Thursday, May 27, 2010

Long Trip Home

Well today is the day we'd both been anticipating and dreading. Anticipating because it brought us home to friends, family however dreading due to the return to normalcy, of non-adventure. It's good to be headed home, though we have had a long trip. As of now we've already been on the go for 21 hours. I'm tired, and my road is nearly over. Time for me to say goodbye and to say thank you for reading, for enjoying my blog. I hope that you enjoyed it, till my next trip I bid thee adieu.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Going out with a BANG!

Okay to say today was awesome would be an understatement!!! It was incredible, exhilarating, thrilling, pricey, tiring but at the end of the day I was really happy that I'd gone. The day started out with an early rise, off to London by 830 and arriving by 930. Though I was with another student on the tour Andrew on the way over, we quickly split up as we had different agendas for the day. My first destination was the London Eye - a special Ferris Wheel that's enclosed - to purchase a riverboat tour and a flight on the Eye. I went on the tour first and decided to hold off on my ride on the London Eye until 9pm. The tour of the River Thames was really cool. We saw Parliament, the Tower of London, Globe Theatre, and several other important landmarks.

Afterwards I headed off to the Tower of London, looked at the crown jewels which had recently been returned due to the State Address of Parliament the day before, checked out the towers - which showed some torture implements, and generally enjoyed the few hours I spent there. I have to admit, the Tower of London was not what I expected, but that did not make it any less cool. After the Tower of London, next on the list was the British Museum and British Library. First off, big kudos to the Brits on this aspect, they know who to give a nice quality experience and they make it FREE. So that was really cool. I enjoyed myself, saw the Magna Carta and other interesting historical documents such as Shakespeare's writings. The museum was more object oriented and featured ruins of the Egyptians, Romans, and Greek among others.

Next on the list was the Sherlock Holmes Museum which was small, but still cool. Basically it was a small building and you could go inside and see where he may have lived. An interesting diversion along with the metro station that was attached to it. Visiting Baker street was definitely an important need for a visit to London. I finished faster than I had expected and without really knowing what else to do, I headed back to the wharf close to Westminster Abbey and Parliament. At this point in the day, I was really tired, bored, and almost went on the London Eye early so I could get back to the school and rest. But I refrained ambling around hoping to find an internet cafe.

While I did not find an internet cafe, I did find a red carpet. Apparently, I have such the stupid luck that I stumbled upon the British National Movie Awards. Once it was mentioned that Tom Cruise and Orlando Bloom would be among attending stars, my mind was made up. I was going to stay right where I was, right next to the red carpet. It was great!!! I had an awesome view and received a lot of autographs among them being Tom Cruise and Orlando Bloom. Really I think only I would have the dumb luck to stumble upon an event such as this and to get autographs. Anyways after getting Tom Cruise's autograph - had to wait until 8:20pm for that because he arrived late - I headed off to grab pizza and then to go ride the London Eye. The London Eye was gorgeous at sundown/night and I was happy I'd signed up for it. London at night is beautiful and though I was sad to leave for what would be the last time for awhile, I also look forward to future visits. Arriving in Bracknell - where we are staying - I was very tired and it was raining. Not good weather conditions to stumble upon and I took a taxi to return. What awaits now is nothing more than just that, waiting. I'm packed already and all is in order. I won't be falling asleep tonight. This is nearly my final entry, until tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Laundry Day

Laundry Day…YAY! Well not really yay, but at least I got it out of the way. Today I largely sat around the College either inside or out as I waited for my laundry to finish. I then packed up and made ready preparations for my trip to London tomorrow. It can't all be glory but I can say that tomorrow will definitely be an adventure.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Freedom!

