Matt's got a bike now. It's red, just like mine so now we can be THAT couple that rides around town with matching bikes, wearing matching outfits, with uncovered baguettes in our wicker bike baskets.
In other news, the hot water system in Europe is utter crap. The way our water heater works is that it only warms water between the hours of midnight and seven, so that hot water is ready when you want to take a shower in the morning. Unfortunately, it's only enough water for about 7/8 a shower and once you use it all up, you're just out of luck for the rest of the day when it comes to things like washing dishes. Oh, there is this mid-day "boost" button you can use, but it takes forever and only makes up about half a tank of water and we frankly don't even know how to work it.
Tonight we are going to a drink meet-and-greet with Matt's college, Fitzwilliam College. (Cambridge is split into departments, which organize classes, exams, etc. and colleges, which handle accomodation and all the sort of social aspects of school. They kind of have varying levels of prestige, kind of like universities themselves.) Fitzies is supposed to be the most friendly college and they're supposed to be the most open to people from all walks of life.... I think that translates to, "Even if your dad isn't an MP (senator) or a wealthy alumnus of Cambridge, we'll still take you. That means you Americans. And all you Asians too." I'm just kidding. I really don't know if Cambridge is run like the American ivies. Here's hoping not, but they say class is more entrenched in British thinking than even the US.
Today we got a little card in the mail saying, "You got a package in the mail but it didn't have enough postage so we're not giving it to you until you give us the 30 pence in missing postage... Plus a one pound handling fee. Oh and you have to bike all the way across town to pick it up yourself." We went to pick up the package and it was---our lease, which the accomodations office said it would post to us immediately, since we need it to open a bank account!
Matt bought a gown today, not a ballgown, a formal robe to wear to important university events. Imagine wearing your graduation robe to go out to eat. It's got weird sleeves where the sleeve goes all the way down but the arms stick out of holes cut at the elbow and there's just a huge flap of fabric underneath. I think Matt was a little disappointed in the robe purchasing because he was really looking forward to having all those trappings and embellishments, like in Harry Potter. But it turned out to be just a black gown with no other details at all, so he was a little bummed. But mostly I think it was because he couldn't buy a wand or the newest broomstick. Poor guy, he wishes he could say this was all like Harry-Potter-esque and magical, but more accurately, it's exactly like Harry Potter without the magic and mysteries--leave in all the going to school and taking classes and working hard stuff and that's what it's like.
In more visceral news, we are slowly building up our pantry, which is a very satisfying thing. It's so nice to go to the cupboard and actually be able to cook and eat something without having to drag your butt all the way into town just for a sandwich and a Coke (well, it's worth it for the Coke). We are working on finding a wine rack so we can build a small collection for daily consumption. European wines are so much less expensive here, but considering the distance, the Californian wines make a good showing. In fact, it's possible that some wine shops are dominated by Californian wines, which is too bad, because we were trying to get away from that. Matt and I love wine. It does to food the same thing that Coke does, kind of enhances the experience. But wine feels and tastes more luxurious and suits a meal that you worked long and hard on. Coke, when you eat it with a meal, oftentimes ends up being a centerpiece in and of itself. That's not a problem.
Matt says I talk about Coke too much, but I know he agrees with everything I'm saying about it.
Matt and I saw the movie "The Children of Men" here last week--ha ha it's not even out in the states yet!!! That being said, it isn't that good. We are looking forward to seeing "The Queen" with Helen Mirren. It's got a 93 on Metacritic! Lord of the Rings Return of the King only got a 90, so this is going to be AMAZING.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Goth Kids
One of the biggest surprises so far has been the number of Goth kids hanging out in Cambridge. Goth kids in Cambridge - who knew? They sit around on the open green spaces in little clusters of aesthetic despair. They seriously dress exactly like kids used to in my high school. Dark mascara, black shirts, baggy black jeans, chains.
I suppose it makes more sense to be Goth here than in Iowa where the most Goth thing around was Hot Topic. In Cambridge there's Gothic Architecture at least.
I suppose it makes more sense to be Goth here than in Iowa where the most Goth thing around was Hot Topic. In Cambridge there's Gothic Architecture at least.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
More Photos
I've put up another 6 photos, including this one. Most of them are around our apartment, so you can get an idea of where we live. In other news, we got Skype to work last night, so we can call anyone for cheap or free. We chatted with my parents and found out it's actually really expensive to mail me my bike. So, today, I'm buying one. I'm skeptical about finding a bike big enough for my lanky frame.
