Frozen...

I can't believe the penultimate day of the Thanksgiving break is over already. We had a thoroughly lazy day after yesterday's early start. After doing a bit of work, we played pool throughout the afternoon and relaxed in front of the TV. We ate dinner and then moved downstairs in front of the fire for a while before going to pick up Eoin from the station, as he had been out to see family. 

To round off the day, we went over to the mall to see 'Frozen'. The film itself was brilliant in 3D as the theme really lends itself to the animation - listen to me sounding like a film critic. But, in all seriousness, it's been a long time since I've seen a good old Disney musical and for me, the score written for 'Frozen' didn't disappoint, and I would recommend it to you. 

Black Friday...

An earlier start in this holiday break, and we arrived at the mall by 9:00am. I was surprised to see that the car park was relatively empty, not that it would remain that way. By the time we were finishing up our shopping - I bought a new jumper - and we had had something to eat, the queues were growing drastically and the discounts began to fall. 


We arrived back at Sean's to put up the Christmas decorations and have the house looking festive. Working together, we didn't take too long and soon the hallway, stairs and lounge were looking perfectly picturesque. We could have been done faster, but Gracie preferred to relax under a blanket than help out. I also had chance add a little British to the scene with the decoration that mum and dad brought over from Stratford. 

We had a Polish style dinner and then made our way out to one of Sean's friend's so that he could catch up. We stayed a while and then returned to watch 'The Patriot', which was particularly apt as I have learned about the period this year.

 

Food Glorious Food!...

So, now that I've had chance to digest my thoughts and the high quantity of food from yesterday, I will report in on my first Thanksgiving. We lazed around in the morning having pancakes for breakfast and watching the Macy's Parade. With over 80 balloons in the parade we really did only see a tiny number of them Wednesday night, but I was still good to spot the ones we did see as they passed by Macy's.

By midday the parade was over and family members started arriving by early afternoon. We started with some stuffed mushrooms for appetizers and then I pulled my weight to help carry some food up from downstairs and onto the table. All of the food was excellent and once again, a huge thank you to the lovely people that put in all the effort, so that we could stuff our faces. The turkey itself was carved up by Sean's dad and it really does take a medical man to do such a clean and thorough job with it. 

After dinner, we relaxed in front of the Thanksgiving football game and played some pool. All in all, an excellent day that I liken to a mini-Christmas. Now, the aggressive shoppers of Black Friday will soon face me and I shall have to use all the huffing and annoyed tuts I can manage if I am to get through the experience alive. 

Happy Thanksgiving!...

First off, Happy Thanksgiving from Sean's sofa in my pyjamas with a mug of tea, watching the parade!

Yesterday was a relaxing start after the long drive on Tuesday. Sean went out and got us well-known bagels of some kind - I'm sure he will tell me what when he reads this and I will have to amend the post. 

In the afternoon we made our way to the city (New York), and after a brief stop at Sean's grandmother's house, we took the metro to meet up with Marcela. Not wanting to get to the Carmine's late, we headed straight there. Well, we took an express by mistake, so we had to head back downtown a short way. But, we made it in time and sat down for some excellent food. Again, I will defer to Sean to tell me exactly what we ate, but names aside the food was great. 

From the restaurant, we walked down to the Macy's parade balloons for a sneak preview of what I'm now watching on TV. It was really good to a snippet of the tradition that you always hear about, but never have a chance to see in Britain.  

North To New Jersey...

Apologies for the lack of posts over the past couple of days, but blogger wasn't playing along on account of a niggley little program that has now been uninstalled. So, Monday was fairly routine. I also packed up as many things as I could for my Thanksgiving trip to Sean's, and I printed the last two essays for the term. Sadly, as I couldn't blog I missed my opportunity to title the post the for month countdown to Christmas.  

Yesterday, I spent the morning sorting out some final things before going to class to hand in Miller's paper. Afterwards, had lunch and then caught up with the latest episode of Homeland before Sean picked me up. The journey to Morristown, New Jersey could have been better, but just over five hours later in continuous rain we arrived. A huge thank you to Sean for making the unpleasant drive, especially when the rest of us gave up being company and decided to nap. But, make it we did, and after dumping our bags we ordered some pizza and then relaxed with Goldeneye for the rest of the night. 

