Hurricanes and Assignments

I am back from San Diego and life is starting to get back to normality now. Well as normal as it can be when you live in a strange land where people wear florescent pink shorts and white socks and sandals with no hint of irony.  The "largest storm recorded in the Atlantic" is also "battering the East coast", hurricane Sandy. Well, so I am told anyway. When I was in San Diego the departure boards were flashing with delays and cancellations and the news was warning of dangers in North Carolina. Now I am here however, I am sure they are making it up! The only extreme weather here is the extreme cold but, as much as I loathe to admit it, I think that may be to do with November fast approaching rather than anything named Sandy. No worries then lovely concerned family, I, well at least I don't think, am not about to be blown away anytime soon. Although I am rather grateful that I went to New York when I did...!
Lectures are back to normal and i'm back on work mode. I'm getting rather sad that my never ending summer seems to be slipping away. Oh well, I guess technically...technically I am on a university exchange so probably should make the most of that aspect. I am working hard though, I promise. In fact I manage to achieve my first ever A* on a paper I wrote the other week! Yay! now, on that note. I better get back to working on my next assignment... or maybe go and watch Bridget Jones.

San Diego Sunset: Video

                                   

Our last glimpse of the miraculous San Diego Sun.

San Diego, California!

Hello California!
Finally I can say I’m living life in Pacific Time… even if it is just for a few days.
San Diego is already one of the most incredible places I have ever been. I’ve been walking around with wide eyes and the world’s biggest smile, muttering “wow, wow, WOW” at every corner. I just can’t believe I’m here!  We’re staying at the Diamond Head Inn which is literally on the beach. All we have to do is step out of the front door, rotate slightly to the left and hello Pacific Ocean! The streets are lined with palm trees and retro cars which you just know have rattled up and down the West Coast a few times. Now, sorry in advance to those reading this in not-so-sunny England but the weather…. Well, yeah it’s pretty nice. High 70s-80f every day. (Appreciating this more after hearing about Hurricane Sandy heading up to North Carolina…)

With our sunshades on me and Clayton boarded the bus (Yay, public transport!). We weren't too sure in what direction the bus would go but with only our legs as a means of transport and still reeling from the $40 taxi fare from the airport, we were willing to give it a go. Within too long we were pulling the stop cord and getting out in the Old Town, the “Historic heart of San Diego”.  It seemed, however, that in the short journey we had managed to leave America and enter Mexico. The Old Town was stunningly beautiful Spanish style homes and mountainous hills on the horizon and the streets lined with Mexican restaurants and shops selling sombreros. We wandered around “wow, wow, WOWing” for most of the day stopping to take in our surroundings and then, obviously, for lunch.  In a little court yard with the sun pouring in and the combination of bird song and a live Mexican band we sat down for some Enchiladas.

On the Saturday we rented a couple of bikes and hit the coast on path to Mexico. The bikes were absolutely gorgeous but the romantic notion wavered a bit as we realised the things didn't have breaks so we had to basically yell at the unsuspecting surfers we were about to run over. It was amazing though and we spent the day gliding between the palm trees and the ocean. The beach though, as always, is the way to go. So the rest of our time was spent hopping between Mission Beach and our own, amazing, Pacific Beach. There are a row of benches next to the beach where homeless men slept but these guys are like no other. They seem blissfully content with life, dark as can be from sun and smiling at everyone and everything. It seems more that they selected just to never leave the beach than anything else.  As the sun sets the California dream emerges. The best sun set I have ever seen as not only is the sky a bright orange but the sea is almost metallic in colour. With the palm trees silhouetted against the night sky San Diego was magical, beautiful, amazing. See you when I’m 21 San Diego. I’ll be back with my Cadillac. 

Some photos from San Diego

Clayton is here!!

Clayton is here, the sun is shining and life is good. My lovely boyfriend survived the 9 and a half  hour flight to Wilmington. We've now spent the last few days (he arrived on October 18th) mainly on the beach. Yes, yes lovely British people. I don't mean to brag or anything... but it warm enough to be on the beach in October (27 degrees!). The evenings have also been spent having meals out: Steak, Thai and Italian so far and then watching BBC American on our wide screen TV in the hotel room. Oh, and while I remember, Clayton got offered two jobs in America just on the flight over. For those who know him i'm sure you won't be surprised!

