GOD SAVE THE QUEEN

Have you ever been at work, staring as the clock ticks second after agonizing second like it knows you’re waiting for it to hit 5:00 so you can go home? WELL GOD BLESSED IT’S HAPPENING TO ME RIGHT NOW! And I’m so moving, typing and speaking to customers on the phone ever-so-slowly like it’ll make the slightest difference in expediting the passage of time...so today is actually the next day and i'm home sick with the flu. maybe i'll write a blog...oh look here comes one now…

So Fantone called me wednesday night because her dad was wearing the Cambridge University polo that she bought for him 4 years ago. Apparently this brought her immense nostalgia. “Anna let’s go back!” she screamed. And I had to second her. At 25 years old, I can confidently say that I’ve been fortunate enough to have had my share of travels (with hopefully more to come). And my 6 weeks in the UK has proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. Who knew the British could be so fascinating? Correction, you can’t call everyone who lives in the UK “British.” There are the English, the Scottish and the Irish from Northern Ireland. We were made aware, very early on, that Scottish and English people can sometimes be, ummm, sensitive to the other. I remember Professor Dawson, our instructor for British Social and Cultural History, saying, “Oh those Scottish, like to paint themselves blue and fight!” I didn’t get it until I saw BRAVEHEART. Ha ha ha…and then when we were in Scotland for a weekend, one of our teacher’s aids, Kadia, told us that some Scottish bloke tried to hit on her, but upon hearing she was visiting from Cambridge, soon after walked away. Okay strict about your women!

So how many people can say that after class they spent the afternoon punting up and down the river? Punting is maneuvering this small boat with a wooden stick long enough to touch the river floor. It’s so much harder than it looks, lemme just tell you. I didn’t do any actual punting but watching other people do it just wore me out! =) it was cool to have it as an option to spend the afternoon though.

i miss the pub-hopping: people go to pubs there as often as they go to the loo (the bathroom)! i miss qeueing up at the cafeteria to see the lady who sits in a booth and sells baguettes. oh man just thinking of the melted swiss cheese mixed in with scallions and bacon in a warm french baguette makes my mouth watah! i miss eating in the hall that seriously looked like the hogwarts dining hall...the tube in london, the random rainstorms (like we would go into class with the day as sunny as can be and then come out an hour later protecting ourselves from the rain!), the fish 'n chips (as oily as they were), covent garden, big ben, the cute teacher's aids (especially tim and mark...oh if orlando bloom was one too i would've asked for some help with my poli sci paper =P) and more!

what i loved most was the company. i met lots of new people, but remained as attached to cecile "i'm egyptian now" tecson, tommy "take us punting english girl / i hate my room" carague, jean "prince edward nga eh" ilano, christine "if i don't fall off this bed i'll get electrocuted" fantone, and andrew "better take my dramamine before every bus ride" boquiren.

man, all that made me think...maybe i'll go watch BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM right now...until next time mates, CHEERIO!