9.7.09

OK - So I LOVE the show True Blood. It's a guilty pleasure of mine, what can I say. But one of the things I really love love love about this show is their marketing/ad campaign! The whole concept of the show is based upon the fact that the Japanese have developed a synthetic blood drink called "Tru Blood" which makes is possible for vampires to survive without killing people. In this show, the vampires have then 'come out' so to say and are an 'accepted' part of society, fighting for their rights, etc.

Now, HBO has turned into a marketing GENIUS and has based their ads on the fact that that has actually happened in the world. Here - take a look (this first one I took myself in the London subway):

and, my personal favorite:

and apparently you can really break those off. The ad is made out of plywood. Genius.

POST GAME MADNESS

SO BYU beat OU tonight. It's like, the biggest upset of the season/the first game of the season and everyone is CRAZY around here! Granted, this probably doesn't seem like a big deal to anyone who goes to any normal college across the country, but holy crap. People are honking and screaming and (for example this picture) having mass gatherings at the stadium! It's strange! AND it's been like 45 minutes since the game ended and it's just getting LOUDER! MAN it's crazy! I tried to capture some of the madness on video, but I'm not sure if it will do this whole insane experience justice.

I didn't watch the WHOLE game but I did watch part of the middle and like, the last 15 minutes or so whenever it got really intense. It was a great game! Very exciting and close. Joey told me that it's such a big deal because 1) OU is like, the number 3 ranked team in the country and 2) The last time we played them was like 14 years ago and apparently we beat them then too.

So all in all, lots of school pride going on right now. If you were to look at my facebook feed right now practically every status has to do with the face that BYU dominated tonight. Yup.

I BLEED BLUE AND WHITE BABY! GO COUGS!

9.5.09

SO, I'll probably be updating more than once today because whenever I finally get around to cleaning up my room I want to take some pictures and post them on here - probably of my whole apartment for your viewing enjoyment.

Having an engaged roommate is...well...it's an interesting phenomenon. Don't get me wrong, I love Adam and Jess both and they're wonderful people and really respectful of the whole apartment as far as PDA and things are concerned. But sometimes I feel like the the front room of our apartment (the kitchen and living room) are like, their house. They're either working out together in our living room or cooking meals together in our kitchen or whatever. Which is fine, but sometimes I feel like maybe they could split their time a little more evenly between his apartment and ours...but really it could be much worse. At least they're nice and respectful, like I said. It's just moments like this when I feel confined to my room (they're watching a movie in our living room) and they always invite anyone from the apartment to watch the movies with them, but we (or at least I) feel like I'm intruding.

ANYWAY enough on that subject. I used a waving iron on my hair today and it's now HUGE! Hah - why did I wave it? Well because I had time to. ha that's one reason why I love Saturdays. And Kelsey and I are going grocery shopping today after she gets off of work (so at like 4) and so that'll be fun. If you can constitute grocery shopping as fun. ANYWAY.

I'm going to clean and get dressed now. :D woohoo!

9.3.09

I love being back in school.

No really - I do. It's exciting because it gives you purpose and something to do with your life. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the occasional "I not going to do ANYTHING productive" days, but for the most part if I don't have anything to do I feel like a giant waste of space.

And nobody likes that.

I also love new school years because you get to reunite with old buddies! I've seen so many of my old friends up on campus that it just makes me extremely happy. It reinforces that fact that my greatest fear (being forgotten by the people I like/admire) isn't really an issue. Just the same it scares me to death thinking that when I go away for the summer people forget that I ever existed.

I ALSO also love that I only have one clas on Tuesdays and Thursdays...and it's Book of Mormon. So really it's a very low pressure day for me today. I've already finished my reading for one of my classes tomorrow and am basically kicking the trash out of my to do list.

Now, if only that were a "honey do" list....

moving on.


I have a good feeling about his year! I really can't wait for all of the new and exciting people I'm going to meet and the wonderful opportunities that await me, both in the theater and outside.

as Princeton says in Avenue Q - "I don't know how I know, I don't know where I'll look, but I'm gonna find my purpose"

8.18.09

I'm going to be home in 4 days.





I'm stoked.

8.13.09

So it's been quite the interesting 48 hours. Honestly I'm having a hard time believing what just happened.

It all started the last time we were in London and I saw a flyer for a production of Hamlet that Jude Law was in. I thought about how I would love to see it, but seeing as we weren't going to be in London for that, I started planning with some of the other girls to see if maybe when we went back into the city right before we flew out we could try and get tickets. THEN Tom and Katie got word of what we were planning on doing, and Tom said that when we went back into the area of the country to go to Cambridge, we could probably try and go see it. Then when we called the theater it turned out that all of the performances were sold out, so we were going to have to line up early in the morning to get tickets. Well, since there was no way we could catch a train from Cardiff to London in time to get a good spot in line, we decided that we were just going to have to sleep in front of the theater all night to get tickets. Yup. And that's exactly what we did.

