February = Snow

Its been nearly a month since my last post :/ Opppps  I've been busy the past two weeks getting into the swing of the new semester and doing lots of skydiving.  I also got to enjoy my first UK snow fall, a massive 2 INCHES. hahaha it was fun and very pretty.  It definitely cured some of the winter home sickness I'd been feeling.

In school news:  Monday this week I got back one of the two essays and got a merit on it, which is a great score so I'm pleased with that.  There was an issue in the mail room so I have to wait a bit longer for my next mark to come back.  I've now had two meetings for my new modules and am loving both!  Visualizing the Body and Fascism, Spectacle and Display.  I'm also looking and researching the real possibility of me staying on for 3 mores years of school to do a Phd.  The shocking total of my student loans make it only possible to do the Phd if I get funding, so we'll see what happens.

In Skydiving news:  This past weekend I finally made it past those silly DRP's and did my first free fall.  It was a really amazing feeling, even though I did some flips and have to do another DRP and some more practice on my exit.  Skydiving over a beautiful snow covered country side was amazing.  Gary was kind enough to film my very graceful landing...

In other news: Life is going really well, I had a bit of drama with my loans and repayment dates but all that has been sorted.  I've been swimming lots and enjoying Nottingham (particularly the shopping in Nottingham).

Also my friend is doing a project to get an internship over the summer that I've been helping her with.  Check out the page for Orlando the Awkward Turtle.

Laters!!

20 twenty Days

You'd think that after 20 days I'd have something AMAZING to post... that is sadly not the case.  Since Monday last week I've done very little during my continued time off.  I finished reading the Hunger Games Series on my new Kindle, and started The Book Thief. Classes don't start till next week so I've been trying to fill my time with many varied fun things, like registering at my new doctors office.  This past weekend Gary and I went to Lincoln, which is a beautiful little city...

 

The weather hasn't been great so I'm stuck at 8 skydiving jumps, making verrrry slow progress toward my first free fall jump.  Soon classes will start again and I'll be busy reading and writing and volunteering.

(I've been signing up for so many different things!)

P.S. Feel free to send some MN snow my way :)

A Month of Craziness

This past month has been so much fun, and very very busy which is why I am just now posting... after a months absence.  Sorry about that!

A few days after my last post I had a very interesting meeting about a program I'm hoping to volunteer with called Hands-on-History.  A group at the university is organizing a box of artifacts, from the university archives, to take into schools to help enhance their history curriculum.  Very exciting, I've been really missing being around students.  Hopefully it all pans out with my other obligations and commitments.

After that my mom, grandma and step-dad came for a visit and we had a whirl-wind tour of Southern England.  I was very sad to see them go, our time together was felt so short 

(yet full of British driving excitement!).

Highlights:

Bath 

Cotswold's

The Woman in Black 

(our seats weren't amazing, but the play was!)

After I had a very nice stay with Gary at a cool country hotel called the Petwood.  

Him and I went skydiving on Christmas Eve before I left for Paris.  I learned a valuable equation that day: 

wind+student canopy = horrendous landing, and mud... lots and lots of mud

Gary surprised me with some VERY nice Christmas gifts, which was very unexpected since he was such a Scrooge about the holiday in general, then he dropped me off at the train station.  I made it to the airport just barely in time, thanks to some mysteriously long stops on the underground.  (Why are things so slow when you need them to be fast?!)  Then my friend Elise and I were off.

We arrived at our very cute little hostel, Opps, and dropped our stuff off before heading to Norte Dame for a Midnight Mass.  There were so many people there, including some very affectionate Eruo-trash, we had to wait ages to get in.  Eventually we did, and kindly asked our Euro-trash friends to leave... Then we could enjoy the very crowded but beautiful interior and incense.   

Christmas day we headed to the Eiffel Tower for some ice skating, and mulled wine at the near by Christmas market.  Super fun!

Next we ventured to the Montmartre area for a walk through a beautiful and old cemetery (where Degas is buried), and mourned the great disappointment Moulin Rouge and their lying booking system (which fooled me into thinking I had tickets to the show later that night).  Later we walked around the Champs-Élysées and got macaroons from the Laduree, they were AMAZING.

 

That night we had an underwhelming dinner at La Fregate (nice views, shit food) and I walked Elise back to a station to get her train.  I stayed on an extra day and toured Sacre Coeur, The Escape Dali Museum, Montmartre's artist square, and the Centre Pompidou on boxing day.  

 I learned some valuable lessons in Paris:

I know more Italian than French = unhelpful

The Parisian underground system is better than London's 

Paris has a LOT of stairs

French names when pronounced phonetically in English are HIGHLARIOUS

Christmas is a bit sad when you're not with family

Boxing day evening I flew in and got to stay with my friend Lucie and her family (who are amazing, funny and super nice) near London!  We had a very relaxing evening, played some games and went to bed excited for the Rugby game the next day.  Elise and I were so lucky to be invited to go with Lucie and her family to the national rugby stadium Twickenham.  We had amazing seats and had a great time cheering on the Harlequins Rugby team.

Note my superior cheering skills :)

The next few days were more relaxed and full of studying/hanging out with Gary.  For New Years Eve we went to a party at Langar (the skydiving dropzone) and had a great time bringing in the New Year with drinks (a few too many drinks for me...) and friends.  

This week has and will be full of studying and writing for me.  I'm SUPER excited to move into my new apartment in Nottingham this Saturday.  I will post pictures of my new pad once I'm in.  

Happy New Year Everyone!  Until next time!

