Wise Words of Wyman

Back online...no excuses now

2006-11-01T22:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody!

Pretty big news for the blogspot...Rach's parents very generously replaced her dead computer with a nice new laptop so now we're back online and have no excuses to not put up some regular updates!

Mike and Linda are the couple we're renting a room from and Mike is a geologist by trade for a mining company in the business of prospecting on a few properties. Anyway he came home one day and said his company were looking for someone to go and do some labouring type work for them on a property in the middle of logging territory up north near Vanderhoof. They were offering $200 a day so needless to say I was interested, not to mention the chance to go up and see what the rest of BC is like. "When would this be?" I asked (on a tuesday night) "oh leaving thursday morning I think" I thought it might be a bit of a problem getting the next 2 weeks off work at Starbucks, with barely one days notice but my manager's pretty cool and she managed to fiddle the schedule for me!

Well it was a really good trip, we stayed up in a loggin camp and drove the couple of miles up to the property every morning, up a crazy rough as road which we were having to clear as we went...it hadn't been used for thirty years and was overgrown with more than the odd bush (fairly well developed pine!).

Anyway we got back a week early and so appart from a few covering shifts I've had quite a lot of time off...and managed to sneak in a few paddles and will try and include some pictures i was just sent. Haven't managed to get into much of the true BC mental creeking yet but definately starting to make some contacts! The local club has asked me to become their director of education, I haven't had time to talk it through with them properly but I don't think I'll really be here long enough for it to be worth it. Plus I'd rather be on something a little steeper than beginner runs...

And here are some pictures, we haven't got round to plugging in Rach's camera, and putting her pics on the new computer yet so these are all paddling ones I was just sent by email.

Just me, paddling on probably the most fun bit of river I've done here. A Slalom race site, kind of like Grandtully.
Playing on the same race site, the Necky Orbit I've been borrowing is a fun wee boat, particularly on a wave but soooo edge trippy!

The put in for the race site with a mental waterfall in the background which apparently has been paddled (resulting in some broken backs I think!).

Some of the spectacular scenery from the Squamish river.
Before the race site we did a beginner run in which the salmon were running and spawning, there were sooo many of them that I hit a couple with my paddle and Kurt demonstrates you could just grab them if you were quick!

30 Minute Low-Down

2006-09-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Due to the unexpected blow up from my motherboard, I have no choice but to join all the people of Whistler in sharing the five free computers. There are sign up sheets for 30 minute intervals and although I have experienced only friendly Canadians thus far, I imagine they have a "bear face" which they reserve for people who go over the time limit.

Speaking of bears. No I have not seen one yet. But there is bear spray in our kitchen. What a funny place to keep bear spray you say...well turns out about a year ago when the old tennet came home he was welcomed home by a bear in the kitchen. So now we keep bear spray in the kitchen and I am terrified to go into the downstairs bathroom in the back of the house since that is the route the bear took.

I just finished my first week at Strabuck's Coffee. Now before anyone rolls their eyes and claims that I am not "experiencing" my new culture by emmersing myself in the "American coffee-shop"---hear me out. First and foremost, Starbucks is one of the few places in the Village (the downtown area) that offers their employees a season pass to both mountains. Let me translate for those who prefer to speak monetary benifits---$1600. That's right, that is what they are charging you to: spend a ton of money of snowboarding/skiing gear, get bundled up like a marshmallow, freeze your pants off, and then snowboard (fall?) down a mountain as many times as you like. I have yet to experience this snowboarding culture but have all of the supplies to be a pro. Okay maybe not a pro, but I am sure that I can fall like the best of em. And I will be falling with style too...I managed to find pink googles. Hopefully people will focus on that fashion accessory when they are appraisng my style instead of the ski pants I will be wearing...that my mom wore 30 years ago.

Speaking of professional snowboarding...I will be living with one! One of the people in the house is a professional snowboarder. Her name is KoKo and she will be moving in at the beginning of October.

I keep talking about Whistler and my life here, but maybe I should do a little background to fill in the gaps. We are living in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. That's about 4 hours north of Seattle Washington and two hours outside of Vancouver, Canada. Matt and I are both working at Starbucks but at different branches. Luckily, we have awesome managers we coordinate and give matt and I the same days off so we can be all snuggly and cute. I don't feel bad flaunting it, because we were apart for a very long time...we deserve it!

It looks like I only have five minutes left on the computer which means I better wrap this up. So here's an address for the fan mail that you have been storing up:

7216 Fitzsimmons Rd
Whistler, BC VON1B7
Canada

Hopefully now that life is a little more "normal" I can become more regular in my postings. Or maybe I just need more fiber in my computer diet...doctors tell me that can make me regular too but I dont trust em.

We're here!

2006-09-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hiya, it's Matt this time (10/09/06)

So after this big lapse in attention to the blog we're in Whistler, the final destination. After a long but really cool roadtrip half way across the continent of North America we got to Vancouver on wednesday night and met up with a friend I had met in Australia, Kat. Thursday was pretty much all getting set up, bank accounts, new phones, tax stuff etc. But that left friday to be tourists, we have bikes on the back of Rach's car and did a lot of cycling. The Granville market for breakfast then out to a huge and beautiful park where surrounded by sandy beach and covered in huge trees. On our way back to Kat's we stopped at one beach and i went for a lovely long swim in the cool but certainly bearable water.....

Friday 15/09/06
The most recent news! yesterday we moved into our new place, it's about a 5 minute walk from the centre of town and happily within our price range! Rachel has a job at Starbucks which starts on monday, the perks of this are a free dual mountain ski pass ($1600) and a pound of coffee a week!
I've had a few interviews which I should hear back from early next week, so fingers crossed!

oh oh oh...and the day before yesterday there was a big thunder storm down in the village that we almost got caught out in...but more to the point the solid day and a half of rain in the village, was falling as snow on the mountains! it's not expected to last past monday but hopefully is a good sign of things to come!

Rach's computer's broken so getting pictures up could be tricky but we'll certainly try.

hope everyone's having fun and doing well.

Matt

I'm Back on Blog...which means my travels have begun!

2006-08-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been absent from the blog scence for awhile...but that certainly doesn't mean that I haven't been having any adventures! Here is a quick overview to bring you back up to speed with my life.

In May 2006 I graduated from Hamline University with a degree in Religion. I got accepted into every physical therapy school that I applied to (woot! woot!) and will be attending the University of Nebraska Medical Center in the fall of 2007. No, that date was not a typo---I will be taking a year off before I crack down on the books again.

So where am I going? Funny you should ask...remember that scottish boy that I wrote so fondly of over a year and a half ago?

We are going to Vancouver, Canada! Matt and I leave from Omaha on the 27th, westward bound, to arrive in Vancouver on the 6th of September. Together we have working permits, ambition, a tent, a new subaru outback, music, and a whole slew of shoes (okay so most of the shoes are mine!) What else do you need to have a year long adventure??

I would give you an address, but I don't have one yet...just the open road for me! Until September at least!

So if you have any interest in my latest adventure, bookmark this blog because it will be chuck full of facts and stories that are sure to enrich your life! (or at least just give you a smile!)

