January 31/2010 :: No Morals

Day 9
Mood: Ready to have a relaxing day
Weather: Slightly overcast
Word of the Day: "Awesome"

Well last night we went to "Morals", which is the bar right on the Clive Booth campus. There was a huge group of us but I was rather excited. I felt like going out and I was intrigued to see this pub/bar. I'm not a huge fan of clubs, I find people get too close. Some people might know that I can be very huggy once I get to know you...but if I meet you and on the spot you're touching me...I am not having it. I don't like it. So clubs really aren't my thing. People are too close, too sweaty and too touchy.

But this place was awesome! There was lots of seating so my group grabbed the big booth on the end. Hamilton and I got some drinks and watched Thai (the girl from Thailand) get drunk in about 20 seconds. She's such a cute girl, very outgoing and the alcohol intensified that. It was really amusing to watch. Some others had been pre-drinking and were incredibly drunk by the time they got there.

I tried Bulmer's, a cider, and found it to be absolutely delicious! Problem was that I had been out and about all day and was probably not the most hydrated that I should have been for the evening. So (get this) I actually got buzzed. I know! ME! Basically I just talked like I would online, I have a lot more courage to speak my mind online. My logic was partially there telling me to shut up (cause it believes firmly that people don't like me talking) but I didn't listen. I talked. And I had a very good time.

The best part of the evening was talking to Kitsy (I've changed her nickname, she's the Estonian girl from upstairs). She got very excited when I told her that this was my second cider that I'd ever drank...and that I'd never been kissed. I don't know what she thought of me before but apparently last night I was the coolest person around. Really flattering but totally confusing. Personally I love myself, I'm comfortable with who I am and I love being me. To hear someone as gorgeous as Kitsy tell me that I'm awesome is...flabbergasting. I think it must have something to do with my general intrigue with learning about Estonian culture.

Generally I had a good time though right now my rationality is berating me for talking up a storm. Trying to make me feel guilty and embarrassed when I wasn't the worst one there. Let's just say there was some...interesting situations that I would take care not to mention in the public space. XD Being talkative shouldn't embarrass me at all.

Anyway, today is the day where we relax. Classes start for me tomorrow so I have to be out and about!

:: Julianne ::

January 30/2010 :: Bath - The Most Fashionable City Around

Day 8
Mood: Overwhelmed by the beauty of it all
Weather: Gorgeously sunny
Word of the Day: "Fashionable" as in "Bath is oh-so fashionable."

Today was freaking fantastic!!

We woke up early to catch the tour bus to Bath. After 1.5 hours of napping on the tour bus we arrived in Bath. It was so beautiful. The city of Bath was built upon by the Romans though it is said to be 7000 years old. The Romans built massive baths around the only naturally occurring hot spring in the UK. Until they were overthrown it was a huge center and meeting place for Romans and Britons alike where they worshiped a mixed goddess Sulis-Minerva. Until Christianity took over it was a beautiful site.


Going to see the baths was beautiful. They've rebuilt a great deal of the baths but many things were actually excavated from the remains of the site in the 19th century. I was literally drooling over the history of it all. I went through it all with Etsy who is still instructing me on the proper way to say her name. I'm totally embarrassed about saying it wrong though. >////< Estonian is a really tough language! But really interesting at the same time.

After going through the baths we were allowed some free time. VT and I went to the Jane Austen Center. Jane Austen lived in Bath for 5 years (and hated all her time spent here). She lived, for a few months, at 25 Gay Street...the center was at number 40 because number 25 is not a Dentist. XD We went through and I decided that, seeing as I enjoyed her books, I should get the complete series. I didn't buy it there though, I'm sure the set is available at home...it'd make a lovely gift from my sisters. *wink wink wiiiink*

We learned how to use a Victorian fan for signals. This one is definitely a "come hither" look. XD

After that we got back on the coach and had a tour around the mountains of Bath. We learned about how Bath was revitalized by a postman, a doctor and a gambler. The postman built a huge mansion on the mountain so we went up there and snapped an amazing view.


I'm so sorry but the picture just doesn't capture how stunning it was. Rows upon rows of Edwardian styled housing lining up and down the hills. Beautiful and grand. It was the best view I've seen thus far.

