My Travel Journal

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:32:15 GMT

We had a fun dinner just down the street. That’s one thing better about both our location and here and in Venice than in Florence – many restaurants and shops really close by. You don’t really have to go out searching too much. Anyway, dinner itself wasn’t all that special, but it was crazy how people would come in trying to sell things or get money. Two guys came in (separately) to sell people first roses and then jewelry! It’s one thing to have them come up to you in the street, but that was something new. Two musicians also came in, one on violin and one with a cello or some other large string instrument. At the end the guy had a had to put money in, but the great part was that there was a group of people eating at a table behind us, and the one guy just started belting out fake lyrics to the music opera-style. It was music from operas, including the already familiar opening song of La Traviata. I wish I could understand what the guy was saying. I mean, it could have been gibberish, but it was probably some really funny random stuff.

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:39:14 GMT

Newport was so nice! Yesterday morning before we left, we took tours of 2 mansions – The Breakers and Rosecliff. The Breakers was built in 1895 and was the home of Cornelius Vanderbilt and his family. The mansion has 70 rooms. Some of them were really over-the-top ornate and Versailles-ish, but others were classy and simpler with really nice furniture. It was an interested tour because we learned some cool stuff about the Vanderbilts (and I had known very little) – like how Anderson Cooper is Gloria Vanderbilt’s son and how the Vanderbilt Univ. teams are called the Commodores because “the Commodore” was the nickname of Cornelius’ grandfather, who gave a bunch of money to found the school.

Then we went over to Rosecliff. We picked this mansion, which had belonged to a family that made their money in silver, because the exterior was used for the film The Great Gatsby. It wasn’t quite as magnificent as the Breakers, which got its name from the way the waves break on the rocks outside, but it was really nice.

Our tour guide showed us the lower level, which had a 400-foot long ballroom that is the largest of all the Newport mansions and has been featured in movies like True Lies and 27 Dresses. Then we went up the really cool heart-shaped staircase to the second floor, where we could go through the rooms on our own. They also had a display going on there featuring contemporary Pierre Cardin designs – nothing overly exciting but cool nonetheless.

Afterwards we quickly headed downtown to see St. Mary’s Church, where John and Jackie Kennedy had gotten married. And that was about it for Newport.

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 01:30:02 GMT

I am having the best weekend ever. OK, maybe not ever, but pretty good. Sheldon and I are in Newport, R.I., and I really like it here.

Yesterday – our first full day since we got here around 11:30 Friday night – we drove around on this scenic ocean drive and got some great pictures along the ocean. Then we stopped at the Yacht Museum and didn’t go though it but did see them building a boat. Then we headed to downtown Newport for some lunch and walked around the Tennis Hall of Fame, which has some tennis courts.

Then we drove to nearby Quonset to catch a ferry out to Martha’s Vineyard – only to find that our trip plan wasn’t going to work. So we decided to spend all day today there instead.

Saturday evening we wanted to do a nice dinner out, and I had my little black dress. We found a place online that seemed to have potential, but we ended up alone in the room with a group with a bunch of excited, screaming kids in casual attire, and half the menu from online wasn’t there. Plus, they weren’t going to validate our $20 parking ticket. We ended up finding another place, which was good and where I got a Caribbean champagne and we both had fish.

Today, we woke early to get the Martha’s Vineyard ferry. It took 1 ½ hours. When we docked, we went right to the shore off Nantucket Sound and picked up cool shells and rocks. Then we walked to Main St. of the Oak Bluffs area, and to a “gingerbread house village,” which was actually just a bunch of cute, colorful houses.

