(no subject)
Hey, I am back from Bath. It was really something else. I stayed with one of my aunts friends who lives there who happened to be a well known artist.
(Dominique, this is pretty much for you. I guess the woman I stayed with is a well known artist and was best friends with Barbara Hepworth, a famous sculptor? Don't know if you've heard of her. But the woman, Rosemary and myself got to talking and I told her that I had a friend who was studying Art History and also that my friend was also going to be in Bristol for a year. Bristol is like 10 miles from Bath. She told me to make sure that I get you in contact with her and you could visit her while you are in England for the year. I think you would really like her so I wouldn't miss the opportunity to do so. We'll have to talk more)
Anywho, I just typed a flurry of an email that will summarize that trip up and put on here if Alison doesn't mind. I am back in London for a few days and then on Thursday I will take a ferry to Caen in France to visit the beaches in Normandy to see where the allied troops invaded in ww2, I can't wait. Ever since I saw saving private ryan I wanted to go there. From Caen, I'll jump on a train and head to Paris and catch the last stage of the Tour De France. An American is sitting on second place right now so I hope he wins, I think the dude is sort of a douche, but none the less I can't wait to see an American win the tour de france again and piss on all the french people. haha just kidding...not really. Then I think I'll take the chunnel train back to London. I'll have that all finalized tonight, so I hope it works out.
That is all for now.
Dan
Yeah I couldn't imagine doing the color web mail thing for long, but I do respect those that give it a try haha. Good to hear that you have quite a wide selection on interviews, always best when you have a choice. I think what if's are inevitable, but the what ifs that run deep or possible huge turning points in your life, its always best to follow your heart instead of your head. Not that I feel that following your heart is infallible (it often probably will be) but I believe its the only way to truly live with no regrets. Once you follow your head and things go wrong, then you think what if and dwell on the other choice. If you're in tune with it enough, your heart can only give you one answer and thats that. You follow me? Talk about a rant haha.
To compensate for not going to DC figure out a way to go some time..maybe a winter break type deal. I have driven from San Diego through Salt Lake through Michigan to DC and back through the South in less than 2 weeks including A few days in DC under $500 with gas, food yadda yadda. Anywho, if you feel like you're missing out, nothing should be stopping you from going! Just an idea!
No more new news on the Tanzanian diplomat, I will know within the next week or so whether I will be able to have dinner with him.
So what do I do in London. Well when I thought about it my days are usually really busy but they don't consist of too much. A typical work day is that I will wake up at 750 or so...get ready, walk to work which as about an hour walk from south london to north london. I walk by big ben and all these famous things in the morning, its its a kick haah. Work starts at 930 and all I do is small work for the office, sometimes its slow and I can weasle in computer time, other times not. I have an hour lunch break so I go to this italian cafe almost every day I work, I absolutely love it. An italian family runs it and they're all a bunch of crazy nuts. I get off work at about 5:30 but I stay on the internet mostly til the office closes at 7. At 7 if I havent already run in the morning, I'll run home from work and take the long way. If I have already run I walk back home, the last time I walked home I stopped at one of the national museums and wandered around in there, normally though I stop at this map store and research what I plan on doing next. So every night I work I do not get home until 9pm or so which I eat dinner with my aunt and we discuss all sorts of things and then I read and go to sleep. haha so that is my average day in London. If I'm not working, Im probably on a trip so I keep pretty busy.
In terms of people not liking Americans, I feel that it's related to our foreign policy. I don't know if you have heard abotu the crisis in Lebanon right now but its frustrating being here in brtain and being american through it. The british media covers it and the only input of america on the situation is what President Bush says about it. We are taught in America the president is the figure head for our country, but is he really? I didn't really think that he was the sole representative...we have other branches as well you know? But internationally, he is really the only spokesperson for America, you don't hear anything else. When we have global problems, the media I see at home offers what President Bush says as well as leading members of opposition, and that I feel gives a good representation (obviously its not perfect..) of how America feels. But here, british media, the only side of America you hear is President Bush...and I don't know what your opinion is, but if you think he is a bozo, well the international community only sees american input from a bozo. And yes, I would people have treated me differently until they get to know me or we have a conversation. I feel that some might have me stereotyped sort of relating to what I mentioned above.
Im glad you got your fireworks in, I missed out terribly, I will have to light things on fire when I get home :) (Possible house warming event with the freshmen).
Bath went really well. I saw all the town and we stayed with an artist friend of my aunts who is apparently somewhat famous? haha. Bath is unique because it was built all with the same stone within only 60 years, so all the architecture as stone is the same. I went to avesbury which were like these gigantic stone circles built in 5000bc which is pretty nuts. The best part of Bath was this place called the Royal Crescent. A really famous place in England and I got to go in it for some art "talk" with my aunt. We ended up getting a tour of the building which costs like £1000 a night and its where the American Diplomat stays as well as Johnny Depp. It was definite VIP treatment from the hotel manager, he must've of mistook my aunt for some one else because we definitely were not allowed to be in some of these rooms.
Well after work this week, I am planning on heading to the normandy beaches in france to visit the invasion beaches from ww2 which is something I've wanted to do since I was like 13. And then I'll take a train to Paris and try to catch the final stage of the tour de france. Its logistically complicated so I hope it works out and I don't get stranded somewhere.