However, that Tuesday we had a whole night in London to do whatever before we qued up in front of the theater. So Tom, Katie, Zoe, Elizabeth and I went to the Globe to see if we could get standing groundling tickets for Romeo and Juliet. We found out when we got there that that show was also sold out, but if we waited for personal returns we could see if we could get tickets. We got in that line and were probably about the 15-20th people so we were pretty hopeful for tickets. However, we had resigned ourselves to the fact that we were going to be in the middle of the crowd, not right up by the stage, because we weren't going to be able to get into the groundling que in time to be that close. So, Elizabeth and I were the first to get tickets (the family decided that if only two became available that we would be the ones who got to go - how nice of them!) and when we went around to the other side of the theater to que we were the 4th and 5th people in line!!!! I know!! We could hardly believe it! At that point I went to the toilet and when I came back like, 10 minutes later there were about 50 people in line. Yeah. So we really lucked out. Zoe came to join us soon after that and Katie bought a seated ticket so we were all just waiting and hoping that Tom would get a ticket. So they let us through the gate to que right in front of the entrance door and by the time Tom finally joined us the line to be groundings was wrapped ALL the way around the side of the theater and like, doubling back on itself. Like, I still can't get over how lucky we were! So we got in, got to stand right at the center at the edge of the stage and it was phenomenal. Just like at Midsummer they had some guys come out before the show started who sang and did all sorts of entertainment types of entertainment type tings before the show started. This time is was 3 minor characters and the actor who was going to play Benvolio and the totally serenaded Zoe! I have to admit I was a little jealous because They didn't even pay ANY attention to me but it was hilarious. They started out just crouched down near the endge of the stage, and then they like, got on the stomach and kept singing to her, and then they all grabbed the edge of the stage and pulled themselves towards her - man it was great! Plus, Benvolio was SUPER attractive so that made it even more entertaining haha. Then, later on in the show, Friar Lawrence had Elizaeth smell some flowers that he was picking. So, bascially people on either side of me got paid attention by the actors. Like I said, I was a little miffed but really - it was all entertaining and lovely so it doesn't matter. ha the show was PHENOMENAL but it was also like, 3 hours long. So, we stood for an 1.40 and then had a 15 minute break to sit down, and then we stood for 1.15 until the show was over. Needless to say me feet were pretty thrashed. We had walked a long way to get over there in the first place and were carrying out backpacks which were full of provisions for that night (our building foam, trash bags, etc.) PLUS we had done like a 1.5 hour walking tour of Cambridge earlier that day. Anyway we walked to the tube station and then hopped on over to the theater to stake out our tickets for Jude.

So, there was like the 2.5 foot wide marble step in front of the box office doors and the sidewalk, which is where we planted ourselves for the next 12 hours. The theater is in a place in London called Leicester Square, which has a few clubs and a LOT of drunk people. Let me just list some of my favorite quotes from the night that were made to us

"She looks like a yummy turkey!"

"Are you all right?"

"Are you guys of the Baptist congregation?"

"If you don't mind me asking, what the h*** are you all doing out here?"

*handing Tom 5 pounds* "Here you go....this is for you. ALL of you to share"

"Passed by red buses
They made no fuss
They just waited 'til they left before they started to discuss
They found the English heathens
Weaving
Trying to decieve them
Stuck in their own conceit
While they sat back on their own seat
of marble and floor
Unsure of the certainty of the
ever after
or of the disaster that lay before
these non-Christian
Bastards"
*This guy actually talked to us for quite a while, his name was John and he was quite sober and very nice. In fact, he came back about 20 minutes later and had bought us each a can of Pepsi to help keep us awake during the night. Which was, admittedly, really cool of him.

and there were numberous others that someone wrote down...but that someone wasn't me so I'll have to get back to you.

Needless to say it was quite a dramatic and entertaining night. However it didn't rain, it was warm, and the people in the theater left the light that was over our area on for us.

And in the end it all paid off because the manager of the theater got wind that we slept overnight to get tickets and took us backstage after the show!! Yeah! We didn't get to meet Jude, however because he only has so much time between performances so he was recouperating and such. But we did meet Laertes and walk on/around the stage and see the SM's booth and stuff. It was really cool. Like, REALLY COOL. GAH!!!!

And as for the show itself, man words just cannot even describe the beauty of the performace. Everything was in greyscale - the costume and the cold, hard, stony set. However every now and then there was a splash of color. When the stage turned into the court a big red curtain was dropped down. When it was Gertrude's chamber a yellow curtain came down. And when the players acted out The Murder of Gonzago for Cladius and the court they were all in white and their stage was bright white light like an interrogation room. Ah I can't get over it! By far my favorite part was the scene between Gertrude and Hamlet in her chambers.