My Sailing Injury

2005-05-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, two days later i am back from the pub and posting the rest of the my sailing story. =) so matt and i were sailing along in pretty strong winds through a narrow channel when there was a big bump. We had hit a surprise rock, and it caused the center board (which is the part of the boat that slides in and out of the boat that goes deep into the water in order to balance out the mast...but in shallow water you are supposed to pull it out so it doesnt get caught on the bottom) to pop out several inches. so matt directed me to pull it out all of the way so i had a firm grip and i was pulling upwards when we bumped on a little further past the rock. this caused the centerboard to come slamming downwards on not one, but 8 of my fingers. the worst part is that there was so much pressure that i couldnt get it back up to get my fingers out...however matt took the not so subtle hints from my screaming and saved my fingers. they are okay now and i only have one purple nail...although four of them are still pretty tender. i kind of wish that they would all go black and blue so i would look really hard core...but no luck.

I am really excited for tomorrow! I am going to the May Ball which is basically college prom on a bigger scale...i have heard that there are fair rides and free drinks and food the entire night. the evening begins at 630 and doesnt conclude until 300am! these scots know how to party! and then the group that i am going with is going to go swimming in the ocean afterwards...ay yi yi! i plan on sleeping most of saturday and then saturday evening i am going to head to edinburgh because sunday morning i will be running in a 10K race there! woo hoo! i definitely wont be clocking a good time since i wont exactly be well rested but ah well...it will be fun to say that i ran my first road race in scotland! for those of you who don't know, 10K is 6.21 miles. The other big running newsn is i registered for the twin cities marathon on October 2nd 2005! that right! 26.2 miles baby! it is something that i have always wanted to do and if you come and cheer me on you would score MAJOR cool points!

well i am off to lunch!

I will no longer grab the center board!

2005-05-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was one that was filled with rest and relaxation...much needed after a stressful week with little sleep. Matt and I travled to Oban, Scotland which is directly west of St Andrews where we met his parents. There were about 30 other visitors to the wee town, it was sort of a reunion of people who attended a sailing festival way back in the day. Now they just get together in Oban once a year to catch up and catch some wind in their sails as well.

Being from Nebraska, wind was not a novel thing to me. however, when combined with a huge blue ocean and a small boat named Janet made for an adventure! The first day we sailed it was a beautiful day, one that i hope my memory can store forever, because i was too scared to bring my camera...i hear that digital cameras are a delicacy to seals and they will hop right out of the water and snatch them. or i am just a muppet and would probably drop it in the water. in any case it was amazing...but the sailors didnt appreciate the weather because despite the blue skies and sunshine there was hardly any wind, which made for slow moving. After about six hours (we traveled to an island, had lunch, and then made our way back) we returned to Oban and parked the boat for the night. That evening I got a small taste of traditional scottish dancing. It is spelled 'ceilidh' but dont be fooled, it is pronounced KAY-LEE. basically it is just scottish square dancing accompanied by bagpipes...great fun! i am hoping that there will be more ceilidh dancing at the May Ball on Friday. And yes, matt will be wearing a kilt. =)

Sunday was spent on the water again, but it was much more exciting for sailing because it was quite windy...which of course turned into rain so even though i got the courage to bring my camera aboard i still didnt use it because unlike the previous day, i had to be a real crewperson and help work the sails! i was in charge of the jib sail, which is the little one in the front and matt was controlling the main sail which is the huge triangle. the skill in sailing lies in the ability to align the sail at a slightly less than 45 degree angle to the wind. if it is completly perpindicular, the wind is too powerful and blows the boat right over. but the more wind that you are able to 'catch' the faster you move through the water. so of course, matt being the boy that he is, had to race all of the other boats and there were a few moments where the boat was tipped so far that the water was coming in over the gunnels but dont worry, i lived to tell the tale.

i will have to write more a little bit later because the pub is calling. tuesday night one pound drinks at the vic...who can resist??

Can i sleep NOW?

2005-04-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

This has definitely been my hardest week at St Andrews physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have had three essays due in the past 10 days so i have been working constantly. this past essay is by far the worst piece of work i have produced in a long time. And if you have seen some of my past essays, and take into acount that this one is actually WORSE...it's really saying something! i have gotten six hours of sleep in the past two days combined and after i attend a one hour lecture this morning i plan on crashing.

i know that for the most part people see excuses as complaining. although i wont deny the hint of whinyness (its a word now okay?) there are far too many other emotions for my 'excuses' to be interpreted soly as complaining. This past week a fellow Hamlinite named Manney Anderson, who was studying abroad in Germany this semester, committed suicide. Although my relationship with manney was not close, we definitely had overlapping social circles and had hung out in big groups on several occasions. Like i mentioned before, he was in germany this semester, so we also had the same study abroad class together. except when we had class together and our prof kari fangel explained the insurance that covered our bodies being shipped back to america should something happen, i didnt think for a second that insurance money would be used on a kid sitting two chairs down from me. So yesterday while staring at the computer screen my thoughts couldnt leave manney long enough to type more than a few sentences at a time about liberation theology. liberation. was manneys choice to die a liberation from the life that he was so uphappy with? i didnt know him well enough to answer that question...the only person who does is the one who is no longer hear to answer it. i shead a few tears when i first found out on monday and then tuesday and wednesday were just spent thinking. then last night when i took a study break and stopped by matt's house i walked in to catch the scene of 'Shawshank redemotion' where the ex-convict commits suicide. i completly lost it and made a beeline for the ocean where the waves could drown out my sobs. after being in a class for almost a semester where we are learning all about death you would think that i would have some intellectual way of coping. here is my itellect on the subject---it doesnt matter how much your mind knows...your heart breaks all the same.

for more on manney check out graham's (manney's best friend) blog at http://www.pretentiousblowhard.org/

Essays inspire me to blog

2005-04-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

It is raining outside, i am slightly chilled, the chair that i am sitting on is not comfortable, and i have a 2000 word essay due in 43 hours...so instead of being productive and studious, i am going to type a blog entry instead. i have always been known to make good choices. as always, i am making the situation appear worse than it is, i have been working on this essay for two hours straight and have stopped to take a mental break. When required to write about the economic oppression of Latin America which led to the rise in liberation theology, my brain deserves a break every two hours. If anyone has any knowledge which they would like to contribute to this paper, i will be sitting in front of this computer screen all day and well into the night...i am bound to check my email at least 21 times during this period.

Happy 22nd birthday nathan!

I SAW HIM! I SAW HIM!

2005-04-21T01:12:00.000-07:00

It took awhile, but let me tell you, it was worth the wait...in my opinion i definitely have the best prince william siting experience!