Then we took the bus to the Edgartown area and had lunch at a place the guy at the ferry place recommended. It was nice and overlooked Chappaquiddick. Then we went into some shops, saw a cute old church, and headed to the bus stop with the intent of getting a bus to Aquinnah to see a lighthouse. As we waited, I checked the bus schedule to see about all our stops and when we’d get to Aquinnah and back to Oak Bluffs to leave. At first I thought we’d be back at 4:30 – perfect considering our ferry left at 5. Then we realized it was an hour later than we thought, and we wouldn’t be back on tiem (and had wasted money on all-day passes). So instead, we hopped the bus back to OB and then up to Vineyard Haven, where there was another lighthouse. Unfortunately the buses to it only left every 1 ½ hours, but the info lady said it was in walking distance – 1 to 1 ½ miles. I was thirsty and Sheldon thought he could use a beer, so we looked for a place. Just as we got there I remembered how the guy said one of the towns he pointed out to us was a dry town and how I’d read that Edgartown was one of the only TWO on the island that weren’t. Sure enough, Vineyard Haven is dry, so I just got a bottled soda and we did a bit of shopping, finally finding some stuff.

Then we walked toward the lighthouse. But we seemed to be walking more than a mile, and there was no sign of a lighthouse. So we asked someone walking and found it was still a mile away and clearly the info lady had been wrong. By this time, we couldn’t walk there and balk with enough time to get back to OB in time for our ferry. So that was the end of Martha’s Vineyard.

After an interesting ferry ride back with a couple making out across from us, we headed back to Newport for dinner and ended up at a cool lounge-y place with fun décor and great white zinfandel. Not to mention confusing bathrooms marked simply “us” and “them.” The “us” one was pink, so I figured I was OK, but S later asked and found they were both unisex.

Tomorrow we shall see some mansions. Barb told me to wear my bling. And if I don’t have any, to make S buy me some.

I don’t know how I almost forgot, but at Oak Bluffs, we also rode America’s oldest carousel – very cool!

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:51:09 GMT

Yesterday was a pretty low-key day. Beach in the morning, hanging out in the hotel and napping in the afternoon, the pool, and then Palos Verdes at night. The views there were nice, but nothing compared to La Jolla Cove. That was pretty much our last day. Nice and relaxing.

Our flight heads out today at 3, so we’re just hanging out for awhile. I don’t want to go home. L

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:49:07 GMT

Yesterday was kind of a crazy day. Sheldon went to the SS office for about two hours, and afterwards we started heading toward San Diego. Dad and Janet were also there with Johnny’s family, and we were considering meeting up if possible. I called him and left a message when we neared SD, but he didn’t call back until we were just passing the exit for where they were – La Jolla Cove. Til we got directions (twice) and almost got there, it took awhile. Then we missed the street we needed to get to them and had to drive around and do some U-turns. Of course, Dad was all stressed by the whole mess. I was a little, too, but Sheldon was just like, “Whatever. No big deal.” (I love him.)

So we ultimately got to the cove, which was really gorgeous, and saw Dad, Janet, Johnny, Jill, and Colin (who wasn’t in a good mood). The baby was sleeping in the van they’d rented to drive from Arizona, so I didn’t see him. We only hung out for ten minutes, if even! But it was a really cool area and definitely worth seeing.

Then, they headed off to Sea World and we went into downtown SD for lunch at Buca’s (that had been the first one Sheldon ever ate at a few years ago). Then we decided to head down to the Mexican border, which is really close. Sheldon’s cousin Todd (who is ultra California laidback and so funny) said we should park at the last exit and walk across. So we did. It’s kind of crazy. You just walk thru these turnstile-like switchbacks that you can only go one way thru. So we walked into Tijuana, looked around, and sat at a little restaurant, where Sheldon got a 99 cent beer and I ordered a coconut margarita and ended up with two because it was 2 for $4.99. They weren’t that good, though. To be silly, I took a sip from both glasses at once. Then we went into a little store and that was about it. It was pretty much what I expected of TJ – dirty, smelly, and prescription drugs available at every other store. We didn’t really go too far into the city, though.

