12/29 - I realize the last post on here was incredibly negative, and I feel bad about that. It may sound like I wasn't happy to be back in California for Christmas, but I guess I just wanted to go back home, which is in the UK. I had a good time seeing my parents again and an old friend. Now if only they would make the trip overseas to see me here! That's what would really make me happy.
The journey back to Poole was simply easy. The trek to California last week was as bad as it could have been. This time was the complete opposite, as it was incredibly smooth, like sailing on water in the early morning with no wind or choppy seas. It definitely helps when you have something to read, such as 50 Shades of Grey (nothing like reading smut while flying).
I got back to London at about 7 a.m. I've only been away for a week, but it's suddenly winter in England. I came back to frost. But there were no clouds today. When the sun is out in England, it's absolutely stunning. So riding the bus and train back to Poole was so incredibly enjoyable because of the fact sitting in the sun on the train makes you just a little bit warm, thus making it much too easy to sleep, even with music blaring in your ears. The train is my favorite way to travel.
30/12 - Uh oh.
Walking around town today, I realized things are no longer new. Everything is familiar, and gone is the novelty of living in a new country. I barely hear the accent anymore too, but I don't want to say that's a bad thing though. It could be me just wanting to move on and go to a new place and do something different. Could it be the feeling of being static? Like I've stood still lately, not accomplishing a lot? But really, I need to step back and keep sight of what I'm doing and where I am, which is exactly what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be.
31/12 - It's New Years Eve, so I'm going to take a look back at the year I've had. This was the year I did something about what I wanted to do. I took action, and it paid off well.
I started off the year fresh off a terrible experience renting out a room in the Central Valley and scrambling to find a temporary place to stay. Most of this year saw me working an awesome job covering high school sports for a newspaper in Porterville. It was fun, and I found out I can handle that job by myself over the summer. I met some awesome people in that city, and it was tough to leave. I remember how I left the paper just as people in the community were getting to know who I was. I left right when I started to feel comfortable with my role, and sometimes I wonder what it would have been like had I stayed.
I talked to some professional athletes, including the captain of the U.S. water polo team and the winner of the 2014 Women's British Open. I participated in a mud run, drove a race car in an actual race and moved to another country. This time last year, basketball season in Porterville was just beginning. Now I'm living in Poole, England back in school and struggling to focus on these assignments. It's like two different lives I've lived.
Sometimes I miss Porterville, and that includes CrossFit 559. But there's pretty much nothing similar to my life here compared to Porterville. I took my old life, ripped it up and uprooted myself. The result has been me getting established in a new community with new friends, though I won't ever forget my friends in the states.
There's too much to write here about what I did over the year, but I'll say this: I'm proud of myself for doing what I did. It took guts and it was a massive change. But I've realized I don't want to get comfortable in one place for too long. Otherwise I'll just feel the need to move on.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Travel from hell
12/24 - I've had some bad travel experiences, like missing my flight back to London from Barcelona or breaking down in a car. But Tuesday was hands down the worst experience I've ever had traveling, or will ever have the rest of my life. Just think how you'd feel if you were forced to withstand the combination of cold weather, trains and buses in England, long walks through airports and 12 hours of flying, all while struggling through sickness.
Because I had a headache, a cough that made it worse, weakness and lack of energy I was generally angry on Tuesday, and I was saturated with negative thoughts. Here I'll give some examples.
-The flight from Heathrow was delayed 20 minutes. The pilot apologized to everyone over the loudspeaker.
"Oh, fuck off. You suck."
-An hour into the flight, over Ireland:
"I'm completely miserable. Can this flight just end? Can I jump out and hang glide back to America?"
-I was sitting next to a couple Asian women, who were talking:
"Shut the hell up. Your language isn't pretty."
-At customs in Chicago, where the officer asked me where I've been, I said I was at school, but I thought:
"None of your fucking business."
-Going through security again in Chicago, putting my hands up in that machine, taking my shoes off and getting frisked afterwards:
"You all are useless, power-tripping dickheads. Don't touch me. I've been flying for more than eight hours today. Don't fucking test me."
Add in the fact both my ears plugged up landing in Chicago so I felt like I was underwater, and this all added up to a delicious mixture of misery, annoyance, savage rudeness, aches and endurance. It was totally, completely awful; a real nightmare. But the most important thing I can take away is the fact the journey back across America and the pond to Europe will be far better because I've nearly recovered. I can also use that day as a frame of reference as to what rock bottom feels like while traveling. I made it through that, so anything else can and will be bearable.
12/27 - Christmas, in hindsight, was very mellow and relaxed. I was able to see an old friend and meet a new one in Sacramento. But four days home went by very quickly and now it's time to go back to the UK. This is the time of year for family, what Christmas should ultimately be about.