On Sunday he won himself some serious boyfriend points as I dragged him to a UN luncheon where he spent the afternoon being chatted up by old ladies. It's okay though, he got a free lunch so I wouldn't feel too bad. It's been a lovely few days and Wilmington has been on it's best behaviour. Sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine.

Next stop...
CALIFORNIA!

A brush with the American Health Care System

Today I experienced the American health care system first hand and was diagnosed with the  worlds most expensive ear infection. I was poked and prodded, weighed, had my temperature measured, heart beat and blood pressure monitored and God knows what else. Me in my confused state repeatedly reminding the doctor that "you know it's just an ear ache right?".  An hour or so later I was laden with pills, information pamphlets and a bill for $37. Sigh, At least this means that the earache might finally go away.

New York City. Hello, Goodbye.

 My last day on my magical mystery tour of New York arrived way too quickly. As we rose from our beds that, admittedly, I will not miss, we made our way to our much loved Cafe Europa for some coffee and the best Pan au Choclat I have ever eaten. Today being a Monday meant that    all the workers with their ABC badges were there which made for some good people watching. It also made me feel wretched to leave New York "I want to live in New York and work for the ABC and get coffee and cake every morning!".
Once we were fed and coffeed we boarded the Subway into lower  Manhattan to see Lady Liberty. Being the savvy students that we are we decided not to get the ferry over to Ellis Island which would have set us back a fair chunk of money but instead we caught the free ferry to Staten island. We bustled on board, everyone with the same intention to be on the right side of the deck in order to get the best view. Luckily our position was prime and roughing the cold wind was completely worth it for such a fantastic view of the iconic monument.
Later we walked half the length of the city lingering in Wall Street where they had a massive market with an eclectic mix of things from deep-friend Oreos to hand carved giraffes. As the day went on we really started to feel the effects of three days walking and as we approached the next destination, the Natural History Museum, with only a few more blocks to go we hailed a cab. When we got there we were so tired that we collapsed on the floor underneath a blue whale for an hour. Definitely worth the entrance fee! Then, sadly it was time to go home. I won't dwell on the fact that it took nearly eighteen hours to get home because the coach broke down but will simply say that New York was amazing and that I will definitely be back.

New York City: Day 2

 Despite New York being named "The City that Never Sleeps" I woke up in our little hostel near central park feeling refreshed and buzzing with excitement! The incredible night sleep was pretty impressive really considering many of the window had been replaced in part by a sheet of cardboard that flapped in the wind, there were marks on the floor where generations of Cockroaches had  shriveled up and died and the motion censored light was activated every time I turned over. The day began with a bus tour that had been organised as part our trip so we all squashed on and waited... and waited. It turns out that paying a tour guide up front isn't the best plan as they might just not turn up. I didn't mind though, I was secretly frustrated at the thought of being cooped up in a coach again after the 12-hour extravaganza the previous day. Besides, who wants to see New York through a window when you can be out there seeing it all for real.

Instead the driver dropped us of in SoHo a trendy neighborhood famous for it's artists and shops. Admittedly we didn't see any artists and the shops were mostly aimed to trap tourists with poorly spoken sales men who each insisted on offering the best price in town. It was great to wander through these quirky little places and even better when we ended up in China Town and found ourselves having some lunch. We then got the Subway back up to Times Square to re-immerse ourselves in the insanity of it all. I don't think you could ever be bored of Times Square. Well, definitely not when the naked cow boy is about. We stood and watched long enough to hear three or four renditions of his song "I'm a naked cowboy, yeahh, woo!" before passing away the following few hours in shops. It's incredible how items that you would never every buy at home quickly become a must have item just by having "I Love New York" imprinted on the side. Tearing ourselves away and back out into the bright light wonderland we noticed a crowed gather outside.  Intrigued we went over to take a closer look, all secretly hoping to come face-to-face with Johnny Depp or some other A list super-star. Instead we found Ricky Martin... well I guess it was a little bit exciting. You'd have to be mad not to have a slight soft spot for a bit of Livin' la Vida Loca.
A New York hot dog or two later (they're really small!) we once again boarded the Subway, this time to an improve comedy club where we laughed away the rest of our day.

