Gitnerblog.

Gitnerblog.com

2009-06-26T09:34:00.005-04:00

Gitnerblog can now be found at http://www.gitnerblog.com. Please update your links and/or RSS feeds accordingly. All new posts will now appear at the new site. Thanks for reading!

Summer Sunday

2009-06-21T21:07:00.006-04:00

I used to dread Sundays. I'd snicker at references to it as the "day of rest" throughout my epic Catholic education (15 years = a whole lot of snickering). For me, Sunday meant strategically timed showers and meals in order to waste as little time as possible. It meant regretting starting Saturday night at 6 o'clock, because I didn't get enough reading done.

During the worst of Sundays, I'd put on a little soundtrack to bask in my Sunday angst. The Pretenders' cover of Morrissey's "Everyday is Like Sunday" was a particular favorite. To fully comprehend the angst, here's the first verse and chorus:

V1: Trudging slowly over wet sand
Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen
This is the coastal town
That they forgot to close down
Armageddon - come Armageddon!
Come, Armageddon! come!

C: Everyday is like Sunday
Everyday is silent and grey

Before you judge, listen to the song. It's damn good and perfectly captured my sentiments about Sunday. While I'm still a fan of of the song and other Sunday songs, including "Sunday Morning" by The Velvet Underground, I am no longer a hater of Sunday.

Sunday is my savior! It's a day off in a 6-day week when nine hours of sleep feels like fifteen; when I drink coffee just for the taste; when folding laundry is relaxing. Even the half-mile trek to the grocery store is satisfying. Today I splurged on some Norwegian cheese, Snøfrisk, and bought some locally grown blueberries. These little treats seem like child's play after seeing the delicacies (and obscene prices) at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market, but they're the little joys that make Sunday special.

The day is almost gone now, but it was a good one. When I can wait contentedly at the bus stop for over an hour and make friends with a Cuban named Omar, it's been a decent day.

Give Lady Gaga a Break

2009-06-20T00:04:00.005-04:00

Because I promised a post, I will briefly discuss the best thing about commuting to work.

It's the podcasts. At all other times of the year, podcasts pile up in my Itunes library. That pesky exclamation mark appears next to each and every subscription reminding me that I'm masquerading as a pseudo-intellectual. I could never just sit in my room for an hour and listen to a radio program.

Times have changed, my friends. I've cried on the GUTS bus listening to Dan Savage recount his mother's battle with cancer on This American Life. I've fallen in love with The Low Anthem's "Charlie Darwin" on All Songs Considered. I've rolled my eyes about Obama's controversial "conscience clause" on Slate's DoubleX Gabfest.

Perhaps things have gotten a little out of hand. I now subscribe to ten podcasts, some of which take a few weeks to get around to listening. But if you have an Ipod and you commute, I highly recommend you give Lady Gaga a break and listen to some storytelling. Or news. Or comedy. Anything! Spice up your life with a podcast. When the day's done and you're looking forward to going to sleep as soon as you can scarf down your pasta dinner, it's something to look forward to.

Work Hard, Play Hard?

2009-06-18T22:23:00.002-04:00

I learned last week that I cannot work hard, play hard. I can work hard, rest for a night, do some laundry, and then can play relatively hard.

I'm getting into the groove of working three jobs, but sadly my blogging has suffered. Big things are in store for the blog though, including a move to WordPress and a new domain! Get ready.

In the meantime, look for a Friday night blog entry.

Thanks EThrash187

2009-05-31T20:24:00.018-04:00

Today I learned that an old friend has died. Eric drowned on Thursday in a tragic accident. He was the first person I "dated." At the ripe age of 14 and without a driver's license, this meant an occasional group trip to the movie theater and a lot of online chatting. Eric and I didn't work out. The logistics of traveling 31 miles to see each other was impractical, but thanks to the internet, we stayed good friends. We talked so often on AIM that our chat logs, had I saved them, would've amassed countless pages.

We lost touch after high school as many friends do. Hearing about him today, I was saddened by the news. My sadness deepened as I realized the impact of his life on my own. I wish I could thank him for it today, but instead, I'll settle with this blog entry.

Eric was there when I started learning to play the guitar. When I began the hunt for my first electric guitar, we debated Fender versus Ibanez. These are the two brands most newbies gravitate towards. Ibanez, Eric argued, was the more versatile guitar. As a thrash metal enthusiast, he urged me to choose a metal-friendly guitar so I could later shred to my heart's desire. Fender, however, was the choice brand of my favorite bands at the time. I wanted to play like Blink 182, Green Day, and Rancid. Eric Clapton even had a signature Fender model that I saw in the catalogues, and I knew at the time that Eric Clapton was... someone. Eric called me out. He told me I just wanted a Fender because I thought they looked cool! While that was 100% true, I denied it and bought a Schecter instead. That's how much power the guy had over me!

Eric's influence didn't stop there. He opened my eyes to more than the pop punk music I listened to. He pointed out the simplicity of Green Day and Blink 182 songs, that they were just a bunch of power chords with catchy melodies. While I was still allowed to like them (and I do), he showed me the way to greener pastures. He started my music education slowly with Metallica's Master of Puppets. I listened back through their discography, and eventually learned to play my first guitar solos ever with "Fade To Black." I learned that Master of Puppets was Metallica's masterpiece and that it was all downhill afterwards. Eric would later send me in the direction of other musicians I would've taken a lot longer to embrace: Jimi Hendrix, Opeth, Black Sabbath, and more.

Although I wouldn't have consciously thought this before, Eric had a huge impact on the person I am today: my music snobbiness, my random knowledge of metal, even the electric guitar I own. It's crazy to think about the butterfly effect he created. Eric is gone now, but I won't forget his influence on me. Thanks a lot, EThrash187. Your friend, jlgpunk182.

Radio Meditation

2009-05-31T15:58:00.004-04:00

I write this from my favorite summer meditation spot, the radio studio. During the year, it's only empty from 2AM to 8AM. In the summer, it's gloriously free almost all the time. I park myself at a couch or even the studio window where I can be alone with my lap top, my thoughts, and a Subway sandwich. While my student card no longer provides me access to computer labs or the library, I can at least come here without feeling like I should be gone.

Man, I feel old. But I'm young and I know it! How can I combat this paranoia? For the past few days, my left hip has been bothering me and my first reaction was to flash forward to a scene at age forty where I have trouble walking. I suppressed that image only to be bombarded by an even scarier scene: me having trouble walking at age twenty-five! And then I thought of health insurance. And then I metaphorically slapped myself in the face, addressed myself as "Jessica," and told myself to get a hold of myself.

I came to the radio station to do just that. For the past 2.5 hours, I wrote some emails, nibbled at a foot-long tuna sub, and stared at the racks of cds meditatively while listening to the rotation playlist. I think I feel better now.

Saying Goodbye

2009-05-27T15:21:00.010-04:00

Every now and again, I get so emotional about an event that I am forced to restrain myself from blogging. Graduating. It happened to me almost two weeks ago. Some would even argue I made it happen. I accomplished it. I'd rather not take responsibility for an event so traumatizing.

Four years ago, I wouldn't have guessed that graduating would be such a painful process. As a freshman, I contemplated transferring to Columbia or NYU. I viewed my new friendships with floormates on D6 with suspicion and was repulsed by the preppiness of many of my Georgetown peers. My cynicism, however, could only withstand so many good times. My love of Georgetown grew to epic proportions with each basketball game, group dinner at Leo's, and covert dormroom pre-games.

Four years later, I found myself living with five of my closest friends in the greatest house in all of Burleith (see photo above). It truly was a home with everything that a home should have: a family, good food, good conversation, and comfy couches. It was not unusual for at least one housemate to be awake between the hours of 6AM - 4AM. Consequently, round the clock moral support, as well as delicoius baked goods, were in constant supply.

After graduation, I was the last housemate to depart our Burleith paradise. I braced myself for each of five "goodbye's" and though I knew I'd see everyone again, I cried. It was the dismantling of our family. The drama of it all was emphasized by empty rooms and white walls. Surprisingly, it became easier when everyone left. My anxiety floated away, and I felt like I could finally rest. Maybe because I had tried so hard to stay up late and wake up early hanging onto every moment while everyone was still here.

The sadness of leaving the house behind lingers with me. I am living only a block away now, but it's hard not to remember how great it was as I walk by each day. Now is different, I tell myself. But different is not as good as before. I was lucky to have experienced such an amazing senior year and overall college career. I know that I am lucky, because when I tell people how hard it was for it to end, some can't relate. They can't identify with the feeling of loss.

Graduation may be the most traumatic thing I've gone through, but I think that means I've had a pretty good life so far. Moving on isn't all bad. I do feel accompished, and I am excited to see how I'll turn out. Will I be successful? Will I move somewhere new? What will my first apartment look like? I'm excited to see how friends turn out too. What will they be when they grow up? I think the Class of 2009 thought it would have a clearer idea by now, but the economy has us on our toes.

While I wait to find out, I've got some exciting plans for the next 4 months. In addition to a few jobs to keep me busy, I'll continue writing this blog. I'll write more music. I'll listen to more music. I'll even read. Unfortunately, Suze Orman is high on the priority list.

As a grown-up blogger, what will I write about? I'll figure it out soon. Thanks for reading.

Coming Soon

2009-05-26T00:03:00.001-04:00

Behold my return to the blogosphere... in one day. Moving and graduating has set me back, but I am recovered. Tune in.

-Jess

Thank You, NPR

2009-05-02T16:33:00.009-04:00

This past week, I toured the NPR studios with Bob Boilen of All Songs Considered. This was amazing for several reasons: First, Bob Boilen is a celebrity of sorts for music listeners and hearing his distinctive voice and seeing him in the flesh was surreal. Second, the NPR studios are mind-blowing, and their staff are rock stars. I was fortunate enough to watch a live taping of All Things Considered. While my love of NPR is firmly rooted in All Songs and music-related programming, watching the flawless execution of All Things was inspiring. The crew were cool as cucumbers and cruised through the show without blinking an eye. Meanwhile, my adrenaline was pumping as my eyes darted from the news personalities to the producer and his instructive gestures to the sound engineer pushing a hundred buttons.

I can't emphasize how important this tour was to me in my outlook on the future. In the past week and a half, I've gone from zero post-graduation plans to 5 months worth of employment. Massive sigh of relief. While this isn't the situation I had imagined for myself at age 21, I'm happy with it. In times like these, I forget what I really want. I tell myself that I'd rather get any job as long as it's full-time and pays. After the NPR tour, I realize that's a lie. I envy the security of jobs in consulting, for instance, but I know that I wouldn't enjoy it. Even if this NPR high only lasts a few weeks, I'm so glad I felt it.

I have struggled with blogging for the past two weeks, because I've only wanted to talk about my perceived worthlessness. I know no one wants to read that, so please endure this paragraph. I, like many of my fellow 2009 graduates, are feeling like everything we've done for the past 8 years is meaningless. Should we have just tried to join the US Postal Service after high school? Those are some enviable salaries... and I only wish that was sarcasm! I don't think anyone expects to literally be unemployable after 4 years of college, but this is what we face. This will be a fantastic story to tell in another 20 years after it's all worked out, but it's hard to see the hilarity when it's all still happening.

Places I've found inspiration through it all? Housemates and friends. Professors that know my name. Videos of babies hula-hooping. I can't put into words how meaningful it was for me to have a professor that expresses some level of caring about me as a student or, even better, as a person. It was almost shocking to me, but it has been a defining part of my undergrad experience.

I hope this didn't come off as some kind of plea for pity. I meant it more to paint a picture of the world that lies before those graduating this semester. Let us be poor. Let us complain. Let us be bushy-tailed and bright-eyed about our aspirations. If you find yourself losing hope, go on a tour of something. A brewery, a museum, a network station, anything! We're too young to give up already. One thing that you can expect of me in 20 years: I'm going to help the shit out of some poor, jobless college student. Hold on to your hats.

Blogger's Block

2009-04-29T00:53:00.005-04:00

I am suffering from writer's block. I have stayed up very late trying to be interesting but have failed. I'll be back to write something very soon.

In the mean time, follow me on twitter (those updates to the right). I've been updating that. Apologies for my excessive absence.

Hell Week

2009-04-21T18:46:00.002-04:00

I've been off the blogosphere for a bit, but if you're on Twitter, you know that I'm far from absent from the internet. I'll be fully back on the radar in a few days. And I mean, back. This semester handed me a whoopin', and I plan to enjoy whatever Senior Spring is left.

This week is surely the most demanding of my college career in terms of projects and tests, but I have survived so far with decent amounts of sleep. I took my second test of the week today, the very last test of my Georgetown career! I shook hands with my professor in congratulatory celebration. I completed one of my audio projects on Sunday, which you can listen to on MySpace Music. Check it out if you're curious and haven't already seen it on facebook and Twitter.

All I have left is my radio doc on Strivers' Section/St. Augustine's and my thesis. I'm trying to keep up the momentum. Friday = salvation.

I will cease with the boring recap, but hopefully I'll be blogging about something of interest next time. Emotions about unemployed graduation? Hopefully, I'll be blogging out life as an intern. I'm crossing my fingers.

Catholic Reflections and Such

2009-04-03T23:10:00.008-04:00

I just wrote what was supposed to be a review of a music performance at a church, but it ended up being a scathing indictment of Catholicism (read: Pope Benedict XVI). I'm feeling pretty satisfied for a Friday night.

Sorry to everyone for not blogging in two weeks. I had an onslaught of assignments and a new mutation of my four-week cold following my Spring Break in LA. Now I am down to the nitty gritty of graduating. My three major projects are 1.) my NPR-style radio piece; 2.) my new song; and 3.) my thesis for Political Economy.

While parts of each one can be pleasantly gratifying, all together they can be frustrating. I traveled to St. Augustine's Church at 15th and V Streets twice in the past week to observe mass and record some live sound. I also walked around the surrounding historic district, Strivers' Section (picture above). It's been quite a long time since I've set foot in a Catholic Church, omitting cultural tourism of course. It was a surreal experience in that everything was so familiar there. I was sucked into a world where I felt comfortable, where I knew what happened next. If I was magically reactivating my Catholicism, I would go to St. Augustine's each week. Their Gospel Choir and Chorale are fantastic, and I've never before felt so welcomed in a new place. That said, I couldn't help but scribble all my frustrations about the Catholic Church in my notebook during the homily. My views about the Church haven't changed, but my views of the people in the Church have. For now, I'm treating Catholicism like a plate of hors’dourves . I'll take what I like and spit out the rest. Bad analogy?

In my last post, I wrote that my dream job exists. Well, it may exist, but it's not easy to get. I knew that before, but the point is being hammered home each and every day. I go through waves of confidence and inspiration. Meet one person one day and soar on a high of hope. One week later, I'm back down on earth and sifting through the realities of post-graduation unemployment.

My house has been afflicted with the jobless blues, and it's been pretty noticeable. Each week, we prop one another up in our down times. The next week, it's someone else that needs some cheering up. I may be biased here, but we are some kick ass ladies. We are pre-med English majors, Nursing majors that have delivered babies, and Culture & Politics majors that know the location and independence date of countries I have never even heard of. And of course, I am a Political Economy and Music major. We are amazing.

Easter Break is just around the corner. Thank you, Catholic education. I'll be heading up to Boston for some family time. For all those are unfortunate enough to work on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, remember: the Pope hates condoms. I don't get it either...

Post-Spring Break Recap

2009-03-16T17:03:00.005-04:00

I'm back from LA and in a brief reflection, let me sum up the things I've learned:

1.) My dream job exists, and it exists in many forms. Whew.

2.) I can make my fortune in NYC rather than LA and still pursue my dream job.

3.) I'm a badass driver.*

*with the aid of a GPS device

I went to LA fearing that I'd be told it was the only place where I'll have the chance to work in music. True, LA is THE epicenter of film, so film music probably won't be an opportunity outside of LA. But NYC is a mecca for music and even tv, and I was encouraged by many head haunchos that I could find success in NYC. Massive sigh of relief.

LA is not an unfriendly place. I exchanged smiles with more strangers than I can remember and even had a random chat or two with Assistants and and fellow lost wanderers in parking garages. However, more than NYC, I feel that LA is a place where a book is judged by its cover. Look cool or die trying. I'm sure many do.