Mr Powell Goes To Washington...

The term is nearly over and Mr Powell has finally been to Washington. We took the 4:00pm shuttle from the CAC and started out towards DC. The journey took 90 minutes, so we arrived just as darkness fell on the city. The metro was decidedly easier than New York and we made good time heading towards the hostel that we had booked. All was going well...

After a bit of a walk, we arrived at the hostel and things took a turn for the worst. When we were inside, the girl at the desk told us that she had not got our booking on record and we could not stay in the same room together. With hindsight we should have asked to see the rooms before paying because it turned out to be extortionate for the bed that we received in a variety of rooms, alongside some shady looking strangers. It quickly became apparent that, unless we wanted to experience our own version of 'Taken', we needed to leave. So we did, taking some of what we had paid with us and thanks to Eoin's handy work with his 3G, we found a last minute deal on a room at Embassy Suites. 

Shannon contacted Gerred's uncle, Tony, who picked us up from the hostel where dreams, and very possibly people, go to die, and drove us across to the hotel. It's amazing the difference dropping that 's' can make. The suite we received was great for what we paid, with breakfast and a happy hour included. Uncle Tony then took us around all the monuments to get photos and show us what would have taken all day otherwise. He then lead us to Willard's where he bought us drinks in the bar after our eventful evening. All of us cannot thank him enough for taking the time out of his day and being so generous. 

On Saturday me and Sam headed out early to the Natural History Museum and then onto the Museum of American History before we met up with the others. Then we headed to the Spy Museum, which, although we had to pay to go inside, was really great. From there we walked over to the White House, where Shannon realised she didn't have her camera. Briskly returning to the Spy Museum, we picked it up from the front desk, after it had been left on the Enigma we had been decoding. All feeling relieved, we moved on down the street to a pannini place that was serving some much needed free hot chocolate with the food. 

Feeling that we had done enough walking for the day, we went back to the hotel suit to relax for a while with Christmas music. Deciding that we didn't want the hassle of trying to find somewhere to eat, we went down to a nearby grocery store for some food and drink that we took back to the hotel room and enjoyed with The Big Bang Theory. 

Sunday arrived and with it a harsh arctic wind that battered us all day as we hopped from building to building to keep warm. In the morning we went to the Eastern Market and then we caught the metro back down to the mall, where we took refuge in the tropical climate of the Botanical Gardens. From there we went into the Native American Smithsonian to have something to eat and then onto Space and Flight. It was then time to start back to the hotel to grab our bags and then travel to the end of the line, where the shuttle would take us back to campus. 

We made good time and arrived back on campus at 7:00pm. After dropping our things off at our rooms, we went over to KC for some ham (yes, just ham, and it was great) that Shannon had in the fridge from home. Once it was glazed and cooked, we squished up in the warmth and watched Skyfall - a great end to an eventful weekend.  

The Centenary Post...

This morning after breakfast I did some much needed laundry before this weekend away. During class Miller gave me the honour of wearing his victory (German) scarf in light of England's recent defeat at Wembley, and to show my diplomacy I donned it for the lesson. 

After lunch, I came back to Worcester to talk with parents for a short while to give them the info on the upcoming two weekends that have been jam packed with plans. I then packed for DC and caught up with Ripper Street. In need of a tea and a snack before dinner, I headed to the library where I printed off my shuttle reservation and met up with Lenka. From there we went to the pianos until dinner and then I headed over to KC, leaving the others to work on their essays. 

We spent some time at Shannon's and then went upstairs to Sean's to catch to second half of 'We're the Millers', then we watched 'The World's End', which was strange to say the least, but I hope it gave the others a general sense of what a British pub is like. 

I almost forgot to say that today marks 100 days of blogging and although that seems a lot, this year abroad feels like it's only just getting started. 

Booking The Weekend...

Back to the usual Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule today. I finished the last essay, but I know that I'll have to go back and amend the portion I wrote yesterday because I was lacking in ideas. I ended the day on a relaxing note, chilling with Lenka until dinner. After food, Shannon and I went to the last Relay committee meeting of the semester to get the details of what is going on next semester. When we were done, we went over to KC, where we booked our accommodation of DC this weekend. 

A Much Needed Massage...