So matt and i were walking back from the butcher, haggis in hand, with the wind blowing in our faces. Kyle Sweeney, a fellow hamlinite who is studying in france and came to visit us, is leaving tomorrow and we had to get some haggis in her before she left scotland. so anyways, we were almost back and i noticed two boys getting ready to go surfing and thought, what crazy kids...its freezing out here! and then matt poked me and said, 'that's wills!' so of course i whipped around (just in time too!) and saw wills pulling up the top part of his wet suit...yeah that's right...i saw prince williams oh so muscular back...and then i got to see him in his wet suit (think tight spandex). i must have been only 21 feet from him!!! matt made me keep walking a little ways before i insisted that we sit on the grass overlooking the beach and watch him surf. we must have sat there for at least half an hour and it was absolutely frigid (because we werent wearing hot wet suits like wills). i created this plan where matt and i were going to walk along the beach as he was coming back to his car but i think his body gaurds must have over heard because they were both staring me down. turns out wills has quite the surfing endurance because i didnt see him come out...i had to go back and start the haggis feast. aw well...truth of the matter is that I SAW PRINCE WILLIAM HAlF NAKED! and THEN i saw him wearing a tight spandex wet suit...could it get any better??? and lets be serious...its probably better that he never saw me because one look at me and he would have thought, 'that is the most beautiful girl i have ever seen!' and then he and matt would have started fist fighting and it would not have been pretty!

well that was definitely the excitement of the day...tomorrow i am off to Glasgow to go to a Flogging Molly concert and then stay in a posh hotel with liza and her aunt and uncle...rumors are that there is a hot tub and i can hardly wait! Guess i should start packing!

Oh, and happy 21st day of the month everybody!

So begineth my 21st year of life...

2005-04-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

...ALL RIGHT! It began in the best way possible...watching an 11pm showing of Napoleon Dynamite in the local theatre! What a hoot! I went to one class today and i dont think i will go to my next one (its from 5pm-6pm and its the philosophy of religion where the prof yaks about how god cant exist...do you really blame me?). tonight we are having a bonfire on the beach and i spent a great deal of time searching the beach yesterday for the perfect smore roasting sticks...they dont have graham crackers here so the concept of smores is truly foreign...luckily my parents brought some with them when they came so we will have all the fixins tonight and i can make these scots the best smore they will ever have!

on tuesday i attended my very first professional soccer game...it is so crazy here!! we went to a Rangers vs. Dundee United game and the rangers are a powerhouse team from glasgow and united is bottom of the charts smaller town team. we went as dundee supporters and there were maybe 212 of us in the stadium that held thousands. but cheerin for the underdog paid off because dundee won one to nil (1-0) much to the disappointment of my friend andy who is the biggest rangers fan ever. the crowd was wild and never passed up a chance to taunt, holler, and make fun of the opposing side. they say that the stabbings go up by 90% on football game day (specifically when Celtic plays the Rangers...Celtic is the catholic team and the rangers are the protestant team...and the are both from glasgow where the stadium is)

additions are being made to the 21 list but i could use some more...specifically one to replace katy's suggestion of 'go to jail' well its off to janetta's for the weekly ice cream stop!

So much to say...i am bound to forget something

2005-04-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

so first i will fulfill my promise and expound on the hiccup story. when liza and i were in venice we shared a trailer with two boys. Fusina (where we were staying) is coined 'the backpacker's paradise' i dont really know about that, but i do know that it was cheap, clean, and safe. in any case, the accomodations were trailers that were split into two, each seperate dorms with two beds. liza and i were in room A and our hiccup buddies were in room B. one night when liza and i were just chillin in our crib we heard the boys stumble into their half of the trailer. apparently our trailer was not five star because you could hear through the walls like they werent even there. it didnt take us long to discover our neighbors had been drinking and there is nothing better than evesdropping on drunk people...even though we didnt really have a choice in the matter. they were entertaining but nothing that caused more than a silent giggle. until one boy got the hiccups. we are talking a serious case of the hiccups. luckily his friend was there to coach him through the exeperience and he took his paternal role quite seriously. we could hear him struggling to find words of comfort, 'its okay man, you will get through this. everyone gets them, i mean, my mom had em, my sister had em...you just need to find your own way to make it through.' if we hadnt been able to hear him hiccuping like crazy, liza and i may have been convinced that this lad had come down with some serious disease! by this time, i pretty much lost it. i have never been known to hold in a laugh for too long and this laugh came out long and loud. after my eruption there was silence on the other end of the trailer. and then (what he thought was) a whisper, 'those girls are laughing at me!' yes, sir hiccups-a-lot i was. for the rest of our stay we purposely avoided (at great cost!) these boys so we would not see their faces, not for fear of them, but for the fear that they would not be the fat ugly mean boys of our fantasy descriptions. on their last night in the trailer we left a note saying, 'when we were in venice today we came across an ancient italian remedy for your condition. (then i copied some random italian words from my church bulletin and continued) This roughly translates to, 'lay off the wine buddy'. i know, i know...i will be 21 in three days but making fun of boys will never get old!

in case you didn't read the last line...MY 21ST BIRTHDAY IS IN THREE DAYS!!!!! I am working on a list of 21 things that i plan on doing during my 21st year of life, the first and last things on the list are to have a killer birthday bash...the first to matriculate my 21st year and the last to bring it to a grand closure! other things on the list include: run a marathon, go sailing with a scottish boy, donate my hair to locks of love, watch 21 movies that i have always meant to see but havent, contact three people that i have lost touch with, eat an entire box of cereal from a giant bowl in one sitting, finish a knitting project, and save my pocket change for a local charity. you may notice that my list is a little shy of 21 things...HELP! give me suggestions! anything crazy, funny, novel, or classic that i should do during this monumentous year!

oh dear, the library is closing and my philosophy paper remains far from finished. traveling for over three weeks really bites you in the butt when it comes to school work...i will have to write again (and add pictures) from my trip to Ullapool, Scotland where matt is from. it is in the northern highlands and the scenery is AMAZING which is good because it gave me something to think about instead of how much my butt hurt from the 14 hour bus ride to get there from london. ay-yi-yi. if you want to look at all of the pictures i have taken here in europe, i have posted them all to my yahoo picture site! okay this crazy bell keeps ringing in the library that sounds like a fire drill but no one moves a muscle...it sends me jumping every time! i gotta get out of here just in case it does burn down...oh wait apparently it was just the '7 minutes until closing bell'. i think i prefer hamline's gentle announcement over the loudspeaker...

Catch me if you can!

2005-03-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

Wow the past couple of weeks have flown by and i still find myself on the go! my parents and my aunt elisa and her boyfriend jeff all came to scotland for a fantastic ten day adventure. i was going to meet my parents in london by taking the bus but i missed the bus in dundee because someone told me to wait in the wrong spot. it really wasnt that persons fault because that is where the bus normally comes, but it was changed due to construction. in any case, it resulting in a crying phone call to liza and a text to matt that said i was coming back to st andrews for the evening. matt (like the good boyfriend that he is) was waiting for me when i got back to st andrews and stayed up with me eating ice cream and planning how to get to london. so the next day i took the train and it all turned out dandy because my parents flight was delayed anyhow. so i spent the weekend in london with my parents and had a great time.

things are going to be very abridged here because i am actually in an internet cafe in venice and my time is up in 14 minutes. i promise to go back and fill in the details from my parents vacation.

we spent the week in scotland and then we all went to london again for the weekend (matt included) and stayed in the most posh hotel i will ever stay in in my entire life.

after i came back from london i went to class a couple of times and then started my spring break early and left with liza for venice. i will be in venice for six days and then i will be going to matts house in northern scotland for a long weekend. then its back to st andrews to do this foreign thing called homework and papers.

traveling with liza in venice has been a barrel of fun from the very start. we took a 12 hour bus ride to london where we spent the night and then flew out of london city airport. DONT EVER FLY OUT OF THIS AIRPORT! it is the most disorganized place on the face of the planet and i plan on never stepping foot in there again. we got there two and a half hours early, like you should for an international flight, only to get in and out of line five times and board the plane 7 minutes before it took off. the scots would smile and say, what do you expect? theyre english!

once in venice we took a bus to our "backpackers paradise" a campground called fusina where we are staying in a very nice trailer. the best part is the other end of the trailer is a two bedroom dorm where we can hear EVERYTHING that the two boys who are staying there are talking about. i promise to tell the hiccup story soon...it is too funny to not share with as many people as possible...but for now, time is up and i dont want to miss the bus home!

