Leaving Oxford
Back in New York finally after ten days on the island of blighty. Beautiful wedding, some old friends, and I got a few good photos on the drives here and there. Oxford was hands down the most stunning campus I have ever seen. Such ancient buildings still being used for learning with the quad lawns enclosed for the students and plenty of atmosphere around to just inspire you to be smarter and do great things.
After a mad dash rush yesterday to find the hotel to return the rental car then jumping on a bus back to Heathrow airport, Virgin Airways informs me that even though security was just fine with a laptop backpack on one arm and a camera backpack on the other arm coming to London, that I was allowed only one of them to take on board for the return. Which renews my angry rant about having security standards so that people don't get screwed like this when they travel. Everything got back to NYC safe and sound but still it is irritating. The plane was full but got a front row seat with plenty of leg room. A slightly crying baby nearby but nothing the Boise noise quieting headphones couldn't cure. Watched Over the Hedge, Cars, and Click. Not all bad flicks. I was surprised how good over the hedge was and how much I didn't hate an Adam Sandler movie.
Seeing as how I went from Oklahoma, to New York, to England in a few days then throw in a time change and back to New York, my internal clock is now blinking 12:00am on a continuous loop.
Keighley, England
The name is pronounced "Keith-lee". It's very cold and wet here today, I managed to make it out a bit around lunch and find a pub that served a local beer and a Yorkshire Pudding. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's basically pork sausage with mashed potatoes, served with brown gravy on top and a pastry like pie crust around the edge. It was nice.
I'm cold and wet and now trying to get warm.
Windsor, England
My friends Sona and Phil who used to live in New York until recently, just got married yesterday in Windsor, England (nearby anyway) and it was a beautiful reception. After the wedding was the reception back at the hotel and it went on till well after 3am. Such an eclectic group of people that all call these two people friends and from all over the globe. I love them both. Congrats guys. Have fun in Mauritius (off the coast of Madagascar).
Went to do some sight seeing today but the weather changed and it rained all day long. Leaving for Leeds tomorrow and I think the weather will clear. Will try to get over and see York while I am there as I was told it is beautiful this time of year.
Will see how that goes.
England in the Fall
Heading to England UK tonight on a overnight Virgin Atlantic flight. A few nights near Windsor to see friends Sona and Phil get married, following a short trip to Leeds. Finally to Oxford and back to NYC. I hope to find the time for some good photography on the trip. I Will be working some though and driving across the island a bit, will be gone for about a week and a half. Leave your message at the sound of the click.
This just in: apparently, as just noticed on the map, there is an English town named "Biggleswade" and this pleases me.
Countries, Principalities and other things you may have been confused about over the United Kingdom at a bar at 1am on a Sunday night
A recent conversation about geography and politics discovered there is some confusion about the UK, Great Britan, and it's parts. There was a winding down late-night discussion about it last night at the underbar with some brits who didn't really have a definitive answer to the question themselves either.
The Question: If England, Wales, Scotland, and North Ireland are all individual countries, then what would you call Great Britain to which they all belong? Are they countries within a country? How can that be possible?
First off, the question itself is incorrect, Great Britain referes only to the island itself which doesn't include Northern Ireland. To correctly speak of the union as a whole, you would say the United Kingdom (UK) which technically is correctly called The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Second, Ireland consists of The Republic of Ireland which covers five-sixth of the Ireland land mass. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and has it's own devolved (currently suspended) government. Residence of Northern Ireland can have an Irish passport and/or a UK Passport. The divide was part of an uneasy compromise in Ireland's fight for independence from British rule.
Third, it was suggested that Wales is not a country but a Principality since it has it's own prince; Charles, the Prince of Wales. This isn't true either. It does have a prince but it enjoys the status of Country like the other three making up the UK. The Prince of Wales has no role in the governance of Wales and this term is unpopular among many of the people there.
While we are on the subject, What the hell is a Commonwealth and who belongs to one?
A free association of independent member nations and their dependencies that once were part of the British Empire. Canada, Australia and New Zealand were given equal status with Britain (or Great Britian which really is refering to the United Kingdom) under the Statute of Westminster of 1931. Since then most of the British colonies have gained independence and have voluntary stayed within the Commonwealth. The (appointed, not hereditary) head of the Commonwealth of Nations is Queen Elizabeth II. She also reigns as monarch directly in a number of states, known as Commonwealth Realms, notably the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and others.
Another fun fact; Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are not states. They are each self described as a commonwealth. Puerto Rico and of the Northern Mariana Islands have a commonwealth relationship to the US as well.