I'll be flying back completely healthy this time, and I'm looking forward to the flight. See you in England.
Because I had a headache, a cough that made it worse, weakness and lack of energy I was generally angry on Tuesday, and I was saturated with negative thoughts. Here I'll give some examples.
-The flight from Heathrow was delayed 20 minutes. The pilot apologized to everyone over the loudspeaker.
"Oh, fuck off. You suck."
-An hour into the flight, over Ireland:
"I'm completely miserable. Can this flight just end? Can I jump out and hang glide back to America?"
-I was sitting next to a couple Asian women, who were talking:
"Shut the hell up. Your language isn't pretty."
-At customs in Chicago, where the officer asked me where I've been, I said I was at school, but I thought:
"None of your fucking business."
-Going through security again in Chicago, putting my hands up in that machine, taking my shoes off and getting frisked afterwards:
"You all are useless, power-tripping dickheads. Don't touch me. I've been flying for more than eight hours today. Don't fucking test me."
Add in the fact both my ears plugged up landing in Chicago so I felt like I was underwater, and this all added up to a delicious mixture of misery, annoyance, savage rudeness, aches and endurance. It was totally, completely awful; a real nightmare. But the most important thing I can take away is the fact the journey back across America and the pond to Europe will be far better because I've nearly recovered. I can also use that day as a frame of reference as to what rock bottom feels like while traveling. I made it through that, so anything else can and will be bearable.
12/27 - Christmas, in hindsight, was very mellow and relaxed. I was able to see an old friend and meet a new one in Sacramento. But four days home went by very quickly and now it's time to go back to the UK. This is the time of year for family, what Christmas should ultimately be about.
I'll be flying back completely healthy this time, and I'm looking forward to the flight. See you in England.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Sick, but thankful
I'm getting sick again. Always at the perfect time! I have chills, a headache and a cough. It started after I finished at Charlotte's house digging up the dead tree and mowing more grass. As a result of this, I missed both shows today because I fell asleep on my bed. I had a chance to walk up the hill, but I had no energy to do so. So I stayed inside away from cold weather.
But with that being said, I can't complain; I landed an awesome opportunity here. If I was religious, this would be that much more fantastic because once you walk around the estate you see figures and statues of Christ everywhere. There are a few picturesque ponds around the grounds as well; in fact Charlotte's daughter was married here this past summer.
12/21 - I'm at the point where I'm just sleeping, trying to get rid of this cold. This sucks because I feel like a useless burden. I rested most of the day yesterday after getting some material ready for the torches. Tonight is the cast party, since this is the final night of the play. I hope I'm a bit better for that.
On another note, Christmas is exhausting. It has become the holiday where you can only show how much you care for others based on how much money you spend. It's the advertisements that scream at you to buy things at a reduced cost. It's the Christmas songs that strongly encourage you to buy stuff to get into the holiday spirit. And Black Friday? Disgusting. It's another one of those American things that has come to the UK, and there are Brits who hate it. It's the holiday where people spend too much money they don't have on things no one really needs. How did it devolve into materialistic greed? It's shallow.
22/12 - I'm leaving Wintershall Estate having been sick since Friday and essentially confined to the bed a lot of the time. This morning I felt well enough to offer my help to Duncan, but after about an hour of disassembling the car park, I could tell I shouldn't have been exerting myself like that. So I shut it down. I did make it to the final show of the week but I had a massive headache afterward.
Though I was sick for half the time I was here, I was still able to have a great experience. I'm so thankful these people took in a total stranger and gave me a week to get a feel for the life here. It's beautiful in the winter; I can only imagine what it's like in the summer when everything is green. I've had an experience I wouldn't normally have if I was doing the normal tourist thing. Just visiting a big city for a few days doesn't give you the feel of the people. I think coming to Wintershall was incredibly meaningful, and I feel lucky to have found it.
But with that being said, I can't complain; I landed an awesome opportunity here. If I was religious, this would be that much more fantastic because once you walk around the estate you see figures and statues of Christ everywhere. There are a few picturesque ponds around the grounds as well; in fact Charlotte's daughter was married here this past summer.
12/21 - I'm at the point where I'm just sleeping, trying to get rid of this cold. This sucks because I feel like a useless burden. I rested most of the day yesterday after getting some material ready for the torches. Tonight is the cast party, since this is the final night of the play. I hope I'm a bit better for that.
On another note, Christmas is exhausting. It has become the holiday where you can only show how much you care for others based on how much money you spend. It's the advertisements that scream at you to buy things at a reduced cost. It's the Christmas songs that strongly encourage you to buy stuff to get into the holiday spirit. And Black Friday? Disgusting. It's another one of those American things that has come to the UK, and there are Brits who hate it. It's the holiday where people spend too much money they don't have on things no one really needs. How did it devolve into materialistic greed? It's shallow.