HapPY EaSteR!!!!!!!!!

2005-03-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

The participants of the Toast Off...meredith, me, and liza

2005-03-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

isn't this gorgeous?!? we saw this from out our train window on the way back to st andrews from edinburgh

2005-03-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

all of the hamline girls who are studying abroad in the united kingdom...me, mary, candice, liza and meredith

2005-03-09T12:02:00.000-08:00

me in bristol being eaten by the biggest metal bug i have ever seen...liza and i MAY have taken a little side trip from the group to get this photo!

2005-03-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

Candice, mary, me, and liza playing phase 10 (our favorite card game!) on top of a bunk because we didn't want to sit on the floor...i won by the way =)

2005-03-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

Liza and i playing warrior at the castle in Wales

2005-03-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

This is Matt and I after a wee game of football...it was an absolute mud pit but it was good fun!

"Jane Austen's Bath"

2005-03-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

I spent this past weekend in Bath, England where I was able to go to the Jane Austen museum. As a HUGE fan of 'Pride and Prejudice' I was excited by the historic building where Jane once lived, although she actually hated the town of Bath. She only lived there after her father died, leaving the family of women poor and with out many options. Later in her life when she became terminally ill, the doctors recommended that she return to Bath to spa in the healing waters of the Roman baths (which i could have visited but i am too cheap so we just looked from outside and then spent our money on chocolate), but she never returned. When we went to the museum they showed us a film titled 'Jane Austen's Bath' and i couldn't help but laugh because it sounded like a cheap film sold in a shady corner store instead of in a museum. people should really think things through before they title things.

Bath is located in southern England, between London and the country of Wales. We actually went to Wales to visit a castle during the weekend as well. The only people who hate the English more than the Scots are the Welsh! Most of it is all fun and games but here (at least with the scottish people) there is an incredible sense of pride and devotion to their family and heritage. Once you hear the history of the English continually invading and trying to take over these two neighboring countries, you kind of want to kick the english in the shins too.

I went to Bath with my entire study abroad program participants. Interstudy is a program that sends american students to lots of schools in the united kingdom. They have their office in Bath, and everyone traveled there for the weekend. There are five hamline students in interstudy (three of us here at st andrews and two girls are in ireland) and it was such a hoot. All of the hamline students are going to come together once more this semester in april to attend a Flogging Molly concert in Glasgow, Scotland...it is going to be a blast.

Although the weekend was packed with laughable stories, i suppose i should only share a couple so i don't use all of the available memory on the internet (it was my lame attempt at a computer joke...i realize that i really couldn't do that). hope one of these can give you a giggle!

Waverly?

Because interstudy likes to make things as complicated as possible, we took several modes of transportation to actually get to bath. the first was from a bus at st andrews that would take us to the train (and then eventually to a plane and then another bus). we had our bags and we were all ready to go. liza was in front of me and jumped onto the bus and held her five pound note out to the driver with a big smile. the driver just looked at her and after a few moments he impatiently asked, "where ar ya goin?" liza stared blankly and then turned to me and i instantly replied, 'Waverly!' because i had just looked at the itinerary. now he was looking at me like i was crazy. i thought he didn't hear me, or i wasn't speaking clearly so i tried again, losing confidence in my reply before i reached the end of the word, 'Waverly?' Mary had already gotten on the bus and gone to the way back so, in stereotypical american fashion, we shouted to the back, 'WHERE ARE WE GOING?' turns out Waverly is the stop where we were supposed to get off the TRAIN, so, being a BUSdriver he was a bit confused how to get us to the destination that we repeatedly requested! surprisingly enough, we got to bath hassle free and got on and off at all the right stops...a miracle really!

The Toast Off

we were quite impressed when we found out that the hostel we were staying in served continental breakfast...forgetting that 'breakfast' in europe means tea and toast. as a breakfast person myself, i commented to meredith (a hamline girl who is studying in ireland) 'i love toast. i think i could eat 21 pieces of toast in a row.' she agreed with this comment and i replied, 'yeah right. prove it. tomorrow, you and me, we are going to have a toast off.' so the next morning liza, meredith, and myself engaged in the first annual Toast Off. although it really needs to be redone because when we were all on our 8th piece i heard the people stocking the breakfast bar whisper, 'don't put out any more bread! those girls keep eating it all!' when meredith comes to visit us at st andrews in april i will be ready...with six loaves of bread and three toasters.

i should get the pictures up from my trip to bath posted onto my album in a few days...i actually have a paper to write...i can't believe they expect me to do homework! how inconvenient! =)

in other news...the ginger that i keep referring to is now officially my boyfriend. his name is matt dawson (of the frazer clan) and i promise to post a picture soon. i keep forgetting to bring my camera so i can snap a photo...not mentioning to him that i will be posting it on the internet for everyone to see of course! =)

thanks so much to all my grandparents, mrs. earley, mom and dad, josh, megan, abby, and joyce for helping me decorate my pegboard! it is looking great and you should be getting letters from me soon!

2005-03-02T23:57:00.000-08:00

As the fourth academic week comes to a close the fun is beginning to pick up. Things are becoming more routine and I am able to make the most of my time by finding new distractions for homework. This weekend I will be going to Bath, England for a fun filled weekend with other international students in the UK. It should be a good time since there will be six hamline kids there...and more importantly mary is going to take me clubbing and teach me how to dance. I am always up for a laugh even if the joke is on me.

Today when I was walking home from town it started snowing the biggest and fattest snowflakes i have ever seen! it was so beautiful but it is even more fun to watch the UK kids go crazy over a little snow. Between living in nebraska and minnesota i am prepared for anything!

whoops, i had intentions of making this a wee bit longer but turns out i have to go for a walk on the beach with a certain ginger haired scotsman...=)

"The Football Girl"

2005-02-26T23:52:00.000-08:00

This week has been a good one, with a few good stories, as always. It began on monday when i joined up with a couple of guys to play some 'football' or soccer as we know it. It was so much fun and i had nearly forgotten how much i love playing. after our little pick up game matt invited me to his house for dinner, where he was making haggis and neeps (turnips) for his whole house. I was surprised but i actually liked the meal! by the way, matt is the 'handsome red head' i referred to several weeks ago in a post and it is likely you will be hearing more about him. i will post pictures of my st andrews friends as soon as i get pictures of them.

