Wednesday, March 12, 2008
New Blog
Just in case you are afraid you might go through Ellie blog withdrawal ... have no fear ... you can read all about my caffeine withdrawal and other adventures at detoxing ... slowly
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Ellie is Back from London
Well this was supposed to go up on my last day, but we didn't have the Internet at my house, so here I am anticlimactically giving you my tearful last post from my parents' basement.
***
I hated the whole "last blog" thing. I decided the best way to avoid it/fulfill the need for it would be to gather the immense wisdom of my housemates (and my friend Joe), a mixture of Kiwis, Canadians and Americans all living in London for six months to a couple years. We have all managed to carve out our place here, and while there are disagreements on the good/bad aspects of London, we agree on a lot. Below is their responses to what they would recommend to someone visiting London:
Morgan: "I'd go to Borough Market and spend the whole day there just looking at food and vegetables. You have to buy lunch at Borough Market and sample olives ... and those big brownies ... and the things you can dip in different olive oils ... I really love Borough Market."
Matt: "A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in London is to go up to the Tate Modern and drink tea and eat scones and then walk across the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral for the 5:00 free organ recital."
Joe: "I like London best when I'm lost. I like being somewhere and knowing where I'm going -- but not how to get there -- and having to walk." He also adds: "Rent a bike on the Thames and justs go. Don't come back."
Andrea: "I would recommend going to Richmond Park [in the greater London area] and spending a few hours running around there, trying to track down the deer. And then go the main area of Richmond and do some shopping there."
Erika: "Kew Gardens. I heard it's the prettiest in April when the flowers are in bloom."
Chris: "I think the coolest thing I've done is getting a on a bus and going around London and getting off the bus when you see something cool."
Kate: She recommends Canary Wharf in Southeast London (near where I used to live), where she works. This financial district is one of those places people often don't think of as a must-see tourist stop. It houses the tallest buildings in London though, which is a cool site. "The wharf actually is nice. You can go down and walk along the river."
Nick: "A football match. It's awesome because you suddenly become friends with everything around you. Pick a team to root for an go their home game."
Me: "Brick Lane. Don't spend all your time on the West End. The East End is bustling with the best markets and the most diverse people."
Other must-go places:
Regent's Park (OK and all parks in London!)
Chinatown -- Waxy O'Connor's is a bar my housemates recommend
The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens (It's so ugly but you have to see it!)
Camden Market
Notting Hill
Covent Garden (especially at Christmastime)
Avoid:
Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square (OK they have their merits, but these touristy spots are NOT all London has to offer.)
American establishments, such as the Cheers Bar and the Sports Cafe in Piccadilly Circus
Primark on Oxford Street (whoa crowded)
Sitting at home and blogging about London on a Friday night (guilty)
Walkabouts (I have never been, but this popular Australian hangout is both loved and hated. If you do go, Joe suggest being drunk.)
Buckingham Palace
Damn, I'm going to miss this place.
***
I hated the whole "last blog" thing. I decided the best way to avoid it/fulfill the need for it would be to gather the immense wisdom of my housemates (and my friend Joe), a mixture of Kiwis, Canadians and Americans all living in London for six months to a couple years. We have all managed to carve out our place here, and while there are disagreements on the good/bad aspects of London, we agree on a lot. Below is their responses to what they would recommend to someone visiting London:
Morgan: "I'd go to Borough Market and spend the whole day there just looking at food and vegetables. You have to buy lunch at Borough Market and sample olives ... and those big brownies ... and the things you can dip in different olive oils ... I really love Borough Market."
Matt: "A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in London is to go up to the Tate Modern and drink tea and eat scones and then walk across the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul's Cathedral for the 5:00 free organ recital."
Joe: "I like London best when I'm lost. I like being somewhere and knowing where I'm going -- but not how to get there -- and having to walk." He also adds: "Rent a bike on the Thames and justs go. Don't come back."
Andrea: "I would recommend going to Richmond Park [in the greater London area] and spending a few hours running around there, trying to track down the deer. And then go the main area of Richmond and do some shopping there."
