The dollar’s down and it’s very…very apparent; London is a huge city and one of the most influential (by this, I mean expensive) metropolitan areas in the world anyway, but the Pound/Dollar exchange is not treating me or anyone else in the group very well at all. Today I have done my laundry in the sink and hung my socks and underwear out the window, this morning I loaded up on tea and toast because it’s free, and I plan to pretty much stay out of anything that costs money until we leave London.
That is not to say that I am not enjoying myself, it just means that I have to budget much more than I’m used to. Which is not at all a bad thing; in fact, it’s not a bad exercise to examine how life would be if every dollar you own was only worth fifty cents. (I thank God I don’t smoke anymore…10 bucks for a pack of cigarettes. I can only imagine.) Half of the problem is the exchange, but I also believe that just the cost of London is what’s putting me in the penny-pinching mood.
*A personal note to my fiancé: I’m overhearing a very shallow conversation between a group of garish and grotesquely dressed young English ladies and I am so happy that you are who you are and that I’m fortunate enough have ended up with you. The alternative is unthinkable and frightening.*
I imagine that I will eventually end up living in a city, but I could never survive for an extended period of time in an environment like this. I remember my first trip to New York and how I had entertained an idea that I could live there. When I told a more level-headed friend of mine this idea he replied that I “would be nickel and dimed to death.”
The experience is grand, the subway is easy, and everything looks like it needs to go back to America with me as proof of my trip, but I quite happy with moving on to the next stop on Monday. I can only wonder if the more provincial Stratford-Upon-Avon will be cheaper or not…I hope so, but we’ll see.
*Another personal note to everyone this time: I’ve got cash, so don’t take this entry to mean that I’m on my last dollar already, I’m just planning and budgeting for the entire trip rather than spending all my money on over-priced British stuff.*
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
*Splitting the world in two (with an arbitrary line)*
Visited Greenwich today and got to split myself into two different hemispheres at once. A map geek and Geography major’s dream (well, dream might be pushing it, but interesting in any case). Another student asked a question wondering why the Prime Meridian goes through Greenwich, to which we were told the answer was that the British Empire at the time were the world leaders of the Nautical and Astronomical Sciences. Other countries tried to have the line that starts all other arbitrary lines, but the British did it better and were more influential and eventually all competitors fell in line and acknowledged the Prime Meridian as 0 degrees E and W.
This got me thinking about how other things in the world are in dispute and how they will eventually be settled and made to be universal. Britain got things started with how to tell distance from place to place and from there they had to set time to a standard (that wasn’t just based upon the sun rising and setting); but Britain (and in turn, the U.S.) still use standard definitions to define distance rather than metric definitions even though metric is easier and more universal.
It can only be a matter of time until the hold-out nations in a dispute who are arguing for the inferior method can maintain. When I learned about the metric system in grade (primary) school, I was told that America would change to it during my lifetime and that that was why it was important for me to know it.
Another standard that has been in dispute during my lifetime is the monetary systems in Europe. With most of the countries in Europe using the same money being unthinkable only a couple of generations ago, I wonder what the impact of the Euro being the standard in Europe will be in the future (also, I wonder how long the British Pound will hold out until one can start using the Euro here).
This curiosity doesn’t just exist in terms of nationalism either. The parallel that I draw is Microsoft. Everyone knows that (in most cases) Windows is superior to any other Operating System, and for all intents and purposes was the only game in town up until a couple of years ago, when Apple started to give them a run for their money. Being that computers will be around forever and will only become more intertwined with our lives throughout the years, will there someday have to be a kind of de facto agreement about systems and syntax to use on a macro scale? It’s already happening on a micro scale.
If you’ve read up until know as a friend or family member, I’m sure you are tired of the school journaling, so here is the reason you’re around…During the last two days I’ve been to The National Theater of London which was impressive with it’s three stages (including one stage that gets completely made up and taken down depending on the performance…even the stage wings and seats; so they can have any kind of set up they need or want). That night, we went to The 39 Steps a theatre adaptation of an old Hitchcock movie (one that predates Psycho, Vertigo, and all his American movies). It was a parody/farce and was amazingly funny. Definitely the best show I’ve seen here in London.
The day after ( the day I’m writing this) we have taken the trip up to Greenwich (which I’ve talked about above) and visited the:
The Royal Observatory (where the Prime Meridian goes though).
…and (my favorite)…
The National Maritime Museum.
Which I was most impressed with all kinds of British Sea-faring information. Unfortunately we weren’t supposed to take pictures, but I did snag these (pardon the darkness).
Me and Lord Nelson’s coat. (Lord Nelson died in…but won…the Battle of Trafalgar which is symbolized by one of the three strips on American Sailor's Uniforms…My own included).