This morning was spent starting to write the last paper of the semester before going to Miller's class followed as usual by lunch. After eating I moved into the library in search of a comfier chair and away from the torturous chopping board that is slowly destroying my back in Worcester. The afternoon was spent essay writing and printing off a first draft for Miller to look at, which he did at the end of the day. 

Following dinner and after dealing with the dining hall staff in an attempt to retrieve my backpack, which I eventually did with the help of Public Safety, we headed over to KC. Whilst the others went out to the Blue Bird for Team Tuesday, I stayed at KC with Sam and Ellie, and Sean when he came down. Staying away from Sam's torturous hands after seeing what she did to Sean, I took up the offer from Ellie to have a back massage and felt much better for it - thanks Ellie, after my destructive chair in Worcester my shoulder blades really needed it!

Nothing Surpasses No Classes...

A peculiar day of no classes today with Striner in Gettysburg giving a talk on Lincoln. So, I spent the morning planning the final paper of the semester before an earlier lunch with Lenka. This afternoon I moved to the library to begin reading a book on Lincoln for my discussion class at the end of the semester and then returned to Worcester to catch up with this week's episode of Homeland. 

After dinner I went over to KC with Shannon whilst the others, surprise, surprise, revised for a quiz tomorrow - it's all about choosing the right lecturers. We watched another episode of Lewis, as I continue to introduce Shannon to the wonders of British detective dramas, and we followed it up with a couple of episodes of Poirot. 

Eastern Neck...

This morning was a lazy as yesterday. After brunch I had an impromptu chat with Tom for a while and then headed out with the others to get away from campus and get some fresh air. The day was very warm after the past week and it was a great few hours to chill out and forget about deadlines. 

After some navigational issues, we found the right trail and walked a short way down to the water, where we discovered that the mass of oyster shells that litter the beach make for very good skimming stone substitutes.

We stopped at Rock Hall for some ice cream at the parlour and then we returned to KC to cook burgers for family dinner and watch some TV - thanks to Shannon and Danny for cooking tonight. 

A Lazy Hazy Saturday...

A blissfully lazy day yesterday. After a lie in - yes, no one else could believe it either, I headed to brunch to meet the usual group of post-Friday night friends - bleary-eyed, groaning at the sight of their food, and wanting to crawl back under their covers to hide from the blinding sunshine and shameful recollections of the previous night. Actually, everyone wasn't that bad, but you get idea of a worst case scenario Saturday brunch. 

After eating I went over to this weekend's swim meet against Franklin & Marshall. In the end the it was a half and half of our guys winning after a superb race to finish off, and their ladies taking first place. Not wanting to sit on my wooden chopping board of a chair in Worcester, I headed to the library to write for the rest of the afternoon until an earlier weekend dinner.  After food, having not witnessed the worst case scenario that morning, we went over to KC to repeat proceedings. 

Downing Pens For Drinks...

Yesterday was the end of a long working week for everyone it seemed, with papers, quizzes, exams and presentations all round. I'm not ashamed to say that I began playing some Christmas tunes to get into the festive mood now that the temperature is rapidly dropping and we are approaching the one month to go before Christmas. 

In any case we all got through the week and celebrated with going down to JR's after dinner for drinks and to chill out. I was even persuaded to tinkle the ivories for people as it was just our group in the new piano bar. From the bar we went back to KC to hang out for the rest of the night. 

Early Thanksgiving...

Yesterday was spent writing the penultimate paper of the term either side of Miller's class. In the afternoon I also did a stint on the Relay table before following Sam and Lenka up to the dining hall for an early Thanksgiving Dinner. 

Despite it being half four, the queues were already growing and the excitement was palpable. There was turkey, ham, beef, potatoes, yams, veg, bread rolls, corn bread, apple pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, red velvet cake, cheesecake, popcorn, and candy. All watched over by a giant inflatable turkey by the staircase. 

Soon I was glad that we did get there early because the hoards kept on coming and the queues grew ever longer. The initial excitement was shifting to a siege warfare mentality. Mugs were grabbed, cutlery snatched, and plates stacked high with breads. Small dessert plates were discarded in favour of dinner plates and stacked high with slices of cake and pie, as if the the twenty trays of pies behind the counter were not sufficient to go around. 