  

Stamford, Peterborough, Sushi, and Bluemoon

This past weekend was super fun!  Gary and I went to see Stamford, which is a very beautiful old English town.  The architecture and cute antique shops were so much fun.  Parts of my favorite movie Pride and Prejudice were filmed there too!  We walked a bit on the grounds of the Burghley estate as well.

Gary also showed me around part of Peterborough.  There is a very large and beautiful church there.  The weather wasn't great for skydiving so we went into Nottingham and had some yummy sushi at Yo Sushi.  Then I found the GREATEST discovery yet in England.

Why they have Blue Moon (my FAVORITE beer) in England I don't know... But I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement to find it there AND on TAP. Amazing

This weekend my family comes!!  I can't wait to do all the things we've planned! So far we have plans to see:

Bath

 

Field of Lights by Bruce Munro

And the Bath Fashion Museum

Hereford

Nottingham

The University of Nottingham Campus         

And The oldest Bar in England

Grantham

London

 

The play Woman in Black 

Sarastro Restaurant

I'm off to research for my two big 5,000 word essays..... Cheers!

Wind tunnel, Course Work, and The Last Week of Seminars

This past weekend I went to Manchester with my skydiving friend Giselle to visit my cousin Katie and try out a wind tunnel for the first time.  We got into Manchester and had lunch at my favorite little cafe in Manchester Sugar Junction!  We did some vintage shopping where I found an AMAZING new coat, and an adorable little purse (photos to follow!).  Our gracious hosts made us some yummy pizza before we headed to the AirKix wind tunnel.  The tunnel was sooo much fun!!  It simulates the feeling of free fall, which Giselle and I haven't gotten to yet.

Everyone should try the tunnel!!  It wasn't scary and was great fun!

Yesterday I received my first marks for my first essay.  Me understand the grading system is a work in progress however... There are three marks Distinction, Merit, and Pass.  The percentages still don't make sense, but basically if you get above a pass you're on the right track.  I got a merit, so I'm pleased.  Next week I'll have a meeting with one of the lecturers to discuss my other paper and other course work.  Wish me luck!!

Today I finished my last bit of required reading for my first semester required readings.  I'm now going to be focusing all my academic energy at my last two big essays of the semester.  I'm writing about a film artist named Chris Welsby for my Art of the Moving Image class.  For my Approaches to Art History class I'll be focusing on Gendered Fashion in history.  I've already found some amazing resources and can't wait to get stuck into my writing... which I have over a month to finish.  I love the British masters system.

I'm counting down until my mom, stepdad, and grandma come to visit!  I can't wait to see them, and all the fabulous places we'll visit.

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Thanksgiving in England... and Paris

Happy thanksgiving all my American friends and family!  I've had a great day skyping with loved ones and being thankful that I am happy and healthy.  The big celebration this side of the pond will be a dual celebration this Saturday.  Thanksgiving and my cousin Lotty's birthday!  Fun cousins are coming down and up for the weekend and it should be a good time had by all. :)

The menu so far is a pretty traditional thanksgiving... turkey, stuffing, mashed and sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sage sauce, rolls, cranberry sauce, fruit jello, and last but not lease pumpkin pie.... I'm helping make it so it should be an adventure.

In other news I've done my 5th sky dive, including my first two with a smaller new parachute (which I love, and its pink) and my first one without a radio :)  My friend Giselle and I are currently trying to find a date that works for a groupon we have to use an indoor tunnel.  Gary, the fantastic skydiving guy I'm dating, has told me the tunnel will help us with the rest of our RAPS jumps!  Soon I'll be a qualified sky diving lady.

I've also finished my second small essay, a critical review on Andrew McClellan's Art and It's Public.  Currently I'm trying to pick topics for my big essays... so many options I'm feeling a bit stuck....

Maybe my Christmas trip to Paris with my friend Elise will help!!

So far on our itinerary includes:

Christmas Market

Ice skating under the Eiffel Tower

The light display on Champs-Elysees

Christmas Mass at Norte Dame 

And hopefully a delightful Christmas Dinner

My wonderful friend Lucie and her family are helping me celebrate Boxing Day on my return to London the 26 of December.  Can you believe its already December next weekend?!

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Jobs, Castles, Comedy,and Essays

The past week and a half has been very very busy.  On November 3rd I had an interview with the Think Tank: Flash Journal Project.  I had a great interview, and was super pleased when I got a call back later that same day! :)  The position is a very part time one, but its paid!  I'll be working with a committee of people from a variety of different universities in combination with the Nottingham Contemporary Museum.  I have my first meeting this coming wednesday, where I'll get more info and really get stuck in :)

Click for more details!

This past weekend I went to Nottingham Castle to tour around and see some super cheesy Robin Hood exhibitions.  The main gallery space is being redone, so I wasn't able to see it all.  BUT I did finally see a small section of Historical Fashion... so exciting!  The views of the city where pretty great as well, since the Castle sits on a massive hill.  Later that night I went to see my first british comedy show.  Although there is not a true language barrier, I have discovered that at times there is a giant accent barrier.  Unfortunately in addition to the comedians being just alright, I could barely understand 2 or the 3. :(  I'm sure eventually I'll get better a better ear for them... but right now its a struggle.

On less interesting and more academic news I've finished my first small essay.  I researched a film-maker named Malcolm Le Grice and his piece Berlin Horse...

The essay only took 2 hours to write, but involved many more hours of research.  It felt good to have a deadline, and something more concrete to be working on.  All the theory, and learning how to be critical art historians has been more mentally exhausting than I'd have thought.  I can't go into an exhibition now without critiquing the curators every choice.  No one ever talks about the side effects of a masters. :p