I loved that LA had guitar shops everywhere. Guitar Center, Sam Ash, McCabe's, and more! McCabe's didn't have the ukulele of my dreams, but it did have an Irish bouzouki. When I saw The Magnetic Fields perform at Lisner Auditorium, Stephen Merritt used a string instrument that sounded clangy like a mandolin but resounded like a guitar. And now (hurrah!) I know its name. Bouzouki, be mine? After I get a job, after I get a job.

Speaking of music, I posted a new song on my Myspace that I actually recorded with Pro Tools and some decent gear. Some of it was recorded or written in haste, but I'm overall happy with it. I'm seeing two nights of the Georgetown's Festival In-Residence "Schubert, Schubert, Schubert" concert this weekend. It's apparently a big deal and features the Auryn Quartet. I'm excited to hear some Haydn live!

Alright. Back to the grind. After next Tuesday, I hope to follow through on promises to hang out with people! Get ready.

Spring Break

2009-03-08T12:37:00.002-04:00

Since I last wrote, things are looking up. I met with a librarian and secured a dataset from the International Telecommunications Union. Massive sigh of relief. I've seen the data put to work in recent articles too. Did you know that 60% of the world owns a cell phone? I'll be cranking out some research next week as my March 24th deadline nears, but for now, I'm trying to relax as much as I can.

This week is Georgetown's Spring Break, and I'm in LA for GEMA's (Georgetown Entertainment & Media Alliance) week-long networking event. While friends are skiing in fresh Colorado powder or tanning in Costa Rica, I'm braving the concrete jungle. So far the driving hasn't been too terrible. I'm armed with a trusty GPS and more importantly, I've got my mom in the passenger seat. She won't be with me the whole week, but it's nice to have her here with me for a little bit.

LA isn't really the type of place where you can just "walk around." It's barely the type of place where you can just drive around. I knew that coming in, but still wasn't quite prepared for the landscape I was confronted with. Even so, the weather is beautiful and I'm hoping to squeeze in some fun while I'm here. I'm stopping into McCabe's Guitar Shop today for some fun browsing of folk instruments.

I better get going. The concrete jungle awaits...

Me vs. Thesis, Round 1: Thesis

2009-03-03T23:23:00.006-05:00

Life overall has decreased in stressfulness since I last posted. In one respect, though, I'm still shaking in my shoes. I'm haunted by my thesis. Tonight while taking a shower, I thought, "Well, at least if I fail my thesis class, I'll at least graduate with one major." This is hopefully an exaggeration, but I feel a bit like the underdog in this battle.

I have a thesis question that was approved and discussed with my TA and professor. After meeting with another professor who does relevant research, I'm not so sure I can actually answer my own question! Correction. I could answer it, but the answer would be meaningless and unsubstantiated. So... I need to change the question slightly. On the bright side, I've met my first warm and welcoming Econ professor at Georgetown, and he's offered to give me assistance on this thesis journey. Thank you, God.

I can do it, I can do it, blah, blah, blah. Writing this thesis is not as simple as sitting down, reading some literature, and writing 30 pages about it. I could do that. It's about finding a (free) dataset, running a regression in a statistical program, and writing about my results. Several problems arise here. 1.) I currently can't find a free dataset. 2.) I'm not sure from dataset descriptions which datasets will be most useful. 3.) After I find the dataset, I anticipate struggling to input it into STATA. 4.) I will inevitably see alarming statistical problems that invalidate my results.

Blurgh, as Tina Fey would say. Blurgh and a half. Every once in a while, I come to an obstacle in academia that I can't wrap my mind around. For Calculus, it was Taylor and Mclaurin series. For Econ, it looks like its performing statistical regressions.

I'm trying to be proactive in in this epic struggle. I'm meeting with a librarian tomorrow to discuss datasets. I'm also instituting a daily 8:30AM wake-up call. Let's get ready to rumbbbbble! It's thesis time.

This only makes graduating easier. I will not miss this.

Another Blog!

2009-02-23T00:08:00.007-05:00

FYI, I write about music/tech/law issues on a weekly basis at Music Biz Blog. It's part of my tutorial on music business in the digital age. Enjoy and happy reading!

Batsh*t Crazy

2009-02-22T15:17:00.005-05:00

Sorry for lack of posts, readers. I have been swamped with too much activity, and I'm feeling the poise I had first semester melt away. I've hung in there so far, but I don't think I can inch so closely to due dates for much longer. The work is not too hard, far from it. It's just too much.

I am an advocate of working from home. I churn out my best writing and complete my most focused reading sitting at my desk in front of my lap top. I can talk to myself out loud (a pseudo- only child syndrome), I can snack whenever I want to, and I can listen to music without headphones. I listen to soothing study music; music that comforts me or reminds me of my past. This semester, my ch'i (qi) has been interrupted. Two of my classes require I leave the sanctity of my room to complete assignments in the production studio. Another two require I complete listening assignments of music that neither calms me nor reminds me of anything aside for the homework I yet to complete. In addition, I'm writing a thesis I have trouble caring about. I live due date to due date with little inspiration in between. And it's not that I don't want to care. It's that there is no time to care.

I am not at peace! I am away from my cozy house for more hours in a day than I prefer. I'm completing assignments that take hours each, as I fiddle with software, microphones, and plead with the Gelardin Media Library staff. It's not that I didn't know that I'd have listening assignments or that I'd have to use the Production Studio when I signed up and decided to go for the double major. It's that I didn't sum these things up. I didn't anticipate how, combined, they would drive me crazy.

What keeps me sane are nights in. After 9 hours of work on a Saturday, I'd rather watch some tv than go out. St. Elmo's Fire on Hulu. Downloading episodes of The L Word. Playing some guitar. I went out last night, and I had fun. I regret not seeing friends more often. I know time is short, but I'm going crazy. I must spend more time at home. If I'm in my room, I am not doing nothing. I am recuperating. I am watching You've Got Mail. I am wearing my high school sweat pants. I am doing everything.

Don't worry, readers. I'm doing fine and even doing fun things. I saw Les Mis for the first time on Friday for my housemate's birthday! I went to amazing DC Policy Day put on by Future of Music Coalition! I'll be back talking about fun things soon. Until then... I'm crazy.

Busy Bee

2009-02-08T23:30:00.002-05:00

Factors preventing me from blogging:

1.) tests
2.) thesis proposals (thesis topic... TBA)
3.) parents' weekend
4.) fancy dinners
5.) work

But hurrah! I have a cell phone. I'll hopefully be back in action Wednesday after attending Future of Music Coalition's DC Policy Day.

Loving Things: Furni Creations

2009-02-04T21:29:00.005-05:00

As most of you know, I'm a lover of things. I love bikes, watches, sneakers, sunglasses, etc. This is not to be confused with a love of brand names; I just love the aesthetics of things.

This is why I recently purchased the Farmer watch, a collaboration between Cool Hunting and Furni Creations. It caught my eye when it was spotlighted at Cool Hunting, one of my favorite blogs. So white, so crisp, so delicious. Since living in London, I've worn a watch everyday and have slowly accumulated a few. This was the perfect addition to my small collection. I slapped it on my wrist, set the time, and delighted in my time warp back to the 80s. A week later, I noticed it was running slow.

I sent an email to Furni owner Mike Giles, and he graciously offered to send me a replacement. Two weeks later, I'm delighting in my bright red Raised By Wolves watch.

I like to support independent designers like Furni, but even more, I like stellar customer service. This sounds like a cheap plug for Furni, but I'm just reveling in the fact that I was treated so well. Lesson learned: buy from companies you're passionate about. And if you're not passionate about companies, well, start getting fired up.

Disclaimer: I've worked part-time in retail for the past 4 years. And I love things.

Snowy DC

2009-01-28T16:15:00.009-05:00

I woke up yesterday to a pretty blanket of snow outside and took this picture of the view from my front door. My neighborhood looked particularly quaint with the snow obscuring the shabbiness that inevitably characterizes a college neighborhood. Today, the scene is less picturesque. Snow is now "freezing rain," and there's a hard shell on the fallen powder that reminds me of the burnt sugar of crème brulée.

A brief recap of Inauguration Day: It was an incredibly cold day, and my feet were blocks of ice from standing but as many have said before me, it was moving to see so many Americans (and even foreigners) bearing the cold to witness history. Everyone was friendly and supportive of one another, joking about the weather and shaking strangers' hands after Obama was sworn in. People were silent during Pastor Rick Warren's speech, a respectful gesture considering the controversy surrounding his participation in inauguration. There were a lot of boos for Joe Lieberman and some jeers here and there for President Bush, but even the liberal crowd discouraged it. I've now been to two consecutive inaugurations, which is strange to think about. I certainly didn't plan this out.

Well, this was an exercise in procrastination for studying for a test on Baroque music tomorrow. More to come later this week. I'm seeing Lykke Li at Sixth & I Synagogue on Saturday night!

Tired

2009-01-22T23:45:00.004-05:00

The inauguration has thrown off my game. Or rather, the ensuing fatigue has. I skipped a class today to do homework for tomorrow's class in order to go to the West Virginia game tonight where Hoyas lost terribly to the Mountaineers and I lost my cell phone. Blurgh.

Things could be worse, but I couldn't be more excited for the weekend to arrive.

On a random note, I've been watching St. Elmo's Fire in bits and pieces, and I've become obsessed with the Love Theme. I seem to be 22 years too late for this sensation.

Pre-Inauguration Recap

2009-01-21T17:16:00.008-05:00

I am absolutely exhausted from the Inauguration events of this past weekend, but I was thrilled that I was in DC to witness all of it happening. Still, it took a little effort to participate in everything. I think everyone kind of had to nudge themselves along at 5 o'clock in the morning, reminding themselves that Obama's inauguration was worth hours of standing in freezing temperatures.

Inauguration festivities began on Sunday with the "We Are One" pre-Inauguration Concert at the Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Post reported that Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, and James Taylor were performing. They were... as well as Stevie Wonder, U2, John Mellencamp, Pete Seger, Shakira, Usher, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, Patti LaBelle, John Bon Jovi, Josh Groban, Garth Brooks, Mary J. Blige, will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, and Renée Fleming. I named them all for dramatic effect. How could I not go to this thing? I left the house with my housemates around 7AM to walk to the Mall armed with 3 layers of pants, 5 layers of shirts and jackets, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a deck of cards. The concert started at 2PM and we arrived a little after 8AM.

The hours went by slowly, but the good company provided plenty of conversation and warm bodies to cuddle with. There was minimal pushing and medium levels of hostility in the crowd. Making your way to a port-a-potty was treacherous and nerve-racking, but once there, you'd have a friendly stranger to chat with. Good luck finding your way back though; after a certain point, leaving the group to pee meant certain abandonment.

The concert was not without flubs. The sound system echoed horribly once it actually began working. We couldn't hear the opening blessing by Bishop Gene Robinson and chanted "Turn it up!" with thousands of frustrated onlookers. Bruce Springsteen opened the concert with an acoustic version of "The Rising" with a choir. Luckily, sound was restored shortly after he began, and we all settled down to sing along and listen.

On the whole, the concert was a major success. Performers sang relevant favorites: John Mellencamp sang "Pink Houses"; Mary J. Blige did "Lean on Me"; Stevie Wonder performed "Higher Ground; James Taylor performed "Shower the People"; U2 played "Pride (In the Name of Love)." Bizarrely, Garth Brooks was a favorite with his renditions of "American Pie" and "Twist and Shout"; we just needed to sing and dance the chills out, I guess.

If the list of performers isn't overwhelming enough, let me list the celebrities who spoke briefly between sets: Tom Hanks, Samuel L. Jackson, Ashley Judd, Forrest Whitacre, Steve Carrell, Jamie Foxx, Laura Linney, Martin Luther King III, Jack Black, Rosario Dawson, George Lopez, Tiger Woods, Queen Latifah, and Marissa Tomei. Whew. Not to mention, Joe Biden and Obama gave brief speeches too!

I was skeptical about cramming so many diverse performers into one concert. Shakira's inclusion was slightly confusing, but otherwise, the diversity was an asset: patriotism wove through each and every performance.

Still, the concert was not without controversy. Opera singer Renée Fleming was not introduced, although the US Naval Academy's Glee Club, who backed her, was. Similarly, singer Josh Groban was introduced while the the DC Men's Gay Chorus who backed him was mysteriously left out. In another strike against the gays, ~~HBO edited out~~ the Inauguration Committee told HBO that concert events started at 2:30, resulting in the exclusion of the opening prayer by gay Bishop Gene Robinson from New Hampshire from their tv broadcast. Perhaps it was more than a poor sound system that muted Robinson's prayer from an audience of 750,000 at the Mall? Ok, probably not. I exaggerate. Still, that's a double whammy against the gays in a highly orchestrated event; surely, the exclusion was not merely a misstep.

Alright. I'll recap my thoughts on MLK festivities and Inauguration Day for another time. I've got to get to the homework that I've been neglecting.

Early

2009-01-18T07:15:00.001-05:00

I haven't been updating, because second semester senior year has been crazier than I expected. Right now, I'm heading out the door to the inauguration concert. Wish me warm!

Expelled from Facebook?

2009-01-05T03:07:00.013-05:00

I was just brainstorming a bit to come up with an idea for a post. I thought about winter break and the upcoming semester. I considered the job hunt that lay ahead. And then I decided to check facebook. I was met with this!
Comedian Michael Ian Black recently posted a rant, "Hey Facebook, What the Fuck?," about the shutdown of his account. He writes:

"How am I supposed to receive invitations to events to which I have no interest in attending? How am I supposed to keep up with what various high school students I have never met are doing? How am I supposed to install and then uninstall various applications because they are annoying?"

He pokes fun at the excessiveness of facebook, and there's definitely some truth in it. I, however, am not the pillar of strength of Michael Ian Black. I need my event invitations; they're good reminders. I need birthday notifications; I don't have that stuff written down on paper. I immediately emailed facebook to politely yet firmly demand the enabling of my account. I demanded justice! After some googling, I discovered that there's been a wave of disabled facebook accounts. So perhaps... I will have to live without facebook for a while.

My expulsion from facebook has prompted a deep and philosophical reflection: What does facebook mean to me? It means having a photographic record of my entire college career, albeit of poor pixel quality. It means photo-stalking people from high school whom I've lost touch with. It means publicizing my radio podcasts. It can even mean finding out if that girl on the rugby team is gay (she probably is).

I hope that my facebook account is restored, but if not, I bid farewell to facebook and my 390-something facebook friends. It's a shame too, because at least a hundred of them were real...

Alternate theory: my facebook got hacked, prompting the closing of my account. Did anyone receive bogus messages or wall posts from my account? Please let me know!

Top 25 Mashup

2009-01-01T16:57:00.005-05:00

I will post a more substantial post about... something in the near future. But until then, Happy New Year! Here's a cool mash-up of the Top 25 Billboard singles of 2008 by DJ Earworm. They seem to blend together effortlessly, which begs the question: Were we, the listeners, boring in 2008?

Billboards' Top 25
*denotes songs that mashed up especially well
Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain - Low
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Alicia Keys - No One
*Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major - Lollipop
*Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic - Apologize
Jordin Sparks Duet With Chris Brown - No Air
Sara Bareilles - Love Song
*Usher Featuring Young Jeezy - Love in This Club
Chris Brown - With You
*Chris Brown - Forever
Ray J & Yung Berg - Sexy Can I
Rihanna - Take a Bow
*Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
*T.I. - Whatever You Like
*Rihanna - Disturbia
Rihanna - Don't Stop the Music
Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine
Chris Brown Featuring T-Pain - Kiss Kiss
*Ne-Yo - Closer
Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
Mariah Carey - Touch My Body
Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes
Pink - So What
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer

Winter Songs

2008-12-25T02:12:00.009-05:00

As some of you may or may not know, I keep an mp3-ish blog at Touch My Clickwheel where I (infrequently) write short posts about music I like. Times are a'changing, and I'll be incorporating music on the Gitnerblog this year.

Here are two Winter/Christmas-themed songs I discovered tonight and am smitten with. First is "Winter Song" by Sara Bareilles ft. Ingrid Michaelson. Find more femme-y songs on the Winter Songs compilation from Hotel Cafe. Next is "Blue Christmas" by First Aid Kit, a Swedish sister duo. Both are a bit melancholy in mood, but they can only make your Christmas better. Enjoy and hope everyone's having a good holiday!

