in December and I hope to get something good from there too!
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"Wear the old coat and buy the new book." -Austin Phelps
Tuesday, 13 November 2012
Mail Update
I know, I know. You no longer are even remotely interesting in the UK's serious mail issues and how they effect me. And this post will be nothing about that. It is just a quick post to say that I finally got my long awaited package today!
I had to walk all the way to the local post office and pay a two pounds to get it, but after all the time I have waited and worried over it, I am just glad it is finally here.
The walk was only about fifteen minutes there and back, and it was actually rather nice out for being November. The trees were all orange and yellow and I got to walk past some cute little houses that I have not seen before.
The post office was in the back of a small convenience store, which was a bit strange. And the man who helped me did not seem very pleased to have to do work. After I told him my name he had to sort through a mountain of mail that was just thrown in the back corner. But he finally found it and I was able to return home victorious with enough time to update you all before going to class.
When I came back my roommate and I sang the "We Just Got a Letter" song from Blues Clue's and danced around a bit. It was brillant.
I hope you all and I do not have any mail issues in the near future.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"Writing well means never having to say, 'I guess you had to be there'." -Jef Mallett
I had to walk all the way to the local post office and pay a two pounds to get it, but after all the time I have waited and worried over it, I am just glad it is finally here.
The walk was only about fifteen minutes there and back, and it was actually rather nice out for being November. The trees were all orange and yellow and I got to walk past some cute little houses that I have not seen before.
The post office was in the back of a small convenience store, which was a bit strange. And the man who helped me did not seem very pleased to have to do work. After I told him my name he had to sort through a mountain of mail that was just thrown in the back corner. But he finally found it and I was able to return home victorious with enough time to update you all before going to class.
When I came back my roommate and I sang the "We Just Got a Letter" song from Blues Clue's and danced around a bit. It was brillant.
I hope you all and I do not have any mail issues in the near future.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"Writing well means never having to say, 'I guess you had to be there'." -Jef Mallett
Saturday, 10 November 2012
Caitlin's Top 10 Mac Apps
Although I would not consider myself a computer expert by any means, I have spent a good many hours researching apps for my new mac and have found quite a few that I think are great ones that other people should definitely consider getting. If they are not available at the App Store, I have attached links to their webpages. And best of all, they are all FREE.
SelfControl - This app was designed to help you be more productive by keeping you from being able to access certain websites for a period of time of your choosing. You tell it what websites you do not want to be allowed onto, or tell it the few that you are only allowed on. I have only used it a few times, but I tried quitting the program and that did not even bring the websites back. It is very good for getting work done when Facebook is trying to distract you. You can not get it from the App Store though, but you can get it here. And yes, the logo is a spade with a skull and cross bones inside it, although I am not sure why.
OpenOffice - This is not really an app, but it is a free version of Microsoft Office that works on Macs and PCs. And although it is not exactly like MS, it gets the job done and you can even save your programs as MS Office programs (i.e. word files, etc.). It comes with a version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and a few more (although they are called something different). I have not been able to test it out as much as I would like, but I have friends who swear by it. You can download it here.
iProcrastinate - This is an app, similar to the calendar function on Macs, in that you can set certain events, but you can label them for different topics and mark when they are due on the calendar. It also allows you to mark how important they are and break each task into smaller ones that you can check off as you get parts of things done. You can even attach files to certain tasks so that if you are working on a project, everything stays together and you don't get confused. You can download this one at the app store.
Alfred - Is a neat little app that makes searching for things in your computer much easier. All you have to do is open the program and type in what you are looking for. It will even search documents and more for the keywords you type in, just in case you forgot what you titled last week's history report. You can get this at the App Store.
Caffeine - This app has a really simple job: it keeps your screen from dimming when it is on. That way, you can watch your favorite movie without having to get up and sign back in every few minutes, but you can also leave your settings alone and just turn this app on and off as you need it. Closing the laptop will still put it to sleep though. Available at the App Store.
A Monster Ate My Homework - Although this sounds like it might be a homework help tool, it is not. It is a fun game that was recently added to the App Store. And honestly, I think everyone should have the basic games like Solitaire and Sudoku on their laptops, but this one is fun and simple as well as somewhat of a strategy game. It is a 3D (you do not need the glasses, everything stays in the screen) game where you shoot little monsters off a box so you can rescue your homework. If your homework falls off the box you lose points, but you can turn the screen 360 degrees around the box to try and get the best shot.