To set it up, because Polonius is behind the curtain/tapestry listening in the scene it usually played with the curtain going up the stage so that you can see either side of it. However, the yellow curtain was straight across the front of the stage and when Gertrude and Polonius were talking about their plan it was opaque and they were standing in front of it. However, when Hamlet comes in the sheet became translucent and you could see through it to the other side, which was where the scene was played, until Hamlet stabs Polonius. And when Polonius fell - he took the entire curtain down with him, exposing the action on the stage and making everything feel suddenly more naked and more vulernable - just like Gertrude, now that her "back up" was dead. For the rest of the scene Polonius lays half wrapped up that curtain as a constant reminder of what has happened until Hamlet drags his body away. Amazing.

Jude Law wasn't the only decently famous person in this show. Cladius was played by an actor named Kevin R. McNally who was Gibbs in Pirates of the Carribbean and was also in Valkyrie and The Phantom of the Opera, Matt Ryan who was in an epsiode of The Tudors and Penelope Wilton who was in the new Pride and Predjudice and an episode of Dr. Who. So - it was start studded cast and one of the most phenomenal plays I have ever seen.

Plus, since we didn't get to see Jude that afternoon, Alison, Elizabeth, Marianne and I are going to go to the backstage door the night before we fly out before anyone from the performance that night can get there so that we can get our programs signed and maybe a picture! That would be a great way to end my trip - right before I have to wake up SUPER early to get through customs and catch my flight home.

WELL FOLKS - that's really all I have for now. I hope you've enjoyed this massive update and I'll see you in a little more than a week!

Cheers!

8.1.09

Holy cow.

I can't believe it's August.

I'll be home in less than a month. Such a bittersweet thing to think about.

SO I WON'T! [not yet anyway]

I love internet cafes. Why you might asking? Because poeple yell and speak really loudly in Arabic all around you. It's brilliant.

This week was pretty much fantastic. We went to see As You Like It at the Royal Shakespeare Company Theater in Stratford-on-Avon. Goodness it was so cool. I just love going to live theater! It just sends a chill straight thorugh my bones. I love it.

7.24.09

So...I hope today is the 24th. I actually have no idea. haha - not having a cell phone really warps your sense of date and time. it's odd.

So we went to Cardiff Castle yesterday and it was another interesting weather day. On our way up tot eh Castle (about 15-25 minutes from our house) it started pouring. Like raining buckets and buckets. But when we came out of the Castle after our tour of the inside, it was BRIGHT and SUNNY and BEAUTIFUL. You know, sometimes I really like Wales. This is the Norman Castle Keep - it's within the Roman walls of the Castle which you can see from downtown. So yeah. Pretty cool I guess. If you like that kind of thing.

This week we also decided that we're going to see Jude Law in Hamlet! YEAH I KNOW! All of the tickets for all of the show are sold out, but they sell tickets every day at like 10AM [they only have about 30] so people line up like, freakishly early to get them. SO we're going to camp our overnight in front of the theater! Yeah! I'm really very excited. It's going to be quite the adventure.

and really - if I'm going to be like, 200 ft away from this:

worth it. hands down.

OH AND I NEED MY FLIGHT INFORMATION MOTHER!! SEND IT TO ME ASAP SO I CAN FIGURE OUT WHEN I'M COMING HOME!! lol

7.23.09

So, yesterday was out second day in London and I'm just going to report on one wuick things before I head out

Avenue. Q.

I think it was just about the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. And I'm pretty sure that one of the more entertaining parts was hearing them trying to do American accents! One charater, Brian, had like a "brooklyn accent" which was pretty good and everyone else did really well. The only one they would slip every now and then was Princeton aka the main character. LOL It was pretty entertaining to hear him started certains phrases every now and again like a british man and then end them american-ly. Priceless.

And you know what else was priceless? Our £10 tickets. Which were in the middle of the 2nd row...of the 3rd tier. Which, while it was high up was still amazing b/c the theater was pretty small. And classically goregous. Really I was just beaming to be there.

And it took all of my power to not sing along. But I was successful! However I did mouth along at some points but since that's silent I'm going to say that that is acceptable.

ALSO this performance of Avenue Q has given me a new career path in life. Forget being an actress/teacher/makeup artist. I'm going to be....drumroll...

A BAD IDEA BEAR

That's right folks - for a limited time only I'm going to go around to the people I know and give them BAD ideas. Like - eating the ENTIRE chocolate bar in stead of just one piece "You're going to eat it all anyway, why not get a jumpstart?!" and watching a movie instead of going to bed "You can sleep in the van in the morning, so why sleep now?!"

All in all a very lucrative choice, I say.