So finally we're done! Free! While I had the option to go to Scotland, I chose to not, deciding that instead I would spend time in London and enjoy. Don't get me wrong, Scotland sounded AWESOME! But, the downside of it was that I would be in a bus from 10pm-6am there and back which is not my idea of enjoyable. The test went well…more than well to be honest, though I did not equal my midterms score…alas life is hard ;) Anyways tomorrow was initially planned to visit London - The Tower, British Museum, and other enjoyable places. However I've had to pull out due to the State Address of Parliament. I'm really enjoying having the room to myself as all of the 5 other roommates in my room decided to go to Scotland.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Homework and the Cha Cha Slide

It was a long day today. Staring at the window and generally just trying to do anything but be in class. We had 6 hours of instruction and that was pure torture. Lets just say that if you imagine the worst thing a trip could be. This is it. As soon as he announced class was over, I was out of that classroom and off to anywhere…just as long as I was not in that classroom. Unfortunately while I may have not been in the classroom, I did have a test to study for. I basically reviewed the chapter powerpoints 2-3 times per chapter and that was my preparation. Lets suffice to say that the evening was as well interesting. Several members from class started dancing first to the Cha Cha Slide and then Applebottom Jeans. It was sooo funny, I was hard pressed not to laugh and it was a great distraction from studying. They did not dance too bad. Well until tomorrow I guess.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A Relaxing Sabbath

Today was a good day. The last Sabbath we had to spend before we came back home. The sun was out, shining, and beautiful. Newbold campus really has a nice setup and service options. After church for me it was an afternoon of relaxation. Sitting back and talking to friends and family. In addition, walking outside was also a positive experience, something I was sure to take advantage of. We're almost done and I can feel it, the only thing I do not look forward to is tomorrow and monday. This is due to the fact that we have 4 chapters to cover on Sunday and then a final exam monday. Alas, not all can be fun. Anyways until tomorrow.

Friday, May 21, 2010

This is my New Home - Windsor Castle!

Well today was somewhat chaotic. We went on a spur of the moment trip to Windsor Castle and had a blast. Though not as impressive as Versailles it was still cool. The Queen arrived right around the time we got there, leading me to think that she's following us. Either way the royal standard went up. We were able to look around most of Windsor castle. The State Apartments were quite opulent as was Queen Mary's Dollhouse...I did not stare at it as long as some would. Clearly I am not much into dolls or that sorta thing. The stores around the castle were nice and I found quite a few souvenirs for people back home. All too soon it was time to leave and head back, another thrilling day behind. The end is now near.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Another Routine Day

Today was also slow as we had class. Really not that interesting. However, at least I was able to upload my images onto facebook. There is something good about having nothing else to do aside from listen to a lecture. I cannot believe that in one week I go home...it has been quite a trip!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Watching the Guard, I meet Aslan and eat Indian Food

So today was quite a bit of fun! We woke up early and ate breakfast before heading for the train to London. It was about an hour to get in and a couple more minutes on the metro before we arrived at Big Ben. That was pretty cool, yet it was not what I had come to expect. As an American I've always envisioned Big Ben as being pretty huge, unique, I must admit it's smaller than I'd originally expected. After Big Ben we headed over to see Westminster Abbey, which was pretty cool, continuing onward to the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at Buckingham Palace. There were a lot of people lined up, yet luckily I was able to stand decently close to the fence behind a lot of midgets..or at least really short people. At first it started out pretty slow, finally becoming real when the stereotypical queens guard - ie the guys in red suits with black hats - came in playing instruments and such to herald their arrival. The queen was in residence that day as evidenced by the royal standard that was flying. I thought that was pretty cool. The ceremony lasted fairly long and afterward it was time for lunch.

Lets just say I had a healthy appetite as we found a place to eat - Pizza Hut- and settled into a nice buffet. Next on the list was Downing Street, home of new prime minister David Cameron. Though we could not get close it was cool to see. After that was Trafalgar Square and that's where I got to climb up onto one of the lions whom I've henceforth nicknamed Aslan. ^_^ That was fun and we were there for around 30minutes before heading off to our final stop of the day, the Bank of England.

The Bank of England was fun and I learned a lot, winning a prize even at the end for opening a safe they had their. We headed back riding the train before going to a restaurant close to our school. I was quite hesitant to eat the food they'd picked as I usually HATE Indian food. But it was not that bad - Yes Aunt Ralene, I ate Indian food and liked it - though I am loathe to admit that. Finally going back to the dorm and collapsing for the evening...what a day!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Leisurely Silence

So today was again another slow day. It comprised of an exam and additional class time. Afterward a walk around the campus was quite nice. Really I can not help to see just how amazing God is. It's beautiful here, albeit somewhat similar to Michigan.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Where the heck are the trashcans?????