Back on the bus as we circled round back to Circus Street and to the most "fashionable" street from back in the Edwardian and Victorian period. This was the place to be if you wanted to be fashionable. Every house looks exactly the same, by mandate, and it's gorgeous. One of the houses here is actually a hotel but their forbidden by regulations to put up any advertisement. Here's the image of the most fashionable street, can you spot the hotel?


So yes, after this we walked around some more. Sat down in a Starbucks and, as usual, I couldn't bring myself to buy any food. I made my lunch today and it was delicious. We then got on the bus and I had a very good conversation with Citsy (another girl from Estonia...so her nickname is unfortunately a variation on Etsy my roomie...hopefully I'll come up with something a bit more clever in the future). She was teaching me about the Estonian language and I was intensely thrilled with it all. I couldn't bring myself to attempt to say anything for fear of completely massacring her language. For some reason someone speaking English with an accent doesn't bother me in the least but I can't bear speaking someone else's language with my own accent. Is that pathetic?

Perhaps. XD

But all the same it was so much fun! Talking with her was a real thrill and I learned quite a bit. We then got off the bus and walked back home. I made myself some food~

There's a trip next weekend to Wales and...*drumroll* CARDIFF! The spot we get off at is at Cardiff Castle, a 25 minute walk from the Doctor Who Exhibition. So, depending on how much free time is given, I will get a £31 ticket and go. Because seriously, the prices for tickets I've seen are much higher. *nod nod* But if I can't make it to the DWE then...it's not worth it in the least. I need to make it there! Have to!

Anyway, the pub right by my rez opens today so we're all going out tonight.

Byeee!!

:: Julianne ::

January 29/2010 :: Ashemoleon!

Day 7
Mood: Worn out...but not done yet!
Weather: Let's just say that Syd lost her snow-virginity today!

Another great day~ Went around with the roomies + Can1 (who is basically a roomie with how much time we all hang out!) We went to the City Center and to the Ashemoleon Museum, the oldest museum in Britain! There were so many things in there, we didn't get through it.

We also went for lunch and that was fun.

So here are some pics:

Egyptian artwork~

A neat statue from the Asian exhibit, I believe from the Tibetan section.

Shawabtis, servants for a dead pharaoh or other high status individual. They needed hundreds of them in the afterlife as servants to complete all the tasks needed to live everyday life. These ones come from various tombs over various generations and time periods.

Images of Oxford

This is the downtown part of Oxford, the City Center. There are tons of tiny shops all over the place. Really cute place and I love it. Great to walk around but be careful of the cars and the cyclists.
That would be me~ Standing in the middle of a strange empty square in behind the Museum of Science and Steampunk Sculpture Gallery. Can1 and I took turns taking poses so here is me~ A bit of a distance away but that's okay!
Walking by Oxford Castle you get this gorgeous river.
Cornmarket Street I do think, or at least a street nearby~

January 27/10 :: Strolling Around Oxford

Day 5
Mood: Content but a little sore
Weather: it rained, it was overcast


So, today Can1 and I traveled around Oxford. We have a temporary bus passes (we'll pick up the full one tomorrow). We went to the City Center (downtown Oxford) and walked around. We took some pictures and stopped by the Steampunk Museum

We walked around a bit with Etsy and two new friends~ Finland (from Finland) and Chris (from Germany). There are some shops here where you can buy a coat for £20! I promised not to start buying clothes though until at least a couple months from now. I can't go spending a ton of money before I know what I'm doing. :3 Then we went grocery shopping and got some more groceries for home.

By the way, for anyone who was wondering what my place looks like I took a picture of the outside of G-block. There's about 8 flats as part of the one building, set up in a rather random way I might add.

So that's my place~

:: Julianne ::

January 22-25/10 :: Updates

January 22/10

Let me share a fun fact with you. When I'm stressed out I get warm. How warm you ask? Quite warm. Like a freaking furnace. I have hot flashes like I'm a 55 year old going through menopause. I've had this problem since I was in elementary school. So let's just say that when I was going through the airport. Why? Well I'm worried about the weight of my things, worried about their contents. I have nothing to hide, done nothing wrong. But they treat you like it.