The National Maritime Museum.
Me and Sir Walter Raleigh.
Greenwich, adjacent to the pier.
A Portion of the group on the boat ride back (it was a long day).
...
the internet is quick tonight, so I gotta take the opportunity when I can; here are some more pictures:
Proof of Piccadilly Circle
Proof or the Prime Meridian.
Proof that I love my wife(ish) and miss her very much no matter how worthwhile what I'm doing is...
Monday, February 4, 2008
*Foriegn Superbowls and Theatrical Tours*
An interesting situation to be sure, watching the superbowl in another country. Apparently the New England Patriots have kind of turned into football’s version of the New York Yankees, because the people over here were all about Tom Brady (I’m sure I don’t know why). There was quite a bit of ambivalence as well, but I was surprised by the amount of coverage and interest the people I saw had in the Superbowl. I guess I kind of figured it to not be of interest to anybody outside of North America, but, just like the Yankees, I guess the Patriots kind of represent an American sport to the rest of the world. I just wish sometimes that the rest of the world didn’t just know one team from each sport. I can’t complain too much, though…the only British soccer team I can name is Manchester United, so I guess it’s pretty mush the same thing.
Being a bunch of Midwesterners, no one was really too invested in the game, but being Americans, half the group showed up to watch at least the first half (which started around ten or eleven o’clock). Unfortunately, the broadcast we were watching in the hostel was playing local, British commercials, so there were no signs of the lavish spectacle of the whole thing…I honestly went to bed before I could find out if the half-time show was broadcast.
A couple members of the group watching the Superbowl at the Hostel.
The next day, the group was somehow able to negotiate the tube system at rush hour (no small feat) to arrive at Westminster Abbey for a walking tour and boat ride down the Thames.
Wonderful wonderful tour guides…here are some pictures:
Big Ben
The Globe Theater
The torture chair at The Clink, an middle age prison
Being a bunch of Midwesterners, no one was really too invested in the game, but being Americans, half the group showed up to watch at least the first half (which started around ten or eleven o’clock). Unfortunately, the broadcast we were watching in the hostel was playing local, British commercials, so there were no signs of the lavish spectacle of the whole thing…I honestly went to bed before I could find out if the half-time show was broadcast.
A couple members of the group watching the Superbowl at the Hostel.
The next day, the group was somehow able to negotiate the tube system at rush hour (no small feat) to arrive at Westminster Abbey for a walking tour and boat ride down the Thames.
Wonderful wonderful tour guides…here are some pictures:
Big Ben
The Globe Theater
The torture chair at The Clink, an middle age prison
Sunday, February 3, 2008
There and Back Again
Last night was my theater night. For the Intro to Theater class, I had to go to two extra plays on top of the three we’re going to as a group. There is no shortage of performances to go to (this IS London, after all), but I had more choices than I really knew what to do with. Being that I don’t know all too much about theater and plays, I figured I would see one random one and one that I would be able to relate to fairly well. As it happens so often, the random choice worked out a lot better than the safe bet.
First was the random choice, The Woman in Black; supposedly the most frightening live performance in the world. A lot of startling jumps and scares. Very fun.
Then (I’m a little ashamed to admit it) was the Lord of the Rings musical. Almost 1000 pages of book or 9 hours of movie condensed into a 3 hour play leaving time for songs. If you’re thinking that it sounds kind of stupid, you would be right. Huge chunks of the story taken out, uninteresting songs, and a Balrog that wasn’t on fire. I’m glad I went because my curiosity has been sated, but…uh, yeah…it kinda sucked. The spider was super-cool though.
In between the shows, I went for a walk and stumbled upon a great view of Big Ben and The Tower of London. The picture doesn’t do the sight justice, but here you go.
ALSO: upon some good advice I went and saw St. Paul’s Cathedral the day before. You know something is grand when it’s too big to take a picture of, but I tried. Unfortunately, it cost about twenty bucks to get in and I don't want to blow my budget just yet. I guess they need to cover lawyer fees. Oh well.
Like they said in the musical...may the hair never fall out of your feet.
First was the random choice, The Woman in Black; supposedly the most frightening live performance in the world. A lot of startling jumps and scares. Very fun.
Then (I’m a little ashamed to admit it) was the Lord of the Rings musical. Almost 1000 pages of book or 9 hours of movie condensed into a 3 hour play leaving time for songs. If you’re thinking that it sounds kind of stupid, you would be right. Huge chunks of the story taken out, uninteresting songs, and a Balrog that wasn’t on fire. I’m glad I went because my curiosity has been sated, but…uh, yeah…it kinda sucked. The spider was super-cool though.
In between the shows, I went for a walk and stumbled upon a great view of Big Ben and The Tower of London. The picture doesn’t do the sight justice, but here you go.