So tonight my housemate Sarah made us traditional Pakistanie food and during the light dinner conversation with one of her guy friends i mentioned the soccer game that i played in a few days before and how i came home covered in mud. Her guy friend's eyes got really wide and he said, "YOU'RE the football girl?" which i responded with, "Huh?" aparently i have a label (and reputation) here in albany park, and i thought that hamline was small town! or at least at hamline i don't find out the secret code names that people have given me...

Until next time...cheers!

Better late than never...right?

2005-02-20T02:46:00.000-08:00

i know i kept telling everyone that i would post the link to all of my digital pictures so weeks later...here ya go. But in the words of my favorite elephant (Horton) "I meant what i said, and i said what i meant, an elephant's faithful 100 percent!" I am warning you though, there are a ton of pictures so look at them at your leisure or not at all if that is your pleasure! All you need to do is go to the following website:

http://photos.yahoo.com/elephant2112

let me know if you run in to any troubles viewing the photos!

The Peg Board Challenge

2005-02-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

Below are some pictures of my crib here at St. Andrews...it is quite a lovely place and i have no complaints but only a challenge (or plea really) for you all. As you may notice in the picture of my peg board it is very very blank. I covered the icky brown with colorful wrapping paper but there is remains. i would love to decorate it with things but i truly have nothing to decorate it with because i don't have a printer. Here's where you come in. Send me something...anything...to put on my peg board...it can be a picture of us, a picture of you, a cut out picture from a magazine, a candy wrapper, a small animal, whatever you want to send me...trust me i will LOVE getting it! My grandma and grandpa just sent me a valentine's day card (which you will notice on the peg board) and it took exactly a week to get here and 80 cents to mail. And my promise always stands...if you mail me, i promise to mail you.

how's that for a desperate plea for affection? =) i hope everyone is having a super day...i am going to go run on the beach...i mean do homework.

If you haven't tattooed my address to your arm, here it is again:

Rachel Wyman
3302 Albany Park
St Mary Street
St Andrews Fife
KY 16-8BP

2005-02-19T03:46:00.001-08:00

This is heaven...i mean the north sea.

2005-02-19T03:46:00.000-08:00

This is my window (i live on the ground floor...here first floor actually means second floor) just over the grassy noll there is the north sea.

2005-02-19T03:45:00.000-08:00

This is my peg board above my desk looking lonely and cravin' some lovin'

2005-02-19T03:44:00.000-08:00

This is my desk where i pretend to work

2005-02-19T03:42:00.000-08:00

This is a view of my room as you walk in the door.

2005-02-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

before battles scotsmen would each bring a rock and place it in a pile and when the battle was over the survivors would come back to get their stone, leaving the rest as a memorial to the dead. in the Battle on the Yellow Bus some of us came back for our stones and some (including liza) were not so lucky

2005-02-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

a hairy cow (pronounced hair-dee coo) and a slightly nervous rachel

2005-02-15T17:20:00.001-08:00

does this bridge look familiar harry potter fans? its should...because in the movie ron and harry fly over it in mr. weasley's flying car!

2005-02-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

luckily frazer taught us the secret dance of the fairies used to call nessie out of the deep waters...we were successful but nessie doesnt like the flash of a camera so you are just going to have to take my word for it

2005-02-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

we like our room in the youth hostel! mary and liza checking out some barracks in an ancient fort built by the english to 'keep an eye' on the highlanders

2005-02-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

a beautiful picture of the highlands

2005-02-15T17:17:00.000-08:00

a loch with some bens in the distance

2005-02-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

the famous loch ness

2005-02-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

liza in front of our pimp ride

Bens, Glens, and Lochs!

2005-02-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to include text and pictures in the same posting but as you can tell, was totally unsuccessful. So i will just make multiple postings and all of you computer/blog techies can laugh at my lack of knowledge.

This past weekend I went on a bus tour to the famous Loch Ness. This wasn't the kind of bus tour you see your grannies on either...Haggis Bus Tours led by young Scotspeople who keep you laughing and learning in style on a yellow mercedes bus. I have to include a slight disclaimer before i continue on with what i learned this weekend. everything below is what i was told by Frazer our tour guide...this is not to say that it is true and quite frankly i have no idea how much is truth and how much is myth...but i think that's part of being a scot...tell em a good story that is mostly factual and throw in some flair for laughs. i didn't realize this until the end of the trip when he told us that the American Embassy (aka McDonalds) in the town we were in was one of only two in scotland that had mc haggis burgers. at least i gave the guy behind the counter a laugh when i ordered because there is no such thing.

The following stories and information is what i managed to retain from the tour.

Loch Ness is the first of four major lochs (lakes) and the largest in size. if loch ness was to be emptied onto the countries of England, Wales and Scotland it would leave the countries 6 inches deep in water. not bad for a lake that doesnt look very big but cuts into the earth for hundreds of meters.

It is still legal in scotland to discriminate against the Cambell clan and there are bars in Glen Coe that wont serve you if you are a cambell. sound harsh? well back in the day, when scotland was being ruled by an english king there was a clan called the macdonalds (mac means 'son of'). the macdonalds didnt like the idea of being ruled by an englishman and they wanted to bring back the scottish king. people who were for this plan were called jacobites. so the macdonalds were jacobites and the cambells were dirty skunks...i mean...supported the english king ruling scotland. the king sent the cambells to kill the macdonalds but when the cambells arrived the macdonalds (in true scottish hospitality) invited them into their home. they gave up their beds and fed them and took care of them because it was understood that even if the clans hated each other, they would always have a place to stay in each others homes. the cambells stayed with the macdonalds for several weeks and then the cambells woke up in the middle of the night and slaughtered the macdonalds as they slept. the name of the town is now called Glen Coe or 'Valley of Tears' and lets just say that if you are a cambell you certainly dont admit it when traveling through this town.

have you seen braveheart? a few things that you should know. first, if william wallace really had a love affair with the woman in the movie, they portrayed her a little different...because in real life she would have been three years old when those events were happening. a little young to be impregnated dont you think? two, william wallace would not have been wearing a kilt because only highlanders wore kilts and he was a lowlander. three, the battle scenes were filmed in ireland because the irish army was used for the battles...which sometimes got out of hand and sent lots of actors/irish army men to the hospital with real wounds.

it's morning in the glen (valley) and a clan that supports the english king on the scottish throne watches their hairy cows (pronounced hair-dee coos) graze as the mist slowly settles onto the land. as the mist rises, the clan is shocked to see many of there hairy cows gone...disappeared into thin air! in the nearby forest the 'robin hood' mcgregor clan sneaks away silently with hairy cows which they will distribute to other jacobites to trade in order to survive. the macgregors became known as the 'children of the mist' and never got caught. one day there was one particular macgregor, rob roy, who got tired of getting up so early and taking all of the hairy cows. so he went around to each farmer and promised the farmer, for a monthly fee, 'protection' from the children of the mist. the farmer knew that it was the macgregors who were taking their hairy cows but couldn't afford to lose anymore cattle so all of the farmers would buy this 'protection' and everyone was happy. sort of. the king (boo!) heard of this trickery and decided to do something about it. so he banned the name macgregor. you could be arrested on the spot if your name was macgregor. so everyone in the clan had to change their name and everyone did...except rob roy. he became an outlaw and the king put a price on his head, more quid than ever rewarded for one man, but of course he was never found. good thing because what would moulin rouge be like with out ewan mcgregor? (whose hometown we drove through)

the muscial hit by led zeppelin 'stairway to heaven' (also my senior prom song) was composed (lyrics, sheet music, and all) in only 40 minutes in a house on loch ness. i think nessie wrote it.

