Smoking

Smoking laws here in the UK are similar to those in Minnesota and the majority of America.  Which is that it is now not legal to smoke inside pubs, bars, restaurants, etc.  On the whole, more people do smoke over here, and this tends to be cigarettes.  Chewing tobacco is something I haven't even seen whilst being here.  Now, on English tobacco products, they are blatantly covered with messages such as "smoking kills" or pictures of diseased lungs.  Mostly this is meant as a deterrent. Not only that, but they are much more expensive over here, with a pack of 20 costing around £6 or about $10.  Because of this, I have noticed that almost all student roll their own cigarettes.  They have their pack of tobacco, rolling papers, and then filters.  Watching them, it is almost like an art.  People I have talked to have said it is borderline therapeutic.  Just an interesting observance.

I'm still alive

Yes, yes.  I know.  Things have been a bit slow recently on the blog.  That is simply because things off the blog here in real life have been hectic!
There has been a lot going on on campus lately, mostly due to coursework and drama rehearsals.  In fact, this Wednesday the 2nd of March marks the opening date for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.  The play which I am involved with.  It is going to be a fun show, and is done in promenade, meaning the audience is technically free to move anywhere they please.
On top of that, I have had a large amount of playwriting, directing, and rehearsing to do for other people. I am in no way complaining, I am merely saying that I have to budget my time more wisely, and this usually ends up with very little time to dedicate to the blog.

In the mail today, I received a package from home containing Valentine's Day.  You see, at the Spaulding family household, we have a Valentine's Day tradition.  On Valentine's morning, or the day closest to the 14th, my mom gets up in the morning and makes breakfast.  Only, it is Valentine's Day themed!  For instance, we have pink milk, pink eggs, red strawberries, etc.  All the food is a Valentine's Day color.  Then, the dining table has a themed drape and is set with candy hearts and kisses, etc.  We also each get a little gift.  In the mail today, I got a packet of sweets, heart napkins and plate, and a plush stuffed heart bear.  Just a way to keep home away from home.

What else have I been up to?

For one,  I decided to take a picture of the "Trolley Graveyard" that I had mentioned in a previous post.  This is essentially where everyone on campus dumps the shopping carts once they've unloaded their groceries.  The photo I took is pretty well stocked, but not the biggest pile I've ever seen here.

The 56

Also, for my dad and any other gear heads out there, I spotted this beauty in downtown Egham.  I wish the owner was around so I could have had a chat, as this Desoto is licensed in the US and has plate and stickers to back that up.  It was a beautiful vehicle, and made me miss my father's project car, which is a 1956 Chevy Bel-Air Wagon.

All for now, more to follow.

Corn Dogs

So in my new flat, we had gotten to talking about our respective cultures one fine evening.  While have this conversation, it came to light that corn dogs are absent from the British arsenal of culinary dishes.  It is hard to explain the context of corn dogs to one who is not familiar.  Mostly, you can buy corn dogs at sporting events and at fairs and carnivals.  The most challenging of all is to explain what a State Fair is to someone who has no previous knowledge. 

brianorndorf.com

I usually asking the person who I am explaining the fair to imagine a self-contained town of sorts.  This town is 320 acres, over one square kilometer.  The Minnesota State Fair is a time when residents of the state and region come to the fair to be entertained, exhibit their best livestock, show off their abilities in a variety of fields including art and cooking, learn about new products and services, and enjoy many different types of food—often on a stick. It typically runs for twelve days, running from late August into early September with the last day being Labor Day.  The average attendance is just under 1.8 million, and Minnesota has the biggest state fair in terms of daily attendance.
The fair has many permanent buildings on site, and even a few permanent midway rides--such as the Giant Slide, Space Needle, and Gondola.

Lydia, Andy, Me, and Luke

So you have this city, and it is only used in its entirety for 2 weeks out of the year.  To be fair, it is rented out to smaller events such as auto shows and appliance clear outs, but it is never as full as it is in those two weeks.
While at the State Fair, you can be guaranteed to get just about every cuisine imaginable, from fancy Italian to savvy Somalian. But when it comes to foods on a stick or foods that are deep-fried, nothing does it better.  You can get deep-fried candy bars, deep-fried corn, deep-fried Oreos, even deep-fried ice cream!
Then of course there is this corn dog which I had mentioned earlier.  Because no-one had been able to indulge themselves with this creation, I decided I would cook my own corn dogs for them.  I looked online for a recipe, and after picking up a few supplies, I was ready to give it a shot. 