New York City: Day 1

“Happiness consists in realizing it is all a great strange dream” 
― Jack Kerouac
This for me was the only way to take in everything New York had to offer. The bright flashing lights, the passing police cars whizzing past with their sirens a blaze. So many new sights and sounds, smells and tastes. So much to see, so much to do and 3 days to do it in. It began after a 12 hour, over night coach trip up the East Coast which I,  mercifully, spent in a deep sleep, my head squished up against the window only to wake up to a buzz of excitement and the beautiful, hazy sunrise illuminating the New York skyline.
Shortly after arriving at the hostel and a quick coffee and croissant later we were out in the morning sun and ready to explore!  The hostel was only a street away from the Dakota building where John Lennon was shot so the first port of call for a manic Beatles fan was neighboring Central Park and the imagine memorial. In Central Park the sun was shining through the trees onto the New Yorkers going about their daily routine, walking their dogs and going for their morning jog. Weird, I know.
As the sun rose higher in the sky so did we has we got into the lift of the 1,454ft Empire State Building and headed to the top. Prone to minor, miniature, ever so slight panic attacks when faced with dramatic drops I was a little apprehensive but fortunately the heavy duty security railings calmed my nerves and I was able to peer over the edge and look down at the dramatic skyscrapers that had previously loomed over me. The feeling of being able to look down on such an enormous city as if it were a town made of Lego was magical.
Hours flashed by as fast as the adverts in Times Square and before we knew it our stomachs were signalling that it was time to find somewhere to eat. The restaurant of choice was called the 'Stardust Dinner' on Broadway where we spent the rest of the evening being serenaded by NYU graduates hoping to break it into the big time whilst we chomped away on our burgers. At one point I peered over the balcony we were seated at the sneak a peek at where the singer was before, all too late, realising that he was stood right in front of me giving me my very own rendition of Greece Lightnin' while I smiled awkwardly in a way that I hoped conveyed "I really appreciate your singing to me but please God go and sing to someone else". Thankfully his attention soon switched to someone else and I was able to enjoy from afar!
Laughing and chatting we emerged from the restaurant into the bright lights of Time Square illuminating the city in such a way that you couldn't tell if it was night or day.  We looked at each other and ginned, staring up in awe at all that surrounded us. New York is magical!

That time of year again...

It's that time of year again and the exams are here! ahhhh!
I'm in revision card galore. Everything has a colour coded pattern and I think my brain is going to explode.
 Oh well, i've tried my hardest but no matter what by this time tomorrow (5pm) the nasty, horrible, evil exams will be over and i'll be free! Not only free but heading to New York.
So I better go and work hard for a few more hours, get some sleep and then stick it out. Wish me luck, hopefully i'll be okay. Next update will be from the big apple. See you then!

Charleston Part 2: 29th September

Our second day in Charleston, SC began with a lovely fresh coffee but a hilarious breakfast that made it hard to repress the inner-English snob. Most of the hotel residence had come down to eat their eggs and grits (a weird porridge like concoction that tastes like gone off couscous and milk) in their pajamas and one girl had a tractor tattooed on her leg. I’m all for originality and all but, a little bit weird? After breakfast we stepped out into the sunshine and walked into town, eager to explore it in the day light. When we got there we heard the distant beating of drums which we excitedly followed to a farmers market which had the feel of a festival to it with all the stores, music and dancing. The market was the biggest I've ever seen and stretched on until you reached the water front.

When we tired of all the shopping and began to feel a bit weary in the sun we sought out solace in the form of Bubba-Gump the shrimp restaurant. Now, most of you reading this will raise your eye-brows at this knowing that I have a complete aversion to sea food. It’s kind of ironic considering how much I love the sea and all the wild-life it contains. I just don’t want to eat any of it. Not for animal cruelty reasons, I love a good steak; it’s just fish is a bit slimy. The restaurant was amazing though, situated in an open air veranda, sheltered by vines which had lots of fans within it to keep us cool. The Forest Gump name made me too happy for the menu to matter but I did feel a bit guilty ordering the only chicken option available as I received raised eyebrows from the waiter. I also had the best pudding I have ever eaten-ever. Snicker’s Pie. Yum.

After a good couple of hours relaxing over lunch it was time for a last wander around before heading back to the car. We walked along the water front and noticed the most individual water fountain I had ever seen; a massive pineapple. Amused by this we joined the several children splashing around within in it and dipped our feet in to cool off. On the way back to the car we walked down Rainbow Street which is a row of multi-coloured Georgian houses. Housing this old is really rare here as most of it was destroyed in the civil war and as a result this lovely looking street looked like it would have been for fitting in Bristol than America. Soon we were back at the car and it was time to head back to Wilmington.