By the way, the reason we keep talking about bikes is because everyone uses them here. I haven't seen so many bikes around town when I wasn't on Ragbrai. The city centre has these barriers that prevent cars from entering. They sink into the ground to let buses and taxis through. It's all very slick.
By the way, the reason we keep talking about bikes is because everyone uses them here. I haven't seen so many bikes around town when I wasn't on Ragbrai. The city centre has these barriers that prevent cars from entering. They sink into the ground to let buses and taxis through. It's all very slick.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Internet!
We now have internet access to our apartment! It took some doing, but we have it... and we've discovered that although it is much more convenient to have it right at your fingertips, there really isn't much that we need to do via the internet other than a few things. Still, it's nice to have.
Yesterday Matt and I bought a bunch of stuff downtown and we raced home, me on my bike and him on the bus and it took almost exactly the same amount of time. But, I went at a relaxed pace because I was almost certain I would beat him anyway, and he caught the bus exactly as it was pulling away from the stop, so no wait time on his end.
Also yesterday, we took a walk at sunset along the path behind our flat, the path that actually goes through the countryside with fields surrounding it and it was really nice, but it is swiftly getting chilly here, especially at night. Also, there is a veterinary medicine college here and they have their horse stables on the other side of flats, and today I was riding along on my bike and I think they thought I was a weird horse because they came over to me and let me pet them and then they followed me a little bit until I started going too fast for them. I love horses... maybe I should work on a horse farm while I'm here?
Yesterday Matt and I bought a bunch of stuff downtown and we raced home, me on my bike and him on the bus and it took almost exactly the same amount of time. But, I went at a relaxed pace because I was almost certain I would beat him anyway, and he caught the bus exactly as it was pulling away from the stop, so no wait time on his end.
Also yesterday, we took a walk at sunset along the path behind our flat, the path that actually goes through the countryside with fields surrounding it and it was really nice, but it is swiftly getting chilly here, especially at night. Also, there is a veterinary medicine college here and they have their horse stables on the other side of flats, and today I was riding along on my bike and I think they thought I was a weird horse because they came over to me and let me pet them and then they followed me a little bit until I started going too fast for them. I love horses... maybe I should work on a horse farm while I'm here?
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The Internet
Our struggles getting the internet at our apartment are kind of indicative of doing anything in Europe (speaking from experience when we were in Ireland).
We want the internet. We live kind of far away from town, so it's not easy to just pop into the library and check our email. Plus, I have skype and I want to take advantage of it. And it would let us check the weather. And download songs from iTunes (get a free song with purchase of a Coke promotion!).
When we got into our apartment, we were given a flier and told to contact a specific salesperson. Naturally this person keeps regular business hours, so we didn't contact them the day we arrived (because we didn't get settled until after five). The next day we went bank shopping and again missed the operating hours.
Fortunately the next day we ran into a promotional booth for the very supplier we had been given a flier about. We filled out some forms and paid £25.
Unfortunately, when these people tried to follow through, they found our post code was completely ineligible for internet, much to our surprise, since we had been given the flier for this company after all. They gave us back our £25.
Then it was the weekend and of course the salesperson we wanted to contact was out.
We called on Monday and set up an account. The salesperson said she would call in a half hour with a time for the engineers to come in and set us up. Two hours later she called - there had been a cancellation and we could get set up today. Otherwise the next available time slot was October 6th. So we said sure. And she said a salesperson would be over between 1 and 6 that day.
So we waited until about three, when they showed up. They couldn't find the port where they were supposed to hook us up. They disappeared for 20 minutes and returned with a third person who showed them how to do everything. After about an hour they finished up. The engineer told me to pop the CD into my computer and follow the instructions to set up the modem, then he left.
I looked everywhere for the CD he was talking about, but I couldn't find it. I ran outside and found the engineer. He had forgotten to give me the disc.
Now I had it, but I had things to do today, since it was by now, 4:45. I told Grace to pop in the CD and set up the modem if she wanted to use the internet. I left and got a call sometime after five from Grace wondering what the serial number was - she needed it for registration. I had no idea.