So it's a mundane Monday. We have a lot of class today, and then to top it all off, a test tomorrow. Luckily this material is something I've really already covered, and I'm sure that out of the 100 questions, some will answer themselves upon comparison. After class I headed back to our dorm area, Moor Close to study. It was a beautiful day and as has been my custom, I've always grabbed a couple apples from the cafeteria to snack on throughout the day. However with this snacking comes a need to throw them away once complete and thus brings up my question...where are the trashcans? I mean seriously the nearest trashcans are located in the bathrooms, not even one in a public area....Yes I know it's a rant, but still...anyways I was up pretty late, till like 2am before I decided to catch some shut eye. Till Tomorrow!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Down a Lazy River

So today was...lets just say unique. It was not...as thrilling as other days were. In fact, I wish I had not gone. We went to Wales and rather than...really doing much of anything, we simply went down a nasty, muddy, bug infested river...to say I was bored is a supreme understatement. It was miserable and I'm glad that it's over. The bus ride also was long, 3 hours each way!!! Next time I hope that our time is not as wasted.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

A Perfect Day, Meeting Old-Yet New Friends

So today was just about awesome. It was a nice day when I woke up and eating breakfast I was not disappointed. Despite the fact that I've heard England is famous for rain, I'd not seen any yet and it was a great day to meet with a couple friends who were coming down to visit. They arrived around one in the afternoon - Rus, Peter, and Janet. After hugs and a bit of a talk we proceeded down the way to a nice Pub. We sat and talked away the afternoon, simply enjoying each others company. It was a great day and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The evening passed by fast and before I knew it they had to leave. While that was sad, I do look forward to future meetings. Afterward the evening passed fast as I began to anticipate a trip to Wales on Sunday.

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Louvre and Saint Chapelle, then off to London!

So today was the day we would get to see the Louvre. I was looking forward to that as I wanted to see the Mona Lisa. We got there and checked in around 10am and were told to meet up around noon to head to lunch. Well lets just say the Louvre is enormous. You can not keep up with it all. I went to the Mona Lisa first and then proceeded to walk around looking at the different era's of original art they had inside. While it was cool to see all of it preserved, I must admit that I did get a tad bit bored - I guess I am not much of an artist. We headed to lunch and afterward though the original group plan was the Arch de Triumph - which I had seen already and was going to skip - we instead had free time due to a couple members of our group being late to meet back at the Louvre and therefore canceling the Arch de Triumph plans for others. I was happy I had gone to see it earlier and felt sorry for those who had not.

I hopped on the metro and headed to Saint Chapelle though my battery died, due to forgetting to charge it after yesterday's events, I was awestruck by the Church itself. While Notre Dame may be more famous, this church outshines it with the intricacy of its glass work. At least...in my opinion it does. Nevertheless, I was happy to have seen both, stopping at a couple shops on the way back to grab souvenirs from Paris.

We all loaded the bus and headed for Gare du Nord, the train station we would depart from to head to England. It was a nice train ride and a surreal experience upon arriving in London to see cars driving on the WRONG side of the road. Several revelations occurred for me at that time. First of all when our bus was traveling in the far right lane, it was not the 'fast lane' instead it was the 'slow lane.' Secondly I wonder...do they call it the left of way for faster cars? As we call it the right of way in the US. Thirdly why on earth would they drive this way...I mean most of the world drives the other way. Anyways we arrived on the campus which was small and headed to our rooms which I must say are more than a bit crowded - we have 6-9 to a room - before checking the internet and going to sleep.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Versailles, the Bastille, and the Eiffel Tower!

