Adventure Weekend in the Lake District

Time for the Adventure weekend with the IFSA- Butler program! We went to the lake District in the middle of the mountains near Scotland. It didn't start out to well though. Once again, I missed the bus. What you say? You missed the bus!??? No, it was not my fault, it was the alarms fault!!! I set it, it was set for the right time. 7AM. I triple checked my alarm. Triple checked!! And then, i woke up. It was 10:00. The bus left at 9:30. I was SOOO MAD. I was so angry I wanted to cry. This was my free weekend with all the Butler Study Abroad students in the beauiful mountains and valleys of the lake district and I was going to miss it. I quickly called my friend Tyler who was on the bus and had him give the phone to one of the program coordinators. I talked to the lady and she said that there were a few students taking the train that night around 7 and it would be free, paid for by the IFSA-Butler Program. I was so happy! That night, i got on the train, and Butler paid for 8 pounds of food for us to gorge down on the train which was nice! We all got airplane bottle size bottles of alcohol. Such cute little bottles. We sat at a table with the other students and played Rummy 500 for 2-3 hours.

That Saturday, We got to pick from about 10 different activities, and I chose to do Gorge Scrambling (you climb up a watery, rocky gorge with waterfalls and tunnels and holes) and Tyrolean Gorge Crossing (crossing over a gorge on a zipline that is probably 350ft in the air). Talk about INTENSE.





Gorge Scrambling. They gave us a fleece jumper, like a body suit, and of course they gave me a kids size which did NOT fit me, it barely zipped up. I had a wedgie the entire time. ANDDDDDD over the fleece jumped we had these hardcore waterproof pants and coats. And wellies (british for rainboots). So, all suited up and ready to go, we had no idea what we were getting into. We walked down into what looked like a creek, but with huge rocks and waterfalls, and they told us to start climbin up the moutain. Hardcore.

The water got up to my waist a lot of the times. They had us do things like climb through a 2ft by 2ft tunnel that was probably 50 ft long, and the tiniest thing I've ever seen. They had us dunk ourselves under a waterfall, they had us jump off a ledge into neck high water. DO YOU KNOW HOW COLD IT WAS OUTSIDE? It was about 35 degrees. You can imagine what the water felt like. Coldest thing I have ever done ever. Just the mere thought makes me shiver. Being cold and wet has to be the worst thing one can experience.

It was fun though. I will admit.



The next activity was the Gorge Crossing. They gave you a harness and we hiked this steep ass mountain to get to the gorge that we were going to be ziplining across. From the top it was a gorgeous view. You could see the Lake, and the green green grass and the other mountains in the valley. I decided to take a video while i was crossing the gorge! So amazing.

This is the view from the middle of the gorge. Just gorgeous.





What a feeling, to be dangling up so high and seeing everything you can see for miles and miles and be right in the middle of it. Amazing.



After this, they took us to another little gorge where we type-rope walked over a waterfall. We were in a harness, don’t worry. That was just as cool. You are stepping on an inch thick rope and crossing 15 ft over a waterfall. Incredible. The whole experience was just incredible. Then I went rock climbing up a real mountain.

So, then that night, we got back, ate a free dinner, and got ready for the kickin disco that they there at the lodge. It started off like a jr high dance. The girls were all in the middle dancing and the boys were all watching from the side. Once the alcohol started flowing though, things loosened up a bit and everything got better.


I spent most of the night drinking in my room "the party room" with my roommate Kristine and playing weird drinking games with lots of people. Someone had Absinthe so i got to drink some of that! Only took a swig though. It tastes like mouthwash and black licorice mixed together. Horrible! Not enough to cause any hallucinations there!

So yeah......... the fun part. Sunday. We get up, have breakfast, all ready to do our last activity and then head home. My last activity was supposed to be going to the nearby town of Keswick to shop and look around. Around 7:30, I wake up, I take a shower, come out of the shower, and Kristine tells me to look outside. I look up in horror. There is a blizzard. A blizzard! In March!! NOT something I was expecting. We basically could tell right away that we weren’t going on our adventure to Keswick today, but we didn’t know if this would affect the bus ride home.


The coordinators didn’t know either. We had to wait. A long time. No one knew what was going on. We just kept waiting. Until they finally told us that we were spending the night again and that we had to skip all of our Monday classes and that they would take care of it. I mean, I guess, it was really nice to stay again- hang out with friends and get more free meals… but its hard to have no clothes left and stay in the hotel for another night!! Ughhh, so we left on Monday, which was fine. I just wanted to leave!! It was a fantastic time though. Never will forget it!