Grace called customer service and got the serial number she needed. Shortly thereafter, she hit a brick wall. It said we had an error in our account information. She called customer service again and they asked for our post code. She gave it to them, but they said the code was ineligible or something. She protested that the company had already been in our place and set the modem up. The customer service man said he couldn't help her without a proper postal code. And then Grace ran out of credit on her mobile phone.
I returned and tried to set the thing up again, to no luck. Now it was well after five again, so we had to wait till the next day to call the salesperson we had been referred to initially.
The next day, after nine, I called again. She was confused that we had been asked for a serial number - that shouldn't have happened. She told me how to manually register the modem, without the CD, which wasn't working apparently. I followed her instructions but hit the same brick wall.
I called back and she called customer service. They asked for the modem code on the side of the modem. I told it to her. Apparently our account had never been activated! She worked it our with customer service and told me to manually register again. We hit the same brick wall.
I called again but she didn't answer. I left a message just as my cell phone ran out of credit. She didn't return the call.
I'm writing this from the public library. I added more credit to my phone and I'm going to call her back.
Things just take longer in Europe.
We want the internet. We live kind of far away from town, so it's not easy to just pop into the library and check our email. Plus, I have skype and I want to take advantage of it. And it would let us check the weather. And download songs from iTunes (get a free song with purchase of a Coke promotion!).
When we got into our apartment, we were given a flier and told to contact a specific salesperson. Naturally this person keeps regular business hours, so we didn't contact them the day we arrived (because we didn't get settled until after five). The next day we went bank shopping and again missed the operating hours.
Fortunately the next day we ran into a promotional booth for the very supplier we had been given a flier about. We filled out some forms and paid £25.
Unfortunately, when these people tried to follow through, they found our post code was completely ineligible for internet, much to our surprise, since we had been given the flier for this company after all. They gave us back our £25.
Then it was the weekend and of course the salesperson we wanted to contact was out.
We called on Monday and set up an account. The salesperson said she would call in a half hour with a time for the engineers to come in and set us up. Two hours later she called - there had been a cancellation and we could get set up today. Otherwise the next available time slot was October 6th. So we said sure. And she said a salesperson would be over between 1 and 6 that day.
So we waited until about three, when they showed up. They couldn't find the port where they were supposed to hook us up. They disappeared for 20 minutes and returned with a third person who showed them how to do everything. After about an hour they finished up. The engineer told me to pop the CD into my computer and follow the instructions to set up the modem, then he left.
I looked everywhere for the CD he was talking about, but I couldn't find it. I ran outside and found the engineer. He had forgotten to give me the disc.
Now I had it, but I had things to do today, since it was by now, 4:45. I told Grace to pop in the CD and set up the modem if she wanted to use the internet. I left and got a call sometime after five from Grace wondering what the serial number was - she needed it for registration. I had no idea.
Grace called customer service and got the serial number she needed. Shortly thereafter, she hit a brick wall. It said we had an error in our account information. She called customer service again and they asked for our post code. She gave it to them, but they said the code was ineligible or something. She protested that the company had already been in our place and set the modem up. The customer service man said he couldn't help her without a proper postal code. And then Grace ran out of credit on her mobile phone.
I returned and tried to set the thing up again, to no luck. Now it was well after five again, so we had to wait till the next day to call the salesperson we had been referred to initially.
The next day, after nine, I called again. She was confused that we had been asked for a serial number - that shouldn't have happened. She told me how to manually register the modem, without the CD, which wasn't working apparently. I followed her instructions but hit the same brick wall.
I called back and she called customer service. They asked for the modem code on the side of the modem. I told it to her. Apparently our account had never been activated! She worked it our with customer service and told me to manually register again. We hit the same brick wall.
I called again but she didn't answer. I left a message just as my cell phone ran out of credit. She didn't return the call.
I'm writing this from the public library. I added more credit to my phone and I'm going to call her back.
Things just take longer in Europe.