Erika: "Kew Gardens. I heard it's the prettiest in April when the flowers are in bloom."
Chris: "I think the coolest thing I've done is getting a on a bus and going around London and getting off the bus when you see something cool."
Kate: She recommends Canary Wharf in Southeast London (near where I used to live), where she works. This financial district is one of those places people often don't think of as a must-see tourist stop. It houses the tallest buildings in London though, which is a cool site. "The wharf actually is nice. You can go down and walk along the river."
Nick: "A football match. It's awesome because you suddenly become friends with everything around you. Pick a team to root for an go their home game."
Me: "Brick Lane. Don't spend all your time on the West End. The East End is bustling with the best markets and the most diverse people."
Other must-go places:
Regent's Park (OK and all parks in London!)
Chinatown -- Waxy O'Connor's is a bar my housemates recommend
The Albert Memorial in Kensington Gardens (It's so ugly but you have to see it!)
Camden Market
Notting Hill
Covent Garden (especially at Christmastime)
Avoid:
Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square (OK they have their merits, but these touristy spots are NOT all London has to offer.)
American establishments, such as the Cheers Bar and the Sports Cafe in Piccadilly Circus
Primark on Oxford Street (whoa crowded)
Sitting at home and blogging about London on a Friday night (guilty)
Walkabouts (I have never been, but this popular Australian hangout is both loved and hated. If you do go, Joe suggest being drunk.)
Buckingham Palace
Damn, I'm going to miss this place.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Big Brother
Word of the day: Scotch egg
Now I know this is going to sound gross, but I, of course, love it. It is hard-boiled egg coated with sausage and bread crumbs and deep-fried. Heart attack on the side.
Big Brother is Watching You
It recently came to my attention that I haven't expressed in this blog just how "on film" one is in Britain. There are CCTV cameras everywhere. Check out this footage of a guy starting a nightclub fire:
In some ways, having the cameras makes me feel better, but then again, I don't know that I feel like it will keep me from getting mugged, only that they might catch the perpetrator later! And how comforting is that really?
Apparently the cameras are talking now! What's next, go on a date with your CCTV camera?
I read somewhere about the irony that nearby George Orwell's house in Notting Hill, there is a camera.
I am now watching: Scratch that ... I am now being watched.
Now I know this is going to sound gross, but I, of course, love it. It is hard-boiled egg coated with sausage and bread crumbs and deep-fried. Heart attack on the side.
Big Brother is Watching You
It recently came to my attention that I haven't expressed in this blog just how "on film" one is in Britain. There are CCTV cameras everywhere. Check out this footage of a guy starting a nightclub fire:
In some ways, having the cameras makes me feel better, but then again, I don't know that I feel like it will keep me from getting mugged, only that they might catch the perpetrator later! And how comforting is that really?
Apparently the cameras are talking now! What's next, go on a date with your CCTV camera?
I read somewhere about the irony that nearby George Orwell's house in Notting Hill, there is a camera.
I am now watching: Scratch that ... I am now being watched.
Monday, March 3, 2008
"I Didn't Vote Today!"
Word of the day: traveller
So I think the number of "l"'s in the word traveler has always been elusive to me...Luckily in Britain, if I get it wrong I'm right.
Place of the day: Hyde Park in Kensington
Located in one of the poshest parts of London, this park is home of the Diana Memorial Fountain, the Albert Memorial, Kensington Palace and a nifty statue of Peter Pan.
Hyde Park
Kensington Palace
And the award for the world's ugliest monument goes to ...
Albert Memorial
"I Didn't Vote Today!"
Yes, that is the pin I should be wearing tomorrow. My parents tried to mail me my absentee ballot, and it never made it. I think to be fair my boyfriend should not vote for Obama in order to
even out my would-be Hllary vote, but he didn't like this deal.
But I wouldn't have to worry about this absentee absentee ballot if I hadn't missed the boat on the Democrats Abroad election, which Obama won. I had no idea overseas Americans actually have delegates.
I almost feel the British should have delegates, because you would think this was their election.