Then we walked back and the guy gave us crap about not having our passports, but it wasn’t a problem. Sheldon called Todd and said we were stuck there. Todd totally believed it and laughed like crazy when Sheldon said he was kidding. Then we went up to Todd’s place to see him, his wife Jill and their kids Sam (16) and Sarah (14). They’re all so nice, and I had a lot of fun. Sam was telling us about his ska-punk band and played his bass guitar for us.

Today we went to the beach. I really like Manhattan Beach. We went into the water for awhile. First time in the Pacific! It was freezing at first, but I got used to it fairly quickly. We found a really awesome shell that I’ve never found one like before. Then we just laid on the beach for awhile, and now we’re at the hotel.

I’ve really loved this trip. It’s lived up to my high expectations. I’ve seen so much cool stuff. And I actually have a tan. Kind of. Much more than I usually get anyway.

Oh, my thoughts on San Diego. It seemed nice, but nothing spectacular. I’m sure there are some really great views, but I don’t know what all there is to do that makes it unique. I mean, we didn’t see much so I don’t know, but it also seemed like, “What is there to do?”

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:22:59 GMT

Yesterday was our last Hollywood day. We started at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which was so large we had to buy a map of the famous graves. We saw graves of Bugsy Siegel (apparently the guy who either killed him or put the hit on him is buried nearby him, too!), Mel Blanc, Valentino, Peter Lorre, Jayne Mansfield, Hattie McDaniel, and one of the Ramones. There was a really big marble area for Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Jr., and while we were taking a picture we stumbled upon an on-location TV shoot for the show Dirty Sexy Money. One of the guys called us over as we were walking away and told us what was going on. Apparently a security guy was supposed to have stopped it, but it wasn’t really a problem. The guy was cool and told us what was going on and what the episode and scene was about, and even pointed out the actress Lucy Liu!

Afterwards we drove to Culver City for our tour of Sony Studios. Very cool to see the studio lots and park area where they filmed scenes in King of Queens and 13 Going on 30. We saw the building they used for the high school in Spiderman, too. We walked down “Main Street,” which has facades of all types of buildings (shops, businesses, cafés) that they change around for different scenes. There was a façade of a clothing store that they used as an outdoor café in The Holiday. We saw different production offices, including Adam Sandler’s.

We also saw a street that our guide explained they’d made into a NYC street for Something’s Gotta Give. It was cool to hear the techniques they use for that. We went into the sets for Til Death and Rules of Engagement, which were being set up for filing the upcoming seasons. We went inside a studio where they’d filmed the indoor house scenes in Step Brothers.

Then we saw the biggest stage lot, where they’d filmed the Munchkinland scene in The Wizard of Oz, and the tallest, where they’d filmed the Emerald City and Witch’s Castle.

At the time, they were filming one movie there at Sony – Angels and Demons with Tom Hanks and Ewan McGregor (only my two favorite actors!!). I guess it’s something to do with DaVinci Code. I know the book is by the same guy. We did see about three guys dressed as cardinals for it. And . . . I saw . . . Ewan McGregor!

We were just finishing our tour, and Sheldon and I were at the back of the group. We saw two guys in suits getting a drink or something. They just glanced over. Sheldon said the blond guy looked familiar, but I’m almost positive the other was Ewan! They were both wearing black suits with ties, and Ewan had his jacket slung over his shoulder. Now I feel I have to see that movie.

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:07:08 GMT

I am in California! I love it! It’s as wonderful as I’d imagined, though a little colder at night than I’d expected.

Right now, I’m at the Student Sports office with Sheldon, who is on his conference call. Here’s a brief recap of our first 3 ½ days. When we got to L.A. on Friday, we met up with Andy, who runs SS and is Chris Farley’s cousin. He’s a really nice guy, and I liked meeting him, even if they did mostly just talk about SS. Then we went to our hotel in Manhattan Beach, swam in the pool, and hung out. I fell asleep pretty early with the Olympics on because I hadn’t slept much the previous two nights.