Well...maybe not lucrative, exactly, but a heck of a lot of fun! And that's what counts in the long-run right?! WHO NEEDS MONEY!?!?!!





see - I'm good at it already :)

7.21.09

So, I'm sitting here at the Cathay's library and I thought I'd post in my blog. One of the cool things that I like about blogger as opposed to say, my email, is that it saves my work as I type it. So, if my discontented computer deecides it wants to log me off in the middle of some of my work before I can post it, it'll at least be in my drafts, which is nice.

SO, I don't know how many times I've said this because I kind of loose track of what I write in my blog vs. emails and facebook but it rains entirely too much here. Which, I wouldn't mind so much if it was warm when it rained. And the funny thing is that they guys from YSA told us that like all during the month of June it was 90 degrees and sunny almost every day. Now that's my kind of weather. ALSO we're going to London tomorrow and it's just going to be rainy all day! I'm so sad! But I'm going to try and get a ticket to see Billy Elliot so that'll be cool.

And I still haven't heard from Gary which doesn't suprise me so I won't be seeing him in London tomorrow. Unless I get a chance to get back on the internet and miraculously he's remember to message me. ha we'll see.

Speaking of which I'm not going to be able to spend as much time on here as I thought I would writing this post because this computer is encapable of having more than one browser open at a time and I only have 13 minutes left. lol Oh the joys of being behind on technology. Once again - God Bless America.

So I'm pretty much really sore today because last night at FHE (at which I'll have you know I taught the lesson...that I came up with in like 30 minutes before we left b/c I didn't realize I was going to be the one teaching) we played the box game. Which was also my idea. But I didn't think that I was going to come in 3rd place, since I'm as inflexible as I am. Apparently I'm flexible in ways I didn't understand. However I still can't touch my toes, so I don't see what difference that really makes. Anyway, the point is that I'm havingn a little bit of a difficult time walking today. Lol - but that's the price you pay for being a CHAMPION.

Tonight we're going to the Carvary before Institute which is like a buffet that only costs £3.50. Which I am definately ok with. It was a big ordeal trying to get out who's going and not and some of the girls from the Welsh house were a little upset because they couldn't come because they're having the missionaries over for dinner. Which, if you ask me is pretty cool in itself but they don't seem to view it that way.

Well I better sign off so I can look up the ticket info. Hopefully it's not going to cost me too much money but I really want to see a show on the West End while I'm here. I mean let's be honest.

<3 Loves from the Kingdom that is United!

Shens

7.20.2009

Hello faithful readers and friends!!

Hah. That was quite an interesting turn of phrase. Whatever.

So this past week we went to Stonehenge!! I know right! I licked a stone! Gross, yes but worth it. The only thing that was kind of awful was that I was wearing a skirt and so I couldn’t like, do any crazy acrobatics. Plus it was super windy so that presented a problem. Especially since I didn’t have any leggings on. I was inspired buy the song “Stonehenge” as performed by the legendary Spinal Tap on the way to the stones and so I searched for the little children of Stonehenge and danced under the pale moon. It was pretty inspirational. We were also a little let down because we were going to try and meet the High Druid Priest or whatever he’s called that we thought lived in like a trailer off to the side of the stones, but apparently he was asked to move because he was causing a ruckus. And they found people with paint hiding out in a ditch nearby. I KNOW. So that was kind of let down, but everything else was basically amazing. I still can’t believe that I went there.

That’s how I feel about a lot of the places that I keep going, actually. It’s quite surreal.

Can I also say that I miss dryers. Both for your clothes and for your hair. *sigh* Speaking of hair, I cut my bangs yesterday before church. I know! I’m a little daring sometimes. But they were seriously bugging me because they were in my face all the time. So I angled them over to the side so hopefully they’ll be a little better. I can’t really tell yet because yesterday it was super windy/rainy (shocker, I know) so they were blowing in my face anyway. Hopefully I’ll be able to find out soon. I also miss non-tempramental showers. Like, at our house you either have high water pressure and either scalding or freezing water OR low pressure and warm water. Needless to say I can't wait until I can have the best of both worlds on a continual basis. God Bless America :D

Also speaking of hair, Luc asked us yesterday during out tour of the University (which he do graciously gave) if any of us cut hair because his was too long. I said that my mother cut hair so I’ve observed and could probably manage, but I honestly don’t want him to take me up on it. Like, I’d probably do it and be terrified of screwing up his hair for a while. That could not be good. Like everyone would be asking him what happened to his head and then he’d say that he let this crazy girl from America (and BYU nonetheless) cut it and that would just ruin the rep of the program and what a disaster it would be!

Yes, I’m being slightly facetious when I say that but let’s be honest. I shouldn’t be the first person you hand scissors and trust with your hair.