My co-workers know more about it some days than I do. This is the most attention America has received abroad in an election ever, I hear. I was sitting with a group of English people recently who told me they didn't know what it was but they were positively fascinated by it like a football match!
See, British people are very cynical. As a British person recently told me, he is amazed at how "glass-is-half-full" Americans are. ThatBritish cynicism we know and love is extremely evident in theirpolitics and has increased exponentially since Blair entered the Iraq war without the support of the British people. It seems they are interested in America in a way that is kind of inspired by the political vigor of Americans. And of course, they have more obvious vested interest, such as the fact that we are allies and the next president will have a huge effect on foreign affairs.
The British press seem as enamored with Obama as the American press. Hillary seems to be poked fun at a little more. As I'm already confessed, I am a Hillary supporter, and I think we can all agree she has not been portrayed in the same Messiah light as Obama. I'm willing to say this might be partially her fault, I don't know, but it is a genuine observation. Overall, I find the media coverage of this debate -- specifically abroad -- to be utterly fascinating.
Slate did a nice article on the foreign press hype before Super Tuesday: American Idols, International Addition
By the way, it was fun to try to explain the American electoral system to my Canadian housemate. (Thanks for your help Wikipedia.) Of course, Canadian government seems even crazier. They change their government every time they hold an election! And they have like 5,000 parties!
I am now listening to: Amy Winehouse. Yes all of this time in England has finally made her jazzy music sink into me. It is as addictive as the many drugs she takes. My roommate ran into her the other day on Oxford Street! Still no big star sightings for me:(
So I think the number of "l"'s in the word traveler has always been elusive to me...Luckily in Britain, if I get it wrong I'm right.
Place of the day: Hyde Park in Kensington
Located in one of the poshest parts of London, this park is home of the Diana Memorial Fountain, the Albert Memorial, Kensington Palace and a nifty statue of Peter Pan.
Hyde Park
Kensington PalaceAnd the award for the world's ugliest monument goes to ...
Albert Memorial"I Didn't Vote Today!"
Yes, that is the pin I should be wearing tomorrow. My parents tried to mail me my absentee ballot, and it never made it. I think to be fair my boyfriend should not vote for Obama in order to
even out my would-be Hllary vote, but he didn't like this deal.
But I wouldn't have to worry about this absentee absentee ballot if I hadn't missed the boat on the Democrats Abroad election, which Obama won. I had no idea overseas Americans actually have delegates.
I almost feel the British should have delegates, because you would think this was their election.
My co-workers know more about it some days than I do. This is the most attention America has received abroad in an election ever, I hear. I was sitting with a group of English people recently who told me they didn't know what it was but they were positively fascinated by it like a football match!
See, British people are very cynical. As a British person recently told me, he is amazed at how "glass-is-half-full" Americans are. ThatBritish cynicism we know and love is extremely evident in theirpolitics and has increased exponentially since Blair entered the Iraq war without the support of the British people. It seems they are interested in America in a way that is kind of inspired by the political vigor of Americans. And of course, they have more obvious vested interest, such as the fact that we are allies and the next president will have a huge effect on foreign affairs.
The British press seem as enamored with Obama as the American press. Hillary seems to be poked fun at a little more. As I'm already confessed, I am a Hillary supporter, and I think we can all agree she has not been portrayed in the same Messiah light as Obama. I'm willing to say this might be partially her fault, I don't know, but it is a genuine observation. Overall, I find the media coverage of this debate -- specifically abroad -- to be utterly fascinating.
Slate did a nice article on the foreign press hype before Super Tuesday: American Idols, International Addition
By the way, it was fun to try to explain the American electoral system to my Canadian housemate. (Thanks for your help Wikipedia.) Of course, Canadian government seems even crazier. They change their government every time they hold an election! And they have like 5,000 parties!