On the way home I was listening to my i-pod and absent mindedly staring out the window when the light began to change. Suddenly there was a huge rumble of thunder and above there was an ominous dark cloud hanging in the sky that spiraled off at the bottom like a twister. Within seconds rain was beating down on the car and big lightning bolts flashed through the sky as thunder rolled through the air. It rained so heavily and so suddenly that the roads quickly became water logged and as we drove through the water splashed up making it hard to see out of the windows as it sprayed up and over the car. Then as soon as it began it was over. Hilariously we then drove past several billboards bearing the words “Jesus is coming!”. Good job I’m not religious or that might have been quite worrying! It’s okay though, soon we were passing through the night time mini-las Vegas that is Myrtle Beach and arriving back home in Wilmington.

Charleston Part 1: 28th September

Time to hit the open road and drive three hours south, crossing the state boarder of North Carolina into the magical town of Charleston, South Carolina. About an hour and a half in we took the costal path through Myrtle Beach, a famous seaside town to see what it was like. It was uh, interesting to say the least, reminding me of a cross between Bolton and a budget package deal to the parts of Spain that consists of more English teenagers than it does Spanish. As we drove through on each side were ludicrously oversized attractions with life-size dinosaurs looming down over the high-way along with oversize restaurants in the shape of a shark, all seeming so ridiculously out of place in the early morning sunshine on the beautiful Eastern Coast. Happy to be passing though we drove on another couple of hours south, passing over a spectacular bridge and entering Charleston.

After checking into the hotel and into our room, which had a fridge, microwave and two king sized beds which each would have fit Henry V111 and all of his wives, we headed into town. Walking in we were struck by the magnitude of the houses. They were quite a way away from the one story southern homes in Wilmington with their porches and rocking chairs. Here they were spectacular! In some places it felt like being in the richest parts of London with beautiful red brick buildings towering high with great grandeur. The difference here being that instead of lampposts there are palm trees and instead of the sound of cars whizzing past there was the sound of crickets humming in the mid-day sun. We took in the sights like this for the rest of the afternoon and as the evening approached and the sun began to set we wandered along a promenade with the sea on one side. Private boats passed by with well-dressed people chinking their glasses of champagne on the decks. On the other side of the promenade were beautiful mansions where you could envisage beautiful people of “high-cotton” (upper-class) in the 1920s milling around or dancing the town’s name-sake. The Charleston.

Deciding to give the champagne a miss tonight (hah!) we headed into something more our style. A fantastic diner with an exciting atmosphere which made me wish I could upgrade my diet coke to a beer to go with my fries and the American Football on the wide-screen TV overhead. There were a group of marines in full attire leaning confidently on the bar whilst groups of girls giggled and gawped over them, clearly making the most of their time on leave. The people watching, my favourite hobby, was about as good is gets so I watched on happily, making it matter little that I had no idea what was going on in the football overhead. After food we headed back to the hotel making the most of the feeling of being able to walk around streets and not having to get an expensive taxi the rest of the way home. 

Cockroaches & Reese's Pieces

Hey there loving family, friends and people who have accidently stumbled upon my blog. It’s the 27^th Sept, Friday evening in the deep south of America and I’m in my “Mom’s” little southern home listening to the dogs howling outside and enjoy some American TV for the first time since I got here. These two weeks are busy, relaxing, exciting, calming, relatively stressful and exhilarating all at the same time. I’m absolutely loving having Mum and Tim here and I’m reviling in it before I’m dragged back to University and back to my lectures where I spend many classes longing to be back in the days where my biggest concern would  be who’d be able to produce the most life like penguin through the medium of finger painting. Exams are approaching, next Thursday the 4^th October to be precise but I’ve been revising regularly and paying attention in class so hopefully I’ll do ok. Wish me luck! The exams are sandwiched between two seriously exciting events. Tomorrow I’m heading off on a road trip with my parents to Charleston, South Carolina for two days. The home town of the fantastic 1920s and less than a week later I’ll be setting off on a 12 hour road trip to New York. Updates here: well, Mum has become addicted to diet coke and Reeces Pieces and this morning there was the world’s biggest and scariest cockroach in the bathroom. I just knew it was plotting to kill me so I sought revenge by getting Tim to trap it in a cup. That was as brave as he got. It’s still in the cup.  All is good though in Laura Land, despite the roaches. Catch y’all later!