26/3 - Stella, Jess and I found ourselves in the kitchen at the same time this evening, and this situation evolved into one of those random times when everyone shares their food. They don't happen often because everyone is so busy, but it's fantastic when it does. Stella made a sort of mash with peas and onions, Jess shared her chicken curry, which always seems to clear my sinuses but is delightful at the same time, and I mixed chicken, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, kale, cumin, paprika and other stuff in a pan, and also made some rice.
It was the first time Stella ever tried Brussels sprouts. She said they look like tiny cabbages. I told her they have a really bitter flavor if you don't cook them properly, but when they are cooked properly they add a different taste to the dish. Jess found out I can actually use chopsticks, and she looked shocked and started laughing. But these are some of the best moments in life, when you can sit down with other people and share food you all cooked.
And while eating with Jess and Stella, I can understand my accent a little better now. For example, with words like "water" or "bottle," I don't pronounce the "t." Instead, I make it sound like I'm saying a "d" sound. So instead of "water," I say "wadder." It kind of makes me sound like I'm butchering the language! But it's fun to examine different accents. In Britain, there are so many, and if you're here long enough you can start to tell a difference between all of them. For example, the more northern you go the more difficult it is to understand the accent; it gets stronger.
Our class took a field trip to Calshot Activities Centre in Southampton today (where the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower was docked; what a massive ship!). This compound used to be the place where seaplanes were stored. Essentially, it's a giant hangar that stores a velodrome, skiing slope and climbing walls. There are a few other hangars used for either storage or play areas when school children come to visit, a ropes course and Calshot Castle next to the hangars, which was build by Henry VIII. There's a coastguard tower too, but that's not part of the compound.
All of these buildings are listed, which means their history has to be preserved. Because of this, you can't insulate the hangars or alter the existing structure in any way. If repairs need to be made, like-for-like materials have to be used. There are buildings on the spit where you can sleep and live if you're being trained at the Centre. The spit is a tiny strip of land that juts into the shipping channel, and it's at the mercy of the tides. Sometimes the water blocks the road in and floods the hangars.
But I thought this would be a fun place to work if I want to stay in England. I can teach snowboarding and am familiar with climbing, so I told my lecturer that, and he said he'd get in contact with the director of the Centre. It's another opportunity, so let's see where that heads.
All of these buildings are listed, which means their history has to be preserved. Because of this, you can't insulate the hangars or alter the existing structure in any way. If repairs need to be made, like-for-like materials have to be used. There are buildings on the spit where you can sleep and live if you're being trained at the Centre. The spit is a tiny strip of land that juts into the shipping channel, and it's at the mercy of the tides. Sometimes the water blocks the road in and floods the hangars.
But I thought this would be a fun place to work if I want to stay in England. I can teach snowboarding and am familiar with climbing, so I told my lecturer that, and he said he'd get in contact with the director of the Centre. It's another opportunity, so let's see where that heads.
27/3 – There’s another job opportunity in my sights. This
one is with Poole Town as Commercial Manager. I asked a member of the club if
they’re looking for someone more experienced than me, but he told me I have
something going for me, such as the fact they know me over there and they know
I have the time and the enthusiasm for the club. While that’s a definite plus,
I won’t expect too much. I have no experience seeking out advertising. But
having said that, I sent my CV to them. The worst they can say is no.
I’m in Hemel Hempstead for the weekend, where I’m staying
with Josep from Barcelona. And to get here, I had to transfer trains in Central
London. The city is a wave of humanity; there are people running in all
directions in Waterloo Station. Men in suits, women in high fashion, teenagers
sprinting to make their train, travelers watching the big board to see when
and where their train comes in, this language, that language, giant
advertisements, all different colors of skin and always that one pigeon inside
the train station that is too hardcore to be afraid of humans. This is a
chaotic place. I can see why everyone would love to work there; there’s always
something happening. But sometimes it’s too fast. I feel like a lamb following
the herd sometimes, especially in the tube and train station, and that’s why
I’m unsure about whether I’d like to work in London.