22/12 - I'm leaving Wintershall Estate having been sick since Friday and essentially confined to the bed a lot of the time. This morning I felt well enough to offer my help to Duncan, but after about an hour of disassembling the car park, I could tell I shouldn't have been exerting myself like that. So I shut it down. I did make it to the final show of the week but I had a massive headache afterward.
Though I was sick for half the time I was here, I was still able to have a great experience. I'm so thankful these people took in a total stranger and gave me a week to get a feel for the life here. It's beautiful in the winter; I can only imagine what it's like in the summer when everything is green. I've had an experience I wouldn't normally have if I was doing the normal tourist thing. Just visiting a big city for a few days doesn't give you the feel of the people. I think coming to Wintershall was incredibly meaningful, and I feel lucky to have found it.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
London and a dark walk through the woods
17/12 - There's no such thing as a quick trip to London.
I went with everyone involved in the play to London, where I helped set up props, move chairs and anything else needed of me. It was good to get some heavy lifting done before vanishing in a city of 15 million people.
In my few hours to run around, I specifically chose to go back to Waterloo Station and walk down Stamford Street, and it was great how familiar it was. However, I did see our local pub from three years ago, the Stamford Arms, is no longer there. It's now the The Thirsty Bear. I also spent at least an hour in Tate Modern, but the rest of the time was spent getting lost in neighborhoods and riding the Tube.
And while I was walking down Oxford Street and attempting to dodge bulky Christmas shoppers while looking in stores, I had a thought come to me. If I was given £1,000 just to buy clothes in Oxford Street, I don't know what I'd do. I have a feeling I'd just browse like I always do and not spend anything without feeling guilty. I hate clothes shopping, especially for new clothes. That's because I feel like it's wasteful in part of my mind. There's plenty of awesome used clothes out there, and it's more fun to find something that looks great for cheap.
I also lost my key to the main house here at the Estate, so I rode back from London with Duncan and Chris. It's fun to ride in a lorey (cargo truck) with an impatient British guy at the wheel.
18/12 - Staying at the estate is great. It's silent most of the time, with the occasional airplane overhead, wind rustling trees in the distance and periodic outbreaks of gunfire which comes from hunting pheasant (which sort of sounds like a chicken itself). I spent probably three hours working today in preparation for the play in the barn at the top of the hill. It's tradition to place torches along the trail to the barn, and I made 15 torches from scratch. I also spread out numerous bails of straw (at the expense of my eyes and nose).
I met Charlotte's husband, Rupert today. We sat down at the kitchen table and had lunch together, and I'm starting to realize how much fun it is to sit down with people you like and just eat together. Rupert lives in Scotland, sometimes works in East London and is perpetually stressed. We had a good discussion about how Scotland is riding England's coat tails in terms of economic success (he is actually Scottish but has an English accent because he was educated in England). This is another great benefit of traveling this way; you get to meet local people and learn about regional dynamics.
But Charlotte showed me the path to her house through the woods. In daylight it's simple. But at night it's much different. I walked here through the dark so I can cook myself something (Charlotte is off to London). Just imagine walking through the woods with no light. The crunch of gravel underfoot, the unstable step and squelch through unforeseen muddy grass and your night vision coming in gradually. Eventually you can see things close by or in light colors, such as a stick from a birch tree. Though you have some sight, it doesn't change how menacing gnarled trees look around you or how foreboding the inky black path ahead looks. And every second you walk you expect to hear something else besides the whisper of the wind, like the chirp of an animal, snapping twigs, rustling leaves on the ground, or freakiest of all, a voice. (I should say the walk was just 10 minutes and I had a flashlight on my iPhone, but I didn't use it because I'm just too hardcore.)
I went with everyone involved in the play to London, where I helped set up props, move chairs and anything else needed of me. It was good to get some heavy lifting done before vanishing in a city of 15 million people.
In my few hours to run around, I specifically chose to go back to Waterloo Station and walk down Stamford Street, and it was great how familiar it was. However, I did see our local pub from three years ago, the Stamford Arms, is no longer there. It's now the The Thirsty Bear. I also spent at least an hour in Tate Modern, but the rest of the time was spent getting lost in neighborhoods and riding the Tube.
First floor of Tate Modern
Kings College at Stamford Street where I first stayed in London
All Souls Church
And while I was walking down Oxford Street and attempting to dodge bulky Christmas shoppers while looking in stores, I had a thought come to me. If I was given £1,000 just to buy clothes in Oxford Street, I don't know what I'd do. I have a feeling I'd just browse like I always do and not spend anything without feeling guilty. I hate clothes shopping, especially for new clothes. That's because I feel like it's wasteful in part of my mind. There's plenty of awesome used clothes out there, and it's more fun to find something that looks great for cheap.