Favorite Albums of 2008

2008-12-16T00:07:00.012-05:00

Let me clarify. These are my favorite albums of 2008, but they are probably not the best. I like a lot of them for sentimental reasons, but maybe you'll find something you like too. Click on the links to hear a track on YouTube.

In no particular order...

1. Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
I discovered Laura Marling's music in London and was fortunate enough to see her perform live twice.

2. Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Closely related to Laura Marling is Noah and the Whale. I saw them play at the ICA in London and couldn't wait for their album to finally come out. While I was unhappy with some choices they made with demo tracks that had been floating in the blogosphere for months, I can't help but love it.

3. Jaymay - Autumn Falling
I saw Jaymay perform at Dingwall's in Camden Town, London. It was my first concert I ever went to all by myself. Jaymay's songs are pleasant and sing-along friendly, and the album is solid all the way through.

4. Kaki King - Dreaming of Revenge
Kaki King is a constantly evolving musician. She's expanded her repertoire of mostly acoustic guitar songs to include some catchier rock songs. Her voice takes some getting used to, but I'm a three concert veteran and am hooked for life.

5. The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
I was disappointed with Distortion at first, because I just couldn't get over the distorted sound that weaves through all the tracks. But clever lyrics and catchy melodies shine through. It just needs a few tries to warm up to it.

6. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
"White Winter Hymnal" took the blogosphere by storm. When I saw them at Black Cat this year, their harmonies blew me away. It's impossible to capture their talent on a recording, but their debut album comes close.

7. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
I was absolutely blown away by the first single "I'm Good, I'm Gone." Her album has about four more songs that are worthy hit singles. Even better are Lykke Li's live performances, which you can find on YouTube. This Swede will stare you down, and you won't be able to turn away.

8. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Feed the Animals makes me want to dance in my underwear. I'm sure that says something. Also, in one album, it's a rapid review session of all the rap music I wasn't listening to all year.

9. Aimee Mann - "@#%&! Smilers
I love Aimee Mann. Literally all of her songs. "@#%&! Smilers is no different. She was amazing at the 9:30 Club this fall and even played 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry."

10. Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
I don't know what they're saying, but it doesn't really matter.

Shameless Self-Promotion

2008-12-09T14:04:00.004-05:00

Instead of studying for finals, I've created a MySpace Music page for myself. I finally began writing my own songs thanks to a great class at Georgetown taught by the great Bill Danoff (of Starland Vocal Band and "Take Me Home, Country Roads" fame).

Check out my songs here! http://www.myspace.com/jessgitner

Amtrak: Worse than the Chinatown Bus

2008-12-08T22:41:00.013-05:00

Apologies for the lapse in posts. I had planned on a glorious post-Thanksgiving recap about sleeping twelve hours each night, hanging with the fam, drinking limitless supplies of Arizona Green Tea, and indulging in an endless supply of music, tv shows, and movies.

I had a blast... until I took a spill on Monday morning on the Amtrak train. I popped up like it was nothing. "Are you okay???" the guy behind me asked. "Yeah, yeah... I'm fine. I'm fine." When I finally found a seat on the packed train to DC, I knew I probably wouldn't be able to stand up in four hours. So I confessed my embarrassing fall to the ticket taker. "I fell down and hurt my leg." I asked for some ice or a first aid kit. He kindly told me to walk my ass to the cafe car.

Amtrak customer service continued to degrade from there. The ticket taker found me in the cafe car again and told me that an 80-year-old woman had fallen between the platform and the train. She didn't cry though. Thanks, asshole. Later when I got up to get some fresh ice, a different Amtrak employee looked at my shoes (my Vans...) and said, "No wonder why you fell. Those shoes don't look like they have much grip." Fuck you too, pal.

There were, however, two nice people on the train. I sat across a Pace University professor who was so kind to me that I mistook her for a Kindergarten teacher. She gave me her magazines to read when she got off the train and talked to me while I sat across from her. Sigh. Then there was one Amtrak lady who got my bags and moved them to where I was sitting with my leg propped up.

All I got was a bone bruise on my shin, but it hurt, man! Maybe I would've been better off on the Chinatown bus. Alright, back to the studying routine. More posts for procrastinating later...

Sr. Helen Prejean at Georgetown

2008-11-23T22:20:00.007-05:00

I just saw a reading of The Death of Innocents by Sister Helen Prejean in Gaston Hall at Georgetown University, and it was arguably better than a full-on stage production. Sister Helen Prejean read her own part, and Georgetown undergrads and professional actors served as the ensemble cast.

I had read Dead Man Walking (and seen the play and the movie) in high school, so I wondered what else Prejean could say about the death penalty. She said a whole lot more. The Death of Innocents focuses on two men whom she believes to be innocent and in two emotional acts, she convincingly flaunts the faults of the U.S. justice system. I cried twice, which is actually a first for me with plays.

I still really, really dislike Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Do you remember my post last year after his lecture at LSE? If you happen to read the book or see a performance like this, you'll see why. Read this CNN article on one inmate who was profiled in Act II of The Death of Innocents. Really alarming stuff.

I'll be writing a review of the performance for a class, so I'll cut this post short. Happy Monday.

Haircut Philosophy

2008-11-21T16:57:00.009-05:00

Today has been both a lazy and productive day. In accordance with the gods, I'm feeling like I'm coming down with a cold of some sort. Each Thanksgiving I tend to come down with something whether it be the pneumonia + bronchitis + lung infection triple threat of 2nd grade or just a simple sinus infection. But here I am with my sick voice and roll of toilet paper ready to blow my nose.

I'm feeling pretty good though. This morning I biked to Bang Salon on U Street for my pre-Thanksgiving haircut. In the past, haircuts have been mildly traumatic experiences. I'd endure split ends for months at a time just so I could go to my stylist at home. But since I haven't been home in over a year, I decided to buck up and face my fears.

I usually feel out of place and under dressed at salons. My t-shirts and Nike Dunks are out of place among ladies with manicured nails and high heels. I suck it up though, because these are the places where I feel like I can come away with a good haircut. Still, I can tell that the stylists are a little confused by me. They're not sure what kind of conversation to start with me and combined with my initial reservedness, silence inevitably ensues. This problem was solved by stylist at home, who is conveniently the mom of a girl I went to school with since the 4th grade. Ten years worth of talking material!

While at Georgetown, I'd occasionally get a haircut from my sister's stylist. Moshi made me nervous with his shaky hands and I endured some awkward conversation, but his cuts always turned out fine. Then in London, both money and apprehension kept me from the scissors for a bit. The hipster places in Spitalfields intimidated me. I could shop confidently in the cool record stores there, but was not alternative enough for Pimps and Pinups. After all, I was neither pimp nor pinup. Finally I caved in and went to a place in Soho where I paid a small fortune for a trim and peace of mind.

Flash forward to the present. My stylist has more tattoos than he can count and his flat iron is decorated with a skull and crossbones pattern. Bang Salon has the perfect mix of traditional and hip. Lawyers and rock star types get their hair cut here, and somewhere in the middle is me. I feel comfortable, which has contributed to an unusually high frequency of haircuts since June.

So to everyone that dreads haircuts, for everyone that dreads that awkward mandatory conversation with their stylist, go out and find a new one. That was a long tangent that began with Thanksgiving and ended with haircuts, but I hope it was mildly entertaining. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Buying Things

2008-11-08T22:28:00.007-05:00

It's been a busy, busy week with two concerts (Amos Lee and Kaki King/The Mountain Goats), some meetings, a badminton tournament, birthday pie-making, and work, but I have survived. Even though the events were fun, I'm not quite cut out for the non-stop action.

I'm very much a person that needs her quota of "nothing" time and when that quota is not met, I buy things. Usually I buy things that I need. "Need" is obviously subjective. Last time I bought Season 2 of 30 Rock and a digital voice recorder.

This time I snagged a pair of hot pink ODI Ruffian Lock-On Grips. I know what you're thinking... Why hot pink? I respond to you, why not hot pink? These suckers will hopefully remedy the treacherous grip rotation that I experience when biking up cobbly O and P Streets. More importantly, I'm contributing to the American Cancer Society, and the grips will add quirkiness to my otherwise boring (but highly functional) $70 mountain bike.

Perhaps I've also overlooked another fundamental question. Why am I excited about bike grips? I love , love, love gear, and I blame/thank my dad for it. He advocated "researching" my purchases, subscribed to Consumer Reports, and created the monster I am today. I'll let you know how my purchase turns out but until then, farewell. My "nothing" time has expired.

Whoa Nelly

2008-11-04T22:18:00.010-05:00

Whoa nelly. It's been almost three weeks since I've posted. Two housemates' 21st birthdays, three concerts, and a lot of working at Patagonia have taken it out of me. But I'm back and ready to write interesting and compelling things about my modest life as a Senior in college. Things I'm excited about lately...

Barack Obama has been elected the 44th American president! I'm watching John McCain's concession speech now, and I'm even proud of him. His speech is a good one, although his supporters are a bit creepy. For the rest of the night, I'll be keeping my eye on California's Prop 8 and the rest of the state ballot measures banning gay marriage, gay adoption, gay... people. It's not looking good, folks.

I'm now officially double majoring in Political Economy and American Musical Culture! This is exciting for me, because now I can legitimately say music is more than my hobby. Writing cover letters for music and entertainment industry jobs will hopefully be less difficult to swing this spring.

Also, I played one of my songs this past Wednesday at an Open Mic Night. I still remember crying in the 6th grade after my saxophone teacher forced me to play a duet from Aladdin with some older kid during my lesson at The Music Tree, so it looks like I've come a long way in social development. Lots of friends showed up to support me, and I felt especially loved that night.

Finally, I've been to a slew of really great concerts. Ben Kweller played Rock 'n Roll Hotel on Oct. 21; The Magnetic Fields played GWU's Lisner Auditorium Oct. 26; and I just saw Amos Lee at 9:30 Club last night. It was my third time seeing Ben Kweller and his indie twang style suited my lazy mood for the night. Old favorites were twangified, although noticeably absent was "Wasted and Ready." I'm looking forward to his new album Changing Horses set for February release. The Magnetic Fields were absolutely amazing, and I felt so fortunate that DC was on their curiously eccentric October tour. I loved every song they played, including old favorites "I Don't Believe You" and "Yeah! Oh Yeah!" and new favorite "Drive On, Driver." Lastly, I saw Amos Lee yesterday. He played a solid hour-and-a-half set including almost every song from his self-titled debut. His new material is great! It's what I like to call Sunday music for reclining and relaxing. Mmm.

Alright. I've gone on too long, but I will try to post more frequently in next few weeks. I think I'll post about my exciting Patagonia gear soon. I definitely have immense brand loyalty from this job. Happy Election Day! I'm relieved that the world will wake up to Barack Obama as the winner.

1703 Music Series

2008-10-13T13:20:00.010-04:00

I've been a little absent from the blogosophere lately and not living up to my "more regular posts" resolution of the new school year, but at least for this week, I can get a note from the doctor to excuse myself. In an impressive rally, my immune system has battled back against what I initially thought was strep throat. I was out of commission for a good 3-4 days but some penicillin, codeine, and a tearful phone call to Mom later, I feel pretty back to normal.

I haven't posted in a while, so a recap of all events seems over the top. But in summary, I saw Kathy Griffin at DAR, Jenny Lewis at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, and GEMA Rocks at Gonda Theater. Most importantly, I saw Bahfongu in my basement.

We hosted our first house party of the school year with a live performance by American University band Bahfongu. We transformed our basement into a present-day Cellar Door with Christmas lights and some furniture reorganizing. The beer was abundant, dancing was widespread, and of course, the band was groovin'.

I had some reservations about Bahfongu since I had never heard them before, but they were amazing! A well-chosen mix of funky instrumental originals and crowd-pleasing covers (highlight = "Proud Mary") had the crowd in constant motion. The party crowd even cheered for an encore at the end of the set. An encore in my basement? Yes, please. Look for recaps of Part II of the 1703 Music Series in the future. Needless to say, I'll be riding this wave of cool through the rest of the week.

Gaiken

2008-09-25T17:09:00.004-04:00

Clay Aiken ("Gaiken" to KG) has come out just in time for ~~tonight's~~ tomorrow's Kathy Griffin show at DAR Constitution Hall. Can anyone say perfect timing? Kathy Griffin is a guilty pleasure of mine, but I emphasize the pleasure over the guilt. I'll let you know how it goes.

Life is good.

2008-09-24T00:35:00.003-04:00

Let me give you a peek into my academic life. I'm currently working on an assignment for a hypothetical radio pitch based on an episode of NPR's This American Life. My particular idea concerns interviewing a few of my favorite bloggers and weaving together a story of their lives behind the blog. In my Seminar in Songwriting class, I presented my first assignment in which I wrote a new song around the lyrics to CCR's "Proud Mary." And today in my Computer Science class, I made an animation of a leaf falling from a tree and tumbling to the ground with Adobe Flash. Life is so good. I almost don't want to jinx it.

It's finally starting to cool down a bit here in DC. Coming back from London, I had this false impression that summer lasts forever here. But my refusal to adapt clothing choices to climate is quickly backfiring. Time to bring out the fleeces (50% off...) and put away the flip flips.

In other news, Gitnerblog readership has increased back up to London levels. Thanks for reading everyone!

Blogging High

2008-09-17T22:00:00.008-04:00

I'm on a blogging high right now, because Matt from You Ain't No Picasso has just commented on the Touch My Clickwheel blog! More than likely, you're not sharing in my enthusiasm. BUT for some perspective, realize that YANP was my first blog love, my first introduction to mp3 blogs, and the inspiration for the TMC blog. I don't know much about Matt, YANP's creator, but he's my pseudo-anonymous peer role model. Was that too many adjectives?

I'm a Political Economy major with seemingly unrelated career aspirations, and blogging has kept my dreams close to mind. Hence my excitement when one of my favorite bloggers stumbles across my meager website.

At Georgetown, students perceived as ambitious are usually reaching for investment banking and finance... for Lehman Brothers, for Merrill Lynch, for AIG, etc. Idealists and dreamers are seeking their fortunes elsewhere in "less serious" fields. With the sudden collapse and rescue of the aforementioned companies, I feel reassured in pursuing my passions. There's no guaranteed money anywhere anymore, so why not go for what I want?

To be fair, I'm writing this before my potentially epic job search, but I still feel excited about the journey ahead. Alright. I promise my next post will be... less hopeful? Well, I can't promise. Until then...

The Past Week's Summary in Photos

2008-09-15T14:07:00.004-04:00

1. A Norwegian visits. Sight-seeing occurs and Newseum volunteer takes terrible (but funny) photo which she deems "great"!

2. Piggy back rides back from 80s Night at the Tombs, a Senior Dis-Orientation Event.

3. Housemates dressed up for the Super Hero Keg Party at Leo's, yet another Senior Dis-O event.

4. Jazz Party at DPE House, a much classier event than I'm used to.

Red Light, Green Light, 1-2-3

2008-09-02T16:30:00.006-04:00

I was in London for 9 months, an eternity when every year of my life is measured in semesters. But still, I digested it as a very temporary situation in which I should not establish serious relationships. Emotional attachments, I decided, were a bad idea. Well, here I am back at Georgetown and suddenly feeling like that wasn't the wisest of decisions.

See exhibit A (above). No, this is not a Christmas party; it's my housemates and me on our way out to a stoplight party. Available? Wear green. Taken? Wear red. Don't get me wrong. I like green. I love green. But suddenly in this context, green sucks.

London for me was an extreme form of being single. Not only did I lack a special someone, I also lacked friends. Don't cry for me, Argentina, because it had its benefits. I thought about me, what I wanted to do, what I needed, what I wanted to eat. All the time. No consideration of other people and guiltless selfishness are surprisingly liberating. I'm exaggerating, but hopefully you get my point. Living in a self-centered world gets old.

In some ways, it's great that my generation has shifted the life timeline down five years or so. Ten years ago, I would be openly panicking about my single status, fearful of becoming an old maid. Instead, I get to excitedly plan my career, work hard for upward mobility, and focus on myself while fearing becoming an old maid in secret! In this more feminist era, we're taught that these goals, rather than marriage, are what's important. And they are. I'm happy to feel successful and ambitious and interesting as my own person. But damn biology! We're also wired to partner up.