I used chopsticks in the corn dogs, and fried them up to look as similar to the corn dogs from home.  Once I had made 4, I presented them to my flatmates.  It goes without saying that they fell in love with them, and since we had some batter left, we decided to fry some other foods.  Among the creations were tangerines, celery, chocolate, french fries, and bananas.  The fruit and chocolate one turned out very nicely, while the celery wasn't too popular. 
Next on the agenda is to try to make some proper Midwestern Cheese Curds!

Translation Dictionary

Just for grins and giggles, I've decided to compile some of the different words I've learned into a list, along with their translations.  I'll probably add to this list as I think of/learn new words.

AMERICAN                        BRITISH

ENGLISH                            ENGLISH

Advertisement or ad                    Advert

Zucchini                                      Courgettes

Zip Code                                     Postal Code

Zee (as in XYZ)                          Zed

Eggplant                                     Aubergine

Elevator                                      Lift

Faucet                                        Tap

Diaper                                         Nappy

Dessert                                       Pudding

Cross Walk                                 Zebra Crossing

Braid                                           Plait

Apartment                                   Flat

Bangs (hair)                                Fringe

Bandaid                                      Plaster

Trunk                                          Boot

Hood                                          Bonnet

Intermission                               Interval

Jello                                           Jelly

Jelly                                           Jam

Gas/Gasoline                             Petrol/Petroleum

Last name                                  Surname

Oatmeal                                     Porridge

Candy                                        Sweets

Popsicle                                     Ice Lollies

Cookie                                       Biscuit (essentially anything sweet that can be eaten/dunked in tea or coffee)

Game (sports)                           Match

Chips                                          Crisps

Fries                                           Chips

License Plate                             Number Plate

Sweater                                     Jumper
Pants                                         Trousers
Underwear                                 Pants
Mail                                            Post
Package                                     Parcel
Bumper Cars                              Dodge'ems
Pound sign (on a telephone)      Hash sign
Cell phone                                  Mobile phone
Shopping Cart                            Shopping Trolley

More to follow!

Boy I sure am dropping the ball on keeping this thing updated.

So what is new here in Egham?
First off, the weather is a bit warmer here than it would be back home in Minnesota.  Lately the averages here have been in the 30s and 40s (0 to 5 degrees C).  In Minnesota, the highs would be around 20 and the lows could be down to -20 (-5 to -30 degrees C).  As you can imagine, I have been finding this new weather very agreeable in comparison to the climate I'd be facing in the US.  Even though I do find myself missing the snow.
I moved flats this last weekend.  The housing bureau contacting me saying they had made a mistake in my placement. They said they had accidentally put me with mostly post grads, and wondered if I would like to switch into a flat with undergrads.  Of course I said yes, as it would be a good opportunity to meet new people, and I didn't mind moving.  So I found a trolley and packed up my belongings and moved myself into a new flat.  The kids here are really fun and were quick to integrate me, and I've had a blast getting to know them.  I am now almost completely unpacked, which is always a logistical nightmare.

On a different note, the Royal Holloway Student's Union hosted a "Pirates vs. Ninjas" night this Friday, and of course I had to get in on that action.  Some of the Alice in Wonderland crew decided it would be a good chance for a reunion, so we got dressed and met up before going dancing.  It was a night full of fun costumes. My flatmate borrowed some black clothes and an L-Bow Mitten Long Neck to go as a ninja, while I decided to don a pirate outfit.

Tidbits

Two safety things that Britain is obsessed with:
Speed Bumps
and
Fire Doors

bbc.co.uk

The speed bumps mostly just litter the campus landscape, or any place that is high in foot traffic.  They also occur on the High Street or Main Street.  They are larger than American counterparts, spanning about a meter in width.  On campus there must be at least 60.  They are kind of like like deer: where there is one, there is bound to be more within eyesight.

accoladecarpentry.co.uk

Fire doors are a curiosity I hadn't really encountered at all in America.  Essentially, these are just extra doorways in buildings that are meant to contain a fire to a single area should one break out.  If you haven't seen one before, I want you to think of any movie or television show you've seen that contains a hospital scene.  Got it in your head?  Good.  Now, you know when someone is in critical condition and they are being wheeled around on the crash cart?  And they always end up going through the swinging doors with a little window?  Well those are what most fire doors are like.  Except they are in your class buildings and even houses.  Sometimes you'll go through 4 pairs of doors in the span of about 5 or 6 strides.  The most unfortunate thing is that they take away much of the aesthetic appeal of the older buildings that have been retrofitted with them. Mostly they are just obnoxious. But that is just me.