I also lost my key to the main house here at the Estate, so I rode back from London with Duncan and Chris. It's fun to ride in a lorey (cargo truck) with an impatient British guy at the wheel.
18/12 - Staying at the estate is great. It's silent most of the time, with the occasional airplane overhead, wind rustling trees in the distance and periodic outbreaks of gunfire which comes from hunting pheasant (which sort of sounds like a chicken itself). I spent probably three hours working today in preparation for the play in the barn at the top of the hill. It's tradition to place torches along the trail to the barn, and I made 15 torches from scratch. I also spread out numerous bails of straw (at the expense of my eyes and nose).
I met Charlotte's husband, Rupert today. We sat down at the kitchen table and had lunch together, and I'm starting to realize how much fun it is to sit down with people you like and just eat together. Rupert lives in Scotland, sometimes works in East London and is perpetually stressed. We had a good discussion about how Scotland is riding England's coat tails in terms of economic success (he is actually Scottish but has an English accent because he was educated in England). This is another great benefit of traveling this way; you get to meet local people and learn about regional dynamics.
But Charlotte showed me the path to her house through the woods. In daylight it's simple. But at night it's much different. I walked here through the dark so I can cook myself something (Charlotte is off to London). Just imagine walking through the woods with no light. The crunch of gravel underfoot, the unstable step and squelch through unforeseen muddy grass and your night vision coming in gradually. Eventually you can see things close by or in light colors, such as a stick from a birch tree. Though you have some sight, it doesn't change how menacing gnarled trees look around you or how foreboding the inky black path ahead looks. And every second you walk you expect to hear something else besides the whisper of the wind, like the chirp of an animal, snapping twigs, rustling leaves on the ground, or freakiest of all, a voice. (I should say the walk was just 10 minutes and I had a flashlight on my iPhone, but I didn't use it because I'm just too hardcore.)
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Wintershall Estate
16/12 - On Sunday I skyped with a family from La Almunia, Spain. The man I've been in contact with, Felix, has a wife and two children, both of whom are younger than 10 years old. They all seemed very friendly. Felix has been learning English for a couple years for his work, but he's still a bit limited. He wants his children to learn the language early in life because younger people have minds like a sponge; it's easier for them. He said he wanted to move to England to be more immersed in the language, but it's too expensive.
He and his family have hosted two volunteers before. Felix said he usually hosts volunteers for longer amounts of time, like six, seven weeks because not only is it good for his family to have a native English speaker in the house consistently, it's also good for the other person to be immersed in the language as well, so there's benefits to both parties. I also demonstrated I have a basic understanding of Spanish, so that was a plus for them. I learned his son is very shy, but play soccer with him and he quickly opens up.
So essentially I was invited to come to their place over the summer. After I finished speaking to them, I felt a very nice buzz. They were very nice, and I'll try to stay in contact with them. Now, about this WorkAway...
I've been dropped into an episode of Downton Abbey.
Charlotte, the woman I got in contact with, lives on Wintershall Estate (Google it!) in Guildford. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hutley (NOT Peter and Anne) own the property. It's 1,000 acres, complete with donkeys that nay early in the morning (like a rooster), horses, thousands of sheep, pheasants and other animals. There's Duncan the groundskeeper slash maintenance guy I follow around most of the time, Chris, an extra hand from Poland and various other office workers I've met. Charlotte has a brother-in-law here who is a famous sculptor and has statues in London, Hong Kong, the hill on the estate and other places. Apparently he's world famous.
I arrived on Monday in the middle of a stressful time for everyone because they're just about to show a large and elaborate play about the Nativity Scene and the birth of Christ on the property, so the theater at the top of the hill and the surrounding area have to be prepped. The whole group will be performing the play at the BBC in London today, and I'll join them, but not before I get to wander around on my own in Central London again, this time visiting Tate Modern. The play will take place at Wintershall twice a day starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday. I saw the play Monday night, and it's very elaborate. It should be great to see on Thursday.
But yesterday was mostly Charlotte and I cleaning up her garden. She has an awesome little cottage at Wintershall that is surrounded by an overgrown and gnarly garden (which is what I think a garden/yard should look like). We spent the afternoon mowing the lawns, pruning trees and shrubs and digging up a dead tree. By the time we had no more light at 4:30 p.m., the yard actually looked bigger. Duncan loaned me a pair of galoshes and a big luminescent safety jacket so my feet won't get soaked and I won't freeze, because I didn't exactly come prepared for work.