Why can't feminism be more welcoming to discontent about flying solo (maybe it does and I'm just ignorant)? After all, isn't it just biology? I'm a strong, independent woman who would prefer to be a strong independent woman WITH an awesome partner in crime.

So as senior year progresses and fantasies of meeting prince(ss) charming in college fade away, I say (and I'm sure some of my single friends say it too)... fuck green. In the meantime, find me reading books, becoming incredibly intelligent, and being the happiest single person on the Eastern seaboard.

End of Summer

2008-08-27T00:56:00.004-04:00

via Darkman's world Flickr

Summer has come to a close and on this occasion, I offer a Best/Worst summary.

Best
1. Visiting the Cape
2. Seeing movies (The Dark Knight, Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder)
3. Sports (vball, tennis, climbing)
4. Cooking
5. 4th of July
6. 21st Birthday
7. Concerts (Aimee Mann, Fleet Foxes, Tilly & the Wall)
8. Work

Worst
1. Mosquito bites
2. Work

Ay, ay, ay. It was my last summer between school years where I could have hypothetically done nothing at all! It was a good one, but I'm happy the school year is starting. More updates and less lists in the near future. Slowly but surely, I'll be blogging more consistently... and on more interesting topics. Until then, happy hump day.

Gas Prices

2008-08-26T21:54:00.002-04:00

via The Gear Junkie.

On Not Owning A Vacation Home

2008-08-26T10:48:00.004-04:00

Funny article in Slate entitled On Not Owning A Vacation Home by Timothy Noah. Read in full here.

I do not own a summer house. The summer house I don't own has not been in the family for three generations. It's a simple, shingled affair, weathered and dear, with fishnets not hanging from the ceiling, duck decoys not arrayed on the shelves, and a large, yellowing map of the area, festooned with incomprehensible nautical markings, not stuck to the wall with pushpins not manufactured in 1954. I love the scent it doesn't give off of mothballs mingled with mold.

Gitnerblog Update

2008-08-22T11:53:00.003-04:00

I've been neglecting the blog for the past 2 weeks or so, but never fear. While I haven't been updating the blog, I've been thinking a lot about updating the blog. True, actions speak louder than words but I will be blogging on a fairly consistent basis when the school year starts.

Get ready for life updates and commentary on... whatever I feel compelled to write about. It's time to flex the blogging muscles.

Olympics Excitement, Pt. 2

2008-08-15T13:25:00.005-04:00

The Chinese do in fact put on a good show, emphasis on the show and not reality. And they're dominating the gold medals race (26), but the US is on top for overall medals count (46). Why do I care? It's hard to tell, but I feel like I have something invested in this Olympics. I screamed at the tv when unlikely Belgium almost won the first set against Misty May and Kerri Walsh in beach volleyball, and I squirmed waiting for Shawn Johnson's scores in the women's individual all-around gymnastics.

It's possible that my interest is simply due to the fact that this is the first Olympics where I'm old enough to really know what's going on. True, I was a "mature" 17-year-old when Athens happened, but that still didn't mean I paid attention to the world. What else was I doing, you ask? Well, neither working nor studying. Not filling out college apps. Not really traveling. Somehow, I have zero recollection.

But I've turned over a new leaf. I'm making up for years of indifference by watching events as obscure as handball, archery, and cycling. So as I sit in my PBS cubicle watching MSNBC on mute, I say, "America, *@$# yeah!"

In non-Olympic news, it's been busy times here in DC. People are moving in and out of our house, and I'm getting steadily more excited for the year to start. It feels like I've been working a lot, but it'll soon taper off after the Patagonia sale. Back to work now.

To close, check out this video of US gymnast Alicia Sacramone knocking a guy out. Badass.

Olympics Excitement

2008-08-08T16:41:00.003-04:00

I've never really been that excited about the Olympics before, but times have changed. Being abroad has amplified my American pride, and I can't wait to watch the Opening Ceremonies tonight. After seeing some pictures, my excitement has multiplied a few times. They're... stunning? I never use that word, but I'm compelled to use it now. China may be a questionable host for the Olympics, but they sure put on a good show. The military one creeps me out a little and the excessive red reminds me more of communism than luck, but I'll get over it. Go USA!
Photos from NewYorkTimes.com

Recap: The Big 2-1

2008-08-06T14:17:00.006-04:00

Continuing with the recap, I turned twenty-one a few weeks ago. Twenty-one... pretty much the last year to be excited about aging. Besides for the fact that twenty-one is a big deal, this is the first birthday I've actually "celebrated" in a while. Last year I was on a plane to Montana and the years before, I had small low-key dinners, etc.

This year's festivities were slightly more elaborate with a small dinner, a cake/beer get together, and an outing to the Tombs. This might sound weird, but to have a semi-large number of people gather in a room for my birthday was really touching. It just made me really happy to see people I like and who, presumably, like me back all gathered in one place. And it's not like we don't hang out in large groups at other times too; this scenario isn't overly unique. It's just that the visual of this gathering was easier to notice since it was a special occasion.

Jared, my travel pal from London, came down from NJ, and he bore gifts of port and Cuban cigars. Besides his visit, highlights of the day included Indian food at Aditi and of course Carvel Ice Cream Cake (always a coveted delicacy since moving to California). Mmm, good.

Now back to work, land of paper cuts and damaged cuticles thanks to all this filing. Blurgh.

Recap: The Cape

2008-08-04T16:30:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in a while so to avoid summarizing the last three weeks of my life in an overwhelming monster post, I'll slowly post some highlights.

First up: the Cape. Although I'm viewing this whole summer as a vacation, my trip up to the Cape was my only formal vacation of the summer. I flew up to Boston, proceeded to complain about my basement sleeping arrangements, and then realized that the entire thing had been redone during my yearlong absence from the states. Even though I'm "all grown up," these moments always tend to remind me that I am the baby of the family.

We headed to the town of Brewster the next day, and I set off on a mission to win back (assuming I'd lost it due to absence) the love of my two little nephews. A few frisbee tosses and splashes in the pool later, I had succeeded.

In the next two days, we played some tennis, swam in the ocean, and rode bikes (see picture). Nothing overly elaborate but fun even so. Somewhat strangely, I managed to watch two jearjerkers during my vacation: Brokeback Mountain and Million Dollar Baby. I guess a good cry is always welcome.

That's all for my Cape summary. Hope everyone is doing well and thanks for all the the birthday wishes! Contrary to popular belief, a 3-week hangover is not responsible for being MIA on the blog.

Summer Charm

2008-07-11T23:26:00.010-04:00

Photo courtesy of Picture Perfect
Watching Clueless on a Friday night is my idea of fun. In fact, it's a luxury since returning from television-less Londontown. But even though I'm having fun, I didn't necessarily choose my fate of apparent loserdom. Yesterday while playing tennis, in a heroic sprint to answer my cell phone, I ran full speed into the handle of the net crank. A few tears, a Sweet Green sweet flow, and one burrito later, I was happily limping home.

I continue living a charmed life in DC working MWF's and sleeping in on days off. Climbing and the journey to the climbing gym are meditative experiences, solo and wonderful. I listen to my Pimsleur Basic Norwegian audio lessons on the way and mutter phrases to myself on the Metro. And yes, I am learning Norwegian for no reason at all other than I feel like it (and the cds at Barnes & Noble were cheap). Perhaps German is next? Who knows. For some reason, practical languages like Spanish are so discouraging because being conversational seems significantly less attainable than for a seemingly useless language like Norwegian.

Next Friday I head up to the Cape for a long overdue reunion with my sister. I say "the Cape" like I know what I'm talking about, but really, I'm confused and hope it's not over-populated with Vineyard Vines-toting, critter pants-wearing, collar-popping socialites. Is there a hippie/hobo part of the Cape? I'm excited to ride bikes, fly kites, swim, and frolic in the ocean. The ocean! I realized while abroad that it's incorrect to refer to any sea/ocean as the ocean. Before I thought that "sea" and "ocean" were synonyms when in fact, Europeans refer only to the Atlantic, Pacific, and Antarctic Oceans as "oceans" and only to seas, like the Mediterranean, as "seas." Maybe everyone knew this already, but I was enlightened.

I'm all blogged out so for the curious, here are some pictures of my humble abode. No huge plans for this weekend except probably a Nats game tomorrow and my first pseudo-day at Patagonia on Sunday. My foray into outdoor retail continues... happy weekend!

We're Europe's Bargin Bin: Slate article

2008-07-02T12:13:00.003-04:00

Here's a really good Slate article I meant to post a while back (long excerpt below):
"We're Europe's Bargin Bin: The Pain of Watching Foreigners Buy Up Manhattan" by Leslie M.M. Blume.

"Thank you for throwing your wedding during the holiday sales," said one, calling me from an uptown department store. "It was good enough getting it all half-off, but now it's like a posh bargain basement."
At the time, I was too busy to feel jealous or left out. And anyway, who could take the decline of the dollar personally, for God's sake? If anything, I saw the situation through the prism of ironic detachment: Wasn't it all so interesting, how the tide was turning? New York City, once a formidable fortress of look-but-don't-touch, was becoming practically kittenish in its accessibility.
But six months later, the joke is wearing thin. Despite some rah-rah rallying this week in response to a pep talk from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, the dollar has fallen 11.5 percent against the euro and 7.2 percent versus the yen since September 2007, and it continues to limp along.
Not that you can blame the Europeans in this equation: They're simply taking advantage of their good luck, as we've done before. Indeed, our country owes a chapter of its most important literature to the dollar's former strength overseas, allowing expats like Fitzgerald and Hemingway to revel in the then-cheapness of Paris and the French Riviera. It's just unfortunate to be part of a generation in which these particular cards have turned on us.
Still, there's truth to the old adage that you eventually grow to resent your benefactors. It's undeniably depressing that we're relying on European tourists to prop up our economy. What makes it worse: Our consumerist benefactors don't even like us. International opinion of the United States and its inhabitants has tanked over the last eight years, practically eviscerating fond memories of Americans as midcentury saviors of the free world.
Yet somehow through the end of the 20^th century, we could hide from any feelings of inadequacy by hiding behind the protective shield of our economy. If, by contrast, other nationals found us ham-fisted and naive, it never really mattered because our country was rich and theirs was usually dependent on ours in some way. When in Europe, we admired their lifestyle and intimidating sophistication, but we never would have swapped our bullish work ethic or earnestness for their double-digit unemployment or sclerotic bureaucracies.
But these days, we're being humbled on a world stage. Perhaps—in addition to our more overt financial and military embarrassments—we fear that our European counterparts believe the dollar's decline is symbolic, that the world really is in a post-America stage and doesn't care about us anymore except as a bargain bin. We're finally being unmasked as the hunky-dory, cultureless brats they've always assumed us to be: that we have nothing left to give.

Procrastination is Making a Cup of Tea

2008-07-02T10:44:00.005-04:00

via girl in the green dress.

I have sort of been procrastinating on blogging. Is there such a thing? Procrastinating. On blogging? No, nevermind. Blogging is an instrument of procrastination.

Living in DC has so far been a non-traumatic transition from London, land of the no-schedule schedule. I'm currently working MWF and loving the freedom of my days off. Cramping my style are some unexpected bumps like lost mail and subsequent visits to the post office where I am then redirected to another post office, but I can't really complain.

Despite my easy work schedule, I feel mysteriously busy. This past weekend I watched the Eurocup Final at the Austrian Embassy, which provided free beer and food, with two housemates. We also went to the Crafty Bastards crafts fair in Silver Spring, MD, home of hand-sewn penis and vagina pincushions and other less eyebrow-raising jewelry and clothing.

I joined the local climbing gym and have been going once or twice a week, but I do miss the socialness of The Castle. The crowd is much younger than I'm used to, which is weird for me. I feel old? And possibly worse, the bouldering routes are all hard. I suppose I'll just get better by trying the easier ones over and over again until I get them? Atrophied muscles, be damned! At least tennis is less demoralizing.

Another thing keeping me busy is my summer radio show, Touch My Clickwheel. The first show recorded successfully and we posted it at the TMC blog with pretty good reception. Technical issues ruined the second attempt, which really had me irritated, but hopefully I'll figure out a solution before tonight's show. I'm perhaps too invested in preserving the memories of my college years.

I'll end my epic post here, but look for more posts in the next few days. I'll try to post some pictures of my amazing house soon. Until then... take care.

Gitnerblog Revamp

2008-06-29T22:26:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone,

I haven't had much time to play around on the blog in a while and in a semi-frustrating battle between Blogger and me, I succumbed to leaving all "Living in London" Gitnerblog content here and just changing the rest to be less London-specific. So... if you're feeling at all nostalgic, as I'm sure I will eventually, posts will still be here. If not, keep checking back here at the Gitnerblog for updates.

Stay tuned...

Back in the US of A

2008-06-17T13:13:00.003-04:00

Hello friends and family!

I'm back in the US of A and in typical Gitner fashion, I've immediately caught a cold. Some cosmic force definitely has a sense of humor. On the bright side, I'm all moved into my room and it feels like home already.

I've got to run some errands, but prepare for a Gitnerblog revamp in the coming days as I'm no longer "Living in London." It's good to be back.

Lived in London

2008-06-12T21:10:00.003-04:00

Less than 10 hours until my flight back to the states. I went to a BBQ tonight and basically everyone I've known in London was there. It was tougher than I expected to say goodbye, but it was really nice to see everyone in one place (that wasn't The Castle), ha. Walking down in Angel Tube station on my way home, the busker was playing "Bittersweet Symphony." Surreal music moment? Yes.

I hope my baggage makes weight.

List

2008-06-10T14:00:00.003-04:00

A few things I've come to appreciate in London:

1. Phone calls and texts: Every text, every call is like an affirmation! You feel good that people are actually willing to pay upwards of 20 cents a minute/text to speak to YOU.

2. Solid deodorant: Solid roll-on is vastly superior to liquid roll-on.

3. American television/movies: This one comes with a little bit of shame, as I must admit that Gossip Girl has been a constant companion while abroad. Other favorites of the year are movies Stranger Than Fiction and Something's Gotta Give.

4. Reading: Who woulda' thunk? Semi-notorious as a non-reader among friends, I actually had time to read for pleasure here in London. Favorite reads of the year? Giovanni's Room and The World According to Garp (re-read).

5. Podcasts: The "commute" to school had a large role in my slow but steady addiction to podcasts. Favorites include the Savage Love Podcast and NPR's Bryant Park Project.

6. Buses: Much more enjoyable than the tube, the bus is a scenic and usually pleasant journey from Point A to B with unlimited people/things to stare at along the way.

7. Google Reader: This blog aggregator is my own personal newspaper each day.

8. Tea: I became a tea-drinker due to laziness (the preparation of coffee is slightly more labor intensive) and budget constraints, but I continue to drink tea for its own merits.

9. Pubs: Relaxing, social, and often ornate in decor.

10. Pounds sterling: No, not the exchange rate. I'm particularly fond of the pound coins.

11. Local music: "You know that band you read about on that blog?" -"Yeah... they're playing at Rough Trades. I'm seeing them for free."

12. Free time: Do anything you want. Anytime you want. All the time.

Alright. One more to go!

USA

2008-06-09T18:23:00.011-04:00

Forcing people to study continuously for 4 weeks is cruel and unusual punishment, so I need to vent.

I don't carrrrrreeeeee anymore. Just let me come backkkkkkk!

Yeah, yeah. I'm leaving in four days, but the closer the day to leaving comes, the more excruciating each remaining day is. On the bright side, I've got a concert and BBQ to look forward to.

One to Go

2008-06-06T06:36:00.009-04:00

Hey friends and family! I blog to you today from the King's College library while eating an over-priced but delicious yogurt/granola combo.

I survived my exam double header and celebrated with a walk along South Bank and a small trip to Greenwich. We walked from Waterloo Bridge to London Bridge along the river, drinking up the scenery on the first sunny (and warm) day in a long time. It's really hard to believe it's June, because temperature-wise, it seems like I've been suspended in April for the past two or three months.