This is Jake and I chasing sheep through the snow!

STONEHENGE and SALISBURY and CAMBRIDGE

Well!!! Stonehenge, was a lot different than expected I guess you would say. First of all, as mysterious as it is, it is NOT very private! It's right next to a motorway (highway)! I felt the coach slowing down so I looked out the window, and Oh! There's stonehenge!! It's special yes, it is. But it is also just a big pile of rocks... How did they get there though? The heaviest one weighs 42 tons AND one-third of the rock is in the ground!!! I don't think they could possibly be knocked over.... so i wish you could go touch them (there is a path around the rocks, but not up to them)

Here's a movie I took at Stonehenge to give you an idea of what it looks like in person: http://media.putfile.com/Stonehenge71

So yeah, good experience- I can now say that I saw Stonehenge in person. I also went to Salisbury where there was a beautiful cathedral that looks like this: It was gorgeous. Salisbury was adorable too. They have market day once every week where over 200 people or groups come in to sell their products from their farm or clothes that they make. It's really cool. I bought a lot of candy.. i kind of like candy.








This is what the village looks like. So quaint. That brown and white building right in the front is over 400 years old. Older than the United States, people.








And guess what? Have you seen 28 Days later? Well, most of it was filmed in London, but the mansion at the end, with all the military guys, is in Salisbury! And i just realized that when I watched 28 Days Later again the other day. (which by the way takes place mostly in London and is AWESOME to watch now that i've been here) How coooool!



Here's a shot from the movie- the main character in a deserted, zombie infested London. SO AMAZING. They made it seem like London was truly deserted. See this movie if you havent already!!




Cambridge was great also. I missed the bus to get there, of course. So i had to pay 20 pounds to take a train to catch up with all the Butler people. There is a canal that runs through Cambridge. You can go Spalunking on the canal (where you have a big pole that you push yourself along the water with). Peaceful. Reminded me of a lazy river!

We walked around Cambridge University which I feel like the whole city revolves around. I couldn't imagine going to a school where tourists are freely walking about your campus, taking pictures, and looking in the windows.


Even though I would have loved to see Cambridge in the Spring and Summertime where there would be budding flowers, and lush trees, it was quite nice. I think there were less tourists than in the Summer.
The architecture is beautiful in Cambridge. A school with so much history!!

Overall, it was a very nice trip to all of these places. I love traveling around England! There are so many things to see and do and experience that I just can't get from a textbook.

Amsterdam

So Amsterdam was a great great time.

Worst bus ride of my LIFE. It left at midnight on a Thursday. There were these two guys that thought it would be a good idea to get wasted before they left- great idea. They were harassing all the girls on the bus. So annoying. Just when I thought their yelling and loud yapping couldn't get any worse, one of them started throwing up. Not exactly FUN! About an hour later, another one of them started throwing up.





It's freezing in Amsterdam! Don't go there in the winter! Amsterdam is so quiet too.... I guess since its winter, no one is around except the locals. And watch out!! I have almost died from being hit by bicylces- SO many of them here.

We tried to go to the Rembrandt exhibit at the muesuem but we thought it was too expensive soooooo we went to the Heineken Experience which was AMAZING!

Best Mueseum I've ever been to. 10 Euros- which includes 3 drinks and a special PRESENT. Worth it. SO WORTH IT! Drinking.... fun "rides" (the process of being a heineken bottle), interesting facts, and lots of Americans--- figures... haha. OH! and our gift was a beautiful Heineken glass.

That night, while some of my friends were too inebriated to go out, Kristine and Courtney and I went to "Dasen di Jasen" a dance club that we were supposed to get free admission to before 11... haha- shady! had to ring a doorbell to get into this club. Since we were the FIRST ONES THERE, we got freeeeee drinks! 2 of them. It was awesome but lame at the same time.