But this is my favorite city in the world. It always puts a
smile on my face; it never fails. The place where some of your memories were
formed will do that. I absolutely love the fact I find myself in London again.
It’s like having a second, third, fourth chance at going somewhere you truly
love and which really made you happy. All of this, despite the fact I again
forgot my Oyster card.
28/3 - I spent a couple hours in London with Josep today. We've spent the whole day speaking in Spanish so far. I'm feeling more confident about speaking the language now, but I still have a lot to learn. And Spanish from Spain is both pronounced differently and has different words, kind of like American English vs. British English. But we walked several miles through Central London and went to a tapas restaurant in Soho. We also went to the National Gallery where there are paintings from artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Michelangelo and Claude Monet.
I could definitely see myself living in London. That city is so alive. The skyline is full of competing skyscrapers and facades, all battling for your attention. The city has so much to offer! But there are major drawbacks: the traffic is awful (so bad, in fact, you get fined for parking there during the week; it's called the Congestion Charge, and there are cameras set up to get your license plate number if you park in a certain area during the week.), it's outrageously expensive (just like most big cities) and you'll have to compete with tourists intent on nothing more than getting a selfie of themselves below Parliament, thus blocking foot traffic.
That by itself makes the whole experience old. Why do people feel the need to take a picture of everything? Why take a picture of a painting? Why is it so important to get a selfie with Big Ben in the background? Put the selfie sticks away and enjoy where you are! And there are so many people in certain places, like under Big Ben. It's so hard to enjoy the sights of London when you have to dodge people left and right. And I hate to say this, but now that I live in England, visiting London is like listening to a great song over and over again; it eventually gets repetitive and boring. Been there, done that.
29/3 - Before I tell you what I did in London today, this entry is dedicated to Sharon and Brent Gill of Porterville, CA. It was their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday. That's amazing. I can't imagine being married for 50 years. I can't imagine being married. Hell, I can't imagine being 50 years old. But in all seriousness, these two are like family to me. Because of that, and the fact I had just learned of their anniversary while sitting in a cafe in Waterloo Station doing nothing productive, I decided to send them a congratulatory video. The picture below is some of what I sent them. However, I wasn't clever enough to get the guitar player on the video; he was playing the perfect song for a video tribute.
This was another one of those quick, yet special adventures. It had meaning. With the London eye and Big Ben glowing in the darkness, I couldn't have chosen to do a better thing waiting for the train. Congratulations, Sharon and Brent! Here's to many more anniversaries!
Anyway, back to me. Josep and I spent the afternoon in East London at Olympic Park. I was here in 2011 when it was still under construction. The finished product was fantastic! I remember the goal of the London Olympics was all about being green, sustainable and reusable. In my opinion from visiting for five hours, they've accomplished all of those. While the stadium is under construction right now, the tall sculpture still takes people to the top, the velodrome is used by cycling teams, the aquatic center was being used for a youth swim competition and the Copper Box Arena hosts London Lions basketball games. And surrounding the buildings, there are play parks, small ropes courses, and simple resistance machines. Essentially, London invested in that area of the city to be a mecca of physical activity. The whole complex is a working part of the city, and an asset, unlike other Olympic Parks such as in Beijing or Athens.
The velodrome had its doors wide open to passerby. We walked right in and sat down to watch cycling teams practice on the track. The aquatics center was open after the competition finished. I was able to walk in and be totally alone. It was, quite frankly, my favorite sport venue I've visited since I started school here. Walking into that building was like stepping into a futuristic space ship. The ceiling is curved, like a wave. Everything fits with everything, aesthetically. It's a marvel. And something I noticed was the fact the humidity and temperature inside the complex felt like normal room temperature, whereas some of the other pools I've visited were overly humid and stuffy. There was almost no chlorine smell.