I hope work is going well, I couldn't imagine it not being well as relaxing as the job sounds. Are any of your good friends like Melissa still with you in the dorms for the summer? I can't remember if thats what they planned on doing. I've emailed Yo a few times with specific questions but he has not replied...is this normal for the summer? What do you have planned for the rest of the summer? any big ideas? If so I want to hear about them :) Sorry this got so long, I just type type type and don't stop and next thing you know I've gone on a rampage of sorts. I hope all is well with you and I hope to hear from you soon! I'll be in contact til Wednesday :)
your friend,
Dan
(Dominique, this is pretty much for you. I guess the woman I stayed with is a well known artist and was best friends with Barbara Hepworth, a famous sculptor? Don't know if you've heard of her. But the woman, Rosemary and myself got to talking and I told her that I had a friend who was studying Art History and also that my friend was also going to be in Bristol for a year. Bristol is like 10 miles from Bath. She told me to make sure that I get you in contact with her and you could visit her while you are in England for the year. I think you would really like her so I wouldn't miss the opportunity to do so. We'll have to talk more)
Anywho, I just typed a flurry of an email that will summarize that trip up and put on here if Alison doesn't mind. I am back in London for a few days and then on Thursday I will take a ferry to Caen in France to visit the beaches in Normandy to see where the allied troops invaded in ww2, I can't wait. Ever since I saw saving private ryan I wanted to go there. From Caen, I'll jump on a train and head to Paris and catch the last stage of the Tour De France. An American is sitting on second place right now so I hope he wins, I think the dude is sort of a douche, but none the less I can't wait to see an American win the tour de france again and piss on all the french people. haha just kidding...not really. Then I think I'll take the chunnel train back to London. I'll have that all finalized tonight, so I hope it works out.
That is all for now.
Dan
Yeah I couldn't imagine doing the color web mail thing for long, but I do respect those that give it a try haha. Good to hear that you have quite a wide selection on interviews, always best when you have a choice. I think what if's are inevitable, but the what ifs that run deep or possible huge turning points in your life, its always best to follow your heart instead of your head. Not that I feel that following your heart is infallible (it often probably will be) but I believe its the only way to truly live with no regrets. Once you follow your head and things go wrong, then you think what if and dwell on the other choice. If you're in tune with it enough, your heart can only give you one answer and thats that. You follow me? Talk about a rant haha.
To compensate for not going to DC figure out a way to go some time..maybe a winter break type deal. I have driven from San Diego through Salt Lake through Michigan to DC and back through the South in less than 2 weeks including A few days in DC under $500 with gas, food yadda yadda. Anywho, if you feel like you're missing out, nothing should be stopping you from going! Just an idea!
No more new news on the Tanzanian diplomat, I will know within the next week or so whether I will be able to have dinner with him.
So what do I do in London. Well when I thought about it my days are usually really busy but they don't consist of too much. A typical work day is that I will wake up at 750 or so...get ready, walk to work which as about an hour walk from south london to north london. I walk by big ben and all these famous things in the morning, its its a kick haah. Work starts at 930 and all I do is small work for the office, sometimes its slow and I can weasle in computer time, other times not. I have an hour lunch break so I go to this italian cafe almost every day I work, I absolutely love it. An italian family runs it and they're all a bunch of crazy nuts. I get off work at about 5:30 but I stay on the internet mostly til the office closes at 7. At 7 if I havent already run in the morning, I'll run home from work and take the long way. If I have already run I walk back home, the last time I walked home I stopped at one of the national museums and wandered around in there, normally though I stop at this map store and research what I plan on doing next. So every night I work I do not get home until 9pm or so which I eat dinner with my aunt and we discuss all sorts of things and then I read and go to sleep. haha so that is my average day in London. If I'm not working, Im probably on a trip so I keep pretty busy.
In terms of people not liking Americans, I feel that it's related to our foreign policy. I don't know if you have heard abotu the crisis in Lebanon right now but its frustrating being here in brtain and being american through it. The british media covers it and the only input of america on the situation is what President Bush says about it. We are taught in America the president is the figure head for our country, but is he really? I didn't really think that he was the sole representative...we have other branches as well you know? But internationally, he is really the only spokesperson for America, you don't hear anything else. When we have global problems, the media I see at home offers what President Bush says as well as leading members of opposition, and that I feel gives a good representation (obviously its not perfect..) of how America feels. But here, british media, the only side of America you hear is President Bush...and I don't know what your opinion is, but if you think he is a bozo, well the international community only sees american input from a bozo. And yes, I would people have treated me differently until they get to know me or we have a conversation. I feel that some might have me stereotyped sort of relating to what I mentioned above.
Im glad you got your fireworks in, I missed out terribly, I will have to light things on fire when I get home :) (Possible house warming event with the freshmen).
Bath went really well. I saw all the town and we stayed with an artist friend of my aunts who is apparently somewhat famous? haha. Bath is unique because it was built all with the same stone within only 60 years, so all the architecture as stone is the same. I went to avesbury which were like these gigantic stone circles built in 5000bc which is pretty nuts. The best part of Bath was this place called the Royal Crescent. A really famous place in England and I got to go in it for some art "talk" with my aunt. We ended up getting a tour of the building which costs like £1000 a night and its where the American Diplomat stays as well as Johnny Depp. It was definite VIP treatment from the hotel manager, he must've of mistook my aunt for some one else because we definitely were not allowed to be in some of these rooms.
Well after work this week, I am planning on heading to the normandy beaches in france to visit the invasion beaches from ww2 which is something I've wanted to do since I was like 13. And then I'll take a train to Paris and try to catch the final stage of the tour de france. Its logistically complicated so I hope it works out and I don't get stranded somewhere.
I hope work is going well, I couldn't imagine it not being well as relaxing as the job sounds. Are any of your good friends like Melissa still with you in the dorms for the summer? I can't remember if thats what they planned on doing. I've emailed Yo a few times with specific questions but he has not replied...is this normal for the summer? What do you have planned for the rest of the summer? any big ideas? If so I want to hear about them :) Sorry this got so long, I just type type type and don't stop and next thing you know I've gone on a rampage of sorts. I hope all is well with you and I hope to hear from you soon! I'll be in contact til Wednesday :)
your friend,
Dan