Highlights of the walk were the massive street art displays on the outside of the Tate Modern building and then of course... food. We arrived to London Bridge right around noon and just in time to slip into Tapas Brindisa, a Spanish specialty restaurant that is always completely packed with a huge wait outside. Even though Jared and I didn't exactly know what the hell a tapa was (our general idea was proved wrong when the first dish was brought out), I have always wanted to eat there. It was some good eating and reminded me of the days of living it up gastronomically in Croatia. I had some steamed mussels and a pork fillet dish, Jared had mackerel and chorizo on toast, and we shared some goats cheese with grapes. And to end the meal, in Eurotrip fashion, we finished up with a shot of espresso with brandy! Mmm.

Enough about food. We then went to Canary Wharf to check out all the fuss about the other financial center of London. Big buildings, investment banks, lots of people rushing about in suits. Not much to write home about overall. But it did remind me a lot more of the United States. Streets were wider, more people were driving cars, and there was that nasty urban sprawl feeling that I get when I'm walking around San Jose, CA.

From there, we walked to Greenwich where we headed to the Great Royal Observatory. Greenwich was really pretty and had a lot of charm and its university (or some university) seemed so luxuriously campus-like compared to the schools in London. We walked past a music school and we could see a flutist standing in the window while hearing violins and drums from other directions. Surreal. These students looked a lot more happy carrying their violin bows around campus than the London students with their noses buried in the Financial Times.

We made our up the hill and walked through the exhibits, most of which were time-keeping-related. Who knew that keeping accurate time was such a complicated process? I didn't even know how my digital watch worked until I read a little blurb. Then we finally made it to the part that everyone cares about: the Prime Meridian Line. We queued up, straddled it, took a picture, and went on our merry way.

That's enough recapping for now. My next exam is on June 11th and until then, I'm studying and preparing for departure. I'm currently packed up for the most part and living out of a suitcase but more disassembling of my room will soon be underway.

Check out some pictures from South Bank, Greenwich, and the state of my room post-exam here.

Exam Seclusion

2008-05-29T12:50:00.007-04:00

For the past two weeks, I've been one of two places: the library and my room. After two terms of slacking off, I can't really complain. But is 7 months of freedom worth 1 month of seclusion? Yes, yes it is. But I still think that I prefer the good ol' balance of work and play at Georgetown.

So far I've taken one exam and have three left to go. June 3rd will be an excruciating six hours of test-taking and after that, I will feel more or less liberated despite having one to go. I have a nasty feeling of being trapped in school while everyone else's summer has started, just as I had that idle feeling about starting school so late in October. My inbox is less full, friends are online less often. God, my reliance on the internet for happiness is alarming. Ha. (I deactivated facebook for the next 2 weeks, fyi).

One major cling to my sanity is Kate over in Lyon, France, but she leaves Europe on Monday and I know that I will have to combat the feeling of rising anxiety about being stuck alone on this continent without her. Ahh. What happened to Jared and the other Gtown crew? They're still there... exuding masculinity and testosterone in full force. And let's just say... I've reached my limits. I love them, but I am a girl god dammit. Sometimes, I want to watch The Notebook with a tissue box, or in my budget-constrained state, with a roll of toilet paper.

I'm ready for the estrogen-fest that will be my house in Burleith. Perhaps I will be singing a different tune in a few weeks. But until then... 6 girl-friends. Living in a house. I can't wait! I somehow predict that I will take one step in the house and burst into tears of joy. But this is possibly my imagination running wild with dramatic homecoming scenes.

In good news, I've seen more climbing people thanks to actually studying around LSE. That's one benefit of this exam period. Alright. Back to studying. Back to reading. June 3rd will be a good day once its over. Send me emails if you are inclined. Hope everyone is well!

Wasting Time

2008-05-24T21:00:00.002-04:00

Sometimes... this is what I look at on the internet instead of sleeping or studying or doing anything else useful or productive.

(and about 10 other versions of this)

Final Exam Attire

2008-05-19T17:40:00.005-04:00

You know... if I had known about the King's College Maughan library earlier, I would've been a hell of a lot more studious this year. My little bedchamber is crippling to motivation and conducive to laziness, so it's pretty essential I finally found a better study venue.

Finals exams makes me think of sweat pants, hoodies, glasses, coffee. Yet I show up the library fairly well-rested, at least wearing jeans and wondering if I even need a cup of coffee. Other people are wearing dresses and skirts and heels and are looking normal. Where are all the chain smokers that look like they haven't slept in days? Where are the people who haven't showered or brushed their hair since their last final?

I've been wearing my Pres(entation High School) sweats to at least one final since my freshman year of high school. I guess this'll be the year where I break from the trend.

Knackered and Ready for DC

2008-05-18T14:54:00.002-04:00

I'm knackered, as the Brits say. Knackered from work and knackered from nothing. It's strange how within a week, I've gone from feeling like my time in London is too short to feeling like I desperately want to be back in Georgetown. My change of mood happens to coincide with the nearing of my first exam, which obviously has influenced my feelings. Also, the weather has returned to normal: overcast and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, which is fine, except when I know there's something better (SUMMER) awaiting me an ocean away.

This was my second to last weekend working at EB. Work is a good distraction and it's a nice time to chat with people, but it definitely tired me out. A 7:45AM wakeup is not how I prefer to start my Saturday mornings... so I rewarded myself with Starbucks. Vanilla latte... mmm. I can't remember the last time I had one.

After standing for 8 hours at work on Saturday, I went to stand for another 2 hours at a Kaki King concert at the University of London Union. You can read my little review here at the Touch My Clickwheel blog. I felt a little sentimental about the United States while watching Kaki perform, because I remembered seeing her live for the first time a year and half ago at the State Theater in Falls Church, VA. It's not so far in the past, yet I know I've changed a lot since then. Not for better, not for worse; I'm just different. I had some of those "surreal" concert moments that I like to have at concerts where I feel a song is really applicable to life or where I feel a little moved. What can I say? I'm a sap underneath it all. Kaki King was probably my favorite show of London and funny enough, the last song she played was "Jessica."

So... this entry was a little more of the sap of earlier this year. Bear with me. I'll probably be on a roller coaster of emotions in this last stretch to the last exam.

Here's one of my favorite Kaki King songs. Check it out if you're curious what she's like.

Ice Climbing!

2008-05-13T14:06:00.004-04:00

London weather continues to be beautiful and almost too hot. And to think, a few weeks ago, I was thinking that it was a waste that I brought my flip flops here. Unfortunately, with better weather comes final exams and by final, I mean the only exams I will have had all year. My countdown to exams in my planner informs me that I only have 10 days to my first final. Bollocks, as they say. Studying has not been coming along so well, but with a new venue, the King's College Library, I think I should be making some hefty progress in the next week.

Enough of that "school" business. Let's get to the real interesting part which is ice climbing. As I've mentioned before, I work at a store which has an 8-meter indoor ice wall. Today, I finally got around to climbing it. As a rock climber (or someone that attempts to rock climb), I wondered if I'd have any advantage over a pure climbing novice. The answer is... probably not. Climbing ice like rock is not the best way as I learned in my first ascent of the wall. I chopped away at the ice, used crap footholds, and dangled from the rope while Francy told me to stop climbing it like rock.

The second climb, I redeemed myself somewhat. I made it up while only losing hold of the wall once or twice, and it probably took me half the time as well. My hands were so tired though that I almost dropped one of my axes; luckily, I caught it as it was falling and didn't kill Francy, my trusty belayer.

Ice climbing in London? Who woulda thunk? My elbow/forearm is a little busted from climbing last week and ice climbing didn't help it, but carpe diem right? Taking Jared and Stefan climbing with me was really fun, the most fun I've had at The Castle in a long time. But the competitive spirit in me, awoken by Jared, pushes me to climb harder and in some cases, past my limits. After not climbing for over 3 weeks, my muscles were a bit weak and so here I am, with a touchy joint but with more 5a's under my belt. To be old and rickety, ha. Anyways. Social obligations call.

Check out more ice climbing photos here or click on the picture above.

Booze Culture Good, Booze Ban Bad

2008-05-07T18:35:00.003-04:00

The weather is amaaazzzing here in London. There's a little breeze and it's sunny, so I'm busting out the Rainbow sandals and Ray Bans (does that make me a brand whore?). London has really come alive with the great weather. I took the bus home from The Castle today and people were out in swarms walking home or to the tube from work. The after-work pub crowd was spilling out onto the sidewalks pints in hand on every street. Soooo nice. One thing, among many, that I will miss about London is this casual attitude toward alcohol. People enjoy the beer. They have a conversation over a pint or two, whether it be at noon or nine. It gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling to see everyone so relaxed and happy on a Wednesday afternoon.

Then... I opened the London Paper. Newly elected Mayor Boris Johnson has announced an alcohol ban on the Tube, bus, tram, and train in an effort to reduce "small crime," which he says will reduce "large crime." God damn. This is infringement on the culture that I have come to love about London! Unless they can stop drunk people from using the tube or bus, they can't prevent the type of crime that they're targeting. In my experience, the passengers drinking on the tube are having their Stella like a cup of coffee: casually sipping while reading the London Lite. They are not behaving aggressively or violently.

I suppose that in time, we'll see if the booze ban leads to any positive results. But until June 1st, find me sipping a Kronenbourg on the Northern Line with the other sexy people, haha.

"Sexiest Passengers" Travel Northern Line

2008-05-05T05:42:00.003-04:00

Ahem, I travel on/live on the Northern Line. So this article is absolutely factual and appropriate for posting. Eat your hearts out, Central Line snobs!

Here's the article from the Londonist or read it here.

Between Morden and High Barnet travel the sexiest passengers on the network according to the results of Qype's Love on the Tube survey.
About 300 people completed the cheeky survey and the prevailing wisdom is the Northern Line's where it's at for ‘spiky-haired indie kids’ and ‘hot City types’. Unsurprisingly, no mention of the swollen handed alcoholics or the billion tourists who get on between Waterloo and Leicester Square.

Dowdiest is the Hammersmith and City line, which seems a little unfair considering it also has its share of 'hot City types' and runs through to uber-cool and good looking Ladbroke Grove.

Still, half of the respondents claim to have tried to jump someone underground, which is something to be proud of, although 90% admit to a totally loss of balls in such a situation and lament 'missed moments'.

Saddest of all though, are some of the truly terrible chat up lines that people have heard on the tube, including “Stand back honey, I would hate to see you get hurt” and “Would you like to ‘get off’ here with me?”

Um. No.

Smiles and Some Doom

2008-05-03T16:51:00.007-04:00

Living on a tight schedule of school and work is a tough adjustment following 6 weeks of flying by the seat of my pants. It's not so much that I have a lot of classes or lectures... I don't. It's just that the sense of urgency and anxiety about revision is creeping up and days are just going by. Combined with the impending doom of exams, I really want to savor this last month and a half in London by hanging out with people who I potentially will never see again for the rest of my life. That's dramatic, yes, but also a real possibility. I haven't seen some high school friends for a few years because we're on different coasts. Different continents could prove an even greater obstacle.

That's all gloom and doom, I know, but I've been almost all smiles since coming back to London. I returned to work today for the first time in 2 months and was unfortunately greeted by a notification that I need to have over 100 pounds deducted from my salary for running a credit note incorrectly through the system almost 3 months ago. Yes, I am pissed. And no, I have no real idea how to accept a credit note at the till. And that's why, as a part-timer (and an irregular part-timer at that), I always ask someone else to do it for me. And now... here I am in the red and owing the damn company money. So for the next three days I work, I am paying off debt. Bollocks, as they say. Bollocks, bollocks, bollocks.

Still, the day turned out to be good. Selling spring merch is far from the hassle of eager ski-loving shoppers. I could relax a little bit more and have fun with co-workers. Anyways, work again tomorrow. Afterwards, I'm heading to Waterloo with an LSE climber/co-worker (yes, my two worlds merge) to check out the Cans Festival. It's a street artist exhibition featuring Banksy and other artists. Oooh, I walked by one of Banksy's newest pieces (shown above) the other day while walking to a friend's flat on Essex Road... cool stuff.

Another thing. I've learned that in situations where you can grin and bear it OR complain, you should always complain. When my showers were perpetually lukewarm, I just accepted it and took cold showers. Then I complained and I had warm water. But still, my water pressure, even water volume, was sub-par. Only now with a month and a half left did I complain. And now I have amazing water volume. You can actually hear water running now when I take a shower. Soooo glorious. Lesson learned: complain. Always complain. Haha.

Alright. That's all for now. Take care everybody.

Back in the Groove

2008-04-28T13:47:00.004-04:00

I'm finally back from my 2-week romp through Austria, Hungary, and Croatia. School is upon me for the first time in 6 weeks, and there's definitely a readjustment period that I need to get through. Still, I can't help but enjoy it since it's my last month and a half in London.

Now down to business. I'm not sure if I can actually summon the will power to summarize the happenings of the trip in one go. So, as they say, a picture says a thousand words.

Go to my Picasa to see all the albums or click individually below.

Above is a picture of Jared and I as we got a little picture happy at the ruins in Dvigrad, Croatia. As it said in our guide book, you can really let your imagination run wild. There are no signs, no gates, no fences, no educational information of any kind. All we knew is that it was abandoned due to plague in the 16th century. We walked on walls dating back to the 15th century and we actually climbed into the church of St. Sophia. We were the only people in Dvigrad at the time (hurrah for low season!), which made it even more surreal. Ok, enjoy the photos.

Salzburg photos

Vienna photos

Budapest photos

Istria photos

Pula photos

Scervusc from Pest

2008-04-19T13:55:00.002-04:00

Hello all. I'm currently in an internet café on the Pest side of Budapest. The Hungarian currency, the forint, has been very kind to us and has been a large factor in redeeming Budapest after arriving on the first discouraging night. As is usual, darkness makes everything look a little bit sketchy and the fact that we had zero money due to no ATMs and almost no ability to communicate upped the stress level.

That said, most everything else has been flawless. Well... besides a lot of stuff being closed due to a transit strike on our first full day of exploring, ha. Spring has sprung in Hungary! It's the first place I've traveled to where I can really just wear a t-shirt and jeans. The food is great and it's nice not to have to sell a kidney to support a diet including meat other than tuna from the can.

Walking around is, in one simple word, pleasant. Just walk. With my handy post-it from my friend Gabor, we've managed to try Hungarian dishes. Soft cabbage stuffed with pork, venison stew, and goulash. We still need to try the bean soup. Butttt we bought some Hungarian wine to try later at our flat. Our hostel is no hostel... it's a full-fledged apartment with kitchen, bathroom, breakfast nook/bar area, and bedroom. All ours! So nice to have our own space again.

Alright. I'm having a great time and overall, it's practically zero stress. We're heading to Zahgreb in 2 days and I'm not sure if I'll have internet there. Haven't had much access so far. Hope everyone is well. Vislat!

...And We're Off

2008-04-11T18:53:00.003-04:00

A week back in London, while academically unproductive, was at least socially productive. Time has flown and with 2 weeks left of my 6 week break, I'm off to Austria tomorrow.

Just for all you curious folk, I'll be traveling to Salzburg tomorrow, followed by Vienna, Budapest, Zahgreb, Rovinj and surrounding areas, and Pula. I might update on the way to avoid a 2-week summary post when I get back, so check back in if you want to know what I'm up to.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Family Vacation! (With the Medveds)

2008-04-06T09:55:00.000-04:00

First, a bit of business. I have reached the limits of a free Flickr account and rather than upgrade to a pretty account, as pretty as they are, I'm switching to my dormant Picasa account. Shockingly, I encountered a fair amount of problems uploading the web albums and had to resurrect my troubleshooting skills. Who knew there was any flaw in Google at all?

So now I'm in the process of organizing albums from past trips. Here's Sardinia and the Amalfi Coast in pictures and from a while back, Amsterdam, Paris, and Gtown's Spring Break in London.

Now onto the Amalfi coast vacation. Much like Sardinia, this trip offered an experience that differed from the typical student travel that I've been doing and will be doing for the rest of break. There weren't really museums to visit, although we did visit the Archaeological Museum in Naples. Never before have I been surrounded by so many phallic images. Penis pendants on necklaces, penis earings, flying penis statues WITH penises, penis wall adornments, and of course erotic frescos and statues, all from Pompei. Naples was the only real city we went to on the trip, and I think we were all glad that it was a brief visit. Besides for the garbage on the streets, check out this TIME photo gallery to get the full and shocking picture, I was a little taken aback by the traffic. Never before have I heard sustained honking and beeping for such a duration of time. It was a fun experience though.