ALSO: upon some good advice I went and saw St. Paul’s Cathedral the day before. You know something is grand when it’s too big to take a picture of, but I tried. Unfortunately, it cost about twenty bucks to get in and I don't want to blow my budget just yet. I guess they need to cover lawyer fees. Oh well.
Like they said in the musical...may the hair never fall out of your feet.
*Old and New*
I believe that I’ve gotten the hang of the tube system here in London. This opens up the entire city. My only worry is that, after the entirety of this trip and the variety of public transportation systems we will have to contend with, I will not be able to keep them all straight.
It amazes me just how much the underground tube system is needed here. I guess it’s true in any big city, but I think more so in a truly old city like London. Over the years, the city has grown and grown and a lot of the streets change names at certain corners, which isn’t as infuriating as you’d think (at least you can figure it out when you’re walking the wrong way down the street). The process of outward and upward expansion coupled with no thought to city planning back at the time of construction has lead to confounding mess of city streets and a weird and lovely mix of the old and the new when. Then you throw cars and traffic in to the whole mix. The traffic situation is jumbled to such an extant that instead of having walking and street lights that alternate for directions, they also have to alternate for both walkers and drivers. Cars go; then people go.
The mix of old and new doesn’t just effect traffic, but the feel of the town as well. I found this to be true when the group was doing a “Jack the Ripper” walking tour. All that stuff happened just over a hundred years ago, but it was hard to put yourself in the situations that were being described because most of the buildings that were around at that time are standing next to very new, nice, and shiny buildings. You can also see pieces of the original wall of London that dates back to before the middle ages throughout the entire city.
I thought this picture kind of summed up the idea of the mix and old and new.
It amazes me just how much the underground tube system is needed here. I guess it’s true in any big city, but I think more so in a truly old city like London. Over the years, the city has grown and grown and a lot of the streets change names at certain corners, which isn’t as infuriating as you’d think (at least you can figure it out when you’re walking the wrong way down the street). The process of outward and upward expansion coupled with no thought to city planning back at the time of construction has lead to confounding mess of city streets and a weird and lovely mix of the old and the new when. Then you throw cars and traffic in to the whole mix. The traffic situation is jumbled to such an extant that instead of having walking and street lights that alternate for directions, they also have to alternate for both walkers and drivers. Cars go; then people go.
The mix of old and new doesn’t just effect traffic, but the feel of the town as well. I found this to be true when the group was doing a “Jack the Ripper” walking tour. All that stuff happened just over a hundred years ago, but it was hard to put yourself in the situations that were being described because most of the buildings that were around at that time are standing next to very new, nice, and shiny buildings. You can also see pieces of the original wall of London that dates back to before the middle ages throughout the entire city.
I thought this picture kind of summed up the idea of the mix and old and new.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Catching up...
I didn't realize how time consuming it is to play with all these pictures on the blog, so I may be cutting that portion down a bit to make room for a little more info.
Saw The British Museum and the Fire of London exhibit as well as St. Paul's Cathedral (It's big, old, and big).
Saw the musical "Blood Brothers" tonight for the theater class. Busy Busy
Oh...by the way, when I've been on my own, I've actually been asked directions three times, so I must not stick out too much.
Saw The British Museum and the Fire of London exhibit as well as St. Paul's Cathedral (It's big, old, and big).
Saw the musical "Blood Brothers" tonight for the theater class. Busy Busy
Oh...by the way, when I've been on my own, I've actually been asked directions three times, so I must not stick out too much.
*HMS Belfast*
"I have sailed the world
beheld its wonders
from the Dardinells,
to the mountains of Peru,
But there's no place like London!"
-Stephen Sondheim, No Place like London from the play Sweeny Todd
After our first full day of classes this morning, I decided that it was time to actually go and get some real cash, as well as needing a tube (the underground railway system) pass for tonight.
A couple of wrong turns and a little more than a couple instances of prideful-not-wanting-to-look-like-a-tourist moments, and I found myself in the middle of the rain in a residential district a ways off from anything that I would want to see.
…I figured it all out though, found a bank with an ATM, found a fish & chips stand (which I don’t advise), and found King’s Cross Rail and Underground Station.
After buying my pass, I looked over the tube system and realized that a little ‘on my own’ exploring would really fit the bill since I’d had almost continuous contact with my travel mates since we had left the Twin Cities (a little more human contact than I really enjoy).
Looking at the tube system map, I saw that the London Bridge stop was only a couple of stops from where I was and went.
Ten minutes and I was there, but as I came out of the subway, I realized that I had forgotten the biggest lesson I had learned in New York: your first time coming out of an underground train stop is very, very disorientating and if you knew your directions before you went underground, you probably won’t when you return to the surface.