I also saw a London Lions basketball game at the Copper Box Arena. It was unlike any professional basketball game I've seen in person. Typically, the color commentators speak on TV and can't be heard by the whole crowd. This guy was speaking over the loudspeakers. And the whole time he was making dry-witted, typically British humor jokes. For example, one player is nicknamed "The Chef," so when he hit a 3-pointer, the commentator quipped "There's the Chef serving up three more!" It was quite funny at times. But now I can say I've seen a professional basketball game in this country.
Finally, my second CouchSurfing adventure has ended, and it was another complete success. I spoke mostly Spanish this weekend. So much, in fact, I found I was still a little bit stuck in Spanish while waiting for the train. While ordering some food, the cook asked me if I wanted everything on the burger, and I responded with "si" twice. So because of that, he asked me where I'm from, and I found out he was born in Albania but lived in Greece his whole life. It was just another great little story from tonight and from this trip to London.
29/3 - Before I tell you what I did in London today, this entry is dedicated to Sharon and Brent Gill of Porterville, CA. It was their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday. That's amazing. I can't imagine being married for 50 years. I can't imagine being married. Hell, I can't imagine being 50 years old. But in all seriousness, these two are like family to me. Because of that, and the fact I had just learned of their anniversary while sitting in a cafe in Waterloo Station doing nothing productive, I decided to send them a congratulatory video. The picture below is some of what I sent them. However, I wasn't clever enough to get the guitar player on the video; he was playing the perfect song for a video tribute.
This was another one of those quick, yet special adventures. It had meaning. With the London eye and Big Ben glowing in the darkness, I couldn't have chosen to do a better thing waiting for the train. Congratulations, Sharon and Brent! Here's to many more anniversaries!
Anyway, back to me. Josep and I spent the afternoon in East London at Olympic Park. I was here in 2011 when it was still under construction. The finished product was fantastic! I remember the goal of the London Olympics was all about being green, sustainable and reusable. In my opinion from visiting for five hours, they've accomplished all of those. While the stadium is under construction right now, the tall sculpture still takes people to the top, the velodrome is used by cycling teams, the aquatic center was being used for a youth swim competition and the Copper Box Arena hosts London Lions basketball games. And surrounding the buildings, there are play parks, small ropes courses, and simple resistance machines. Essentially, London invested in that area of the city to be a mecca of physical activity. The whole complex is a working part of the city, and an asset, unlike other Olympic Parks such as in Beijing or Athens.
The velodrome had its doors wide open to passerby. We walked right in and sat down to watch cycling teams practice on the track. The aquatics center was open after the competition finished. I was able to walk in and be totally alone. It was, quite frankly, my favorite sport venue I've visited since I started school here. Walking into that building was like stepping into a futuristic space ship. The ceiling is curved, like a wave. Everything fits with everything, aesthetically. It's a marvel. And something I noticed was the fact the humidity and temperature inside the complex felt like normal room temperature, whereas some of the other pools I've visited were overly humid and stuffy. There was almost no chlorine smell.
I also saw a London Lions basketball game at the Copper Box Arena. It was unlike any professional basketball game I've seen in person. Typically, the color commentators speak on TV and can't be heard by the whole crowd. This guy was speaking over the loudspeakers. And the whole time he was making dry-witted, typically British humor jokes. For example, one player is nicknamed "The Chef," so when he hit a 3-pointer, the commentator quipped "There's the Chef serving up three more!" It was quite funny at times. But now I can say I've seen a professional basketball game in this country.
Finally, my second CouchSurfing adventure has ended, and it was another complete success. I spoke mostly Spanish this weekend. So much, in fact, I found I was still a little bit stuck in Spanish while waiting for the train. While ordering some food, the cook asked me if I wanted everything on the burger, and I responded with "si" twice. So because of that, he asked me where I'm from, and I found out he was born in Albania but lived in Greece his whole life. It was just another great little story from tonight and from this trip to London.
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