So I do what I do best.

I talk.

I chatted up the people in front and behind me, a man on his way to Frankfurt and another kind older man. Joked about our shoes and how many bins we had to use. It was amusing and it calmed me down. I had almost cried when I left but I didn't. And talking to those two guys gave me confidence again.

Btw...Olivia...I know I should have hugged you when I left. I do love you and I'll miss you for the months I'm away. But I didn't want to hug you if you didn't want a hug. So I hope this internet love is good enough. You'd better be safe these next 4 months so I can hug you when you get back.

I need a pair of nailclippers, sitting here in the airport. Dangit. Hang nail!!

The internet isn't free here...so Imma write!

January 23/10

Okay so things are going....well they're going. Slept on the plane as much as I could. Met family friends in the airport who took me to Oxford. Well the lock on my door is broken. Lucky me.

So I can't leave until it's fixed. Who knows how long that'll take. And I need to figure out the calling code for my bell card. Lol...funny me huh~

Guy did eventually come and fix the lock and I got to meet my roommates! I don't want to disclose their names out here in the interwebs, privacy issues and all, so I'll give them funky nicknames.

There's VT, from Virgina USA, Syd from Sydney Australia. Met them and they're so nice. We've decided to go out for the evening with more international people.

Look at that! Me! Going out!

January 24/10

Today was awesome! Last night I woke up awfully disoriented. "Where the heck am I?" And there was banging around the flat. Turns out that was Etsy (another nickname) from Estonia! I've always wanted to meet an Estonian. I read Hetalia, a comic about world nations, and Estonia has always been super adorable. She's really nice too. This evening I also met Pan (from Hungary, in Hetalia the character Hungary always hits people with pans so...nickname!) Btw...these nicknames are not what I call my roommates in real life. That'd be mean. These are going to be online aliases!

So anyway, we went out last night to the city center in Oxford. Took the bus and ended up in a nice little italian place for dinner. There was 4 girls from France, another girl from Australia and a guy from Austria who went with. Awesome time.

Then this morning I went to the Sport Center to email my family, finally, and update a quick message on my blog. I should be uploading this whole thing tomorrow or Tuesday. VT, her mom and I then went up the street to find groceries. We found 3 places but one was the best. Called 'Iceland'. Everything was frozen food, just three aisles of frozen food...all for 1-2 pounds. Seriously, 35 chicken nuggets = 1 pound. A gallon of milk 1 pound. 2 loaves of bread = 1 pound. I think I spent about 12 pounds on groceries for a long while. It was nice.

Then we walked them back...a long way.

And then toured around campus. We discovered the nice paths, the shortcuts and then signed up for our first trip (this weekend). A trip to Bath to visit the Roman baths this Saturday.

It's exciting.

There was a game night for the international students tonight, free pizza. We played games, met new people and had a great time.

Turns out there's another girl from my university here! There was already one that I knew about, Can1, but there's another! From my uni! I shall call her Can2 for now until I can come up with a more appropriate nickname.

I'm staying in tonight. Can1 and I tried to go look for wireless but everything was closed. VT is out at a pub with her mom and Syd is missing XD Etsy is in her room watching movies and Pans has gone out with a friend. I know I could be out doing things but frankly I'm still a tad jetlagged and my feet are sore. Plus my throat aches, talking way too much.

But I missed having people around. It's very refreshing.

Btw...Oxford is gorgeous! So many little shops and old buildings. The busing has wifi on the bus (go figure) that seems bizarre to me. There's a 5 pound bus to London, 5 pound return as well, that runs every 10-15 minutes. I'll be using that a couple times.

So all in all things are fantastic!!

I'm HERE!

I'm here, I'm safe and I'm well!

Though internet I do not have.

Right now I'm at the Sport Center, in a corner, while my friends are waiting.

So just a message for all, I've arrived!!

Mini-Freakout

Mini-freakout!

dfgkjsdf,asd;jgdh

*runs around room like a madwoman*

It just kicked in.

Holy Mother of Pearl with goat cheese on rye bread! I'm going to England tomorrow! TOMORROW! What am I supposed to do? How am I...what...*foams at mouth and passes out*



...
...
...
...
...

Woah...trippy.