Again, to proud to ask someone which way was North so I could get my bearings, I started walking and found a 12th century church. How cool is that?
Southwick Cathedral
After finding the church, I found the Thames River and was therefore able to see that the London Bridge was about half a mile down river. As I walked, I just happened upon the HMS Belfast, a museum ship on put on display by the Imperial War Museum.
Cover of the brochure
Being that I was in the Navy only couple of years ago, I decided to take the tour and see what kind of differences there are with my experiences and those of British sailors during World War II. (It should be noted that I never stepped one foot onboard any surface war vessel during my naval career. I was stationed on a submarine and that was it, probably the reason why I’m not in the Navy currently.)
The first comparison I can make is the huge amount of space that exists compared to what I was used to on the submarine. HUGE. Secondly, the dummies on display were very lifelike.
Me and the Galley Slaves
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4840981025025331624&postID=130698987124329314
Thinking about it know, I’m kinda glad that we didn’t have a dentist onboard.
I know you can’t really see it, but that’s an LP. Yep, those Brits had a DJ!
This is a model of a Radioman. My friend, Jameson would be glad to see that the radio gear didn’t work back then either.
Helmsman hard at work, at least I had a seat when I drove the boat.
I was a Quartermaster, but this is the equivalent in British, Aussie, and Canadian Navies. Basically we plotted the location and the course of the ship and kept the officer who was known as the Navigator out of trouble
That’s what I did and it’s harder than just drawing lines on paper.
A lot easier to smile when you're no longer the one getting yelled at.
Again, that would have been me getting yelled at by the guy with the phone (no wonder I can’t hear to well out of my right ear these days.)
That’s the pictures from the HMS Belfast, not to mention how I related to the whole experience of taking the tour.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot the whole reason for the trip: London Bridge
beheld its wonders
from the Dardinells,
to the mountains of Peru,
But there's no place like London!"
-Stephen Sondheim, No Place like London from the play Sweeny Todd
After our first full day of classes this morning, I decided that it was time to actually go and get some real cash, as well as needing a tube (the underground railway system) pass for tonight.
A couple of wrong turns and a little more than a couple instances of prideful-not-wanting-to-look-like-a-tourist moments, and I found myself in the middle of the rain in a residential district a ways off from anything that I would want to see.
…I figured it all out though, found a bank with an ATM, found a fish & chips stand (which I don’t advise), and found King’s Cross Rail and Underground Station.
After buying my pass, I looked over the tube system and realized that a little ‘on my own’ exploring would really fit the bill since I’d had almost continuous contact with my travel mates since we had left the Twin Cities (a little more human contact than I really enjoy).
Looking at the tube system map, I saw that the London Bridge stop was only a couple of stops from where I was and went.
Ten minutes and I was there, but as I came out of the subway, I realized that I had forgotten the biggest lesson I had learned in New York: your first time coming out of an underground train stop is very, very disorientating and if you knew your directions before you went underground, you probably won’t when you return to the surface.
Again, to proud to ask someone which way was North so I could get my bearings, I started walking and found a 12th century church. How cool is that?
Southwick Cathedral
After finding the church, I found the Thames River and was therefore able to see that the London Bridge was about half a mile down river. As I walked, I just happened upon the HMS Belfast, a museum ship on put on display by the Imperial War Museum.
Cover of the brochure
Being that I was in the Navy only couple of years ago, I decided to take the tour and see what kind of differences there are with my experiences and those of British sailors during World War II. (It should be noted that I never stepped one foot onboard any surface war vessel during my naval career. I was stationed on a submarine and that was it, probably the reason why I’m not in the Navy currently.)
The first comparison I can make is the huge amount of space that exists compared to what I was used to on the submarine. HUGE. Secondly, the dummies on display were very lifelike.
Me and the Galley Slaves
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4840981025025331624&postID=130698987124329314Thinking about it know, I’m kinda glad that we didn’t have a dentist onboard.
I know you can’t really see it, but that’s an LP. Yep, those Brits had a DJ!
This is a model of a Radioman. My friend, Jameson would be glad to see that the radio gear didn’t work back then either.
Helmsman hard at work, at least I had a seat when I drove the boat.
I was a Quartermaster, but this is the equivalent in British, Aussie, and Canadian Navies. Basically we plotted the location and the course of the ship and kept the officer who was known as the Navigator out of trouble
That’s what I did and it’s harder than just drawing lines on paper.
A lot easier to smile when you're no longer the one getting yelled at.
Again, that would have been me getting yelled at by the guy with the phone (no wonder I can’t hear to well out of my right ear these days.)
That’s the pictures from the HMS Belfast, not to mention how I related to the whole experience of taking the tour.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot the whole reason for the trip: London Bridge
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