Ok, so you’re all going to be so proud of what I ate when we went to Oxford. So there’s this pub called the eagle and child which is where J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to like hang out and eat and stuff, so when we were in Oxford we decided to eat our dinner there. We looked over the menu for a while and I decided that maybe I’d try something new and there was something on the menu titled “Gammon and Eggs” and in the description it just said “gammon steak served with two fried eggs and chips” so I figured Gammon was just an English word for a cut of steak that I didn’t know. No one in my group knew what it was later so they all thought that that was a reasonable assumption to make. So I order it and when it comes out it’s like this huge piece of Ham that’s been fried? Maybe? And like it’s pretty thick and a little crispy on the edges and like bubbly and…ugh. You know how I am with textures. So like, I saw it and I was like “I…can’t eat this” But I paid almost 6 pounds for it so I wasn’t going to waste it. I ate it with the eggs until the eggs were gone and then I couldn’t do it anymore. So a little over a half is what I ate! I know! Good for me!!

But never again. Like, never again.

Well, I’m off to read/clean/journal and try to find my wallet down at Queen Street before I head off to FHE tonight.

Loves!!
Shens

7.18.09

So, i'm sitting her ein an internet cafe in Cardiff. Whic h you would think I would be excited about. However i just happened to be at a crappy computer with a c rappy keyboard at whic h i can't upload picture sor anything. AND i get to pay for this whole lovely experience. I know, wonderful, isn't it!?

But, on the brighter side I"m pretty muc h having the time of my life. I'm constant blown away and amazed at the beauty of nature and the neauty of the past. Every c astle i see has it's own unique story and beauty I just love it.

oh, and contraty to popular belief, Ancient Roman sites are really boring. Dissappointing, I know.

I went to see Harry Potter this week and it was AMAZING! Plus, movie theaters here are way cooler than they are in the states! And tickets are cheaper! But, it was weird because half of the previews that ran in front of HP were for movies that I had already seen/were already realeased in the US. So that was sort of surreal. I don't want to bore you with my opin ion of the film, but I'll just letyou know that it was phenomenal. Sad, hilarious, light, dark and ajust really good. Oh, and Cormac McLaggen - BEAUTIFUL. That was a nice little bonus. In fact, it was so good that I may be going to see itagain this Thursday with some guys from YSA.

SPeaking of YSA here, it's awesome! It's small but everyone is really nice and super excited to have us here, so it's a blast. Once again, just another reinforcement that the church is true no matter where you go in the world, and I really love that. Speaking of YSA, I went to a dance in Reading, England last night. It was an interesting experience but I did end up having a good time, which is more than i can say for every other dance i've ever been to in my life. They only played like, tec hno remixes of R &B songs, nothing slow and no variety of musice whatsoever. it was like one, giant 4 hour long song. But, I saw Mr. Gary there and got to talk to him for a while which was unexpected and cool and I got to know Ben a little better (one of the YSA guys from here in Cardiff). HOnestly though, the 2 hour car ride there was much more fun than the dance :) I sincerely love it when that happens.

Well, I really can't stand to pay for this internet any longer and Marianne is waiting for me outside of the cafe since she finished like, 10 minutes ago. So, until then you can always check the schedule i posted here to see what i'm up to and anxiously await my next post :D lol

loves from the UK!

oh, and BTDUBS Big Macs taste just as good in this country :) thank goodness.

7.12.09

So, I'm sitting here at my program directors house trying to send an email to my mother and waiting for a picture to upload that's taking forever. So, I would try and post more than one here but obviously that's not going to happen. So there's that.

We went to this Castell today [that's the picture up there]- Castell Carreg Cennen (don't ask me to pronounce it, cause I can't lol) and it was pretty much gorgeous. It's all in ruins and I just don't know what words I can possibly use to describe the beauty of it. The best part was that there was this giant rocky crag off to the side of the Castell that overlooked the Welsh countryside and all of the rolling hills and sheep and beautiful green lushiousness of Wales. I just climbed up it and sat up there all by myself and took it the world. I felt like I had stepped into a Jane Austen novel, or rather, Wuthering Heights. Which, let me tell you if Ralph Fiennes and his dark haired beauty came staggering up the hill I would have fainted.

Anyway, it's pitch black outside and I still have to walk home so I'm going to peace out. And we're getting up dark and early tomorrow. and I have no clean clothes. Fabulous.

For My Mother

Well, the internet here at the Cathays Library is being a real pain and is taking amillion years to log me into my email server. So, I'm just going to have to post my email to her here. It's a good thing that I started writing this out in Word while I was waiting for this page to load or I may never have gotten it done. Especially since I only have 8 minutes left on my internet time. Sick, I know. Hopefully I'll go down to an internet cafe today where they only charge £1 for an hour so that's not too bad. I can get a lot done in that time if the connection is fast enough. Anways, feel free to read this post, it's just aimed at my mother since she's the one who asked me about this stuff.

Hey momma!!

I’m relly sorry that I didn’t get to email you yesterday. Actually, I have no idea if the email that I wrote and hit send actually sent to you – so here’s what I said just in case.