January 21/2010 :: Detached

Day -1 (Tomorrow is the day)
Mood: I'm going where tomorrow? No way.
Level of Excitement/Crazy: 4/10

You know how things stress you out? When you have so much time on your hands because you were finished packing a week ago so now all that is left is time for your mind to wander. To stress out over things that you shouldn't stress out over. Welcome to my brain.

I'm not amused by it myself. It makes sleeping a chore when it's supposed to be ME TIME. Sleeping, or post-sleep, is the time when my brain should be at its most creative. I look forward to it most nights. Not when I'm stressed though.

So I tell myself that things will work out. And I believe it to. Things do work out, they always do. Worrying about cash? Bang! Scholarship! Worrying about stress? Bang! A new RP thread to delight in! Worried about accessing the internet over in Oxford because you won't have a login for the first week? Bang! Two seconds later you'll get an email explaining a free wireless intended for your use in that first week!

It's like flipping magic.

Thank you universe. You keep things in balance.

So yeah, basically I'm roaming the interwebs. Looking for funny and amusing things to eat up my time.

I think I've overused the stumble button.

My mood is oddly detached. Like I can't believe I'm going anywhere special tomorrow. It's a normal day. BUT IT ISN'T! Ah well, I'd rather be detached than stressed.

Cheerio!!

:: Julianne ::

January 19/2010 :: Departure Impending

Day -3 (Cause I haven't left yet)
Mood: A whole mixy mess in my tummy!
Level of Excitement/Crazy: 8.5/10



Hello everyone! Welcome to my official travel blog for my impending trip to the UK for an exchange program with Oxford-Brookes University in (you guessed it) Oxford!! I'm basically all packed for now, save my MP3 player, computer and other essentials that I can't live without for a day.


Oh yes, my mood exactly!

So, beyond the fact that I'm all prepared...I'm also completely crazy. Yup. So in case anyone wasn't aware:

"Hello, my name is Julianne and I'm insane."

And don't deny the truth because YOU KNOW IT TO BE TRUE! Anyone who has hung out with me for more than 30 minutes knows that I'm crazy. Unless you're a coworker...in that case you've probably only seen my professional side. You might have seen crazy me but it's less likely to be true. You certainly haven't met the 'insane me' which is the one talking to you now. I must prove my insanity now by telling you that, while excited, my overriding emotion is that of worry.

Worry over internet once I'm there, finding classes, finances, shipping things back to Canada, finding my way around Oxford. Yada yada. I calm myself down with one of my own little pep-talks. The one where I talk to myself and make my mind aware of all the good things. Because the good things truly outweigh the bad. (Save the internet thing...seriously the internet is about 60% of my life.)

I'm going to meet new people, experience a new country.

I'll be able to to watch the new Doctor Who episodes on the day they air! Come on, I get to see the ragamuffin Matt Smith perform on the day it starts!


Look at this cutie~ I didn't think much of him when he was first interviewed to be the new Doctor but...I like him more and more with the more press he receives. He can never, ever replace the love in my heart for the (oh-so-sexy) David Tennant but I think he'll satisfy my cravings for the Doctor.

*giggles* He's in a cupboard and he's adorable! Drinking his tea. *giggles like a teenager*

*ahem*

Anyway, Doctor Who is awesome and I shall be excited to be over in the country where I won't have to watch it alone, in the dark of my bedroom on my computer screen. *thumbs up*

Other good things include meeting people who are British, meeting people from all over the world. Possibly making it to Cardiff as well as London. I should also very much like to take my courses over there and experience new teaching styles. Mostly I'm excited about meeting new people.


So yeah, that's my life right now. Wooo~ Ain't it grand to get a wee little insight into my deranged addled mind? It's not terribly off-putting I hope. : D I hope to be posting at least a couple times a week with updates of my life.

Departure is this Friday evening, arrival is Saturday morning. Hopefully I shall get a login for the shared computers or wireless and I can send an update to my family as well as update the blog with the TERRIBLY interesting info about my plane ride.

For those who do not often ride in planes it might be interesting. For all those who do ride in planes frequently...it will likely be boring. Skip it. XD

Until the next time I write!!


Ciao!!

:: Julianne ::