Time well spent in Liverpool

If you didn't guess by the above, I spent the last 2 weeks in Liverpool.

Liverpool is on the Irish Sea, and lies about in the middle of the west coast of the island.  Nearby is Wales, and it took a little more than 2 hours to reach by train from London.

I left for Liverpool on the 31st in order to be there for the new year. I was going up to visit some of my close friends from the summer camp I worked at.  They had invited me up for a portion of my winter break, and I was dead excited to go and see their domain.

Once I arrived at the Liverpool Lime Street station, Jake and Day were there to greet me and show me around town a bit.  Day bought me a thing called a sausage roll, which are sausages rolled into a fluffy, flaky pastry.  It was delicious.  From there, we went to George's student flat to drop off my suitcase and get ready for the evening.  George is Day's girlfriend, and her flat was similar in layout to my own. Once everyone was ready, we went out for a bite to eat before heading to Johnny's student flat, which was even nearer to the city center. Adam, who was also from camp, met us there. There was a lovely little buffet, and soon more and more people arrived to celebrate the New Year.  The really boss thing about Johnny's flat is that he had a little roof courtyard, where one could go out for fresh air and such.  Before long, a miniature dance party had formed outside, and everyone was having a wonderful time.

New Years

Alberts Docks

Midnight came and went, and one could hear fireworks all throughout the city.  The New Year festivities carried on, and the smiles stayed on the faces.

Soon it was time to head back to George's flat, where a number of us would be spending the night.  We made it there just fine, and stayed up for a while talking and hanging out before people started to filter off and go to sleep.

In the morning, Day and George made delicious eggs and things called "bacon butties,"  which are toasted and buttered bread with bacon and sauce.


Later that night, I was invited by Adam's family out to a New Years dinner.  This was very fun for me, because I got to get a glimpse into his family tradition.  We went to a local restaurant and had a multi-course meal, with many thing I hadn't tried before.  It was very fun talking with the various members of his family as we ate.  Just thinking about the food I had in Liverpool is making my mouth water...

The Liver Building

I spent the next few nights at Day's house.  Meeting his family was lovely as well, and I always find it entertaining to talk with new people from a different background than myself.  And everyone was so nice and hospitable!

That night, we walked from Day's to Adam's, since they live only about a 5 minute walk from one another. It has then that I was introduced to "The Snookie."

The Snookie is a special room that Adam has built over the years in a back part of the garage.  It is a small room, but the size is deceiving.  Inside, there is a red couch and 3 chairs, accompanied by a complete home entertainment system, complete with surround sound and a high-quality projector.  There is even space heaters so that the people inside don't get terribly cold in the winter.  

Mersey River

The next day, we went to see some of the "must sees" in Liverpool.  Day, Adam, George, John Paul, Jay, Gemma, and James all came with.  First we saw the infamous Liver Building, upon which sit the two Liver Birds.  It is said that one bird faces the sea to watch over the sailors while the other looks over the city to ensure that the pubs are open.  The Birds are tied down because it is said that if the Liver birds ever flew away it would take the soul of the city with them.

Adam in front of the Cavern

Next we saw the Mersey River and and a special exhibit nearby about the Beatles.  Of course, the Beatles did call Liverpool their home--a fact not forgotten by Liverpool as I saw throughout my time in the city. We also visited a few shops by the Albert docks, and then proceeded to walk to the infamous Cavern, where the Beatles had many of their first shows.  Along the same street now are other pubs, clubs, and bars that pay the Beatles a tribute. We walked all around the town into the evening stopping at pubs here and there for drinks and dinner.  (They call the third meal of the day
"tea," and the second meal "dinner.")

After we got back to Day and Adam's borough, known as Maghull, we went to the local pub to meet some more people.  This place is called "The Meadows." We stayed here for the rest of the night before heading to George's to spend the night.

The following morning, Day, George, Jay, Jake, and I headed out to Formby.  Day said this would be a great opportunity to see the beach and the sea.  So we hopped on a train and then walked our way to the beach.  Along the way to the sea, there was a vast area of sand dunes that were now covered with vegetation.  It had a striking similarity to the Southwest United States. Once the beach was in sight, I scrambled up the nearest dune to gain a good vantage point. From there I could see all the way to Wales, and because the tide was out, there were many little streams trying to make their way to sea level.  On the right was a massive wind turbine farm, which I knew my father would like, as he loves those things and actually considered putting one up in our back yard.  When I looked to the right, I could see an oil drilling platform, which I had never seen in real life.  It was a breathtaking view, and just as the sun was setting.