I got your recipe and we made it last night – it was pretty much delicious. I had to make some minor adjustments, though, because there were a few things I couldn’t find, which surprised me. Like ricotta cheese! I’m the UK you would think that they would have that – seeing as we’re closer to italy. I went to 2 different grocery stores and didn’t finding it. Finally I settled on some mascarpone (which was yummy, but a little pricey) and so that worked out. Also, they only sell parmesan in really big chunks so we didn’t want to buy and because we would never use the entire block. But, we did have some really sharp cheddar in the fridge so I just like, finely chopped it up (since we don’t have a cheese grader) and added it to the filling. Also, I couldn’t find a bag of just spinach so we had to use a bag of fresh mixed spinach salad which had watercress and something else in it that I’d never heard of. I chopped that all up and added it. Anyway – it still turned out really yummy so it’s all good I guess.

Yesterday after class we had free time so we went to downtown Cardiff (near Cardiff Castle) and looked around at all the shops and stuff. It was really cool. We went to this department store called M&S and upstairs they have like a little café/bistro thing, kind of like they do at IKEA only smaller and a little nicer. Anyway I had an egg salad sandwich with watercress on whole wheat bread and a cheese jacket potato (which is basically a baked potato with cheese all over it) anyway it was really good. Something that’s also different about being here in Europe is that they drink a lot of sparkling water. Yeah, it’s strange. I just always have to make sure that when I buy water that it’s “still” so that it’s not that weird carbonated stuff. It’s like drinking soda water.

We also went to McDonalds. And let me tell you – they are a lot nicer here than they are back home. The one we went to was 2 stories and had like plasma TVs in it and everything! They also have a different £ menu which has a crispy chicken sandwhich on it and medium fried and all of their McFlurrys, which are really yummy because they have English candy in them. I had one with these things called “smarties” in it, which are like m&ms but they aren’t really as good. Also, we went to a place called Poundland and momma – they sell giant boxes of malteasers for £1. I know. I will be bringing you back some when I come home, don’t you worry :D

We#re going to London tomrrow!! Andn seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe! Now, this is going to sound a little ridiculous but I have a little pet peave that I need to tell someone about before I explode. Everyone here keeps calling it A Midsummers Night dream. Whhich doesn't make any sense because it's not the Midsummer's dream, it's the Night's dream. For a bunch of English majors they sure don't know the Shakespeare. *sigh* Wow, I feel much better getting that off my chest. We're leaving at like 5:30 in the mo rning though, which is going to be rough but oh well. It'll be worth it.

Well, that's all for now. If I'm able to get online at the internet cafe later maybe i'll send you an actual email. I'm also going to try and call y'all using the magic jack sometime this weekend so just be expecting to hear from me! I love you all and I'll see you in a few months!!

7.1.09

Well, I'm currently packing to head off to Wales! My plane leaves tomorrow night and I literally cannot believe that amount of things that I have left to do before I leave. I thought that I was all caught up and good and that I would be able to spend my last days or so relaxing and just spending time with the people around me. But no, once again I find myself drastically unprepared and not read to head off just yet.

You know, I really think that the Lord is funny sometimes. I never in my life have made such good friends as fast as I have in the past month here. It's bizarre. And now that I actually found people who made it bearable to be here over the summer I leaving to have another one of the most influential and exciting experiences of my life. But I guess I'll just have to keep on doing this trust in the Lord thing and have faith that it was all for something, and that these relationships aren't going to fall apart just because I'm leaving.

It feeds into one of my worst fears: being forgotten. I'm constantly terrified that the people I meet and become friends with are going to forget about me if they don't hear from or see me for extended periods of time. Like I'm simply not that memorable and once I get back they'll be like "wait, who are you?" So far that's proven not to be the case, so you would think that I would learn from that and take those examples and use them to dispel my fear, but I don't. It's one of my human faults I guess.

well, enough procrastinating. It's time for me to get pack to packing.

As the Doctor would say: "ALLONS-Y!"

6.23.09

One again, purely for reader enjoyment :) You're all welcome

So, I'm kind of starting to stress about how close me leaving for Wales is. Like, I'm not ready. Originally I had planned to do all this history reading and preparation for when I leap across the pond, but of course I haven't done any of that. PLUS I still don't have the pants that I want and I have no idea when I'm going to go and get them. I work a ton this week (like I've already told everyone). Also, I'm trying to squeeze in all the friend time I can get, but also spend time with my family. Man, I always stress myself out like this, it isn't good.

I also have some relationship queries/situations that I don't know how to handle. *sigh* why can't things ever just go the way that i want them to. It would be nice, for once. Like, if I had an idea and maybe some wishes for the future and such the could actually come to pass. I'm getting rather tired of having to hope/faith in these situations, and myself.