All this was observed from our table, dressed with a table cloth for the occasion. If you thought we were smug heading the line at Independence Hall, this was something else. I likened it to playing the role of Switzerland during the Second World War, sitting contently back with all the provisions we needed, watching the chaos unfold before us. I did have to forfeit personal space as more people joined our table in the bid to find the smallest piece of free space to eat in. Eventually, the food hit hard and it was time to stretch out and chow down away from the dining hall frenzy. So, the rest of the evening was spent over at KC, watching Poirot, chatting and digesting the night's proceedings.  

An Electric Blanket...

Another great film today - 'Casablanca'. After classes, I made some last amendments to the WWII paper and then went to the library to print it off. I also updated for Relay and booked my place on the shuttles for our trip to DC next weekend. 

Following dinner I went over to Sassafras lounge for our sub-committee Relay meeting, in which we got down lots of details in no small part thanks to Shannon, for our Quidditch match fundraiser next semester. With everyone working tonight, I went back to Worcester to watch the final episode of season two of Game of Thrones and chill out. 

One annoying factor in the day's proceedings was that I continually received static shocks off door handles. This very probably has something to do with the fact that I removed the blanket from the quilt on my bed last night because I was too hot. Little did I expect the loud and painful snaps from lots of bright blue sparks as I took the blanket off. Having forgotten that I had stored a great deal of charge overnight, I reached for the door handle this morning and an electric bolt shot from my finger to the handle. Suppressing my highly manly shout of surprise, I hoped that that would be the end of it. Sadly it was not, and I have just rearranged my bed, hearing the ominous crackling beneath the blanket. But, I will now boldly go to do my teeth, taking the door knob firmly in hand.   

The First Flecks of Snow...

The temperature today plummeted and I was glad that it was such a short walk to the dining hall for breakfast. The fresh omelette and mug of tea that followed were all the more warming because of the wind outside. As I left Hodson there was even a brief flurry of snow in the air. The new winter coat has definitely proved its worth today. 

This morning before class I relaxed by creating a riddle/cipher of my own to test Lenka's metal. It's a perfect match - I like writing them and she enjoys solving them. Class came and went as usual and I learned some history on why America seems to have such a paranoia about alcohol and its misuses.

This afternoon I planned the penultimate essay and spoke to parents for a while, having not talked with them since they returned home from their short break here in Chestertown. I also read up on an article on Lincoln for Striner and caught up with one of two episodes of Ripper Street that I needed to watch in the new season. 

After dinner, I hung around in Worcester for a while with Marcela until the KC Shuttle began its service at 8:00pm and then went to Shannon's for the evening. Another day done with the mid-week hurdle fast approaching.    

Veterans' Day...

The weekend went quickly and it was the beginning of an unusually quiet week. Before first class I did a two minutes silence for Remembrance Day back home as I wouldn't have chance at eleven. Lessons came and went with 'The Maltese Falcon' as the end of the day's film, which was very good. 

After class Lenka hung out at Worcester and we attempted to crack a particularly tricky riddle sent in a letter from her somewhat genius friend that she is seeing this weekend. We didn't get very far, but it is always fun to try and exercise the mind, so thank you Lenka for an enigmatic end to the day. 

We went to dinner, which was busier than usual with the local veterans and their families in for Veterans' Day. Afterwards, we went over to KC and continued to educate Shannon with the ways of Poirot. 

Philadelphia...

It's always nice to get away from campus for a while and get a change of scenery. For a history major studying Colonial American History, Philadelphia is a particularly exciting change of scenery. 

We departed from the CAC at 9:00ish and made the drive of roughly an hour to Philadelphia. We parked up at the visitor centre, so the first thing we did was get tickets for a tour of Independence Hall later in the afternoon and then made our way to the Liberty Bell. The queue wasn't too long and I managed to divert around posing couples and selfies at the bell to get an unobstructed view. 

From the Liberty Bell we set out to find food, having not had any breakfast and needing something to warm ourselves against the cold wind. Stopping at a small diner we had some of the hottest, freshest food we've had since coming to the states - me and Sam going for the iconic Phili Cheesesteak.