This one's dedicated to Katy Warren:

In one particular part of scotland there is a large field where young men would come to train for the army. this army was called The Commanders and often times men died in training because real firepower was used. As you can imagine 'practicing' shooting at each other could be quite frightening since there was always a chance of the 'practice shots' being lethal. on several accounts grown men would get so scared that they would poo their knickers (underwear) and to save themsevles embarrasment they would remove their knickers, stash them in the woods, put their trousers back on and return to camp with out their underwear on...and that my friends is where the phrase, 'going command-o' had its origins.

if you havent learned something useful about scotland yet...well, at least its entertaining yea?

p.s. i tried haggis and it tastes like sausage...until you get to the third bite and realize if you eat anymore you will be sick for a fortnight

Some myths aren't myths at all...

2005-02-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

...scotsmen really don't wear anything under their kilt. at least the scot at the house party that i just got back from didn't...and in case we didn't trust a scots word, he lifted his skirt to prove it.

another scotsman told me the best story i have heard hear in europe. during akward situations or lulls in conversation, i usually pipe up with, "tell me a story." well liza gave the que and this particular scot (whose name is lucas) provided quite the story. he began, 'once upon a time, there was a goblin. he went to school and wore really messed up clothes. i mean REALLY messed up clothes. long red and blue gowns and multicolored hats with a swan feather. his clothes were so messed up that even the teachers would sit back and say, wow this chaps clothes are really messed up...and so thats who i am.' so aparently there are goblins here at saint andrews wearing pretty messed up clothes...in particular one named lucas.

i will admit to falling to peer pressure. but when an extremely handsome red haired scotsman offers you a beer, who can resist? i don't like beer, but i pretended just to prolong the conversation...just think, if i had ended it right then and there i would have never found out how to catch an octopus (matt is studying marine biology and spent time in new zealand on fishing boats) i should have asked him for some tips on catching the Loch Ness monster. i leave bright and early tomorrow morning for a weekend trip to Loch Ness (Loch=Lake in Gaelic). It should be a barrel of fun and as always, i am looking forward to the adventure...and looking forward to the chance of proving yet another scottish 'myth' not really a myth at all...

Cobblestone, class, and frozen peas

2005-02-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

Let's go back a few days to my favorite day of the week. monday. if every monday is like the past two, i think i will make a habit of sleeping through the day and simply going from sunday to tuesday. remember that last monday included all of the traveling adventures. this monday was the first day of class.

my first class starts at ten on monday and i was petrified that i wouldn't be able to find it, so i left albany park at 8:45. i got to st andrews about 9:05 and then began the search. i was with mary huot (also from hamline) and first we found her class and then after a bit of a scramble, found mine. i probably didn't need to leave QUITE so early though, because i was still the first one to class. which brings me up to something else...no one ever sits right next to me? what's the deal? do i look mean? or do i have some kind of plague? it doesn't matter if it is in class, or on a bus, or just on a bench...it has been proven several times that the seat next to me is one of the last to be filled. thoughts?

anyways, my two religion courses are going to rock. they are actually both with the same professor. one of the cool things about lecture is my prof always wears his robe, and with his english accent it doesn't take much imagination to pretend that i am actually at hogwarts.

disaster struck after my religion seminar (which got out late) and i had to be to my next class in five minutes. let me take a moment to tell all of you hamline kids how lucky we are. brandon, you had the leisure of waking up minutes before fysem and waltzing over and only being a little late. it doesn't work like that here. i had about half a mile to cover in five minutes so of course i began to run. maybe i should blame my green shoes but the truth is they have been with me too long and i love them too much to place any guilt on them. so i 121% blame the cobblestone. during my jog to my next class i tripped (it wasn't the little kind, it was the almost fall on your face, life before your eyes kind of trip). after that i could just barely walk, my ankle hurt so bad. thinking of ali in the gustavus football game (who sprained his ankle really bad but played until we won the game...go pipers!) i pressed on. then i got lost. then i was almost 21 minutes late to my first management lecture. then the prof kept saying how hard the class was going to be and how we had class on fridays from 4-5. i didn't need any more convincing. i dropped that class and enrolled in a much easier philosophy class. i am not one for taking the easy road, but as it says in ecclesiastes there is a time for everything. now is my time to dance.

frozen peas you ask? best make shift ice bag you will ever find. keep it in mind should you ever find yourself on a road made of cobblestone.

The Night Before Classes and All Through the House...

2005-02-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

...every creature is stirring and i am off to the pub! my housemate sarah is frantically getting ready upstairs, she is changing out of the formal indian clothing that her mom. sarah is such a blessing. she is from pakistan, but born in saudi arabia, raised as a muslim in england. she talks a mile a minute and i have to focus to catch everything through her english accent. she has invited been introducing me to lots of st andrews students and really been showing me the ropes. she is a real firecracker, there is never a dull moment when she is around.

as i sit here at my computer, if i closed my eyes, i could convince myself that i am in paris again. my housemate carol is listening to classical music and eating dinner with her boyfriend and they are speaking french. she is from france and is very friendly...she claims that her english is not good but sometimes i can understand her more than sarah!

jessica is off with her boyfriend micah at one of st andrews infamous debats. everyone gets very dressed up and wears the official st andrews robes (they look like choir robes). it is important to wear your robe in the correct fashion as well...there are four different ways and depending on the way that you wear it informs everyone else of your year in school. tonights debate is of special interest to jessica, as a canadian she is defending her country because the topic tonight is "Why we should blame Canada". The debates fluctuate between serious topics and absolute nonsense and as soon as i am able to aquire a second hand robe (just like ron in harry potter) i will be attending a debate as well...for entertainment purposes only, with no intentions to speak.

The floor above is quiet, which may turn out to be the norm. Reca is a pre-med student in her 30s and although she has been friendly to me, she keeps to herself. its as if she is here for an education or something. =) Amara is from Scotland and just got back this evening. Since i have only spoke to her once i can not give you any insights to her personality thusfar.

And then there is me...having a great time and excited to start classes tomorrow. Nervous for the first day of school, hoping that i am able to find all of my classes and that i don't make a fool of myself like i often do.