I need to make a list. A long list of things I need to do, buy and pack up before wednesday of next week. OH and I need to buy my coach ticket! Otherwise, I'll never actually make it Wales. Which would be sad.

But maybe I could convince a certain friend of mine to drive me there...which wouldn't be so bad ;)

Haha nope. I should buy the ticket.

6.22.09

So, this picture really has nothing to do with the blog for the day, and is simply for appreciation. One of the many reasons why I love the summer. :) now, if only I had one that I could call my own, that would be something.

So, I'm sitting here in my room, blogging, watching Gordon Ramsay and waiting for my laundry to get done. Rather productive use of my time, I'd say. Especially since this is going to be the work week from HELL. Seriously. Let's take a look at my schedule:

Mon - 5:00-close [johnny rockets]
Tues - 10:00-2:30 [bath and body works] 4:00-close [johnny rockets]
Wed - 10:45-3:15 [bath and body works]
Thurs - 12:30-5:00 [bath and body works]
Fri - 5:00-close [johnny rockets]
Sat - 10:00-3:00 [bath and body works]

So, I've officially re-structured and re-titled my blog. It's title now matches the URL and it's going to be pretty cool. Hopefully I'll be able to figure out how to upload videos and such on here as well so that while I'm overseas I'll be able to give y'all little glimpses into what I'm doing and the things that I'm seeing.  I looked at the calendar the other day and realized just how close this trip to Wales is. Like, I'm just about jumping out of my skin in anticipation! It's sneaking up on me, and I'm not nearly as prepared as I thought I was going to be. But, I still have some time to read up on my history and get my things gathered together. I often forget that there is a school aspect to what I'm going to be doing there across the pond. 

Other then that I've been working two jobs to try and have some money to spend while I'm over there. It's really hard, especially since I've never had a job before these two, but I guess you have to grow up sometime. Plus, my money isn't going to go nearly as far over there so that's kind of depressing, especially since I still have to buy my coach ticket so that I can actually make it to Wales...and come to think of it, I'm going to have to buy one for the way home as well. Especially if I plan on making it to the airport. Shucks.

So, even though I've been awake for a few hours I've pretty much done nothing today. So, maybe I'll go lay out in the pool and read before I come in and clean my room because, seriously. I need to. It's driving me insane. Then after that, I'll cook some dinner for the frère and myself, put some laundry to wash, kick back in my nice and organized room and watch the season premier of True Blood. Mmmm, vamps

So, this blog was originally just meant to be for my study abroad trip this summer, but in thinking about what I was going to be doing while overseas, it would seem that I probably won't have a lot of time to post in this. Therefore, it is going to just become my blog for whenever I'm away from home.

Now, I already have my livejournal shennsley.livejournal.com and I'm going to keep updating that too...for the time being. I'm just not quite sure how long that's going to last. I may just make the full switch over to this blog...but we'll see :)

So, yeah. that's the update. I hope you stay tuned for all of the cool and exciting things that I'm doing with my life...ha. OH and I hope you enjoy my musical selections. 

2.16.09

I just got an email from the program director with our full schedule (as of right now) attached to it and after looking over it several times I just can't get over how excited I am! I just thought I would share the lovely details of my trip with y'all

Saturday 7/4/09 

Welsh Study Abroad begins; be in Cardiff around 12:00

Shop for Food and stuff

Sunday 7/5/09

Church at Cardiff central branch

Cardiff City walk part one

Monday 7/6/09

Train of Coryton, walk to Castle Coch

FHE

Music at Y Mochen Du

Tuesday 7/7/09

Work on class projects, etc.

Free Day

Wednesday 7/8/09

History Class

Thursday 7/9/09 *Train day 1

London, British Museum and National Museum, free time

Mid-Summer Nights Dream at Globe

Friday 7/10/09

Water taxi to the Bay

Visiti Cardiff Bay and Welsh Assembly, food festival in Plas Roald Dahl

Saturday 7/1/09

Cosmeton WIllage visit

Find Ffynnon Garw

Watch "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain"

Sunday 7/12/09

Church

Cardiff City Walk part 2

Monday 7/13/09

Uffington White horse, Uffington Iron Age hill fort, Weyland Smithy

Oxford, city specialist and Tolkein specialist

Blenheim Palace in Woodstock

FHE

Music at Y Mochen Du 

Tuesay 7/14/09

Drive to Caerwent

Caerwent visit

Drive to Chepstow

Chepstow Castle

Drive to Tintern

Tintern Abbey, Welsh Gold Ice Cream

Monmouth

Goodrich Castle Exterior

Wednesday 7/15/09 *St Swithin's Day 40 days of rain or sun hang in the balance!