Nothing new
I got a bike! It is a shiny new red bike and it has a little wicker basket in front. I look so cute on my bike and nooooooooooo helmet. Only squares in Cambridge wear helmets. The commute from the edge of town is not bad at all now, much faster than walking. Yesterday though I had to bike home in the pouring rain. That kind of sucked, and I was soaked by the time I got back to the flat. I have to admit, I hate rain. Obviously that's going to be a common thing living in Britain, but nevertheless, I hate it. Correction: I hate the rain when I have to be out in it, not when I'm inside during it, drinking tea, reading a book or watching a movie.
In other news: we have been checking out and watching old episodes of Scrubs--a very humorous American sit-com--from the library. We are enjoying it. Did you know in British libraries you still have to pay £2.20 to check out a DVD?! Outrageous!
Matt and I have been enjoying the ready availability of take-away food here in GB. The other day we bought Cornish pasties and ate them in front of the gate of King's College with a nice cold Coke. (More about Coke later.) We have many times availed ourselves of the beautiful ready-made fresh sandwiches and fruits in the grocery stores. And recently we discovered a salad bar at Sainsbury's grocery store which has literally 20-30 different fresh pasta, fruit and vegetable salads that you can mix and match and get in a take-away box for pretty cheap. No wonder Britons are so much more healthy than Americans, look at their fast food options compared to ours!
And now about Coke. In the past, Matt and I were never able to share foods, or split foods because a.) he is a vegetarian and I am not, and b.) because Matt was a picky eater with a narrow palate. Thankfully, over the years, I have expanded his appreciation for different foods and although he cannot ever know the joys of a beautiful, fragrant panang chicken curry, or eat a truly full Irish breakfast, or experience my mom's cooking at its best, he and I have always agreed on this: to our knowledge, Coca-Cola Classic is the best drink in the world; if it is served cold, it will always be satisfying; and there is nothing more disappointing than a flat or warm Coke, simply for the knowledge of the loss of its potential. We also agree that at this point, when nearly everyone in the world has tasted Coke once in their life, all those fancy commercials about the inside of vending machines etc. are superfluous because frankly, this shit sells itself. Please understand, these statements do not apply to Diet Coke or any other form of Coke or any other Coke product. Diet Coke sucks.
In other news: we have been checking out and watching old episodes of Scrubs--a very humorous American sit-com--from the library. We are enjoying it. Did you know in British libraries you still have to pay £2.20 to check out a DVD?! Outrageous!
Matt and I have been enjoying the ready availability of take-away food here in GB. The other day we bought Cornish pasties and ate them in front of the gate of King's College with a nice cold Coke. (More about Coke later.) We have many times availed ourselves of the beautiful ready-made fresh sandwiches and fruits in the grocery stores. And recently we discovered a salad bar at Sainsbury's grocery store which has literally 20-30 different fresh pasta, fruit and vegetable salads that you can mix and match and get in a take-away box for pretty cheap. No wonder Britons are so much more healthy than Americans, look at their fast food options compared to ours!
And now about Coke. In the past, Matt and I were never able to share foods, or split foods because a.) he is a vegetarian and I am not, and b.) because Matt was a picky eater with a narrow palate. Thankfully, over the years, I have expanded his appreciation for different foods and although he cannot ever know the joys of a beautiful, fragrant panang chicken curry, or eat a truly full Irish breakfast, or experience my mom's cooking at its best, he and I have always agreed on this: to our knowledge, Coca-Cola Classic is the best drink in the world; if it is served cold, it will always be satisfying; and there is nothing more disappointing than a flat or warm Coke, simply for the knowledge of the loss of its potential. We also agree that at this point, when nearly everyone in the world has tasted Coke once in their life, all those fancy commercials about the inside of vending machines etc. are superfluous because frankly, this shit sells itself. Please understand, these statements do not apply to Diet Coke or any other form of Coke or any other Coke product. Diet Coke sucks.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Inside Trinity College
We've uploaded ten photos from the UK, most of them from Cambridge. Clicking on the photo should take you to the right website - look for the Cambridge photo set.
The last few days we've been wandering the streets trying to get sorted out. It's a very different city from anywhere I've been. The streets are a tangle of spaghetti, and there's medieval buildings and cobblestone everywhere. It's really idyllic. It doesn't look right for a place where you should ever have to work hard.
Anyway, today we're picking up Grace's bike. We live on the very edge of town, and it's a 25 minute walk into town. That's getting really old, really fast. Fortunately, there's a great bike path through fields right behind our apartment, so we should have an easy commute once we get our bikes. With the exchange rate we're finding it's actually cheaper to mail my bike over here from the States, so I have to wait a while.