So to sum up. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all in fact, Constituent Countries and refered to as possessing distinct nationalities of their own but no distinct citizenships to themselves. The United Kingdom to which they all belong is also a country which means that despite my beliefe and objection last night, a country can reside inside a country. The British Prime Minister seems to agree with these facts as well.
Boring dribble from Heathrow Airport
Sadly the trip to London comes to a close. Mostly sad becasue it's a warmer 48 degrees here in London and still only 22 degrees in NYC. Arriving at Heathrow Airport about three hours early tends to make you want to drink, Australian beer is even on the menu.
The plans on traveling Europe have changed a little in the following months. Now the trip may also include Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava. I know where 2 out of 3 of these places are on a map but will find the last one soon enough.
I have missed being the only person who sounds like me. There is a bit of an warm fuzzy arrogance in being simply unique amoung a group of people but then again, it's not as if I sound like anyone in New York either.
My breathing is getting worse. Asthma attacks that have been just mostly bothersome in my adult life are now becoming more intense. I am going to see a Dr. soon and find out what that is all about.
The Producers
So everyone arrives at the apartment and we have wine, snacks and make conversation with plenty of time before the show starts, eventually leaving confidently to go to the theatre to see The Producers. Nick said he bought all the tickets in April so I assume it’s hard to get tickets unless it’s well in advance for the show. At least four of the people in the group were from London and felt confident that we needed to get off at Piccadilly Circus to walk down to the theatre on Drury Lane. After a short crowded ride on the underground, we get to Piccadilly only to discover that the theatre we are looking for is about a mile down and time is starting to cut close. With traffic too busy for a Taxi, we ran the mile across London only to make it with seconds to spare, As soon as we sat down, the show started.
While I am sitting there in my seat hearing my Asthma wheeze inside my lungs like a broken squeeze toy, I am trying my best to cover it up and not disturb others until the cardiac arrest clears off and I can breath normal again. I am dripping with sweat as I was wearing a ski jacket while running in the cold and the theatre was incredibly well heated. The lady next to me seemed put off by something and kept leaning in to say something to her husband, Eventually she leans my way and says “I noticed you forgot your handkerchief, might I offer one of mine?” in a posh English accent. I accepted and smiled with a polite thank you. I needed to clear my nose but I thought at first I would wipe my forehead. As I proceeded to do so, she leans over again and says in the same posh tone but a bit more snotty this time; “it’s for your nose”. ….?
The show was absolutely funny. I was amazed at how much I laughed all the way through. At one point Lee Evans messed up his line just after a pitfall gag and the three actors on stage kept cracking themselves up trying to move on. The man is obviously made out of rubber. I recognized a few other actors in the show but I couldn’t tell you where from. If you ever wanted to see a play about a play about a gay Hitler and the producers who tried to make it as bad as possible, this one is for you. I recommend it highly. There were lines used throughout the show to pay tribute to Mel Brooks who wrote the play and stared in the same movie with Gene Wilder in the late 70’s. I noticed a few from Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, and History of the World Part I.
At the end of the show, I was tempted to offer the nice lady her slightly used tissue back as we exited the theatre, either that or wear it on my head as a cap to impress her, but I refrained.
Warmer in London
Arrived in London and all is well. The flight was probably the most non-frills flight I have ever been on, thanks British Airways. Going to see The Producers tonight for sure so looking forward to that. Planning on some sight seeing but not sure what so who knows what's to come.
A special thanks to whomever nearby the apartment has a wireless connection without password protection appropriatly titled "NETGEAR".
ta.
Back in London
Just checking in. It's still cold here.
Here are some more strange tails from the UK:
1. On a keyboard here the @ and " symbols are reversed and the L's look funny, like £. (that was supposed to be a joke).
2. A "Billion" is something completely different here (not even counting the conversion); In the USA, a billion dollars means a thousand million. In the UK, a billion pounds is a million, million.
So much for balancing my bank account.
har, har, har.
On my way to England
Well, it's official, I have flown completely around the world. On my way here, I stopped and pondered the thought that I was watching Sea Biscuit from my private screen on a plane right over Kabul where the war is being fought.
We flew near Ho CHi Man City and Mt. Everest in India and directly over Moscow in Russia. The world seems a little smaller to me now even though I have yet to visit those places.
London is friggin' cold. Who left the window up? I have managed to go a whole year living in summer weather and now this. yikes.
There was a small amount of sight seeing today but I did manage to take a view from the London Eye. I can't believe it's been since 2000 since I came here just before starting that awesome job (sarcasm intended).
Hopefully a few pictures to come soon.