Gimp - A free picture editor, similar to photoshop. It has many, many different tools you can use to edit pictures, which I have not had to chance to check out yet. It is highly recommended on several sites when I was researching and when I played around with it a bit, it seems like you can do almost anything you would want to on it, you just have to figure out exactly where it is. Apparently the help questions will not open the first time you start up Gimp, but if you close it and open it again, they should work. Just a strange code error, that I do not understand. You can get it here, and here you can get Inkscape, which is a free version of Illustrator.
Swackett - You can use Swackett to tell you the temperature outside, but it will also tell you how to dress. When you open it up, a man and woman figure will appear along with all the weather information, but they will be dressed up how Swackett thinks you should dress, depending on the temperature and if it is suppose to rain, be windy, etc. You can also set your personal preferences for when you think it is cold or hot, in case you think you do not need a jacket until it is 32 degrees Fahrenheit out. You can get it at the App Store.
Pocket - I found this app a bit confusing at first, but once you g through the quick explanation, it is actually quite simple. After downloading Pocket you can attach it to our web browser so that whenever you see an interesting website you can 'Pocket It' and view it later on Pocket on or offline. You can even add labels to them for easy organization. I find this very helpful since I am always favoriting links that I want to check out later but eventually end up with no room for them anymore. You can download this at the App Store.
AdBlock - This is an app that blocks ads from websites you are on. If you have Chrome, like me, you just have to go to 'Chrome Web Store' and you can download it as an add-on to your browser. But if you use Firefox you are in a for a special treat. The man who designed SelfControl also designed an AdBlock for Firefox that turns ads into artwork, which I think is amazing. It is called 'Add-Art' and you can download it here for Firefox. The artwork switches every two weeks, although I do not think it is up to date with the latest version of Firefox. I have already tried, and it will not work for Chrome, which makes me really sad.
And just a quick hint I found out, you can decrease your volume by fourths so that if two points is too loud, maybe one and a half would be better. All you have o do is hold down the 'Shift' and 'Option' keys at the same time while clicking louder or quieter on the volume controls. I find this really exciting.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"I'm a jerk to everyone. Best way to protect yourself from lawsuits." -David Hoselton
SelfControl - This app was designed to help you be more productive by keeping you from being able to access certain websites for a period of time of your choosing. You tell it what websites you do not want to be allowed onto, or tell it the few that you are only allowed on. I have only used it a few times, but I tried quitting the program and that did not even bring the websites back. It is very good for getting work done when Facebook is trying to distract you. You can not get it from the App Store though, but you can get it here. And yes, the logo is a spade with a skull and cross bones inside it, although I am not sure why.
OpenOffice - This is not really an app, but it is a free version of Microsoft Office that works on Macs and PCs. And although it is not exactly like MS, it gets the job done and you can even save your programs as MS Office programs (i.e. word files, etc.). It comes with a version of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and a few more (although they are called something different). I have not been able to test it out as much as I would like, but I have friends who swear by it. You can download it here.
iProcrastinate - This is an app, similar to the calendar function on Macs, in that you can set certain events, but you can label them for different topics and mark when they are due on the calendar. It also allows you to mark how important they are and break each task into smaller ones that you can check off as you get parts of things done. You can even attach files to certain tasks so that if you are working on a project, everything stays together and you don't get confused. You can download this one at the app store.
Alfred - Is a neat little app that makes searching for things in your computer much easier. All you have to do is open the program and type in what you are looking for. It will even search documents and more for the keywords you type in, just in case you forgot what you titled last week's history report. You can get this at the App Store.
Caffeine - This app has a really simple job: it keeps your screen from dimming when it is on. That way, you can watch your favorite movie without having to get up and sign back in every few minutes, but you can also leave your settings alone and just turn this app on and off as you need it. Closing the laptop will still put it to sleep though. Available at the App Store.
A Monster Ate My Homework - Although this sounds like it might be a homework help tool, it is not. It is a fun game that was recently added to the App Store. And honestly, I think everyone should have the basic games like Solitaire and Sudoku on their laptops, but this one is fun and simple as well as somewhat of a strategy game. It is a 3D (you do not need the glasses, everything stays in the screen) game where you shoot little monsters off a box so you can rescue your homework. If your homework falls off the box you lose points, but you can turn the screen 360 degrees around the box to try and get the best shot.
Gimp - A free picture editor, similar to photoshop. It has many, many different tools you can use to edit pictures, which I have not had to chance to check out yet. It is highly recommended on several sites when I was researching and when I played around with it a bit, it seems like you can do almost anything you would want to on it, you just have to figure out exactly where it is. Apparently the help questions will not open the first time you start up Gimp, but if you close it and open it again, they should work. Just a strange code error, that I do not understand. You can get it here, and here you can get Inkscape, which is a free version of Illustrator.