After food, we walked around the historic district and shops for a while before heading back to Independence Hall for 2:00pm. Getting there early, I showed my British authority when holding the head of the queue. Swift tutting and evil stares were shown to anyone who dared to attempt to evade  queue etiquette, entering the hall without a ticket, or jumping the line. However, I held strong and was through the doors first - I cannot describe how satisfying that is, silently laughing at everyone else's lack of forward planning and queue prestige. 


Anyway, the hall itself was great to see, but the tour guide could only have been more boring and dry if she'd tried - even I, who has learned the stuff and thinks the history is great found what she had to say dull. But, once the screaming babies were removed from the room following more stares of disapproval, we made quick work of getting into rooms first to take photos and then moving to the back so that we could get a head start on the public. 

Once we had looked around some more, it was time to think about getting dinner, which on a Sunday in Philadelphia is difficult as many places either advertise themselves as bars and therefore are over 21's only, or are closed on a Sunday. After some hunting around, however, we ended up at an Italian that offered great food and surroundings at a good price. We had a relaxing meal, with plenty of time before we had to be back at the car.

Getting back to the car park at around 8:00pm, we headed for home, stopping off for a much needed toilet stop on the way - I think this is becoming a theme with me and longer journeys. 

Culture Night & Blitz Ball...

Despite the late hour, I'm determined not to have three 'yesterday's' in a row. This morning I went to the dining hall early to meet up with Relay people. Afterwards, I went to the library with Marcela to continue with some reading and amending essays.

From there, I made my way across to KC to Shannon's and once Sean was back I took his keys and made use of his quiet kitchen to begin making the apple crumble - the only difference from my Nan's being that it had 1.2kg of brown sugar in it. Making the dish was easy enough and I must thank Marcela for helping out with peeling the many apples that went into it. All that was left, was to put it in the oven and then test it once it was done - Sean and Marcela helping with their opinions. Luckily, I managed to distract them from the crumble with a bar of Dairy Milk.

Once the food was cooked we went over to Hynson Lounge and laid it out along with a range of other savory and desert dishes from around the world, courtesy of the other international students. I must say, much of it put my cooking to shame, although five people said the crumble was their favourite dish, which was gratifying. 

At 8:30pm, we headed downstairs to the Blitz Ball and began dancing the evening away to songs of the war, jazz and swing. It was a great evening, so thanks to everyone who organised and set it all up. I did intercede myself at the end of the night, making sure that Jerusalem and the national anthem were played before clear up began. 

Pictures to come when I have the energy.

The Piano Bar...

I know, I know, two 'yesterday' posts in a row, but I didn't get back until half one and wasn't in the mood to write anything. So, roll those eyes back downward and let's move on. 

Yesterday, was spent reading more of 'Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl' outside of classes. Another first draft was handed in and given back with some useful feedback. 

After classes I went over to the grocery store with the others to buy our ingredients for culture night tonight. I am doing my Nan proud and making an apple crumble big enough for at least 40 people - lots of apple peeling! We dropped the food off at KC and then went over to the dining hall. 

I did some book stuff for an hour or so, and then me and Eoin headed down to JR's to meet up with Adele and Abby. It was good to check out the piano bar as I hadn't been down there before - the fact that they feel comfortable putting down cream carpet shows what they perceive their clientele to be like. 

The Teaman...

Yesterday morning before class, was spent reading up on an essay book in the library with Marcela. In class we had our midterms back - Miller still addressing me as Winston even within his examination notes :) 

Afterwards, I went to lunch and after some editing of essays, I played squash for an hour after a busy week not being able to get onto the court. Feeling energized and healthy, I came back and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon, eating some chocolate and also printing off the essay due in this afternoon. 

After dinner, we went over to KC for the first time in several days and chilled out for the evening. I think it's safe to say that I now officially make tea for everyone whenever I'm over there, and I think it's best for everyone that I do - we don't want anymore straws involved, or milk mixing with the teabag.

The Swim Meet...

Today felt weird without any classes, especially as the day would normally be so full. Nevertheless, it was not empty. After breakfast as usual, I got down to writing the second essay in for next Friday and continued to do so until mid-afternoon, breaking for an hour at lunchtime. With the paper written, I reviewed the first essay due next Friday and double-checked the paper for this Friday. That done I started throwing down some initial ideas for one of the two remaining essays - too many papers! But, it's the price I pay for having only one exam (hopefully) in December. 