So today was the best day of my trip, I was going to Versailles! This has been my dream since just about...forever! The morning started relatively early as I headed downstairs to grab breakfast. A group of around 10 of us set out with 8 planning to only see the garden. That left myself and one other to go inside and see the entirety that Versailles had to offer. Words can not describe what it was like, it was simply awe inspiring, to think that someone made something of this magnitude. I do not know if any man-made structure can exceed it. In fact thus far I've not seen one that can. From the Palace itself to the Gardens to the numerous areas that surrounded it, I can easily see why the French revolution occurred. After spending several hours there, we left around 130 to head to lunch afterward going to see the Bastille monument. I guess in a way we were tracing the events of the french revolution around. It was cool to see and after being unable to head inside Saint Chapelle, we headed back to the hotel to await the time when we would go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Luckily this monument had an elevator, so it was easy to get to the top and see things. The view of the city was gorgeous, yet still cold. Luckily I was wearing several layers. After the sun went down the tower lit up and you could see the rest of the city light up as well. It was very pretty, you have to be there to see just how pretty it is. A long day it was and I quickly fell asleep upon getting back. I'd have to say that this was my best day.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Arriving in Paris, a Tomb, and the Arch de Triumph!

So, today was a pretty exciting day. We finally left the Collonges area to head for Paris. I've been looking forward to this trip for awhile and despite the early morning start we had to have, it was still going to be a blast! We almost missed our train on the way there due to several late individuals, but luckily we did not, though it was close, very close. It took a couple hours to get there and once we did, we headed to our hostel, dropped off our stuff, and then went to eat at a buffet. The buffet was pretty filling and afterward we left to head to Notre Dame - a couple of us made a side visit to the Catacombs under it. All in all Notre Dame was pretty cool and we were now able to check into our hostel, so we headed back. I was lucky enough to get my own room, even if it was on the 6th floor...and began to head up the long staircase. To say my room was nice would be a lie....it was kinda...grungy. I'd have to say this is one of the worst hostel's I've ever stayed in. It really encouraged me NOT to stay around in my room.

So after checking in a group of us headed off to explore the city. We rode the subway and got off near Napoleon's Tomb. Basically it's held inside a church with a golden dome. Afterward he headed off to the Arch de Triumph. I was really looking forward to this part and several of us purchased tickets to climb to the top. Thanks to a discount for students it was around 5 euro. There was no elevator to get to the top so we had to climb, one stair at a time... That was a long climb up. The view was nice and you could see a good amount of the city. We headed down Champs-Élysées to see the sights and stuff. It was cool to be on that street, grabbed some food, and then headed back to the hostel for sleep. Tomorrow I go to Versailles and I am really looking forward to that!!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Rain...Rain

Another slow day today. The rain was coming down, a downpour at times. I just decided to take the day to do laundry and pack. Tomorrow will be exciting, we leave for Paris! I cannot wait! Another leg to the journey.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Slow Fade

So today was what I would characterize a very slow day. Basically we had around six hours of class....ughs and then afterward a bit of free time until dinner. Basically after dinner I then had to start studying for tomorrow's class. I tell you the worst idea ever is having a class like this. Sitting by a window, looking outside, it's about torture and you always want to leave. Anyways nothing big to report about today aside from being more than a bit worried that a strike by British Airways will cancel the return flight from London to Geneva. I'll wait till tomorrow. More to come then.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Majestic Grandeur and Epic Failure

Today was a day I was highly anticipating. We were going to Mont Blanc! To say the least, I am stoked. The only thing that held me back was the early wake-up time, but that's okay. So we got on the train to head to Chamonix, the town where Mont Blanc is located. The train ride was long, around 2-3 hours however with the beautiful scenery and good reading I was not really too bored. We only had to ride two trains on the way there and both times I had a good view to the area around me. Upon arriving in Chamonix we headed over towards the lift that would take us to the top of Aiguille du Midi, one of the highest cable cars in the world. There was no cable going to the top of Mont Blanc specifically, however we were on the mountain next to it. It was extremely cold out there and I was very happy it was not raining and snowing. With a peak height of 3842m or 12604ft there was quite a climate change and I was wearing layers. I wish I had brought a coat but I did not think it would be needed. Either way I still enjoyed myself. There were a number of skiers or snowboarders there, however it was an extremely treacherous place to do so. With holes in the snow/ice and the speed and rocks and lack of ski patrol this really is living on the edge. Not a place I am qualified to snowboard or ski, that is for certain. We finally came to the bottom around 2pm after having spent 3 hours around the top. Next stop was lunch afterward we had free time and I headed to call relatives for mothers day while it rained. That completed, I headed outside, took pictures of the area, and toured around before heading back to load our return train. The return ride was much longer and we had 4 trains we had to ride on the way back, even arriving at a different station. Around 11pm we headed back due to not being able to contact the bus. It was a wet rainy evening, I finally straggled in soaking wet at midnight. Really it good day but the end was quite disappointing and infuriating.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Hiking Mont Salève!!!!!!