Swackett - You can use Swackett to tell you the temperature outside, but it will also tell you how to dress. When you open it up, a man and woman figure will appear along with all the weather information, but they will be dressed up how Swackett thinks you should dress, depending on the temperature and if it is suppose to rain, be windy, etc. You can also set your personal preferences for when you think it is cold or hot, in case you think you do not need a jacket until it is 32 degrees Fahrenheit out. You can get it at the App Store.
Pocket - I found this app a bit confusing at first, but once you g through the quick explanation, it is actually quite simple. After downloading Pocket you can attach it to our web browser so that whenever you see an interesting website you can 'Pocket It' and view it later on Pocket on or offline. You can even add labels to them for easy organization. I find this very helpful since I am always favoriting links that I want to check out later but eventually end up with no room for them anymore. You can download this at the App Store.
AdBlock - This is an app that blocks ads from websites you are on. If you have Chrome, like me, you just have to go to 'Chrome Web Store' and you can download it as an add-on to your browser. But if you use Firefox you are in a for a special treat. The man who designed SelfControl also designed an AdBlock for Firefox that turns ads into artwork, which I think is amazing. It is called 'Add-Art' and you can download it here for Firefox. The artwork switches every two weeks, although I do not think it is up to date with the latest version of Firefox. I have already tried, and it will not work for Chrome, which makes me really sad.
And just a quick hint I found out, you can decrease your volume by fourths so that if two points is too loud, maybe one and a half would be better. All you have o do is hold down the 'Shift' and 'Option' keys at the same time while clicking louder or quieter on the volume controls. I find this really exciting.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"I'm a jerk to everyone. Best way to protect yourself from lawsuits." -David Hoselton
Friday, 9 November 2012
It was the Best of Times...
It was the worst of times." -Charles Dickens
This week has been a very interesting one, for many reasons. I wrote five letters on a tablet, I realized the mailman hates me, I was reunited with my love, Michael Buble, and I finally got drinks with some friends.
The week started out good. We had just taken a trip to Cardiff, where we saw the Doctor Who Experience, of course, and visited some caves near London called 'Chiselhurst Caves'. All in all, it was a lovely few days of trips and I was happy to have gone. (I also got some tasty candy while in London called 'Pear Drops' at a candy store that I visit ever time I go to London called 'Hope and Greenwood'.)
When we returned to our dorm, I had to write up five letters that went to other students in my travel writing class. Everyone had to read each other's essays and then write them a letter telling them suggestions for how to make it better. I still did not have a laptop at this point, so I had to type it on my roommate's tablet, which is like a glorified iPod touch the size of a standard postcard, except much better. By the end, I was actually typing rather quickly due to my newly acquired skill. Too bad that is not something employers will care about seeing on a resume...
Then I waited around for my package to come in, which I have already told you all about. And I meant to call yesterday but I lost the form with the number on it and had to do extensive research to find the number again. Rest assured, they will be receiving a lovely conversation tomorrow morning and will be in for an even lovelier one if they tell me they have lost my package.
On Tuesday, one of my roommates went out to a football* match, so the other two and myself decided to go out to eat at a nearby pub. A place called 'Port Mahon' sounded good so we popped in for dinner. The pub was really dark, and had the mood lighting of a darkly lit coffee shop that hipsters might attend to cuddle with their significant others. It also had a strange smell of burned beer, although I am sure that is not a permanent thing, or at least I hope so. The menu had about five things on it, which I could eat, surprisingly although they had nothing that sounded especially good. And with the weird lighting and smell, we just chose to move on to another pub.
We then ended up at the 'Angel and Greyhound', which I have been wanting to go to since we moved here, mostly just because I liked the name. The building lived up to my expectations, though. It was a cozy little place with a mix-match of different tables and chairs of varying sizes, shapes, and styles, but that all seemed to go together. There were also comfy couches you could sit in for a chat with friends near the fire. They also had delicious Rekorderlig, so I was very happy there.
Thursday, I got a call from a UPS worker, telling me he would be by soon to drop off my package (AKA new laptop). I got extremely excited and went outside to meet him, just so I could get it faster. After signing for it, I went back into the flat and spent the next day learning how to use it and all kinds of fun apps to get to personalize it. (I switched from a Dell to a Mac, and although I am rather anti-Apple, I still love it and most of their products, just not the price.)