Naples was only one day out of ten, but it's hard to recap where I've been. Most of the towns on the Amalfi coast are very small and vertical with windy roads connecting them and they tend to blend in my mind unless I have a certain restaurant or villa to distinguish one from the other. We stayed in two villas in a town called Positano, supposedly the most vertical town in the world? In Italy? Facts are fuzzy. Right outside our door (literally) was a hike to Ciello (I think), an extremely small town directly above us. 2000 steps later, we were there and having lunch in a small trattoria where we could see the three famous rocks of Capris. Ok, I won't go through everything and everywhere I went, but highlights include Pompei, the small hike up and around Mt. Vesuvius, the stair hike, and the drive around the island of Capri. Food and gelatto were another major highlight. I was constantly well fed, tummy well-stocked with local seafood, pastas, tomatoes, and mozzarella.

The Medved's know how to vacation and have a good time, and I was lucky enough to be along for the ride. I've got to say, I haven't laughed that hard on a daily basis since I've been back at Georgetown and that was a good feeling to have again. It was also nice to be around "family" again; they weren't mine but I felt adopted for the time being.

So now... I rest for a week and sort out my business. In good news, I will be back in DC by June 16th and semi-employed. Alright. A picture says a thousand words, so check 'em out. Hope to talk to everyone while I'm back in London.

Sardinia (and more) Recap

2008-03-24T09:34:00.008-04:00

Hello loyal readers (aka immediate family, select Gtown friends, and facebook stalkers)!

I'm back from my week in Sardinia and following a 15-hour sleep, I'm ready to discuss. Let me start with the week leading up to Sardinia, which was a bit of an adventure in itself. Only four days after the hospital visit, I took the Eurostar to Paris with Jared. I know what you're thinking. Questionable decisions in the wake of sickness. BUT Jared and I had already bought tickets weeks earlier and I was feeling okay to eat, so there was no sense in wasting our tickets. We hopped the yellow tour bus for convenient site-seeing and hit up Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Monmarte, Musee D'Orsay, and the Arc de Triumphe. We did drive-bys of the Champs Elysee (walked it a little), the Paris Opera House, the Louvre, and lots of things that I would butcher the pronunciation of. We witnessed a fun little scuffle between what I think was a gypsy and a French couple. Unfortunately, the only word I could understand was "Fuck" but fisticuffs nearly erupted. There was wrist-grabbing and fist-shaking and purse-pulling and money-thrusting... all you can really ask for as a spectator. Our French breakfast was top notch. Bread with more bread and coffee. Mmmm.

We met up with a Gtown friend, fellow D6-er Reed, who's studying in Science Po for the semester. We went to dinner with him... and then we missed our Eurostar back home, the last one leaving for London that night. After running through the streets of Paris to find a cab and rushing to the platform, I was a little flustered and disheartened. But my sad face plus Jared's earned some French sympathy and they did some magic with our tickets so that we wouldn't have to pay for new ones the next morning. We made the most of the unexpected night in Paris, catching the Eiffel Tower as it sparkled and squeezing another crepe into our bellies. But... I will say that I was completely exhausted the next morning arriving to London at 8AM. Whew.

Onto Sardinia. I don't necessarily know what to say about it, because the anecdotes come as naturally when the setting is nature versus cities. But it has definitely been my favorite trip of this year abroad. The other cities have been good, but it was nice to not have any sites that I was obligated to see, etc. Also, the whole trip was kind of arranged for me and I didn't have much thinking to do. I got in the car when I was told and followed the leader when we hiked to climbs. Other flatmates did the cooking (whew) and I tried not to be a bum with cleaning and other helpful activities.

I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves (I'm the climber in the picture above). I did 5 days of climbing with 1 rest day, but some days I literally sat around the whole time and climbed only 1 route. One day we had to hike uphill for an hour and a half... and I huffed and puffed the whole way up but it was good for me. I was away from the internet for the longest time in a while and it was refreshing, for the most part, to have other things to do and think about. It softened the blow of the Hoyas loss to Davidson in the Tourney, because my heart wasn't in it for the whole thing.

I just enjoyed hanging out and eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with people again. It felt good to have that kind of community feeling again compared to the daily isolation of life at LSE. The group that came on the trip was really international. In my flat alone, there were two Norwegians, a Polish girl, and a French girl. Other climbers were Finnish, Colombian, American, Canadian, German, Belgian, Chinese, and British. You definitely don't get this in the states, as "international" as Georgetown is.

Alright, so enjoy these pictures if you feel like looking. They're not in order somehow... but you'll get the idea. Also, if you can't recognize me from behind, I'm always wearing khaki or grey trousers with a brown-ish chalk bag and yellow shoes; my helmet is blue. Next stop: Positano, Italy. Ciao for now.

Sardinia Pictures

Sardinia

2008-03-15T15:48:00.002-04:00

Hello all. I am (I would type I apostrophe m but Norwegian keyboard gives me iæm) leaving for Sardinia tomorrow morning and will be gone for a week. I am a little nervous about it for some reason. Even so, I am really excited to see how it is. I hope everyone has a good Easter.

Recap

2008-03-12T07:50:00.004-04:00

The Georgetown invasion of London is over and I'm recooping before the craziness of my 6-week Easter Break. That's not a type-o. 6 weeks. I'll be traveling for approximately 4.5 of those weeks, not quite consecutively (thank god).

So as usual, in anticipation of all the excitement of visitors, I got sick. After a trip to the local clinic doctor and several days of feeling worse, I headed to the hospital. I've got to hand it to the NHS. I was only in the waiting room for 1.5-2 hours. Then I was in my own little room for 45 minutes. And then I felt pretty taken care of by doctors and nurses. Also, lucky for me, Kate and Andrea were there for essential moral support.

I've seen many sides of the NHS and I'm really fortunate that all of its services are free. But if you dare to open a little pamphlet about how it is funded, you'll notice that the NHS consumes roughly 1/3 of the entire budget for England. With VAT and high income taxes, is it worth it? I'm going to say... overall, no. Had the doctor at the clinic been more thorough and less efficient with my initial visit, I feel like I wouldn't have had to go to the hospital. Or if I had more faith that a GP could do something for me if I went back, I wouldn't have bothered to go to the hospital. But because efficiency is the main goal of the GPs, I knew it was a dead-end and hence diverted to the hospital. Still, care at the hospital was top notch. They took an X-Ray of my stomach/intestines, a urine sample, and two blood tests all without the hassle of me worrying how much it would cost.

Maybe a smidge of social medicine mixed with private care? That'd be a happy blend. Easier said than done. I'm more than rusty with my knowledge of health care issues in the U.S. so I will stop here. When all is said and done, I'm doing well now. I'm eating normally and am back to attending class. Some class teachers were a bit more understanding than others . You drop the word "hospital" in an email and expect a little sympathy. Unfortunately, only human beings can exhibit such emotion.

I'm glad to be back in good health, because trips are rapidly approaching. Hopefully my body will hold up for me, although I'm confident it will since only 2 of the weeks will be tiring movement from place to place. The rest will be relaxing in what I hope is Italian paradise. Sardinia, however, is not the island I thought it would be unfortunately. I think "island" and I think warm and sunny, but Sardinia's high looks to be in the low 60s this time of year. Yet my the climbing club email for the packing list included both down jacket AND bikini. Hmm. So do I wear my bikini underneath my thermals to go for a "refreshing" swim after climbing? Interesting.

Starting Sunday, March 16th, I will be out of contact until the following Sunday (Easter). Then I am back for two days before having limited email access for the next week and half, but hopefully, I'll be checking in. Hope everyone is doing well.

Kate, Amsterdam, Gtown, etc.

2008-03-02T12:39:00.008-05:00

Quick update for anyone that's wondering what I've been up to. It's been a little crazy lately with frequent visitors and other commitments. I'm on hiatus at Ellis Brigham due to friends and travel. Last Thursday, Kate came to visit and it was an amazingly relaxing time spent touring London. We went to some not-so touristy things... like the Apple Store in Brent Cross (Zone 3, man) to fix Kate's constantly afflicted Mac. Although the computer received a bad prognosis, all wasn't lost. We stopped at Camden Town on the way there and explored the markets and checked out the part that burned down. The British really freak out about fires, because I expected a huge part of the market to be gone after all the news it got. But when I looked, there were only 2-3 structures that looked destroyed, including the famous Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse watering hole, The Hawley Arms. Other highlights of Kate's visit include the Annie Leibovitz documentary at ICA. Maybe it was Kate's presence or just seeing a bunch of American icons on screen, but I loved it. So... if you have the opportunity, see the documentary Annie Leibovitz: My Life Through a Lens.

What else... I've been struggling to make time for climbing in the midst of visitors and trips. I've been practicing lead climbing to prepare for Sardinia and took my first fall (on purpose) on Friday to overcome my fear. I'm not going to lie... it was not glamorous and I spent a few minutes clutching the wall as my calves shook from fatigue trying to get the nerve to just jump. But hurrah, now I did it and I'm less scared and will look less stupid in the future!

Some quick thoughts about Amsterdam... so many canals. I'm really ignorant about world cities to the point where I did not even know that Amsterdam was famous for tulips. Of course, we strolled through the Red Light District, both during the day and at night. The first time I saw a prostitute in the window, I was immediately sad. But then I got over it because if seeing a prostitute caused sadness, then I'd probably be sad for the majority of my time in Amsterdam. What else... museums. We went to the Van Gogh museum and the Rijk museum. Thumbs up to the Van Gogh museum, although Jared and I both felt a little guilty/proud that the MoMa in NYC had Starry Night. Fun facts: Van Gogh painted a lot of Japanese-influenced pieces... lots of trees with cherry blossoms or other flowers and even imitations of Japanese woodblock prints. I wasn't that impressed with the Rijk museum, mostly because I'm not a huge fan of Rembrandt or Vermeer. It was also really small. Quickly... we used the trams a lot, even though city was really walkable. Finding genuine Dutch food proved to be a challenge, as Argentine Steakhouses dominate the culinary landscape in Amsterdam. I'm not complaining because the steaks were amazzzing. Maybe it's just because I've been deprived of quality beef for 5 months (U-S-A!). One last comment on Amsterdam since I've kind of gone overboard. The Dutch are extremely friendly and speak impeccable English. We walked into a butcher's shop and asked if she spoke English to which she replied, "A little." And then she proceeded to give us directions to a Dutch restaurant in what I would consider to be fluent English. Anyways. Amsterdam in a nutshell... not morally corrupt and actually quite quaint. It's more metropolitan than Prague and holy hell, do they ride bikes there.

Alright. I'm pretty behind on work and am set to head to Brick Lane in an hour. Still, life is good. I watched Georgetown beat Marquette at Bodeans BBQ in Soho with newly arrived Gtown friends (Claire, Nathan, Ashley, and Lauren) who are here for Spring Break. J-Wal saves the day... yet again. Ok, hopefully I'll be posting a little more frequently leading up the end of Lent Term but until then, I hope everyone is well.

Bitch is the New Black

2008-02-25T15:13:00.001-05:00

I said I wouldn't post... but oh well. Enjoy.

Hiatus

2008-02-20T18:39:00.003-05:00

You know you're old when the words, "Ohhh, my backkk" roll off your tongue like you were born to speak them. Well, my back hurts, but for good reason. I went to climb at 3PM today and didn't get home 'til 8:30. It was good times though. In exciting news, Kate comes tomorrow morning! I go on my Amsterdam trip shortly after and then the Gtown crew is rolling into London Town for their Spring Break. I don't anticipate posts for 2 weeks so until then... see ya.

A Hoedown with Noah and the Whale

2008-02-11T19:21:00.000-05:00

I saw Noah and the Whale at the ICA near Trafalgar Square and I have to say, the ICA is a hidden gem of a venue. I was right up there at the stage (I took the picture to the left) and although it was sold out, it had the intimacy and electric vibe of the 9:30 Club without the crushing crowd that sometimes encroaches my personal space.

We arrived promptly at 7:30, but decided to hit the pub and wait it out for a little while. After a pint of Kronenbourg and healthy conversation at a really spacious pub near Westminster, we headed back to ICA. A trio of guitarists/singers were on stage and they put on a pretty good show, although a little lacking in full sound.

Noah and the Whale came out dressed in blues and yellows. They fit the stylistic bill for many indie acts these days, but their sound set them apart. In one song I hadn't heard before, the fiddle came in with a riff similar to the one in "Sweet Child O Mine" and got everyone bumping and clapping. The bassist had a full-time job playing the xylophone (or something similar) and harmonium in addition to his bass. Laura Marling shook the shit out of the egg shaker but was still a little timid. With her new haircut, fresh from last Monday's in-store, she still won me over, but I wish she'd realize how good she is and come out of her shell. They played... around seven songs including "Five Years Time," "Jocasta," "Rocks and Daggers," "Mary," "Give a Little Love," two or three others I didn't know, and an encore cover of The Smith's "Girlfriend In A Coma." All of their live versions had more energy and momentum than their recorded versions, but that's saying a lot since their recorded stuff is great. Look for their songs on Hype Machine.

These guys deserve to get famous immediately. And also... I want a cd. So far, they've only released two singles on vinyl. Bah. All I know is I've found myself a new favorite band. Catch these guys at SXSW for anyone going.

That's all for now. I'm finally seeing Juno tomorrow! It hit the UK on Friday. Bye, friends.

Happy Days

2008-02-10T15:05:00.000-05:00

Ok, time for a happy entry. This past week, I just got a little tired of being away from the States and family and friends. I watched You've Got Mail three times to give you an idea of my dire straits. But then a series of good things happened.

1. I received a mixed cd from a friend at UCLA, combining the excitement of mail and new music all in one glorious yellow parcel.

2. I actually went climbing when other LSE climbers were there. Yes, I should've been making a greater effort to go when other people were going, but it takes some will power to drag myself climbing when class finished at 6PM Friday and work starts 9:30AM Saturday. Luckily, I had the will power this week and did my first lead climb (where you clip into the wall) to prepare for Sardinia. Afterwards we hit the pub and I rewarded my efforts with a pint of Kronenburg, my favorite beer here.

3. Jared's parents visited. More than just a complimentary dinner, I received a bit of the parental love that Jared couldn't absorb.

4. Work. I was exhausted today, but yesterday was fun somehow. For every asshole that claims prices are "puh-THET-ic" in that posh English accent, there's four or five customers that make you feel good about your day. And of course, my co-workers.

5. I read The Kite Runner and am possibly the last person on earth to finally read it. Anyways, I liked it a lot. I'm onto a new one called Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin which is good so far.

Alright. I'm going to a sold out concert tomorrow at the Institute of Contemporary Arts to see Noah & the Whale. Check them out.

Thoughts on Scalia's Lecture

2008-02-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

I am just back from a lecture given by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at LSE. Strange to think that the only lecture I have attended so far at LSE is one by an American. Much of the audience was American and simply showed up to see what Scalia would talk about. His speech, although I forget the title now, discussed Scalia's well-known criticism of the Constitution as a living document as well as his disapproval of the role of the Supreme Court as moral arbiters.

He made the audience laugh with some good quotes:

-In response to a question on limiting the power of the state with some reference to the Nuremberg Trials, he said, "Hitler made a fine automobile."

-In reference to the overturning of sodomy laws (I forget where he was referring to specifically), he said he is willing to "accept that homosexual orgies eliminate social tension and ought to be encouraged." Irony, of course.

-I forget the specific quote exactly, but it's referenced in wikipedia. In reference to his criticism of the "Living Constitution, he says he's "skeptical that societies always 'mature,' as opposed to rot." That the Constitution was written and defined so that future societies couldn't do whatever they want.

-He also criticizes the politicizing of the process of nominating new Justices. Every nomination "is like a mini-constitutional convention." "It's crazy," he said.

-Oh, and on the topic of the profile of the next judge to be nominated, he said "Probably a woman. A Hispanic woman... that's Protestant." Haha.