So I awoke today quite excited. It was first off Sabbath and secondly I was going to be able to go to the top of Mont Saléve. At first, I thought it would be simply a bus ride up...at least that was what the group had planned. However when I went downstairs around 2pm for departure, I ran into Shelley a girl who goes to school here, who asked me to join her on a hike to the top. I..could not really say no and said yes. To which effect I had a blast! The top of the Mont is 1300m or 4265ft. I don't know what altitude I started at, however lets just say it took about 2hrs to get to the top and it was some climbing. What better way to spend Sabbath? In nature and in the view of such a majestic foe that the mountain offered, it's hard to imagine a better day. I did get understandingly tired on my way up however once there, it felt good. I was and still am quite proud to have hiked to the top of it. Probably one of the hardest hikes I've had in awhile. Anyways once getting to the top we walked across some cow pastures, apparently they feed the cows at the top. As well we also saw a lot of para-gliders on their way down - the top of Mont Saléve is good for that. We went over to another path which brought us by a flag that had been painted on as an April Fools joke by a group of American students roughly 20 years ago. The story behind it is quite funny. In essence one night they went up and painted the Swiss flag on the Mont. The French guard was mobilized as well as police etc because it was believed that Switzerland was invading. However they found out it was an American prank and made those who had done it go up every day to scrape off the flag before they had to leave...eventually it was repainted to do a French logo that is in this region. Similar to the Swiss cross, however also not the Swiss flag. We went there and then we began our descent which took around an hour or two in total with the hike to see the flag. I arrived back to the school at 6pm worn out and ready to eat then relax for the evening. What a beautiful Sabbath Day!!!

Friday, May 7, 2010

International Red Cross and Patek Philippe

So today was an okay day. It was quite a busy one and involved tours to two locations. My favorite of the two, the International Red Cross Museum was very nice. Our tour guide was Australian and she was great showing us around, fielding questions, and really making our time in the museum a lot of fun. It was an extraordinary difference made by one man, and the museum really showed that. We ate lunch in the museum and departed to head out to Patek Philippe, a luxury watchmaker. On the tram ride over myself and two other girls were separated from the main group due to an issue in communication. Either way I was able to get us off and find our way back to the group, thanks to my handy dandy Geneva Museum Map!! YAY! We really weren't even noticed being gone until we saw them, go figure... Anyways, the watch museum was okay, but really our tour guide there was a very condescending type of funny. A rude arrogant man who really...well was not that nice. One of the haughty European types. Anyways we went around the museum which was okay, but I was bored and quite noticing the time ;) Anyways. That ended and the group had the option of staying in Geneva or going back to Collonges. I elected to stay with a group in Geneva, go around, get some pizza and such before returning. The others did stay a bit longer to go get French pastries, however I decided to go back before them catching all the trains just right and arriving back at the bus station by 620pm. It was then a 'lovely' walk up the hill of death, whereby I arrived back at the school by 635pm. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. Anyways, that's really all that happened. Was a great day and pictures will be posted soon.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Volleyball

So, had a good evening. After eating went up to the room and got ready to play some volleyball. Needless to say I had a blast! My team won 2-1 and it was cool to hear people counting points in French even though I can not remember...nor did I understand most of what they were saying. I'm looking forward to playing more sports next week as this is a good way to have fun with the local students and just burn off some energy. Anyways that's all for today folks, bye bye.