We also went to the Anne Frank muesuem/house where she lived during WWII. It was very intriguing. I guess some people didn't like it because of the lack of, well, furniture in it- but it was amazing just the power that this one girl's story has over so many people that were there. Its so hard to imagine all that horror taking place in such a simple house on the canal. Got to see the REAL diary too, which was protected in a glass case. I really wanted to take a picture, but they wouldn't let you. It was cute, a red and green striped cover with her german handwriting inside. Very powerful.
VIDEO!! OF the scenery around amsterdam - http://media.putfile.com/amsterdam78

Anyway, after getting over the dismay that the Anne Frank house left upon us, we saw the coolest thing i have EVER seen. It was...... wait for it.......... a BAR ON WHEELS!!! Imagine a bar. Okay, and imagine people sitting around the bar on barstools, and imagine that bar and barstools on a platform that moves around on the street!! The people were laughing, singing, yelling, waving- they sounded like they were having the times of their life! And everyone was cycling too... i think thats how it ran, through cycling.... Here's what it looked like: I took a MOVIE of it!!!! Check it out: http://media.putfile.com/Bar-on-Wheels


That night, we went to the Red Light District, where you can't take pictures of the prostitutes or else they will break your camera! It wasn't as crazed and sexed out as much as I thought it would be. Yes, there was a lot of the sex, but all of the prostitutes were standing or sitting provacativly inside red lit windows. They would try to smile or provoke men by turning on some sort of charm, and then, when they got their customer, or victim, they would pull the red curtain. Everytime we would pass by a closed curtain you would be like- Oh! ha.




We ended up going to the sex mueseum and that was a pretty good time--- worth 5 Euros? Probably, there was a porn cartoon with forest animals, a giant 6 foot plastic penis, pictures, photos, and sculptures of anything sex.




We also went into the coffeeshop that Oceans 12 was filmed in, Dampkring... its the "favorite joint of oceans 12" haha... nice to know that matt damon, george clooney, and brad pitt were sitting right were I was.


And yeah, thats about it! A lot more happened, but i guess i only have so much room to keep people's attention! :) It was a beautiful city, lovely architecture, and gorgeous canals.

To see the rest of my pictures from amsterdam, go to http://community.webshots.com/album/546922663XxrxJE

Harrow Hall of Residence

Northwick Park. My Tube Stop. Right next to Harrow Halls of Residence........ i mean- RIGHT next to me. Harrow is about 15 minutes north of the city by Tube. Althought I don't nessarily like that fact, I have gotten to get used to it. My dorm is where all the international kids live... at first that really freaked me out because- well, Indiana? Ohio? I live in all white areas. Suburbs. My university is 99.7% white. I'm a minority here! Crazy to think! But i AM an international kid, and thats what this dorm contains. NOOOO but honestly, after I met my flatmates I am totally cool with it. Nathan is british, Aleana is british, Seecum is japanese but british, and Tibo... oh Tibo, hes french. When he first introduced himself- no joke- i thought he said T-Bone. And for about 3 weeks I thought his name was T-Bone. Tibo... mysteriously always has 17 people at once in his small room. I came to realize it is because they smoke a LOT and a LOT of weed. All the time. My hallway always smells like weed. And they get the munchies a lot because they make a wreck in the kitchen.



BUT YEAH- My room is great. I have my own bathroom and the internet...
ANNND look how close the tube is to me!!! You can see it out of the window.
Those are pictures of Jude Law on the wall...on the right because i didnt bring any decor over, i bought a calendar of Jude Law and pulled out my favorites and put them up all artsy like. If you are special, i put you up on my wall in that little star of pictures---- lets see.... i got me, matt, michelle, adair, molly, cervs, julie, chase, ted, jt, katherine, sara, libby, katie, dom, pape, and josh lorenz... okay, i guess those are just my favorite pictures, maybe not my favorite people. :) But feel special if you are up there.


And i'm right next to Northwick Park which is just beaitiful... and right next to Wembley Stadium- the kick ass alien looking stadium that they are building for the 2012 olympics in london. Wooot!

Staying with a Hostfamily???

Okay, First of all i will admit, i was scared as hell to stay with a host family for a weekend. I was appeased by the fact that I would be with another student, which they told us we would be, and then i found out that i WAS ALONE! With a strange family!! Somewhere in England! Ahhh! Thats what went through my head... exactly.


They were The Tonks. Funky name. Cute house. I'm in Mamble, England. The father is a police man, the mother is a dog groomer (and has her business in the next door office), and they have two kids, Olivia (6) and Joseph (4) who are about the cutest things I've ever seen. I honestly want to bottle them up and drink them and gain their accent. The little girl Olivia has an entire pink room. Her walls are pink.... her bed is pink...... she has pink ponies....... and pink barbies.. pink everything. The little boy Joseph LOVES dinosaurs. I thought i knew a lot about dinosaurs from my awesome "DINOSAUR EVOLUTION" class, but no, i was mistaken. A four year old knows more than me. He has a GREEN room like grass, and watched jurassic park 3, seven times while i was there. The mom Caren said she's memorized the words of the movie.