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
The last few days we've been wandering the streets trying to get sorted out. It's a very different city from anywhere I've been. The streets are a tangle of spaghetti, and there's medieval buildings and cobblestone everywhere. It's really idyllic. It doesn't look right for a place where you should ever have to work hard.
Anyway, today we're picking up Grace's bike. We live on the very edge of town, and it's a 25 minute walk into town. That's getting really old, really fast. Fortunately, there's a great bike path through fields right behind our apartment, so we should have an easy commute once we get our bikes. With the exchange rate we're finding it's actually cheaper to mail my bike over here from the States, so I have to wait a while.
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Cambridge
Hey, we're in Cambridge and we're pretty well settled into our new flat. We have shifted the furniture, started to build up the implements of daily life. The flat is really nice, clean and bright. The furniture is basic but everything is either new or in very good condition. The whole flat has hardwood floors, which was a pleasant surprise. We have a tiny two-inch wide balcony with big double glass doors that fully open to let in fresh air. It's still late-summer-like here, in the 60s and 70s. It's possible to open up all the doors and windows here because there are almost no bugs-how sweet is that? You couldn't do that in Iowa a.) because opening windows in the summer in Iowa is like having an enormous giant dog breathe hot stinky morning breath all over your body while drooling on you; and b.) because of the bugs.
We have a beautiful Amish quilt (a graduation present to me from Matt's dad) on our bed. It reminds us of Iowa. Mike (Matt's brother) got us a great Grant Wood print for our wedding and we're going to get it framed and put it over the dresser. And it will feel like home. We also have a shelf on our bookcase in the living room dedicated to displaying things that are of some importance to us. It includes a photo of DC, a photo of Matt's grandma Marge, a small book on the art of Iowa, featuring a Grant Wood on the cover, a piece of sea glass we found on the Bournemouth beach.
We don't have internet yet, but once we do our lives will be considerably easier. We won't have to walk miles down to the library. We live some distance from the city center, maybe 10 minutes on bike but more like 25 on foot. We are in town today to look for bikes. We do live far enough out of town that we have a lovely view of the countryside out our window but half of it is blocked by the other apartment building, much to my disappointment. But it is still a nice view and it will make for many good walks and biking trips.
In more exciting news, we got new mobiles! And I got a Motorola Sliver, which is sweet. I always get the bargain phone but this phone is really nice. This time I actually decided I didn't care what kind o I got as long as it met three criteria:
a.) that it was large, and open-faced, not a flip phone
b.) that it had a reasonably big screen
c.) that it had big buttons and
having a camera would have been a plus but this phone actually meets all the criteria and was one of the least expensive phones they had. I'm really happy with it. Matt got some kind of black LG flipper thingy and I think he's happy with that one too.
Cambridge town is as beautiful as everyone has said, no arguments here. We will put pictures up as we really can't just describe it, you kind of just have to see it.
We are off to buy bikes. With little baskets in front.
We have a beautiful Amish quilt (a graduation present to me from Matt's dad) on our bed. It reminds us of Iowa. Mike (Matt's brother) got us a great Grant Wood print for our wedding and we're going to get it framed and put it over the dresser. And it will feel like home. We also have a shelf on our bookcase in the living room dedicated to displaying things that are of some importance to us. It includes a photo of DC, a photo of Matt's grandma Marge, a small book on the art of Iowa, featuring a Grant Wood on the cover, a piece of sea glass we found on the Bournemouth beach.
We don't have internet yet, but once we do our lives will be considerably easier. We won't have to walk miles down to the library. We live some distance from the city center, maybe 10 minutes on bike but more like 25 on foot. We are in town today to look for bikes. We do live far enough out of town that we have a lovely view of the countryside out our window but half of it is blocked by the other apartment building, much to my disappointment. But it is still a nice view and it will make for many good walks and biking trips.