Boredom and Meandering

So...I've come to believe that torture is sitting in a classroom on a beautiful sunny day listening to a professor drone on for 3 hours over a topic you're already familiar with. If you agree with me, you will come to see a bit of what my day entailed. It was torture, fire and torment torture, plain misery and let me say I was wanting to climb the mountain I kept taking pictures of during the class period. When the clock hit 12pm (noon) I was out of the door as soon as the professor recognized the time - with a bit of a helpful nudging mind you - sprinting for the cafeteria. After I finished eating, I headed to my dorm room, checked my email and then decided to go for a walk. I started out on a path through the woods which steeped downward meandering down the mountain path through a part of the city I had not seen before. It was a good time, sunny with a bit of a breeze and NO RAIN. I walked through an older part of the city, across a footbridge, then across some railroad tracks, up a highway inter-pass, and finally made way though the back areas of the city before deciding it was time to head back, really there was nothing more to see. I saw the most peculiar public restroom...quite nice compared to US outdoor port-a-pots. Then made my way up the hill. It was not nearly as bad today without the rain. It was a nice walk and really a nice day a lot of pictures were taken.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Arrival, Geneva, Rain, and the EVIL Hill

So, I'm officially oozing excitement at this moment. As I look at the map to the approach time to our destination of Geneva - 28 minutes. I cannot help but to be struck anew by the wonder of this new world I am about to visit. While…it may not be historically correct to think of Europe as the 'New World' to me it is and I look forward to the exploration of it. One thing however that's a bit disconcerting. It's already 7am at my destination of Geneva while to me it's a late…or early 1am! I was somehow able to sleep on the plane, but that was only after searching for an area to do so. Prior to that event I'd had the worst time imaginable with the individual in front of me nearly instantaneously placing his seat down, my personal torment to deal with as I precariously ate, watched a movie - the one with Brandon Fraiser and Harrison Ford - and then tried to sleep. That really was not working all that well and I did give up after a time. Resigning myself initially to no sleep. However a careful exploration of the front identified 3 empty seats, right in a row, and lots of leg room. You can imagine and rightly so, that I then proceeded to those empty seats and staked my territory. I did sleep quite well, almost like a bed, aside from one of the arm rests which would not go up. But overall this was a much better alternative than before and for others around me. I was fortunate. So now as we begin to arrive I'm at least somewhat rested and perhaps adjusted to this new time. However only time will completely tell that. What I do know is, I'm excited and it's time to explore in T-22 minutes. More to come later.

It's now 11am here and I am starving. We've arrived and the room is gorgeous. I have a great roommate and I think all will be going well! Our room is so clean. It is almost like a hotel room and puts the dorms at Andrews University to shame. There's a lot of French spoken, and I'm clearly out of my league in the language. Thankfully as well a lot of them know English. I've unpacked and while wireless and internet for that matter are not currently working now, hopefully they will soon. I know I have a couple people who are or will be expecting a phone call in another 3 hours or thereabouts. We'll be exploring around Geneva later today as right now we are at Collonges a school in France which is roughly 20-30minutes from Geneva. So really not a long way at all. More to come later

The afternoon walk to Geneva was something I was definitely looking forward to. We walked down a fairly steep, long hill…I'd estimate for around 1.5-2miles. It took us around a good 45 minutes to get to the bottom, maybe longer. Either way, it was quite long. Next we rode a bus to ride a train to ride another train before we finally headed to the United Nations building. Needless to say it was a nasty rainy cold day. It was not a place you wanted to stay around and walk in, you really just wanted to get out of it. We went shopping for a very brief time and I exchanged 20 dollars for 22 dutch marks before heading back. The rain was now harder and the wind too. I was dreading what awaited. That mammoth hill. However I knew I had to get to the top before a certain time or miss dinner. We stepped off the train around 5:40pm and I sprinted, power-walked, and ran my way up to the top. Needless to say I was soaked, wheezing, and I really did want to stop along the way but I did not, finally arriving at 6pm. I'd made it to the top of the 1.5-2mile hill in 20 minutes. Anyway dinner came next followed by a nice shower and finally collapsing into my bed and forcing my eyes to stay awake until i no longer could. I fell asleep around 9pm. Thus ends my first day :)