And those are the girls from Albany Park 33.

got to get to the pub before we head over to New Hall dorm to watch the super bowl until late...i probably won't stay until the end around 3am (because of the time difference) but i have to check it out for awhile...pick out my favorite commercials and look for shots of the athletic trainers. =)

Facebook is my downfall

2005-02-04T01:46:00.000-08:00

i finally got the internet hooked up in my room here at st andrews and i have got online to make a post about 5 times now but instead i waste my time on facebook. don't get my wrong...facebook is a good time and you should check out the picures that i just posted...but it may be the cause of my downfall.

now that i am here in the Fife and beginning to settle down i realized that no one has my address to send me valentines. have no fear! here it is so you can send the homemade valentine that you have been dying to send me:

Rachel Wyman
3302 Albany Park
St Mary Street
St Andrews
Fife, KY16 8BP

i also have a cell phone that can recieve calls for free but just remember that it is an international call for you...but i can text message a lot so text away! 0117854376846

just remember, if you write me i promise to write you back. "i meant what i said and i said what i meant, an elephant's faithful 100 percent" --Horton from Horton Hears a Who

the best part of st andrews so far? the daily jogs on the beach of the north sea. it is magnificent.

the worst part so far? orientation sucks. and before you smirk, fysemers, and say 'see! now you know how it feels!" i will have you know that it doesn't stink because i feel like i am at camp, but quite the opposite. it stinks because they dont make us do anything and they dont really have any cool events planned for us so i havent had a chance to really meet anyone. so as much as you hated the busy-ness of orientation, trust me, its way better than doing nothing.

tomorrow i matriculate (officially enroll in the college) and sign up for classes. which reminds me that i have a health form to fill out. i promise to make my next entry a good story...even if i have to make it up. although usually that isnt the case.

2005-02-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

This is the 21st stair of the eiffel tower. you should also know that an elephant walked on the eiffel tower way back in the day too.

EHFR

2005-02-02T01:01:00.000-08:00

i could sum up the last 36 hours of my life in the five words of joey anderson, "Everything happens for a reason." But come on...have i ever been known to tell a story in five words when i could use 500?

liza and i began our troubles...i mean travels...leaving karli's place in trier before 6am in order to make it to frankfurt for our flight. when we got there, the man informed me that my bags were too heavy and that i would have to pay $100 extra. see, this is ironic because originally we had tickets on ryan air, but then bought another ticket on an airline that did not have such a strict weight limit. i will admit that i was surprised and i kept the reciept and will be fighting for my money back because i remember reading on their website that i was supposed to get 2 70 pound bags...and that man restricted me to 20 kilos...whatever. except for money being sucked out of my pocket, there was no real harm done.

so we get the bags checked and get the passports stamped and are sitting in the terminal gate. the flight is going to be at least 40 minutes delayed. alright that's fine, but now i am super hungry. i decided to go get something to eat, and by the time i had filled my tummy i was convinced that there is an inhumane purpose to frankfurt international airport. i think the airport is designed in such a fashion that german psychologists are observing its test rats through double sided mirrors. they are most probably behind these glass mirrors with stop watches, timing and observing each person (including myself) as he or she tries to manuver through the maze airport to get to the centrally located food source. i am not sure whether to be angry or give them props. lets just say after 42 minutes of searching, i found the best tasting cheeseburger i have ever had.

we finally leave and land in dublin. liza and i quickly get off the plane because we have a connecting flight to catch in less than 21 minutes. we toss our mcdonalds trash right after we get off the plane and book it. we get to our new terminal and are proud of our record time. as we are boarding the plane we notice the exact same mcdonalds trash. turns out it was the exact same plane. again...i think it is all about experimentation on unknowning humans.

so things aren't really going our way but it doesn't matter because there is no substantial harm done and i am not feeling stressed. then we arrive in glasgow, scotland. and we get off the plane and liza and i each grab one bag. which would be fine except we both checked two. sweet. glad i packed underwear in both bags and the one that i had with me contained my toothbrush. so we go over to the lost luggage window where we meet two of the nicest people on the planet. they assured us that our bags would be there later tonight or definitely in the morning before we left for st andrews. so we set out, still calm mind you, and decided it would be best to get some cash for the bus. i went to another desk to cash some traveler's checks and when he asked me for my passport i could not find it. this is where i cracked. every emotion of studying abroad, losing luggage, missing my family, missing my friends in nebraska and at the ham, scared that i won't have any friends at st andrews, or that i will run out of money...came crashing down on my right then. luckily liza kept it together and we went back to the sweet scottish ladies. they comforted me and said that i probably just left it on the plane and it would return with my luggage. after five minutes of crying i said to myself, that's enough pull it together and we began our trek to the youth hostel.

here's where things get amazing. turns out that the bus we thought we were going to catch was going the wrong way and we ended up walking at least a mile, probably more. every second of it i thought the broken wheel on my suitcase was going to fall off. it's a good thing we lost half of our luggage because we would have never made it with all of it. everything happens for a reason.

we got to beersbridge lodge and encountered yet another amazing scottish woman. she was so comforting and was so wonderful...if you are ever in glasgow you should check out her hostel. later that night both of our bags and my passport were delievered to the hostel.

this morning we woke up, showered, and had a lovely breakfast and set out for the bus station. we were kind of nervous though because there weren't any city buses that we were close to that went straight there. after walking 200 meters with ALL of our stuff we stop at a bus stop and try to figure out which one we need to take to get to the bus station (where we would be getting on a bus that goes straight to st andrews). clearly we are confused travelers and a scottish man tried to tell us which route to take. then all of the sudden he waves his hands frantically and flags down a tour bus for us and tells us to get on. we were kind of confused but did as he said. so instead of taking the normal transportation we ended up learning a little bit about the city as we took the tour bus across town. when we reached the bus station the tour guide and driver helped us with our things and when we asked them how much we owed them they said, "don't worry, there aren't inspectors today but even if there were we would just tell them that you have lost your ticket." we would have never made it if we tried to take the city bus like we had originally planned. everything happens for a reason.

so here it am, in the 24 hour computer lab, only 100 meters from the north sea. i just got back from the pub where i enjoyed a free jack daniels and coke with my housemate and several of her friends. they have this tuesday night trivia game that you play with teams and our team won a free round. although i am typically no help in trivia games, tonight i supplied the following information: the song old man river is from the production of showboat, new jersey is the garden state (thank you miss congeniality) and cia stands for central intellegence agency. well i suppose i had better get some rest so i can awake early for a run down the coast before a day full of orientation adventures. i promise not to make all of my postings this long but doesn't all of that in 36 hours just seem unreal? i can see the headlines in the Heavenly Post right now...21 Extra Angel Teams on Duty While Rachel Wyman Travels...