In more exciting news, we got new mobiles! And I got a Motorola Sliver, which is sweet. I always get the bargain phone but this phone is really nice. This time I actually decided I didn't care what kind o I got as long as it met three criteria:
a.) that it was large, and open-faced, not a flip phone
b.) that it had a reasonably big screen
c.) that it had big buttons and
having a camera would have been a plus but this phone actually meets all the criteria and was one of the least expensive phones they had. I'm really happy with it. Matt got some kind of black LG flipper thingy and I think he's happy with that one too.
Cambridge town is as beautiful as everyone has said, no arguments here. We will put pictures up as we really can't just describe it, you kind of just have to see it.
We are off to buy bikes. With little baskets in front.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Lazing About in Bournemouth
As Grace said, we're in Bournemouth. We have no car, no mobiles, no internet access, and we forgot our guide to the United Kingdom in America. The kids are in school all day, and the parents, exhausted from no sleep due to a new born baby, go to bed by 9:30.
It all adds up to a lot of television for us. There are four channels - BBC 1, BBC 2, Channel 4, and iTV. Really, it's pretty good programming, but there are dry stretches. British news seems a bit alarmist to Grace and I. People are really worried about obesity here, but we're pretty jaded coming from America. Still, we suppose it is a national problem when health care is socialized.
There's also a program coming on soon called "I Smack and I'm Proud" about the parenthood discipline practice of smacking (a sharp slap on the legs I think), which may be illegal soon.
But we do get out. The picture is of the beach, which we visited on one of the nicer days. It was a really nice beach actually, though probably pretty cold. There were surfers out in wet suits, which I was pretty excited about.
Monday, September 18, 2006
In England
Here we are in Bournemouth, in Dorset County, on the southern coast of England. We have been at my uncle's house for the last week but we are heading up to Cambridge midweek. We are going to rent a car and try out our left-side driving skills. We are very much looking forward to getting into our new flat and exploring Cambridge. We do not have good internet access at this point. We are probably going to get new mobiles soon too and I am very excited about that.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Trapped in Chicago
Today we found out that we need to fill out a return visa before we leave. We didn't realize that until we were ready to go. So then we had to go sign the papers and get a passport photo. We still got to the airport 90 minutes early though, which is enough for small town Iowa.
Once there, our suitcases were too heavy. So we paid the fee.
Then Grace got pulled out of line to be searched.
Then our flight got delayed 25 minutes.
They boarded us and we waited on the runway for 2 hours, because Chicago had bad weather.
Then, they unboarded us and we went back into the airport.
An hour later, we re-boarded and took off, after fifteen minutes or so.
When we arrived at O'Hare, it was 9:15. There was a 9:50 plane to Heathrow, so we ran across the terminal and got in a huge line.
We waited there for 25 minutes, before they announced the plane and stand-by list were full (we missed our original flight, at 8 o'clock, long ago). We were directed to the rebooking counter.
The rebooking counter is just three red phones. You pick up the receiver and it dials customer service. I was on hold.
We arranged to fly out the next day at 9:30.
We got a pay phone and called Tom and Emily. Eventually we woke them up, and boarded the Blue Line out to their house.
Then we ordered pizza.
Once there, our suitcases were too heavy. So we paid the fee.
Then Grace got pulled out of line to be searched.
Then our flight got delayed 25 minutes.
They boarded us and we waited on the runway for 2 hours, because Chicago had bad weather.
Then, they unboarded us and we went back into the airport.
An hour later, we re-boarded and took off, after fifteen minutes or so.
When we arrived at O'Hare, it was 9:15. There was a 9:50 plane to Heathrow, so we ran across the terminal and got in a huge line.
We waited there for 25 minutes, before they announced the plane and stand-by list were full (we missed our original flight, at 8 o'clock, long ago). We were directed to the rebooking counter.
The rebooking counter is just three red phones. You pick up the receiver and it dials customer service. I was on hold.
We arranged to fly out the next day at 9:30.
We got a pay phone and called Tom and Emily. Eventually we woke them up, and boarded the Blue Line out to their house.
Then we ordered pizza.
Monday, September 11, 2006
We Leave Tomorrow
We're flying out of Cedar Rapids tomorrow afternoon. There's a lot left to do, as can be expected. I'm scavaging my parents CD collection for some mp3s, which is probably not a top priority, but it's early in the day.
We get excited intermittently. I don't tend to get real nervous about things until the last moment (my wedding, for instance). I expect that will be when we arrive in Heathrow. Plus, we've sort of done this before, when we studied abroad in Ireland.