Charlotte has cooked for me the whole time I've been here. In fact she was waiting for me in the train station with a baked potato and tuna salad for me. The first night I had pheasant (hunted right here on the Estate), potatoes and peas. Then tonight she made some sort of fish cake, potatoes, spinach and Brussels sprouts. Both times were delicious. Everyone has been super friendly so far; just from the time I've spent here I've learned three things:
-I love being spontaneous. This time last week I didn't know I'd be here.
-I'm incredibly lucky to be here.
-This is way better than doing the tourist thing in some random city. It's a much better experience and infinitely more rewarding.
Oh, and my bathroom is bigger than my whole dorm room, so that's definitely cool.
He and his family have hosted two volunteers before. Felix said he usually hosts volunteers for longer amounts of time, like six, seven weeks because not only is it good for his family to have a native English speaker in the house consistently, it's also good for the other person to be immersed in the language as well, so there's benefits to both parties. I also demonstrated I have a basic understanding of Spanish, so that was a plus for them. I learned his son is very shy, but play soccer with him and he quickly opens up.
So essentially I was invited to come to their place over the summer. After I finished speaking to them, I felt a very nice buzz. They were very nice, and I'll try to stay in contact with them. Now, about this WorkAway...
I've been dropped into an episode of Downton Abbey.
Charlotte, the woman I got in contact with, lives on Wintershall Estate (Google it!) in Guildford. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hutley (NOT Peter and Anne) own the property. It's 1,000 acres, complete with donkeys that nay early in the morning (like a rooster), horses, thousands of sheep, pheasants and other animals. There's Duncan the groundskeeper slash maintenance guy I follow around most of the time, Chris, an extra hand from Poland and various other office workers I've met. Charlotte has a brother-in-law here who is a famous sculptor and has statues in London, Hong Kong, the hill on the estate and other places. Apparently he's world famous.
This is where I'm sleeping.
I arrived on Monday in the middle of a stressful time for everyone because they're just about to show a large and elaborate play about the Nativity Scene and the birth of Christ on the property, so the theater at the top of the hill and the surrounding area have to be prepped. The whole group will be performing the play at the BBC in London today, and I'll join them, but not before I get to wander around on my own in Central London again, this time visiting Tate Modern. The play will take place at Wintershall twice a day starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday. I saw the play Monday night, and it's very elaborate. It should be great to see on Thursday.
But yesterday was mostly Charlotte and I cleaning up her garden. She has an awesome little cottage at Wintershall that is surrounded by an overgrown and gnarly garden (which is what I think a garden/yard should look like). We spent the afternoon mowing the lawns, pruning trees and shrubs and digging up a dead tree. By the time we had no more light at 4:30 p.m., the yard actually looked bigger. Duncan loaned me a pair of galoshes and a big luminescent safety jacket so my feet won't get soaked and I won't freeze, because I didn't exactly come prepared for work.
Charlotte has cooked for me the whole time I've been here. In fact she was waiting for me in the train station with a baked potato and tuna salad for me. The first night I had pheasant (hunted right here on the Estate), potatoes and peas. Then tonight she made some sort of fish cake, potatoes, spinach and Brussels sprouts. Both times were delicious. Everyone has been super friendly so far; just from the time I've spent here I've learned three things:
-I love being spontaneous. This time last week I didn't know I'd be here.
-I'm incredibly lucky to be here.
-This is way better than doing the tourist thing in some random city. It's a much better experience and infinitely more rewarding.
Oh, and my bathroom is bigger than my whole dorm room, so that's definitely cool.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
WorkAway for a week and Crystal Palace
13/12 - The past couple days have been very slow, but I have made some progress on one of my remaining assignments. I think there's too much time between now and the hand-in date in the middle of January.
I saw a stand-up comedian with Bill Thursday night named Mark Steel at the Lighthouse. There were a few references I didn't understand because I'm not British, but for the most part it was great. The guy went on for three hours and the ticket was just £13. Steel was good because he was engaging with the audience, and at one point he spent five whole minutes making fun of someone who actually got up in the middle of the act to go to the bathroom. And when the guy came back with a beer, Steel saw him and shouted, "you cheeky fucker!"
Yesterday was similarly as slow, but I met some of my football teammates and played some soccer on campus on the artificial turf. It was a fantastic way to end the week. But now I've tracked piles of those little black rubber chunks into my room.
But I've been looking forward to today since at least October. I'm going to London to see Crystal Palace play Stoke City at Selhurst Park with Bill. We're being given rides by a couple of his friends. This'll be great because I think Crystal Palace has some of the best fans in the Premier League, and also because I really don't like Stoke City so I'll try to find a way to shout insults at the players.