Day, George, Jake, and

Once I came down the dune and rejoined the others, we decided to head out onto the flats.  As we walked, we came upon a large number of jellyfish, which I had never seen in the wild before.  Of course, they were beached and dead, but it was still fun to see nonetheless.  We walked very far before people started getting cold, and so the decision was made to go and visit Day's grandmother, who lived close by.  Nan was such a nice lady, having made us tuna and salmon sandwiches in anticipation of our arrival, she even gave us some biscuits/cookies for dessert!

The next portion of time I spent at Adam Helsby's home.  His family was lovely as well.  They presented me with a very interesting book about wartime Britain in the Second World War, as I had been talking with them earlier about the differences between the American experience in the war and the British. Pat--Adam's mom--was lovely enough to make a traditional Liverpudlian dish called "scouse."  Scouse is like a stew,

The snookie

comprising of a lamb or beef cut, onions, carrots, and many potatoes. It then comes with beetroots as well.  I must say, this was one very tasty dish.  In fact, because it was such a regionally popular dish, people who come from Liverpool are commonly known as "Scousers," and the accent is described as "scouse."
During my time at Adam's, I tried many other wonderful dishes, including my first Full English Breakfast, which Adam cooked. To be honest, it was truly fit for a king. 

During the day, we visited many museums, such as the Maritime and Slavery Museum, as well as the World Museum.  Both places were fascinating, and I learned much at both.  For instance, at the Maritime and Slavery Museum, I learned that many roads in Liverpool were named after prominent slave merchants during the slave trade era.  Penny Lane--made famous by the Beatles song--is one such road.  At the World Museum, we saw some massive, live insects ranging from hundreds of crawling cockroaches to thousands of leaf-cutter ants.
By night, we usually would spend our time in the snookie, watching films or playing video games.  This always managed to be a great time, because there was always someone new to meet and hang out with.

One afternoon, John Paul, Adam, Day, and I headed out to an old quarry where they used to hang out when they were younger.  Adam said it would make for some good photos, so away we went.  Once there, way played around for a bit, and I did a little bit of rock scrambling here and there.  The odd thing I noticed while there was that we found two bird carcasses within 50 meters of one another.  I'm not sure if this had any relation to a local predator, or if it was sheer dumb luck, but it was somewhat eerie nonetheless.

Alma de Cuba in the day

Soon, I was sleeping at Day's again.  They had decided to take me out on the town to see the Liverpool night live on Saturday.  We started off at the Meadows, and then caught a bus into town.  From there, we went to a dive called DJango's Riff.  This was in a basement in downtown Liverpool, and specialized in cocktails.  From there, we traveled a ways until we found The Shipping Forecast, another local club/pub.  Because it was a Saturday, the drinking establishments were packed, as were the streets.  As we walked around, I started to gather that there are at least 40 places to go at night within a half mile radius from the city center. I also noticed that cover charges were virtually non-existent, and that food and drink in town was loads cheaper than down south.  At any rate, after The Shipping Forecast, we were going to head to a very popular pub called The Heebie Jeebies.  However, there was a massive line, so we went to a different one called Alma de Cuba.  This was an amazing place.  Absolutely stunning.  You see, it used to be a church, but had been converted into a club.  (Church attendance of many religions has been on the decline for some time in England)  The high vaulted ceilings and some of the pews were still around, as were some of the church candlesticks.

Once we had finished there, we walked to a bar called Lago, and from there we went to a club called Bumper.  It was so great because everywhere you walked, you were sure to see plenty of other people.  Like a city that doesn't sleep.  Once done there, we went to Johnny's flat again, before finally taking a cab home early in the morning. Needless to say, I slept very good that night, and didn't get up until late in the afternoon the following day.
Monday was Day's birthday, celebrating 23 years.  He had a little birthday cake and we sang him happy birthday, and then the posse came over and we went to town again.

While we were in town, I made a discovery I didn't think I would.  You see, while working at summer camp, I used to jest with the scousers and ask if in Liverpool they played the Beatles all through the town.  It was only once I actually came to Liverpool that I realized that they actually do.  Well, maybe not through the whole city, but in the central part I always seemed to hear "Love Me Do" or "Hey Jude."

Just saying...