Saturday was our first full day, and it was awesome. We woke early and headed to Hollywood to start off with all the things I really wanted to see. We parked near Hollywood Blvd. and went there to see everything like the Roosevelt Hotel (site of the first Oscars in 1929) and Mann’s Chinese Theatre. It was amazing and surreal. I’ve wanted to go there forever, and even though I was seeing it, it didn’t seem possible that I could actually, finally be there! I could’ve stayed all day. I could go back and just marvel at it again. I tried my hands in the prints of Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Harlow, Judy Garland, Olivia De Havilland, and Natalie Wood! It was so cool. Unfortunately no Audrey print or Vivien Leigh! I was surprised by all the prints of current actors like Matt Damon, Bruce Willis, and the Harry Potter teens. I also made Sheldon try his hands in Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Tom Hanks, and Humphrey Bogart’s. Definitely the highlight of the trip.

After that we walked down part of the Walk of Fame (thought to see it all would take forever), stopping at the Kodak Theatre, current home of the Academy Awards. One odd thing about the Walk of Fame is that we saw duplicate names on stars! Oh, we did see Mabel Normand’s star! She’s the old ‘20s actress who Pete says I look like. (I kind of do.)

Then we saw the Hollywood Museum, with costumes and props from tons of movies from Rocky to Moulin Rouge, Hannibal Lector’s jail cell, and a whole room dedicated to Marilyn. They had dresses from her films, coroner’s report of her death, pill bottle found in her room when she died and a ton of other things.

Then we went back to the Kodak for a tour, which was awesome. We got a lot of behind-the-scenes Oscar info, which I always love. We sat in the room where they hold the ceremony.

Also, forgot to mention my first sighting of the Hollywood sign. I wasn’t expecting it, and happened to see it in the distance when we were driving. I just yelled, “I saw the sign!!” I think I got chills. After Hollywood Blvd., we drove down Sunset Blvd. and up closer to the sign. We got as close as you can pretty much. We tried to hike near it, but we were too far east and couldn’t see anything.

After that, we drove to see the Brady house. The house used for exterior shots on The Brady Bunch. They never filmed inside though. After taking two pictures, we saw the owner going in. Sheldon wanted me to yell, “Mrs. Brady!” or “Florence!”

Then we drove to Mulholland Drive (apparently the street where Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson live). Driving along there, we saw some truly great views over the city. And some fabulous houses.

Day two started out with a “tour of stars homes” I found in a guide book. It wasn’t current homes. We saw homes of Jimmy Stewart, Lucy, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, and more. We saw Lana Turner’s house where her daughter killed Lana’s mobster boyfriend Johnny Stompanato, and the home where Bugsy Siegel was gunned down!

Then we went in search of Marilyn’s grave. We had the address, but when we got to the area, it seemed like no way was there a cemetery around. Turns out, it’s just tucked away off a normal street and behind a library! We had no idea where she was buried, and as we were walking around we saw the graves of Rodney Dangerfield, Walter Matthau, Dean Martin, the guy from Hogan’s Heroes, and Natalie Wood. I was standing at Natalie’s grave, and it was just so . . . chilling. The day before I’d seen her hand and footprints in cement, and now I was at her grave. It was just such a chilling feeling to really consider it all. People had left coins and stuff on her gravestone. I wish I’d had flowers or something. We finally found Marilyn’s grave. People had left lipstick kisses on it, coins, and a photo. Again it was pretty surreal.

After that, we went and saw the La Brea tar pits, which took about 30 seconds. There’s a museum there, but we didn’t care to see a bunch of fossils.

Both nights we went down to the beach and walked down the pier. It was pretty cool to be out over the ocean and look back at the beach, and also to watch the sunset on the water. The Pacific is gorgeous. Manhattan Beach is a million times better than the Jersey shore, that’s for sure! I think tomorrow we’ll spend some time at the beach/in the water during the day.