It's interesting how differently we're preparing this time. There's much less fuss - we sort of "know" what we have to pack. Last time I needed a list, and there was a lot of deliberation. This time around I haven't given it too much thought. We just moved from DC, and to DC back in January. We sort of have a set of things that fit into two suitcases a piece, and that's the set we'll bring this time, with some minor modifications.
In website related news, I've got a longish thing written about DC, but I'm not quite sure how to put it on the web (it's something like five typed pages). Also, I get 20 MB of photos to post per month. I haven't made use of that yet, even though there are wedding pictures galore and Washington shots, because I figured everyone would most want to see England. So, in a few days, I'll try to put some photos up. I'm not sure what's going to happen when we arrive - we're staying with Grace's uncle for a week or so.
The weather in Iowa is pretty gray (getting us ready for Britain?).
We get excited intermittently. I don't tend to get real nervous about things until the last moment (my wedding, for instance). I expect that will be when we arrive in Heathrow. Plus, we've sort of done this before, when we studied abroad in Ireland.
It's interesting how differently we're preparing this time. There's much less fuss - we sort of "know" what we have to pack. Last time I needed a list, and there was a lot of deliberation. This time around I haven't given it too much thought. We just moved from DC, and to DC back in January. We sort of have a set of things that fit into two suitcases a piece, and that's the set we'll bring this time, with some minor modifications.
In website related news, I've got a longish thing written about DC, but I'm not quite sure how to put it on the web (it's something like five typed pages). Also, I get 20 MB of photos to post per month. I haven't made use of that yet, even though there are wedding pictures galore and Washington shots, because I figured everyone would most want to see England. So, in a few days, I'll try to put some photos up. I'm not sure what's going to happen when we arrive - we're staying with Grace's uncle for a week or so.
The weather in Iowa is pretty gray (getting us ready for Britain?).
Friday, September 08, 2006
Heading to England soon. . .
We leave in just a few days now. This interim period back home in Iowa is going by really quickly. Just like when I studied abroad in Ireland, arranging accomodation took until pretty much the last minute. We finally secured one yesterday. But it really isn't that bad - we had a two week temporary housing gig set up just in case we still needed to sort it our when we arrived. We've also got people we can stay with in England, Grace's Aunt and Uncle.
Anyway, we're taking a place that's really close to my college. It's University apartments, so presumably the other tenants in the building will all be students. We have our own furnished one bedroom flat in the building. It's a 25 minute walk to city centre, or a ten minute bike ride.
We've been running around Iowa City buying up what we think we'll need (since the value of our money will be cut in half once we get to England). For me, that means a new computer, a new backpack, and some new shoes. With most of the shopping accomplished, the rest of the time home is being taken up by family functions. A cousin gets married tomorrow, there's a dinner tonight, a party for Grace on Sunday and more dinner on Monday.
Today, we go to cancel our cell phone plans.
Anyway, we're taking a place that's really close to my college. It's University apartments, so presumably the other tenants in the building will all be students. We have our own furnished one bedroom flat in the building. It's a 25 minute walk to city centre, or a ten minute bike ride.
We've been running around Iowa City buying up what we think we'll need (since the value of our money will be cut in half once we get to England). For me, that means a new computer, a new backpack, and some new shoes. With most of the shopping accomplished, the rest of the time home is being taken up by family functions. A cousin gets married tomorrow, there's a dinner tonight, a party for Grace on Sunday and more dinner on Monday.
Today, we go to cancel our cell phone plans.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Home sweet home
We have been home nearly a week now and we have less than a week until we leave for Cambridge. I have been ridiculously happy the last week, on a silly Iowa City high. It's so good to be home. We have been hanging out with friends and family that we won't see for a while. We've been the Java House eight million times. Today we are up in Ames because a.) Matt bought a new computer at the Apple Store in Des Moines; b.) Matt has a gift certificate to spend at the ISU bookstore and c.) to hang out with people here. We don't know many people left here, but my sister Bernice, Knifeblade, TJ and Andy. We are enjoying not being in class right now. We are drinking tea and reading the paper at Cafe Diem. Matt is playing with his new MacBook. The weather is beautiful and we couldn't be happier, here at home in Iowa.
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