I am now listening to: Amy Winehouse. Yes all of this time in England has finally made her jazzy music sink into me. It is as addictive as the many drugs she takes. My roommate ran into her the other day on Oxford Street! Still no big star sightings for me:(
Editor's Note
Maybe you might think this is crazy of me, but I just went through my old posts and took out any random Internet photos I threw in them. This is for two reasons, the first being that I want all of the pictures in this blog to be based on my own authentic pictures in true journalistic fashion. The pointless Google images I included (mostly at the beginning when I didn't have a way to get the pictures off my camera) were just needlessly distracting from this authenticity. Secondly, it's not really even legal to just steal photos unless they say they are in the public domain (many on Wikipedia do actually). So because I am a dorky follower of copyright laws (and used to self righteously preach about them when I was a newspaper editor), I deleted any image that wasn't public or my own. Yes, even harmless ones, such as the tea kettle.
Thus when you go through the posts again (as if you will) and see all my "edit: I deleted a photo" notes, don't think it was anything exciting for being controversial. Nope, just me deciding that my Google image searches should be wiped from the blog, and I should be working harder to find my own! I'm wondering what other bloggers out there think about this. It seems in some of the blogs I read there are photos carelessly pasted. Perhaps I understand not being a ridiculous stickler to the rules, but sometimes I think we've gone too far in our willingness to use whatever photo we find.
Thus when you go through the posts again (as if you will) and see all my "edit: I deleted a photo" notes, don't think it was anything exciting for being controversial. Nope, just me deciding that my Google image searches should be wiped from the blog, and I should be working harder to find my own! I'm wondering what other bloggers out there think about this. It seems in some of the blogs I read there are photos carelessly pasted. Perhaps I understand not being a ridiculous stickler to the rules, but sometimes I think we've gone too far in our willingness to use whatever photo we find.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Flat Stanley Goes to London
Word of the day: mum
Mum is definitely the word today, of course, because it's Mother's Day in the U.K.
Place of the day: Canterbury
As in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, we made a pilgrimage last week to this quaint town and breathtaking cathedral. We also tried to do an album cover (second photo) in the ruins of a castle.
Me, Morgan and Hild; photo by Erika Edgerley
Flat Stanley Goes to London (also photos of the week)
So Flat Stanley is originally a children's storybook character who travels all over the world. Now elementary students send their own Flat Stanley creations to international destinations. My good friend Joe was lucky enough to be a recipient of Stanley from his nephew in the States. We took Stanley around for some City of London sightseeing. And then we even headed up to St. John's Wood to pay a tribute to the four lads. We think we made quite a storybook.
Flat Stanley started his London sightseeing at Piccadilly Circus.
Flat Stanley had to stop to call home.
Flat Stanley almost fell in the fountain at Trafalgar Square.
Flat Stanley can tell time because Big Ben is nearby.
Flat Stanley walked along the London Bankside and posed between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.
Flat Stanley visits the famous Abbey Road, where the Beatles once walked. He sees where millions of fans have written on the wall and even crosses the steet like the Beatles did on their album cover.
The end.
Mum is definitely the word today, of course, because it's Mother's Day in the U.K.
Place of the day: Canterbury
As in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, we made a pilgrimage last week to this quaint town and breathtaking cathedral. We also tried to do an album cover (second photo) in the ruins of a castle.
Me, Morgan and Hild; photo by Erika EdgerleyFlat Stanley Goes to London (also photos of the week)
So Flat Stanley is originally a children's storybook character who travels all over the world. Now elementary students send their own Flat Stanley creations to international destinations. My good friend Joe was lucky enough to be a recipient of Stanley from his nephew in the States. We took Stanley around for some City of London sightseeing. And then we even headed up to St. John's Wood to pay a tribute to the four lads. We think we made quite a storybook.
Flat Stanley started his London sightseeing at Piccadilly Circus.
Flat Stanley had to stop to call home.
Flat Stanley almost fell in the fountain at Trafalgar Square.
Flat Stanley can tell time because Big Ben is nearby.
Flat Stanley walked along the London Bankside and posed between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.
Flat Stanley visits the famous Abbey Road, where the Beatles once walked. He sees where millions of fans have written on the wall and even crosses the steet like the Beatles did on their album cover.
The end.
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