Afterwards my roommate Amy and I went on our Thursday adventure and found a market, of sorts, that claimed to be of antiques, but it was really more old books and tarnished metal items.
This weekend we all hung out with our friend who lives a few flats away, and went to a few pubs nearby to have drinks together. It was really low-key and very fun. (I definitely prefer the Brits' relationship with alcohol to Americans'. It think drinking casually with friends is much more fun than having a thrasher evening, but that is a personal choice.) We actually ended up back at the 'Angel and Greyhound' and I got some warm Winter Rekorderlig, which might be the most delicious drink I have ever had. Alright, Amy's hot apple cider is better, but it is a close second.
All in all, I had a few issues at the beginning but the week definitely turned out to be a really good one. I hope to have a few more like it before I have to go home.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
*A sport where a round, black and white ball is kicked up and down a field, and must pass through the goal to earn points.
"As I grow older, I reget to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems to be getting a hold of me." -H. Rider Haggard
This week has been a very interesting one, for many reasons. I wrote five letters on a tablet, I realized the mailman hates me, I was reunited with my love, Michael Buble, and I finally got drinks with some friends.
The week started out good. We had just taken a trip to Cardiff, where we saw the Doctor Who Experience, of course, and visited some caves near London called 'Chiselhurst Caves'. All in all, it was a lovely few days of trips and I was happy to have gone. (I also got some tasty candy while in London called 'Pear Drops' at a candy store that I visit ever time I go to London called 'Hope and Greenwood'.)
When we returned to our dorm, I had to write up five letters that went to other students in my travel writing class. Everyone had to read each other's essays and then write them a letter telling them suggestions for how to make it better. I still did not have a laptop at this point, so I had to type it on my roommate's tablet, which is like a glorified iPod touch the size of a standard postcard, except much better. By the end, I was actually typing rather quickly due to my newly acquired skill. Too bad that is not something employers will care about seeing on a resume...
Then I waited around for my package to come in, which I have already told you all about. And I meant to call yesterday but I lost the form with the number on it and had to do extensive research to find the number again. Rest assured, they will be receiving a lovely conversation tomorrow morning and will be in for an even lovelier one if they tell me they have lost my package.
On Tuesday, one of my roommates went out to a football* match, so the other two and myself decided to go out to eat at a nearby pub. A place called 'Port Mahon' sounded good so we popped in for dinner. The pub was really dark, and had the mood lighting of a darkly lit coffee shop that hipsters might attend to cuddle with their significant others. It also had a strange smell of burned beer, although I am sure that is not a permanent thing, or at least I hope so. The menu had about five things on it, which I could eat, surprisingly although they had nothing that sounded especially good. And with the weird lighting and smell, we just chose to move on to another pub.
We then ended up at the 'Angel and Greyhound', which I have been wanting to go to since we moved here, mostly just because I liked the name. The building lived up to my expectations, though. It was a cozy little place with a mix-match of different tables and chairs of varying sizes, shapes, and styles, but that all seemed to go together. There were also comfy couches you could sit in for a chat with friends near the fire. They also had delicious Rekorderlig, so I was very happy there.
Thursday, I got a call from a UPS worker, telling me he would be by soon to drop off my package (AKA new laptop). I got extremely excited and went outside to meet him, just so I could get it faster. After signing for it, I went back into the flat and spent the next day learning how to use it and all kinds of fun apps to get to personalize it. (I switched from a Dell to a Mac, and although I am rather anti-Apple, I still love it and most of their products, just not the price.)
Afterwards my roommate Amy and I went on our Thursday adventure and found a market, of sorts, that claimed to be of antiques, but it was really more old books and tarnished metal items.
This weekend we all hung out with our friend who lives a few flats away, and went to a few pubs nearby to have drinks together. It was really low-key and very fun. (I definitely prefer the Brits' relationship with alcohol to Americans'. It think drinking casually with friends is much more fun than having a thrasher evening, but that is a personal choice.) We actually ended up back at the 'Angel and Greyhound' and I got some warm Winter Rekorderlig, which might be the most delicious drink I have ever had. Alright, Amy's hot apple cider is better, but it is a close second.
All in all, I had a few issues at the beginning but the week definitely turned out to be a really good one. I hope to have a few more like it before I have to go home.
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
*A sport where a round, black and white ball is kicked up and down a field, and must pass through the goal to earn points.