Chicago

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:01:45 GMT

I just got back yesterday from my trip to Chicago with Annie. It was a lot of fun. She did really well on the flight. Well, when we first sat, she got really nervous and teared up, but then she took an anxiety pill and was pretty much OK. She said she didn’t like it, but she could tolerate it. And she was even talking about where else we could go. The one thing that sucked about the airport was that she had a large bottle of lotion in her carry on that they took because it was too big. At least her knitting needles were OK.

So we got to Chicago on Tuesday and took a cab ride (my first ever) to our hotel. Then we went to downtown Chicago, crossing over the Chicago River, and saw the Sears Tower. Then we walked over to Lake Michigan and walked along the water for a little. By this point, we were both tired and our feet were sore. Though we didn’t see much, we had walked A LOT, and it was really hot and sunny. So we made our way back to the hotel, and it was quite the walk back. We got back around 4 or 5 and were so tired. We just ordered food in and hung out there watching TV and goofing around.

On Wednesday, we walked down the Magnificent Mile, which has lots of cool buildings and ritzy shops. We saw and went up the John Hancock Building. There was only about a two minute wait, and the views were awesome. Annie said it was so much better than the Sears Tower, which is also what the guidebook said. On the Magnificent Mile, we also saw the water tower, which survived the Chicago Fire, and the Tribune Tower. Then we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, which was a waste of $10. We walked through it in about 15 minutes, and most of what we saw was beyond weird and unexciting. After that, we walked over to the Navy Pier, which is along the water and has a bunch of attractions like rides and stuff. We didn’t really do anything other than walk around. Then we walked back to the hotel (not as far as the previous day, but our feet were killing us. Mine feels [still] bruised on the side, but it’s not. It kills when I walk.) We relaxed for a little and then took the El out to Oak Park, a really cute suburb where Frank Lloyd Wright lived. We saw his house and studio and some home he’d designed.

It was a really fun trip overall. I like Chicago, but I pretty much saw all I cared about seeing.

Now, a day after getting home, I’m back on a plane. This time Sheldon and I are heading to Hollywood! Finally, I’m going there. We’re on the first of our stops – in Birmingham. We didn’t have to switch planes. We also stop in Vegas. And then . . . L.A.!!

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:12:56 GMT

Well, we are on our way back home now! Our flight just took off a little while ago. It's a little bumpy right now. Since the flight isn't full and Mike was by himself in the row in front of us, Jeff moved up there. So now Sheldon and I have a row to ourselves.

So after the city stuff this morning, we drove toward the airport, planning to make a few stops on the way. First, we stopped to see a Viking ship, and what's crazy is that we saw Sheldon's family there. They'd left earlier than us and had already seen some other stuff. It was kind of crazy. We pulled off and saw his dad and unlce, so Sheldon rolled down the window and yelled, "Stop taking pictures!" The viking ship was kind of cool to see. Then we went to this area where there was the plate that connected Icleand to America, and you could stand on the bridge where it was the midpoint. Then we decided to see a semi-nearby lighthouse. The ride was crazy. Let's just say the roads weren't paved, and at a certain point, we were hitting holes and bumps like crazy. (It brought back some memories of Kenyan matatu rides!) But it was a lot of fun, and we laughed a lot about it. The lighthouse itself was OK.

I guess that was about the end of our time in Iceland, other than hanging out at the airport, where we did buy a puffin. Mike and Jeff weren't amused by its name, but Sheldon's family got a kick out of it.

Last Day in Iceland :(

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:08:00 GMT

Well, last night we all went out for dinner at a place in the downtown Reykjavik area, which seemed to be a cute, fun area. We had such trouble with parking, and Sheldon's family parked separately. So wehn we finally parked and got to the place (which was luckily pretty close), his family was nowhere to be found. Mike, Jeff, and I went in and sat while Sheldon waited, but it seemed to be taking forever. Turns out, they walked in the wrong direction at first, and ended up out of the way. But once we were all together, dinner was really good. I got monkfish, which came with these cheesy noodles, and Sheldon and I split cheesy garlic bread. It was all really good. I even tasted Sheldon's lobster - better than crab, but still not great.