As his speech progressed, I became increasingly uneasy about the future of law in the U.S. I don't know why exactly. Scalia is undoubtedly intelligent, witty, and sharp-tongued. I would not want to be on the receiving end, as some students were during the Q&A, of his criticism. The U.S. is in, if not safe hands (for some minorities), capable hands. But knowing his opinions on hot topics like abortion and same-sex marriage, although he didn't explicitly express them, is worrisome to me. To Scalia, that society (or at least parts) wants these to be legal is a sign of "rotting" than "maturing." True, Scalia is not final say on these issues, but it just struck a chord with me.

I think I need to be more politically active. I'm not apathetic by any means, but I feel like more is at stake than I first thought. How in jeopardy is Roe v. Wade right now? With aging Supreme Court Justices and the possibility of a conservative present appointing conservatively minded judges, it's certainly not in the clear. I don't know. I don't think about these things often enough, I suppose, and thinking of them now, I'm just a little worried. Lots of laws seem to be very abstract for people. They can get worked up about them but at the end of the day, they are unaffected by the ultimate consequences. It's easy to be that way, but fortunately or unfortunately, the issue of abortion is relevant to all women.

Anyways, some more uplifting stories to come at some time in the future when uplifting things occur.

Stone Henge

2008-02-05T13:56:00.001-05:00

I didn't mention that I traveled to Stone Henge/Salisbury on Sunday. It was my first real journey outside of London and the 2-hour train ride there revealed some British countryside that reminded me a little of the American Midwest with a few more hills.

So... Stone Henge. Some people claim to be disappointed by it, but it was very near to what I expected. Located in the Salisbury plain, it was pretty damn cold and windy. Sheep were chilling out nearby but kept away from the Stone Henge area by a not so inconspicuous electric fence. The road is right next to Stone Henge too. I must say, the 20-minute bus ride there gave me a newfound appreciation for London buses. Sitting on the top-deck of the bus, it felt more like I was rocking in a boat.

I tried my best to listen to the free audio tour guide thing, but my fingers were freezing as I held it to my ear. My Stone Henge travel pals, Gabor from work and his fellow Hungarian friend, relied on me for listening to the important bits and relaying the information. I won't go into what I learned, because that would be (more) boring... but it was a good time and I'm glad I went. In the gift shop, I flipped through some photography books of Stone Henge from 1900-present and was kind of shocked to see the vandalism that persisted at Stone Henge until the '70s. People put tables and chairs on the lintels and drank up there. They chipped bits of rock away for a souvenir. And they wrote on the actual stones. So... needless to say, visitors are kept a safe distance away. Good.

We also ventured into Salisbury itself, home to Salisbury Cathedral which boasts a.) the tallest church spire in the UK; b.) the largest cloister and largest Cathedral Close in Britain; c.) the world's oldest working clock from 1386; and d.) the best preserved of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta (we unfortunately got there 5 minutes too late to glimpse it). Who would've thought...

It was cool to travel with Hungarians and ask them about their country/history. They kind of laughed about it and all the arbitrary borders for Hungary and neighboring countries which are home to many Hungarians also. It's also a feat to overcome mistranslations, as they speak "British." They're what I would call fluent, but things still go awry with accents, pronunciations, and American/British colloquialisms. Anyways... that's a wrap.

Laura Marling In-Store

2008-02-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

I'm just back from an in-store performance by Laura Marling, a singer/song-writer I've been ranting and raving about over at the TMC blog. So while thoughts are fresh...

The in-store took place at the tiny Rough Trade West, a tiny record shop in Notting Hill off of Portobello Road to celebrate the release of her first record, Alas I Cannot Swim. Laura performed behind the counter with just a microphone and her Gibson acoustic. She did her best to talk a bit with the audience but her shyness showed through, as she sang with her eyes downcast for most of the songs. Her eyes would occasionally drift up and look above the audience at all the posters and when the guy who was front and center, arms wrapped around his girlfriend, scrambled to silence his ringing cell phone, she smiled wide. I was right up front, just behind a slightly pungent man that took too many photographs. I could even see her fingers grey from all the guitar picking. She played six songs or so and then returned to sign some cds and singles.

As I listen to her album now, I prefer her live versions, especially of "Alas I Cannot Swim," (listen to below) a favorite that sounds a bit like its a traditional story sung in some traditional style that I can't put my finger on. Somewhat unfortunately, it is inconveniently hidden away at the end of the last track. Some album versions are a bit more elaborate compared to her stripped down versions at the in-store. Luckily, I will get to see her live again... next Monday when she performs with Noah & the Whale at ICA and in March with my free ticket included with my purchase of her song box.

Edit: I've listened to her album several times through now and I think I need to give it more praise. Listening through my headphones and not my crappy laptop speakers, the loveliness of her live performance came through in her album versions. Very nice and calm to listen to as I did my morning Econometrics problem set.

I don't really know how to write real "reviews" so I will just conclude by saying that the in-store made me feel good. A bit of tugging at heart-strings and a bit of smirking at her bashfulness. At only 18-years-old, I think Laura Marling's song-writing is amazingly mature and intelligent. I hear her single "Ghosts" has been snatched up by a mobile phone provider so perhaps she'll go the way of the Feist-Starbucks marriage and be propelled to international stardom, complete with Ipod commercial.

Music has been a bit of a savior for me here in London. I'm really lucky that I'm right here in the middle of it. Hopefully, I keep taking advantage of it all.

Boy George... is fabulous.

2008-01-29T18:27:00.000-05:00

Not much new to report from London. I find myself exhausted if I've gotten anything less than 9 hours of sleep, which is strange and irrational. Tonight, I fell asleep on my bare mattress waiting for my laundry to get done.

What I really wanted to talk about was last Friday's Boy George concert that I attended at the Shaw Theatre. My aunt had extra tickets and although I would've never thought to go otherwise, I was more entertained by Boy George than by most of the other performer I've seen. His on-stage banter was top notch and his singing, despite a self-described comparison to Rod Stewart as a result of a sore throat, was great. Of course, he made fun of himself and his past arrests while also reminding the audience that he wasn't "just a street sweeper. I write songs too!"

I was really impressed by his repetoire. Before seeing him, I only knew "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?". But he played some other Boy George originals that I really enjoyed as well as some really good reggae and covers like blues classic "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl" and "Everything I Own."

Boy George really surprised me and while going to see him was a bit of a joke at first, I've definitely learned not to judge 80s pop stars before giving them a chance. Who would've thought Boy George was better than Van Morrison?

This video is from (one of) his performances at Shaw Theatre where I saw him on Friday. I'm not sure if this is the show I went to but he played this song. Really good.

Van Morrison Disappoints, Jaymay Saves

2008-01-23T19:14:00.001-05:00

Bee bop ba-wa doo... no one cares you can scat, Van Morrison. Also, no one cares that you can play the tenor sax OR that you're band is bluesy enough to take turns soloing for each and every song. It's safe to say that Van the Man was a little disappointing to me. Number one, he played a really short set. Number two, he didn't balance artistic freedom with crowd-pleasers. I could forgive him if he omitted Brown-Eyed Girl. But I can't forgive him for leaving out every song on Astral Weeks and every song, besides the title song, from Moondance. I don't know what the hell he played, but from that concert, the only thing that I can really say is that I saw Van Morrison live. One highlight was Van walking off-stage and dropping the microphone to the ground with a huge THUMP. Then he returned and walked off about three more times in a bizarre showing that confirms that he's a crazy, crazy man.

Alright, that's a bit of a harsh review, but I'm sticking to it. In happier music news, I ventured to Dingwalls in Camden Town tonight to catch Jaymay opening for Teddy Thompson, the son of
famed guitarist/folk singer Richard Thompson. I bought a ticket to it very last minute and couldn't have been happier with my choice. The venue was very State Theater in Falls Church, VA meets 9:30 Club in DC, a bit of seating with the nicer atmosphere of the 9:30 Club. It was also my first ever concert alone, because convincing someone else to go to this with me was a battle I didn't want to fight. Going alone was actually a good experience. The last time I was in Camden Town, I was a bit overwhelmed by the Goth/Punk atmosphere. I think the piercing/tattoo studio to human ratio is staggeringly high there. Tonight, they were closed down for the night and I felt less out of place than I did during the day. Anyways, the first guy that came on had a crazy Glasgow accent. Insane. He was really good, though the crowd wasn't overly impressed. Then Jaymay came on and no one cared until she started singing. She did a really solid six song set and during Teddy Thompson, she came out to sell her cds. I could tell she's just really into the music because when teenage kids came up to her to buy her cd and it looked they didn't have enough money, she told them she'd take whatever. Made me happy to see it. Sigh.

Lastly, I've been rock climbing again and I'm crap... again. But to motivate myself, I have booked tickets to the Easter Break rock climbing trip to Sardinia. Maybe this will be me in 3 months?

Baby Mama, nothing to do with London

2008-01-17T12:29:00.000-05:00

I want to see this movie baddddly. Too bad it's US release is April 18th. Until then, I'll just look forward to Juno hitting the UK.

Culture, Baby

2008-01-15T18:59:00.000-05:00

It's only Tuesday night yet it has been a week full of art and culture already. Yesterday between classes, I browsed the books and cds at Fopp, a small chain of independent record stores in the UK. It's really a cool store with about half the cds priced at 3-5 pounds. There's also a pretty good book selection in the 1-5 pound range. I may have gone a little overboard, so let's just say I'll be reading a lot in the next few weeks. But can I turn down "The Little Prince" for 1 pound? Apparently no. Although I set out to buy a Belle & Sebastian 2-disc collection, I ended up walking out with the new Magnetic Fields album.

Here's some interesting facts about Fopp: They used to have 105 stores located around the UK, but were forced to shut down during Summer '07 due to poor sales. Luckily, HMV, a much bigger UK chain, bought Fopp and reopened 7 of the 105 stores which were profitable at the time of closing. It's sad to know that one of the places in London that I have enjoyed and visited repeatedly has already died and risen from the dead. Close call.

In other music news, I read today in the gloriously free London Paper that London-based EMI announced it was planning to "make redundant" 1/3 of their employees. Why must the British use euphemisms like this? When Ford fires its employees, I feel like they're a bit more straightforward. Anyways, Robbie Williams and the Verve are protesting in a seemingly pointless protest. EMI can't employ people for charity. I think that I may need to revise my life goal of working in the music industry because every time I read about something like this (which is often), a little warning whistle goes off in my head. Hmm.

In uplifting music news, I also went to Rough Trade East on Monday for a free in-store with Lightspeed Champion. I predict that this guy will be embraced by the mp3 blogosphere and indie hipsters worldwide when his album comes out in a few weeks. True, he looks like the craziest indie kid you've ever seen (see video below) but he sounds great. Solid voice with solid guitar work, with fun splashes of violin and doo-da-doo's. I'm buying the cd when it comes out. I'm aware the video is weird, but I like the song.

Lastly, I saw "Swimming with Sharks" starring Christian Slater with Jared tonight. Besides MacBeth, I've never seen a play (as opposed to musical) on Broadway or in Theatreland (that's what they call it here...). I enjoyed it a lot, because I understood what was going on without mental acrobatics AND of course... the American accents. Christian Slater was great playing an asshole movie producer and the other actors were also pretty good, aside from terrible attempts at New York/American accents. When the play began, I thought the other main character, Guy, was a Hungarian immigrant strangely interested in making it big in Hollywood. No... they improved as the play went on and I was able to forgive them. Overall, very good and I would recommend it to others.

Not working Wednesdays is the best decision I've made in a while. Sleeping in. Night all.

Oh. And I am deeply saddened about Gtown's loss to Pitt. Sigh. I guess we needed a demoralizing loss for a little dose of reality.

Roy. Roy, Roy, Roy.

2008-01-12T18:51:00.001-05:00

"Roy Hibbert knew it.His Georgetown teammates and coach John Thompson III knew it.Now Connecticut and the rest of the country knows it, too."

After work tonight, I hustled over to Bodeans BBQ near Picadilly Circus to catch the Georgetown vs. UConn game with my work friend Ed, a basketball enthusiast. I was excited to a.) actually see a Georgetown basketball game instead of reading ESPN's live Gamecast and b.) to show Ed how awesome it is to root for Georgetown in a room full of Hoyas.

I was a little surprised by how many Georgetown kids that actually showed up for the game, but it created a perfect atmosphere for the nail-biter of a game that ensued. We were up for most of the first half, but never really held a comfortable lead. The second half caused Duke-level nervousness for me, probably owing to the fact that I haven't seen Gtown play in over 9 months. I was biting my hands and screaming and shaking people next to me for exciting plays and it felt like I was home. I should've taken out my ATM card and waved it during half-time for old time's sake.

Roy's three-pointer, which you should all read about when it is more thoroughly praised on ESPN.com, was possibly the most dramatic finish I've ever seen in my time watching Gtown basketball. Sure, it didn't mean as much as Jeff Green's shot against Vandy to enter the Elite 8, but it was perfect. The night ended, as it should, with the Georgetown Fight Song. Ahhh, college sports. This is what Europe lacks, in addition to actual dedication to academics (slightly exaggerated, but not completely).

It certainly wasn't the best game we played this season, but it was the perfect game to watch in London to remind me why I love Georgetown.

Lent Term and Catch-up

2008-01-11T15:33:00.001-05:00

Today is the end of the first week of Lent Term at LSE and it is the same as last term, except that exams are more imminent.

I haven't really been mentioning what I've been up to, so here's a run-down. I went to St. James Park for New Years and saw the fireworks display that took place at the London Eye. It was surreal to watch fireworks on an occasion that wasn't the Fourth of July. Even more surreal was seeing every single person on the tube with a bottle or more in hand. I love this country! No paper bags, just out and proud, if you will. St. James Park wasn't too crowded and it was nice to have our own space for the countdown to midnight. It did feel weird to be entering 2008 in London and it rolled in with more of a sigh than a shout, if that makes sense.

What else? I read two books over break, which should be shocking and terrifying to those that know me, and possibly speaks of my desperation for mental stimulation. Unfortunately or fortunately, my health has returned just in time for the Lent term. So I wasn't able to take advantage of my break like I wanted to, but at least I'm better for school. My cousin Matt has been in town, so I'm once again donning the my fanny pack (figuratively) and visiting the sites. I revisited some favorites and seen some newbies. I have finally visited St. Paul's and climbed to the top (only 8.50 pounds to climb 500+ stairs), which was well worth the exercise. I'm not one for boring scenery photos, but I had to post them since it was such a clear, blue day.

We also visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, which was as enjoyable as any other museum until we stumbled across the gigantic casts of Trajan's Column from Rome. Holy mother, it was huge. I also recognized some pieces from my Art History class, which is always slightly gratifying. My uncle and Matt treated me to multiple meals and pints all week, and we also saw Spamalot, the Monty Python musical. I've been spoiled by the two of them, so next week will be the real re-entry into the routine of school.

Anyways... I've run on. Exciting things coming up are: the Gtown vs. UConn game tomorrow, Van Morrison at the Hammersmith Apollo, and finally Lightspeed Champion at Rough Trade Records. Talk to you soon.

London Music... and Lots of Links

2008-01-04T11:50:00.000-05:00

I've finally stumbled upon the local London music scene, particularly the anti-folk scene which is teeming with talented artists I've begun to obsess over. I obsess over finding mp3s, then YouTube videos, then local shows, etc. I had been beginning to feel "old," in that I seemed to like few new bands surfacing in the past year. But hope has arrived in the form of Noah & the Whale, Laura Marling, Jeremy Warmsley, Emmy the Great, and Jaymay. They are all London-based (yet another reason London is great) and I'm already marking my calendar for their shows.

Another find that's kept me up until dawn... the Black Cab Sessions, not to be confused with HBO's racier Taxi Cab Confessions. Basically, musicians passing through London are filmed performing a song (usually) unplugged in the back of a cab. Check out the website for some cool performances, my favorites being The New Pornographers, The Raveonettes, Noah & the Whale/Laura Marling, St. Vincent, and the Daniel Johnston videos.

This post seemingly belongs on my other blog, Touch My Clickwheel, but it's somewhat relevant. Hooray for music! I also love the Juno soundtrack and flaunt the fact that they used two of my favorite Belle & Sebastian songs. Alas... the actual movie doesn't come out in London until February. Good things come to those who wait I suppose.

Hooray for Humans!