--Later--
Driving around London is excruciating. It's making me want to live there less and less. It's essentially one big maze that takes hours to get across, fighting through holiday traffic and navigating never-ending neighborhoods. Selhurst Park is in South London, and since there's no Tube station nearby (there's so many more Tube stations in North London compared to the South) driving is the only way there. But the stadium is cut into the side of a hill that overlooks a large part of the city, and it reminded me a little bit of San Francisco with the houses tiered going up the hill.
And of course, there's the obligatory trek through the neighborhood to the park. On the way there I was told by Bill and his friends to not really expect anything with Crystal Palace, otherwise you'll just be disappointed. But I wanted Palace to beat Stoke, because I really don't like Stoke City for what they always do to Arsenal and the fact their fans are tongue-chewing trolls.
I saw a stand-up comedian with Bill Thursday night named Mark Steel at the Lighthouse. There were a few references I didn't understand because I'm not British, but for the most part it was great. The guy went on for three hours and the ticket was just £13. Steel was good because he was engaging with the audience, and at one point he spent five whole minutes making fun of someone who actually got up in the middle of the act to go to the bathroom. And when the guy came back with a beer, Steel saw him and shouted, "you cheeky fucker!"
Yesterday was similarly as slow, but I met some of my football teammates and played some soccer on campus on the artificial turf. It was a fantastic way to end the week. But now I've tracked piles of those little black rubber chunks into my room.
But I've been looking forward to today since at least October. I'm going to London to see Crystal Palace play Stoke City at Selhurst Park with Bill. We're being given rides by a couple of his friends. This'll be great because I think Crystal Palace has some of the best fans in the Premier League, and also because I really don't like Stoke City so I'll try to find a way to shout insults at the players.
--Later--
Driving around London is excruciating. It's making me want to live there less and less. It's essentially one big maze that takes hours to get across, fighting through holiday traffic and navigating never-ending neighborhoods. Selhurst Park is in South London, and since there's no Tube station nearby (there's so many more Tube stations in North London compared to the South) driving is the only way there. But the stadium is cut into the side of a hill that overlooks a large part of the city, and it reminded me a little bit of San Francisco with the houses tiered going up the hill.
And of course, there's the obligatory trek through the neighborhood to the park. On the way there I was told by Bill and his friends to not really expect anything with Crystal Palace, otherwise you'll just be disappointed. But I wanted Palace to beat Stoke, because I really don't like Stoke City for what they always do to Arsenal and the fact their fans are tongue-chewing trolls.
That's Peter Crouch (I believe) of Stoke City heading the ball. Perfect timing.
I like "Super Selhurst." Palace fans say it's a hole, but there's something great about it. It's very loud and cozy, and to be honest I prefer this stadium, which had about 23,000 people in the seats today, to Arsenal's stadium, which can hold 60,000 people, because the atmosphere is much better. And the toilets? It's just one long line of people peeing in one big trench below the stand, so I got four out of the five senses involved today! Palace drew 1-1 with Stoke City, which was a little disappointing because I wanted Stoke to lose. Badly. But the day was still great and it was a completely different experience to the Barcelona game (mostly due to the fact Barcelona has the best player in the world and is one of the three best teams in the world). I will most definitely go to another Palace game
There's one thing I noticed today. Driving on the left side of the road, the accents, everything that used to be different...just isn't anymore.
There's one more thing to report. WorkAway has come through. In an act of total spontaneity, a woman agreed to host me for a week in Guildford (on the south west outskirts of London) beginning Monday. There I'll help with yardwork and with logistics for a play she's producing in London. I'll have a room to my own, I won't have to buy food and hopefully it turns out great, which it should. Her name is Charlotte. This is her first experience with a volunteer through WorkAway as well, so we're both WorkAway virgins. She did say she wished she asked for references, but I think she'll be just fine with me. And as you all, especially Brent, can attest to, inviting me, a total stranger, over to your place to help with chores and labor isn't a particularly bad idea.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
End of term
7/12 - We lost 28-0 at Southampton today. Again, it wasn't the best performance from the whole team, but we held the Stags to just one score in the second half.
Today was the first day I've felt confident playing linebacker in a game. I also realized the kind of mindset you should have to be successful is this: nothing or no one will get in my way to the runner with the ball. Don't be afraid of contact. Hustle to the ball. Play without fear. Play like you're having fun. Have a desire to be the first person to reach the runner. Be violent. It takes a while to grow into that mindset, but I'm finally understanding it.
I'm enjoying the violent aspect of the game. During certain plays I find myself in a physical battle with another player on the offensive line. We come in contact once, but then the play extends down the field, so we get a couple more shots at each other, complete with lowered shoulders, grunts and jarring change of direction. And when the play is over, we pat each other on the helmet to say "good job."