"As I grow older, I reget to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems to be getting a hold of me." -H. Rider Haggard
Monday, 5 November 2012
No Post Anyday
I know that I have discussed the mail issue with you all recent, but I feel it needs to be discussed again as new information has arisen since last we spoke on it.
First of all, it is half way through the semester and I have yet to receive the book I ordered almost two months ago. Where is it? Who knows. Lost somewhere among all the other lost letters and packages in the world. Stuck somewhere between the UK and some other country halfway around the world.
I like to imagine that the lost book and all my lost socks are in a desert somewhere. And that poor children without money are staying clothed and learning to read from my random lost items.
Although to be fair, e company I ordered the book from contacted me and said a lot of their packages were not arriving at their destinations and so they were sending me a new one to hopefully arrive soon. And last week, while I was in class, apparently the mailman came with the package and when no one answered the door, he left a small letter. The letter basically said that no one had gotten the package and that it was being sent to another mail center where I could pick it up.
This 'local' mail center turned out to be an hour walk away and with no public transportation to take me there. But luckily, you could ask for it be redelivered and even choose the day you wanted it to arrive so you could be home. I chose today since we had no plans and I had no classes, but sadly the post has disappointed me again and the mailman never came.
It was like a horrible punishment. I would hear a noise near the door and run over only to find people leaving leaflets for clubs or pizza, or to see someone walking by to get to their flat. And I would rush over time after time, meanwhile getting my hope up for the package's deliver only to have it crushed each and every time. And I could not leave the flat all day for fear the package would come and I would be out and miss it again. I even told my roommates to keep their music down so I could listen.
It was pure torture. And honestly, even though it is now 10 at night and no decent mailman would be out now, I still keep checking the door for him. I just want my package. Is that too much to ask? How can bringing a package to someone be so difficult? I just hope it comes soon.
And also, I have my laptop coming in on Friday. What if this happens again? I have made plans to sit around all Friday and wait for it, but what if the mailman decides to bring it on Saturday? I have plans for Saturday and places to be. Yeah, they might be plans to visit 'Cadbury World', a chocolate theme park, but will not be a slave to the postman. I have a life, even if it is a boring one. I'm onto you mailman, I'm onto you...
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"College isn't the place to go for ideas." -Helen Keller
First of all, it is half way through the semester and I have yet to receive the book I ordered almost two months ago. Where is it? Who knows. Lost somewhere among all the other lost letters and packages in the world. Stuck somewhere between the UK and some other country halfway around the world.
I like to imagine that the lost book and all my lost socks are in a desert somewhere. And that poor children without money are staying clothed and learning to read from my random lost items.
Although to be fair, e company I ordered the book from contacted me and said a lot of their packages were not arriving at their destinations and so they were sending me a new one to hopefully arrive soon. And last week, while I was in class, apparently the mailman came with the package and when no one answered the door, he left a small letter. The letter basically said that no one had gotten the package and that it was being sent to another mail center where I could pick it up.
This 'local' mail center turned out to be an hour walk away and with no public transportation to take me there. But luckily, you could ask for it be redelivered and even choose the day you wanted it to arrive so you could be home. I chose today since we had no plans and I had no classes, but sadly the post has disappointed me again and the mailman never came.
It was like a horrible punishment. I would hear a noise near the door and run over only to find people leaving leaflets for clubs or pizza, or to see someone walking by to get to their flat. And I would rush over time after time, meanwhile getting my hope up for the package's deliver only to have it crushed each and every time. And I could not leave the flat all day for fear the package would come and I would be out and miss it again. I even told my roommates to keep their music down so I could listen.
It was pure torture. And honestly, even though it is now 10 at night and no decent mailman would be out now, I still keep checking the door for him. I just want my package. Is that too much to ask? How can bringing a package to someone be so difficult? I just hope it comes soon.
And also, I have my laptop coming in on Friday. What if this happens again? I have made plans to sit around all Friday and wait for it, but what if the mailman decides to bring it on Saturday? I have plans for Saturday and places to be. Yeah, they might be plans to visit 'Cadbury World', a chocolate theme park, but will not be a slave to the postman. I have a life, even if it is a boring one. I'm onto you mailman, I'm onto you...
Until next time...
Embrace the Odd,
Caitlin
"College isn't the place to go for ideas." -Helen Keller
Saturday, 27 October 2012
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.
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
Thursday, 25 October 2012
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
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
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
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
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
Monday, 22 October 2012
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
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
Saturday, 20 October 2012
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
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
Friday, 19 October 2012
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
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
Thursday, 18 October 2012
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
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
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
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
'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
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