Drive to Winchester

Winchester Cathedral and Great Hall

Salsbury Cathedral

Old Sarum, English Heritage Building

Stonehenge evening visit

Avebury visit & Silbury Hill

Thursday 7/16/09

Raglan castle

Drive to Bleanafon

Pwll Mawr visit

Blaenafon Iron Works

Drive to Caerleon

Caerleon, National Roman Museum, Bath Museum and Ampatheater

Friday 7/17/09

Depart for TreTower

TreTower

Hay on Wye

Saturday 7/18/09

Catch up on laundry, buy food, journal and study!

Sunday 7/19/09

Church

Cardiff City walk part 3

Monday 7/20/09

History Class

FHE

Music at Y Mochen Du

Tuesday 7/21/09

History Class

Wednesday 7/22/09

History Class

Thursday 7/23/09 *Train day 2

Train to London, Museum of London

Afternoon free

Romeo and Juliet at the Globe

Friday 7/24/09

History class

Cardiff Castle

Saturday 7/25/09

Tredeger House visit

Free day

Sunday 7/26/09

Church 

Cardiff City walk part 4

Monday 7/27/09

St. Fagans, Welsh National Musuem

Tinkinswood visit

Music at Y Mochen Du

Tuesday 7/28/09

Drive to Gadfild Elm

Visit Gadfield Elm, Benbow Farm, Great Malvern Hill

Stratford city walk

Shakespeare's birthplace, Anne Hathaway's cottage, Boating

As You Like it at Startford-on-Avon

Wednesday 7/29/09

Drive to Bath

Bath walk led by student/free time

Wells cathedral (Evening Song for free)

Bath Roman museum

Thursday 7/30/09

Depart for Tintagel, Cornwall, UK (3 hours)

Tintagel Castle

St. Ives

Check in at Penzance Hostel

Drive to Lanyon Quoit, Men an Tol, Bronze Age village

Overnight in Penzance

Friday 7/31/09

Drive to Marazion

St. Michael's Mount, Book with National Trust

Hurlers, Trevethney Quoit, King Donarts Stone, Dartmoor

Catheral in Exeter (Evensong)

Drive Home

Saturday 8/1/09

Rest and Wash stuff

Sunday 8/2/09

Church

Cardiff City walk part 5

Monday 8/3/09

Drive to Eisteddfod (3 hours)

Eisteddfod Meirion, Pensarn Abergele, Conwy, UK

Drive to Conwy, wall walk, small house

Stay at Conwy Hostel

Tuesday 8/4/09

Conwy Castle

Plas Mawr

Caernarfon Castle

Segontium

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogoerychwyrndrobellllantisiliogogogoch, food from market, drive to Bryn Celli Ddu

Optional drive to Beaumaris

Wednesday 8/5/09

Drive to Trefeiw Wool mill

Llanberis Slate Museum

Snowdon hike

Thusday 8/6/09

Drive to York (3 hours)

Hang in York, tour by student, Rail museum, city walk, wall walk, assembly room, Fountains Abbey, Studly Royal, Castle Howard

Evensong at Minster

Ghost walk

Friday 8/7/09 *Train day 3

Train to Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle

Museums and festival in small groups

Edingburgh eye

train to York from Edinburgh

Stay at York Hostel

Saturday 8/8/09

Drive to Cardiff

Powis Casle, National Trust, Birmingham Museum

Sunday 8/9/09

Church 

Free day

Monday 8/10/09

Work on Projects

Walk to Llandaff Cathedral and Welsh book store

FHE

Music at Y Mochen Du

Tuesday 8/11/09

Work on game, projects & site visits

Wednesday 8/12/09 *Train day 4

Train to London then Cambridge

Fitzwilliam Museum, Christ's College

Thursday 8/13/09

Play class game, prep for site visits, work on projects

Friday 8/14/09

Work on projects

Saturday 8/15/09

Free day!

Sunday 8/16/09

Church 

Monday 8/17/09

Work on projects

Rowing in Roath Park

FHE

Music at Y Mochen Du

Tuesday 8/18/09

Work on game, project, site visits

Wednesday 8/19/09

Work on Projects

Final

Thursday 8/20/09

Pack and Clean

Friday 8/21/09

Depart for the States!

2.9.09

So, this is my first post here on "Postcards From Far Away"

I know it's a little confusing b/c the title of my blog isn't the same as the URL for the page but....that's ok. I figure if I ever want to change the central focus of this blog to something other then my travels than I can.

The whole purpose of this blog is to journal and keep track of my travels. Mainly this means my Summer 2009 BYU Study Abroad Program to Wales, but hopefully I will be going to other places in my life and can log my fun here too. I will not only be posting when I'm in Wales this summer, but I will be making this a photojournal of my preparations etc. leading up to my trip this summer.

So, I hope y'all stay tuned, so to speak, and keep up with this blog so that all my hard work won't be for nothing!

Oh, and I hope that you like the header - I made it all by myself. Thank goodness for www.picnik.com 

Seriously, it makes me feel like a photoshop genius.