If I connected a microphone to myself, I think I'd hear growling and guttural sounds during plays, curse words and screams of frustration. It's like my inner caveman is being released during this game and I turn into some humanoid creature that doesn't belong in modern society. In this state I don't fully register getting a facemask to the forearm or other impacts to my arms that create bruises. But at other times, like right now, I quite like the fact I have bruises, a lump on my right forearm from contact with a facemask, two sore hip flexors, a hip and a thigh. I'm exhausted and sore, but it makes me feel like I'm getting the full experience of playing real American football.
This is the perfect sport for someone to use as either an outlet for excess aggression, or for someone looking to get more aggressive or assertive. It's essentially war, modern day gladiators. Drive your shoulder into someone. Punch those blocks away. Hit anything that comes your way. It's barbaric, but I like it.
9/12 - I completed my speech today. Again, there were a few things that have never happened to me before. The first of which is the fact I volunteered to go first, and also the fact I actually practiced the speech the night before. I felt nervous, but I kept reminding myself that English is my first language, unlike four of my classmates, and that calmed me down a bit. And really, if I can be totally comfortable during a nude photoshoot, I can stand in front of eight people fully clothed and make a speech.
It was such a relief to be finished with the speech. I felt exactly as how I predicted I'd feel, which is incredibly relieved. I also noticed I began to feel more comfortable near the end of the speech, though my mouth was still dry and my voice shook a bit. I've noticed as I get older things don't seem to be as big a deal. Just relax.
One last thing: next term doesn't begin until February. So I'll finish my three essays and go travel somewhere. I have plenty of time. It's almost too much time. I'm thinking about going to Amsterdam, Paris, Germany or Scotland...or Hadrian's Wall. So many choices. And recently I've thought about going to Finland or Norway to try to see the Northern Lights.
11/12 - I'm getting sick. It happened at most opportune time, too, as there was a Christmas social with the football team last night. I had the chills, a headache, stuffy sinuses and felt a bit dizzy, but I told people I was going to be there. I stayed for less than an hour I think, just to say hi and show off my Christmas sweater, which was easily the best and most unique.
Today was the first day I've felt confident playing linebacker in a game. I also realized the kind of mindset you should have to be successful is this: nothing or no one will get in my way to the runner with the ball. Don't be afraid of contact. Hustle to the ball. Play without fear. Play like you're having fun. Have a desire to be the first person to reach the runner. Be violent. It takes a while to grow into that mindset, but I'm finally understanding it.
I'm enjoying the violent aspect of the game. During certain plays I find myself in a physical battle with another player on the offensive line. We come in contact once, but then the play extends down the field, so we get a couple more shots at each other, complete with lowered shoulders, grunts and jarring change of direction. And when the play is over, we pat each other on the helmet to say "good job."
If I connected a microphone to myself, I think I'd hear growling and guttural sounds during plays, curse words and screams of frustration. It's like my inner caveman is being released during this game and I turn into some humanoid creature that doesn't belong in modern society. In this state I don't fully register getting a facemask to the forearm or other impacts to my arms that create bruises. But at other times, like right now, I quite like the fact I have bruises, a lump on my right forearm from contact with a facemask, two sore hip flexors, a hip and a thigh. I'm exhausted and sore, but it makes me feel like I'm getting the full experience of playing real American football.
This is the perfect sport for someone to use as either an outlet for excess aggression, or for someone looking to get more aggressive or assertive. It's essentially war, modern day gladiators. Drive your shoulder into someone. Punch those blocks away. Hit anything that comes your way. It's barbaric, but I like it.
9/12 - I completed my speech today. Again, there were a few things that have never happened to me before. The first of which is the fact I volunteered to go first, and also the fact I actually practiced the speech the night before. I felt nervous, but I kept reminding myself that English is my first language, unlike four of my classmates, and that calmed me down a bit. And really, if I can be totally comfortable during a nude photoshoot, I can stand in front of eight people fully clothed and make a speech.
It was such a relief to be finished with the speech. I felt exactly as how I predicted I'd feel, which is incredibly relieved. I also noticed I began to feel more comfortable near the end of the speech, though my mouth was still dry and my voice shook a bit. I've noticed as I get older things don't seem to be as big a deal. Just relax.
One last thing: next term doesn't begin until February. So I'll finish my three essays and go travel somewhere. I have plenty of time. It's almost too much time. I'm thinking about going to Amsterdam, Paris, Germany or Scotland...or Hadrian's Wall. So many choices. And recently I've thought about going to Finland or Norway to try to see the Northern Lights.