We had an early dinner so that we could head over to the pool and watch our swimming teams compete against Salisbury - our biggest rival, in a swim meet. I'm fairly certain that both our men and women, who swam eleven different races each, came out on top in the end. 

Afterwards, I went over to the bonfire that the History Society was holding, before going over to Hynson Lounge for a Relay meeting - tonight was busier than I expected. I finished off the evening with a shower, smelling smokey after making s'mores, and watched some Game of Thrones. Now, I have a clean, warm bed awaiting me. 

Hope Lodge...

As it is advising day tomorrow, the end of Miller's class marked the beginning of a brief period away from contact hours in which I need to finish an essay I've started and finish a book. Today was also spent faffing a lot with the Business Office in an attempt to top up my printing balance so that I can actually hand in my upcoming assessments, and after some hassle, the problem has been resolved. 

This afternoon, I and a handful of others on the Relay committee headed out to Hope Lodge on the edge of Baltimore. The lodge is one place that funds raised through Relay go to. Patients, carers and family members can stay at there for free in order to be close to their treatment facilities. It is a place where the many stresses and strains of travelling, cooking and other day to day tasks can be put aside, so that patients can focus on their recovery. We put on a breakfast for dinner theme, cooking eggs, bacon, ham, pancakes, and tater tots. It was great to see everyone enjoy the food and to get a chance to chat with some of the people staying at the lodge to hear how the money we raise really makes a difference.

International Education Week...

Today has begun another busy week. Classes as usual, as well as updating some Relay things, planning an essay, and reading for tomorrow.

I did, however, take some time out to chalk the Union Jack onto Martha Washington Square along side many other flags to mark the beginning of International Education Week. After dinner, I finished planning the essay and then relaxed with Game of Thrones and catching up with Homeland.

Valley Forge...

Today was mum and dad's last day in Chestertown, so we took a slightly longer drive out to Valley Forge. On the car journeys I finished reading a book for tomorrow's discussion class. 

The historic national park itself was not only free, but quiet, as we had the benefit of finally visiting somewhere abroad outside of the summer holidays. The time of year also meant that the site and the surrounding area were very colourful, with Autumn set in and the leaves turned. We did the five mile walk around the site, visiting various points of interest pertaining to the revolutionary winter encampment that served to discipline the continental army and turn the tide of the war. The day was bright but cold in the wind, so several layers were in order - my new coat providing ample warmth. 

Arriving back in Chestertown, I sorted some things out and then walked down to the B&B, from where we went to have a great meal at the Imperial Hotel in town as a special farewell dinner. So, after a week with parents it is back into the standard, hectic weekly routine of working and socialising. With six weeks to go before I fly home for Christmas, there is no sign of my schedule quietening off. 

Happy Halloween!...

It has been mentioned to me more than once that there has been a lack of blog posts since Wednesday night, but for a good reason. With so many things going on recently, I thought I would place all Halloween related events into one post. 

During Thursday I finished planning and wrote the first half of the WWII paper. That night was the first fancy dress event, with myself attending as Sherlock Holmes - thanks to the German suite having us over. From there we went to Prince George's on the Western Shore and then down into town to JR's. In the bar I ended up serenading four very drunk older people who were convinced they knew the songs I had made up, clapping along with no sense of rhythm. 

Friday was a day of classes as usual and I finished the paper so that, aside from some reading that I could do in the car, I was work free and spend the last couple of days with parents. In the evening I donned my second fancy dress outfit of Lord Baelish ("Littlefinger") from Game of Thrones. The others went as white trash. From Lenka's we went to L302 and a big thank you to Phaedra for having us round, and to Jacqueline Torkelson for supporting me in the Game of Thrones theme. 

Today, I went to brunch and then went out for the day with parents for a drive around to local area to Cliff City and then Betterton, which looks like a good spot for a future BBQ on the beach. Tonight, me and Oz Sam went to the B&B to meet up and then we went over the bridge to Barbara and Bill's house on the river for great homemade food and the tall ships in the sunset and fireworks as a great backdrop. 

So, a busy few days and as always happens tonight feels like Sunday - yay! Tomorrow is a day out to Valley Forge, which, as a history nerd, I am very excited about. Now, however, I will relax with a mug of tea and a chocolate digestive.