2008-01-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

I re-entered the world of human beings today for a whole eight hours and returned to work at the fine establishment Ellis Brigham. I was all smiles because despite the good company of my flatmate Tom, it was sooooooo nice to see friends again. Sure, I have to zip jackets a million times and tag racks of clothing and answer phones. But it was great! I probably won't be singing this tune all the time, but working at EB has possibly been one of the best decisions I've made out here in London. I feel more at home in the store than I do at LSE and for sure, I see a lot more friendly faces. This isn't to stress that LSE is crap; it isn't. It's to stress that EB is great, at least for me (since I only work 3 days a week).

Yesterday I went out and took advantage of some winter sales that made London prices seem almost as cheap as the US. I bought myself a Christmas present or two and it felt damn good. I'm seeing a friend from high school tomorrow, which is yet another crazy example of how I see more friends passing through London than DC. Cheers.

Hipsterville

2007-12-30T20:23:00.000-05:00

Despite crap health, I ventured out to Spitalfields with flatmate Tom today. I feel like I've been ignoring a treasure for the entire first term, because I've been eating on Brick Lane almost every week while missing the boutique-y and music shops that populate the surrounding streets. Spitalfields, apparently an abbreviation of "Hospital Fields," has hinted at being hipster paradise. I've seen many a young adult in overly tight jeans and baggy cardigans with unkempt, swept aside bangs lingering by the Ten Bells pub. But who knew it was literally an oasis for hipsters? Fair trade coffee, indie music, fixed gear bikes, and the like provide ample feeding ground.

I'm not kidding myself. I'm not super into fashion, but Spitalfields offers things I can enjoy looking at... like unique screen-printed t-shirts and cool sneakers. There's also a skate shop or two. Not only are the items interesting but it seems to be a haven for pleasant aesthetics. I've been following some graphic design blogs lately and I can definitely see a reflection of that in Spitalfields: artists that happen to use t-shirts and totes as canvases. I'll go back sometime when I'm in better health. Doctor tomorrow... again.

Diagnosis

2007-12-28T08:20:00.001-05:00

My sinus infection has returned and I want to scream. Showers are no relief, because they're cold. I have 37 British pounds to my name. Friends that are normally fixtures of the internet have not signed on in days. I am extremely frustrated. So... should I ignore that I'm sick and do whatever I want? Walk around with snot blowing in the wind and my roll of toilet paper? Or should I stay in and try to get better, ignoring the disappointing results of round 1?

Holiday post

2007-12-27T11:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Christmas, readers. I'm back from spending three days in London suburbia where I spent my Christmas Eve, Christmas, and Boxing Day. It was a strange luxury to have food at my fingertips, hospitality, and a bathroom which exceeds the size of my little room at Sidney Webb. I played some pool, strummed a Gibson Les Paul, and fiddled around on the most complicated keyboard/synthesizer I've ever touched. The highlight was definitely playing the new Nintendo Wii that my cousins got from Santa. Now, I may be a girl. I may be 20-years-old. But I love playing with new Christmas toys. I think Tom (my flatmate) and I were more excited than my cousins to have the Wii. I know we were.

I'm miraculously still not better from my cold and I feel worse today than yesterday. A bad sign. I'm going to read and listen to Van Morrison in anticipation of the January concert. I'm very much looking forward to the end of the holidays when friends return to email and normal life. I think that's the hardest thing for me here, riding out the lull in communication. Until then...

cough cough

2007-12-18T10:04:00.000-05:00

So... it is Tuesday the 18th. I am sick at home. I got sick on Sunday, the 9th. Let's just take a minute to recognize how long this is. [Here is a space for your contemplation.]

I was going to fight this on my own, but my dad reminded me that my body is a weak, weak thing. So I called up my local doctor and faith in social medicine is restored, because I have an appointment for today.

Total cost of illness from skipping work: 252 pounds (not including commission).

I'm bored.

Edit: In a span of 20 minutes, I've gone to the doctor, been seen by the doctor, gone to the pharmacy, AND returned with my prescription. Sweeet.

End of Michaelmas Term

2007-12-15T16:38:00.001-05:00

The end of term time has come and it means nothing except friends going on holiday, as they say, and three weeks of no class. Since LSE is less stressful, the break doesn't feel as imperative for rest as it usually does so the transition isn't a hard one to make. This last week, I've caught up on London exploring. I took a sick day from work because of my sinus infection. And instead of staying in bed, I went on a museum adventure.

It's hard to get tickets to the Terra Cotta soldiers exhibit at the British Museum, so Jared and I showed up bright and early at 9:45AM to queue for it. We got in with no problem and I have to say... I have never wanted to desecrate a tomb more than now. Although the Terra Cotta soldiers have been and continue to be excavated, Emperor Qin's tombs remains untouched! It apparently is as big as an Egyptian pyramid (all underground), has rivers of flowing mercury to mimic China's real rivers, and is rigged with booby traps to prevent intruders. Rivers of flowing mercury? I'm sold. We saw the rest of the museum too and proceeded to the National Gallery afterwards. Friday I went to the Tate Modern with Stefan and although I only got to see a little bit, if the gift shop is any indication of what else it has to offer, I think I'll really like it.

On a more serious note, I learned tonight that my dog Zack has been put to sleep due to cancer. I'm fortunate to be unexperienced in the deaths of loved ones, but this is my first. At the risk of sounding overly emotional on a blog (and just about a dog, for non-dog owners), I won't go too much further besides for saying he was a friend and constant companion for a pseudo-only child.

My First London Cold

2007-12-09T14:20:00.001-05:00

There's a first time for everything: smoking a cigar, trying absinthe, and catching a cold in London. It's about time, I suppose. Did I mention in the last post that Jared and I calculated our unit alcohol consumption in a week period and discovered I had consumed 19 units? Let's not mislead anyone here... they've been pretty spread out through the week. Just think 2-3 in a day rather than 10 in a night. I know that seems like a lot, but visitors and trips have created an irregular week. Regardless, my body and liver need a little bit of rest.

I called in sick for work today too and slept until 4PM. It was dark when I woke up, but it felt good to rest. Alright. Back to work for the last week of term.

Prague, Praha; tomato, tomahto.

2007-12-08T19:20:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning really resenting that I had to go to work at 8:45AM on a Saturday morning, but the day turned out well and I had a lot of fun with customers and coworkers. I'm pretty exhausted from Prague and having visitors, but I've had a pretty good 3-week stretch leading into this final week of Michaelmas term. I really can't complain.

You can see my Prague pictures here. Without the trip to Prague, I think I would've felt like I hadn't taken advantage of my London location. Dublin was good, but it was a very "safe" place to visit since it's virtually London, Jr.

A few short thoughts about Prague before I head to sleep. Walking around Prague, I couldn't believe I was in the Czech Republic. Before coming to London, I had only been to France and Switzerland (barely) and within the bubble of a high school trip. And now, I was in the Czech Republic?? A place once occupied by Nazis and then Communists? I was almost surprised that Prague could be normal after so much has happened in the past century. I also realized how fortunate I am to be an English-speaker in a world that caters to my language. Looking out the window of the taxi from the airport to our hostel, I started to doubt that getting around would be so easy. But a lot of people in Prague spoke or understand just enough English to communicate or give directions. If I only spoke Spanish, I doubt I would find it so easy to get around, order at restaurants, etc.

Things we saw. Old Town, New Town, Prague Castle, St. Vitus, the astronomical clock, the metronome, etc. I'm a bit too tired to recount everything, but the pictures tell a thousand words, right? The beer was great, dark and tasting like lager. There was also a delicious cinnamon-y drink they poured in shots. Mmm. Mulled wine was even better. In my version of heaven, there will be abundant mulled wine all the time. Also, I realized that I really like horseradish.

This is quite the unintelligent-sounding reflection on Prague but due to my limited knowledge of European history (besides basic WWI and WWII info), my observations will have to settle on simple. Jared, my travel buddy, was a great guy to visit Prague with because I could just turn to him and ask, "Hey Jared, what happened in CZ during WWII?" and he'll give me an abridged wikipedia entry. He also took the lead in navigating, which allowed me to sit back and relax.

Katy's Visit: Pictorial Recap

2007-12-03T17:59:00.000-05:00

Katy visited London on the way back from India. It was a hectic time, but we took a trip to Harrod's (and saw everything we can't afford), saw Billy Elliot the Musical, and went ice skating at Somerset House for free! A lady skated right up to us and handed us the tickets! I'm headed to Prague (Praha to the people in the know) in the Czech Repbulic tomorrow morning, so I'll be back Friday. In the meantime... some pictures.

Also, someone in my residence hall has been diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis. I thought I'd throw that in for some flavor to the post. Don't worry. I've been vaccinated.

(This is ugly white space that I don't have time to reformat.)

Safer in London than Gtown

2007-11-26T18:23:00.000-05:00

I've been a little blog crazy today, but this could be interesting for family readers. My parents worry about me walking around London in the dark. Mind you... the sun sets at 4PM nowadays so it's inevitable. But here's an email from the Department of Public Safety at Georgetown. I would just like to point out that it was 6PM.

Date: November 23 2007

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Non-campus, West Georgetown

Address: 3600 Block N Street

Incident type: Robbery

Respondents: MPD

Incident summary: A robbery at gunpoint allegedly occurred in the 3600 block of N Street at 6:00 pm on Friday, November 23, 2007.

The complainant reported that at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November 23, 2007, while walking in the 3600 block of N Street, NW, he was approached by three males. The complainant indicated that one male placed a gun to his forehead and the other two males went through his pockets, took his wallet, credit cards, keys and laptop. The alleged assailants then fled toward Prospect Street. This incident was initially reported to the Metropolitan Police Department on the evening of Friday, November 23, 2007. The victim informed DPS about the incident over the weekend.

Things I Miss

2007-11-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Besides missing certain people and missing the ability to buy things, I miss these three things the most. Strange what you miss right? And yes, I'm aware this isn't Singapore.

1. Wearing hats
2. Chewing gum
3. Wearing sunglasses

Helly Hansen pic w/ hat AND sunglasses... probably also chewing gum. In England, that hand signal means "Piss off." In the U.S., it means "Take me seriously. I'm cool. Really."

Saturday Off - Week Recap

2007-11-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

I'm not working this Saturday and it feels refreshing to finally have an unplanned day. I must admit that I do miss having a free day to just explore. That's one reason I'm looking forward to spending term break here. I'll take some time to catch everyone up on some happenings.

On Tuesday, I saw a production of Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart (yes, the Captain Picard of Star Trek). I've never seen a professional production of Shakespeare and it was quite good. I must admit that I would have had almost no idea what was going on had I not read the play in high school. It was a pretty tense performance and from the start, I knew I would be stressed out a little during the play. The setting was Stalinist Russia (I think) and it was a very sterile, eerie set. The Weird Sisters were thoroughly creepy and with all that stainless steel and projected images around the stage, I was glad to relax at a bar afterwards. For kicks, Jared, JP, and I decided to go to a Soho strip club to see what it was like. There's a first time for everything and I thought, why not try? It was a memorable experience. From television and movies, I had a preconceived idea of what a strip club would look like. But since this place was more bar/pub and less strip club, it was much different than I expected. No tables and chairs or couches facing the main "stage." Just a bar and open floor space in front of a small area with a pole and crossbar. A bit awkward for a set-up I thought. There were two strippers who didn't really phase JP, Jared, or me. It was kind of similar to a background music video playing at a club: it's there but you only turn to see what's playing once in a while. Anyways, I thought that was interesting and blog-worthy.

My Thanksgiving was pretty quiet. Thursday is like my "day off," since I work Wednesday and weekends, so I just wanted to get some laundry done and relax. I tried to go to Roseberry, another LSE hall, for a turkey dinner but there was no food left by the time we arrived. Jared and I improvised and headed to The Monument pub for some Thanksgiving-ish sandwiches. Unfortunately due to the bird flu, the turkey was replaced with chicken but it still had the other necessary ingredients: cranberry sauce and stuffing. It was good to just relax and have some pints. Definitely a unique Thanksgiving though. It's strange to think that my Thanksgiving for 20 years has been characterized by all these traditions and now, for the first time in my existence, I'm switching things up.

Two friends are in town this weekend, Jeff whom I visited in Dublin and Josh from Oxford/Gtown. Yesterday after class and rock climbing, I met up with the boys at The George, a pub in my area. For the first time, everyone decided to actually come to Southwark! It's a cool place and I like it a lot, but it's not necessarily somewhere I want to coerce everyone to come to in case things are disappointing. So after freezing a bit at The George among inadequate heat lamps, we learned that two pubs I had planned to go to were charging ridiculous cover fees or requiring stricter dress codes. Luckily, we ended up at a pub nearby that charged only 2 pounds for pints and was a cool, cozy student bar.

Today I met up with some friends in Covent Garden for lunch and we walked around the Jubilee Market for a bit of exploring. I love markets despite their aim at tourists and such. Tin placards, license plates from North Carolina, framed photos for 10 pounds, caricature artists, jewelers, leather goods, etc. Glitzy Christmas decorations hung from the ceilings and it had a very seasonal feeling. California, perhaps because of its weather or landscape, has never really been able to manufacture that feeling for me, so I almost feel more in the Christmas spirit here than if I were at home. The Santa and reindeer lights display near Costco just doesn't cut it.

I think I've rambled on for long enough. Everything is going well, I think. A highlight today was a street performer's rendition of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)." I was moved enough to throw in 2 USD worth of change.

Rainy Days

2007-11-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

There's something about London that can make me appreciate it even when I'm walking home in the rain with a heavy backpack and two bags of groceries. I've never had this same type of appreciation while walking back to Georgetown's campus from Safeway, and I can't quite pinpoint why. Maybe there's nothing along the way to see? I don't know.

It's a rainy, cold day and I'm still in a good mood. I went climbing at the Castle today and met up with a friend from work. His name is Gabor and he's Hungarian and we both get a kick out of losing things in translation. When he was finished in the changing room, he said, "I'm worse than a bride." Number one. I couldn't figure out he said the word "worse" for a while and number two, I had to have him explain the saying. I'm slowly getting better at climbing, but I'm also noticing that the heights make my palms sweat more than when I first started. I wonder why.

I can't find normal "American" cheese at the grocery store. I went to the cheese aisle and they had blocks. This was my third attempt. Also, in fun news, I've discovered an American-ish bar is only 10 minutes from my dorm. I went to the bar (at another location) after work on Saturday night only to see the Michigan vs. Ohio State NCAA game. Pretty unexpected. Then I had to endure taunts of "Rugby is a real man's sport" by an annoying co-worker. This rugby versus American football debate doesn't actually exist. Most Americans abroad agree that rugby is cool, but to concede that it is cooler than American football is rare. They are simply different and I will leave it at that. My American pride is strong in London and I'm not about to let some arse tell me repeatedly that football players look gay in tights.

One last thing. Hold two fingers up as to signal "two beers, please." No, you just said "Piss off" or something. I forget. I hold two fingers up a lot and it's kind of a problem. Alright. That's all for now. A full week ahead and Thanksgiving! We will probably go to this pub called The Monument and order the turkey with stuffing and cranberry sandwich, since the bird flu has pushed turkey prices OUT OF CONTROL.

Also, I'm working on getting more postcards out. If your name is Grandma or Grandpa, one is coming as soon as I think of something unique and interesting to write. I've gotten no mail from overseas (ahem, parents). When my aunt gave me a some stuff from home, I half expected to see something special in there. Alas. It's not actually making me sad. That said, I miss everybody and hope Thanksgiving is a much deserved break for everyone working so hard. Talk to you soon.

Christmas Break

2007-11-17T07:32:00.001-05:00

I am nearing real personhood. I opened my own bank account and started a mobile phone contract all by myself (but with some parental consultation). Those small accomplishments make me feel like I can survive out here by myself.

I'm not sure who knows this, but I'll be staying in the UK over Christmas break doing... something. Most people have had really surprised reactions to this seeming sentence of loneliness and homesickness. Don't worry, everyone. I'll be fine. I'm working 20 hours a week now and it may increase to 40 over the term break, which will keep me busy. I am still considering going on the climbing trip to Morocco, although I'm not sure if my skill level is up to par yet. Also, I'm up for some winter exploring.

Ok, once again, I'm blogging on my lunch break. I have to go now. So perhaps a more thorough recap later.