11/12 - I'm getting sick. It happened at most opportune time, too, as there was a Christmas social with the football team last night. I had the chills, a headache, stuffy sinuses and felt a bit dizzy, but I told people I was going to be there. I stayed for less than an hour I think, just to say hi and show off my Christmas sweater, which was easily the best and most unique.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Naked on camera
12/2 - The end of the semester is almost over. Wow. That went quickly. My last lecture is next week, and that's the one where I give an oral presentation/speech. I'm looking forward to it, and I volunteered to go first (and then I explained to my classmates me going first would lower the bar for them, thus making them look good). It feels like I've been here for a long time, but the crazy thing is, I've still got so much more to go. I'll be here for a while.
At chalkboard, the football team was disappointed in itself as a whole. We did some great things on both sides of the ball, such as racking up more than 300 yards of offense and getting eight sacks on defense, but we also recorded 12 missed tackles, three fumbles and two interceptions. We made too many mistakes to win. So when Coach Charlie began the meeting, he gave us all flowers to signify the fact we all screwed ourselves over during that game. So the least we can do is give ourselves flowers. He used much more colorful sentence enhancers during the meeting, which aren't appropriate for this blog.
We saw our game film. Charlie pulled a 7-second clip which turned out to be my pass deflection, and he showed it to the whole defense. I know I got a hand on the ball, but until seeing the video, I didn't realize the opposing receiver had the ball in his hands before I knocked it out. I thought I got to it before it even touched his hands. That was surprising. (The video below is obviously much higher quality on my computer, but it got all grainy when I put it here. Oh, well. You can still see what happens.)
12/3 - Today was another day of firsts for me. I woke up very early and got to campus for 8 a.m. football practice to work on coverage on passing situations. It was a good way to start the day, though it was frigidly cold. It got me awake and prepared to get naked on camera later.
That's right. I can now say I've been naked on camera.
I was helping a German girl named Amelie with her photo project (something that is due on Friday, so she left it to the last minute), which involved photographing people shedding a second skin and showing vulnerability. It was an artistic shoot, and I worked with a flesh-colored sheet, so I did poses where I curled into a ball or draped the sheet across my shoulders or around my body. There was another guy named Allan who volunteered himself, and I waited outside until they finished. I think he was a little nervous.
Kate said I was mad to do it, but I honestly felt very comfortable. There was a point where I didn't care if Amelie saw more than necessary; it was liberating, and I found I would much rather do a nude photo shoot than do public speaking. I'd definitely do it again if I had the chance. Now I kind of know what it's like to be photographed for the Body Issue of ESPN the Magazine.
In hindsight, I realized this was another one of those things you don't know if you'll like unless you try it, like eating snails or listening to a different genre of music. It was another chance to grow; I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. Plus, it's a great story!
Hopefully I get to see the pictures next week.
At chalkboard, the football team was disappointed in itself as a whole. We did some great things on both sides of the ball, such as racking up more than 300 yards of offense and getting eight sacks on defense, but we also recorded 12 missed tackles, three fumbles and two interceptions. We made too many mistakes to win. So when Coach Charlie began the meeting, he gave us all flowers to signify the fact we all screwed ourselves over during that game. So the least we can do is give ourselves flowers. He used much more colorful sentence enhancers during the meeting, which aren't appropriate for this blog.
We saw our game film. Charlie pulled a 7-second clip which turned out to be my pass deflection, and he showed it to the whole defense. I know I got a hand on the ball, but until seeing the video, I didn't realize the opposing receiver had the ball in his hands before I knocked it out. I thought I got to it before it even touched his hands. That was surprising. (The video below is obviously much higher quality on my computer, but it got all grainy when I put it here. Oh, well. You can still see what happens.)
The guy I knocked the ball away from is the guy who was talking so much trash. I think he ran his mouth after this play, and one of my teammates, Tom, another linebacker, yelled at me to talk back. I told him no, because that's what the other guy wants me to do.
That's right. I can now say I've been naked on camera.
I was helping a German girl named Amelie with her photo project (something that is due on Friday, so she left it to the last minute), which involved photographing people shedding a second skin and showing vulnerability. It was an artistic shoot, and I worked with a flesh-colored sheet, so I did poses where I curled into a ball or draped the sheet across my shoulders or around my body. There was another guy named Allan who volunteered himself, and I waited outside until they finished. I think he was a little nervous.
Kate said I was mad to do it, but I honestly felt very comfortable. There was a point where I didn't care if Amelie saw more than necessary; it was liberating, and I found I would much rather do a nude photo shoot than do public speaking. I'd definitely do it again if I had the chance. Now I kind of know what it's like to be photographed for the Body Issue of ESPN the Magazine.
In hindsight, I realized this was another one of those things you don't know if you'll like unless you try it, like eating snails or listening to a different genre of music. It was another chance to grow; I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. Plus, it's a great story!
Hopefully I get to see the pictures next week.
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