We went to Ludlow for the first day. There is a castle there. How coolness. British Olly from Butler says he lives around there. Found that interesting. The town is so quaint!









I could almost picture the medievel times when the townspeople would have jesters and dump their garbage into the streets from the upper windows and wear cool old clothes... yeah. Well, this is kind of what the neighborhood looks like:

Pretty cool, huh?
















Here is the castle. Unfortuntely, it wasn't open in January- fricken A man. Would have been a neat thing to see though. I could have imagined more things.... like a feast with a giant pig being rotisserized and everyone drinking wine out of golden goblets and laughing about their jolly lives and watching court jesters!




Lastly, here is a beautiful cathedral that Caren took us to on the last day- everything is gold. I just wanted to take some of the gold and put it on my teeth and be Mr. T. But here is the alter. (oh and we also went to Worster Cathedral which is on the 20 pound bill! Whoooo! They had a crypt... creepy stuff. King Arthur is buried there too! Sneaky!)









This is boris the english cat.











Olivia rolled around my bag for like 20 minutes. I tell you, kids are amused by anything.










The Tonks

Numero UNO!

Hi!! Okay okay, so I kind of hate blogs, i think they are a little juvinile. Most people just write about their lives, how depressed they are at the time and their lastest with their significant other. Isnt that personal? Have we lost our privacy?? No, but I finally came to my senses, and just realized that I NEED TO MAKE ONE because, and this is why:

1) i'm in london and no one knows whats going on in my life besides me and my london friends...
2) i like to document and scrapbook things and this is kind of like that
3) it could be fun?
4) I LOVE EUROPE! and i want to scream it out to the world!

So. Okay, hi.

My name is jessie. This is me:


Okay, actually its a montage of pictures that my dad put together while i was leaving the cincinnati airport.





It was a long journey, that flight. Virgin Airways though, let me tell you, is great. I got to watch the inflight entertainment. There were 50 movies to pick from and 30 tv shows and then music and docucmentarys, ect. I watched Flight Plan and THE OFFICE, my FAVORITE SHOW, and a british show called "Little Britian" which I found to be quite marvelous. I tried to make myself fall asleep to some "relaxing meditation music" they had availiable. Didn't work. I think I got about an hour of sleep for the 13 hour flight. When I woke up from my 45 minute nap, i looked outside the plane window and saw this:

How beautiful!!! We were above the clouds. The sun was shining. Everything was happy. Ben Melchoirs and I ate a marvoulous breakfast that somehow came 2 1/2 hours after dinner came.














When we arrived, we looked like death. My eyes were puffy and my hair greasy (see picture) And after the chaos of finding our bags, the "coaches" (buses for you americans) came to pick us up off of our little feet, and take us to the one, the only- St. Giles Hotel.






St. Giles was rockin. It was right in Central London, next to Oxford Street and from there you could go basically anywhere. The rooms in St. Giles... haha, the rooms were tiny! Its this tiny room with two single beds connected to a tiny room with a table and two chairs, and then a funky bathroom. Its all crazy, but its kind of what I expected of london. There was this girl staying with me named Kristine. My hotel-mate. She goes to college at Colby-Sawyer and is friends with my cousin Greg! Small world huh??












Anyway, that night, was our first night at the pubs!! Even though we were exhausted, we decided to go out. Why not, you know?? I'm in london. We basically made a fool out of ourselves because we had no idea how to order a drink or how to ask for a drink or anything. It was pretty embarrassing. When I embarrassingly tried to order a drink, the bartender flat out said "you're new here"? Yeh yeah yeah. This was the first pub we attended: The Mortimer Arms. Kind of lame, lots of older people watching football. Not soccer. But it is soccer. But not football. Confused?

One thing that I would have wished that I had learned earlier, was that you think that if you wear another color, like red or pink or green, its not that bad... but then you actually go out on the town by yourself, and you see what all the locals are wearing. Black, brown, navy, blue.... dark colors. Well, one morning, my first morning there, when all the brits were going to work, i decided to put on my bright pink long sleeve shirt with my pink and gray puffy vest over top of it. Hmm. Lets just say that I stuck out... My friends, don't wear pink here.