One Fortnight Abroad...almost to St. Andrews

2005-01-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

Here i am back in germany where the keyboard is hard to use because they switch the z and the y. travels from bruges, belgium back to trier, germany was fun and uneventful. i have decided that traveling by train is my favorite form of transportation thusfar. i love to look out the window from my spacious seat but have the freedom to roam the aisles as i please. also the chairs that face each other with a table in between them are perfect for phase ten games. i have played so much phase ten that i am considering dropping out of school and going pro.

in the same breathe that i talk about dropping school i will inform you that i am beginning to research for my honors project. i am one chapter away from finishing the book The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. The plan is to write a convincing research proposal and do summer research at hamline this summer on the relatedness between ones spiritual life and their response to chronic pain. i would say i am in the late brainstorming stage and i would love to hear any suggestions either on the topic or suggested readings.

i can hardly believe that liza and i leave for scotland tomorrow...we fly into glasgow where we will spend the evening and then travel onward to st andrews on tuesday. orientation begins wednesday and then real school on monday. i hope i remember how to study...its been awhile.

before i post this to go enjoy a brunch of eggs, toast and nutella (think spreadable chocolate that goes on EVERYTHING...) here are a few random thoughts:

-malcom in the middle is such an excellent show, if you havent seen it, give it a go...the best episode i have seen thusfar is Funeral from season one

-i think its lame that i was excited/comforted/sad when we were watching The Prince and Me and Paige was in the organic chemistry lab which i will never have to set foot in again...only science kids can really understand

-when i was on the train i came to the realization that i have no idea which chair is "just right" for goldilocks...i always thought it was baby bears but it couldnt have been because then the story doesnt make sense, "this one is too big, this one is too...middle?" patrick would be disappointed in me, a small bit of child is dying within. but have no fear patrick...at least i didnt take a jterm.

-i am really looking forward to hangers. nothing says, i am here to stay, more than hanging up your clothes.

-hamline facebook makes me happy. getting the little "you have been invited" message from people who want to add me to their friends page reminds me that i am not forgotten. or at least there are people desperate enough who got to the W section in the directory and still needed a buddy to add so i was conviniently there, faithfully holding up the end of the alphabet as i have from birth.

-i have a real problem with run on sentences. sorry. promise to work on it. fragments too.

The Famous Four of Belgium

2005-01-27T03:24:00.000-08:00

Chocolate...check. An everyday adventure that i will probably crave for the rest of my life. i also visited the chocolate museum where i learned all kinds of interesting things about the food i loved so much. they also sold chocolate perfume in the gift shop. to avoid the temptation of eating myself, which i am sure wearing it would cause, i didn't buy it.

Bikes...check. My favorite day thusfar was yesterday when we rented bikes and biked to a nearby town along the canal, had a delightful lunch and almost died about 21 times because the bikers are nuts. actually i just got the bell confused with the brake. a very dangerous mistake. my butt is still sore but it was way worth it.

Beer...check. Raspberry beer over a game of Phase Ten in a local pub. it's my favorite beer so far (i know...i am such a weenie) and i was victorious in the phase ten game as well...boo-ya! Banana beer isn't bad either but strawberry beer...super gross.

Lace...very soon to come. after a little lunch of belgian waffles in fact! then after visiting the lace factory it is off to the brewery and then to a jazz club for our last night in belgium!

i will type more when i am back in germany tomorrow night where the internet is free.

don't be fooled...internet cafe's don't have coffee...

2005-01-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

right away i am going to apologize for poor grammar, fragmented sentences, run on sentences, and typos because when you are paying to use the internet and you have so much to say you can't really be concerned about the way the information comes out. i am writing as fast as i can type, which is pretty slow (which is good i guess because if i had to say that i am typing as fast as i can think, and it was still slow that would be slightly more embarrassing) anyways...i'm in paris dude!

i am such a picture person. i love taking pictures and i love looking at pictures. i have only had this digital camera for a week (which i am forever in debt to my brother for) and the pictures almost number 200 already. there probably wont be anyone who will look at every one of them except for me...but i have this vision. picture monet's painting of the bridge (which i saw in person) on my wall (which will not be the one i saw in person but a much cheaper version) with a frame made of snapshots. in every snapshot will be a bridge of some kind that i have seen here in europe. i love bridges! any kind really and i am trying to get the greatest variety as possible. a couple of my favorites are:

the pic of the bridge with notre dame in the background (which we just came from...there is something about listening to a service in french that makes it especially holy...when you don't understand a word, every sound is a little prayer. i also hope that god likes the scent of inscence that they were using today because he will be wearing it for awhile...they used so much i have no doubts that it got to heaven)

the pic off of the eiffel tower with four bridges in the distance (we climbed 668 stairs and had to stop there because the very top was closed...a disappointment that was remedied by the realization that an 85 year old elephant stood in the exact same spot where i stood on june 4th of 1948...how they got it up there i am not quite sure but i am sure it was an adventure! and of course i took a picture of the 21st stair of the tower...getting a 360 degree view of paris was amazing and as touristy as it is, has been my favorite thing so far)

more on bridges and other european adventures to come. my time is almost up but there is still so much to tell! i will do it in short sentences and you can make up stories to go with them.

crepes. hamline acapella girls. rain. champs ellesyee.

train. french woman. wrong seats. chaos.

chocolate. bruges belgium. coming soon.

miss you all. lots of love. out of time.

i hope i get a chocolate frog on the train ride...

2005-01-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

Today was crazy fun and tomorrow is going to be even better because i am hopping on a train (seriously i will probably hop up and down because it is my first train ride and i am THAT excited) to go to Paris! i promise to write all about it and other adventures as well...but this has to be "like me" (short) because liza is getting a migrane which means rachel gets to migrate elsewhere...

i finally sent out the link!

2005-01-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

i finally sent this link out to everyone so people will actually have to opportunity to read it if they so choose! i apologize for the simplicity of this blog...i know there are several blog pros out there and hopefully with your help i can spice it up a bit. but that probably wont happen until i actually get settled at st andrews around feb. second. right now i am still in trier germany but not for long! Friday morning liza and karli and i will be catching the early train (my first train ride!) to paris to meet up with another hamline buddy, kyle sweeney. after a long weekend in paris, karli will go back to school (who goes to school during january?) and liza and kyle and i will continue on the adventure to belgium and then back to germany. THEN liza and i will actually get around to going to school in scotland. =)

oh and it turns out that i have way better dreams in germany than in minnesota. although they werent in german like i had hoped.

Never Startle a Polar Bear on an Airplane!

2005-01-17T18:02:00.000-08:00

When liza and i were getting our international flight to begin our adventures, i wasnt even sitting in my seat before i came across an obstacle. there was a polar bear in the aisle prohibiting me from passing. and by a polar bear i really mean a woman wearing a huge furry white coat. but she was taking up the space where i was trying to pass (with a growing line of impatient people) and when i said excuse me it startled her and she whipped around so fast i thought she was going to consume me. First lesson learned...dont startle a polar bear on an airplane!

The flight was uneventful with out trouble or sleep. we arrived in frankfurt germany at 530 am and then our buddies karli knop (a hamline student who is studying in trier germany and housing us for awhile) and her boyfriend seb (from germany who made a year long appearance at the ham) came to give us a lift. then we traveled to sebs home which was absolutely beautiful...the architecture (which seb the german just told me how to spell) is amazing!

From there we traveled to Trier, Germany where both karli and seb attend school. i went to class with karli while liza was in karlis bed with a migrane. a big bummer but at least we had gotten to trier where she had a bed to crash in...and dont worry she is up again and i went to the store to get the usual remidies of sprite and saltines.

only hours before i can go to bed! i am so exhuasted and i look forward to dreaming in a different country...i will let you know how they compare.