I'm kind of bummed to be leaving Iceland. I'm looking out at the landscape and the beautiful blue of the ocean, and just thinking that I would've liked to have seen more of Reykjavik. I would have reather seen that than some of the outside of Reykjavik stuff we saw yesterday. Like, it would've maybe been nice to check out the downtown area and maybe have done some shopping. Ideally, the best thing would've been if I had been feeling well when we first landed and we got to see some of the city stuff then.

We did see some more city stuff this morning, like a lake in the middle of the city that we drove over. And we saw one of hte only two Catholic churches in the country. It was really pretty. We also saw the place where Reagan and Gorbechev met and signed the SALT II treaty in 1986 to end the Cold War. I think that was really cool. It's kind of crazy how we saw some beautiful natural things like Gullfoss Falls, but what was coolest for me (aside from some of the gorgeous snowy mountain landscapes on our drive yesterday) were the city sights like the two churches and that Regan-Gorbechev building.

How about last night at dinner, they had the "puffin feast" as a menu item. That was pretty funny after Mike and Jeff have been joking all week about eating puffin and ordering puffin as a topping on pizza. But neither ended up getting it. Mike said, "After joking about it all week, now I just can't help but think, 'But it's so cute. It looks like a penguin.'"

Sheldon may be getting me a stuffed puffin. And we will name him Puffin Sheldonsson since children's last names become their father's name plus "son" for a boy or plus "dottir" for a girl.

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:44:44 GMT

Well, we made it to the town of Selfoss, and basically all we did was see Bobby Fischer's grave. It was kind of crazy because he just died within the past two months.

Once we got back to Reykjavik, the four of us went to this mini-mall-like area where there's an observation area with really awesome views.

In a little bit, the whole group is going out to dinner at a place where Sheldon went last year. Yay Icelandic food!

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:41:04 GMT

So we have done Akranes, Geysir, and Gullfoss. We're now heading toward Selfoss (back in the direction we need to go anyway). We didn't see too much at Akranes. There was a cool old Viking-like ship that we got to go on, and it was right near a cemetary. When we first got there, it looked like there was this really narrow church, but it turned out to just be some monument-type thing or little building with the cemetary. We also visited the sports complex, where the city's basketball and soccer teams practice. We didn't see the basketball because there were students there, but we saw the indoor/outdoor soccer.

This is random, but it always amazes me in a foregin country how much American culture has pervaded the area. Like seeing a KFC-Taco Bell or signs for a McFlurry at McDonalds.

Anyway, the drive up to Geysir was kind of long. I slept through part of it. There were some really cool views, though. The landscape really is beautiful. It's kind of odd how among all that beauty there is all this desolation. There are areas of nothing and then just a random house or two. We have seen a lot of those littel Viking horses, though. We actually even saw two random trailers in the middle of nowhere. Even the highway is pretty much just us, with the occasional car going past.

Geysir was all right. I got a good picture of the geyser that is most active, and we saw people get sprayed by it because of the wind.

Gullfoss wasn't too far from there. I wasn't as impressed by it as Sheldon was or as I hoped to be. But I think part of that is because it was so cold! The wind at times is just killer, and I really hate it. It wasn't bad in Akranes when there was no wind, but I was ready to cry at Gullfoss. Partly becuase on the way from the car to the area where you can see the falls, I was slipping and sliding on the ice and nearly fell on my face once. Also, part of the walkway where you can view the falls from was iced over, so we couldn't get the whole view. I think Annie would've liked it a lot (except for the cold, of course) because she likes Niagara Falls so much.

Since I was so cold (Barbara even gave me her one scarf) and really it wasn't worth staying after a few minutes, Sheldon and I went into the gift shop. I found a mug for Mom, a tall glass for Dad, and a keychain for Annie. (Hopefully this will last longer than the London one.)

One thing I'm disappointed about so far is that I don't feel as if this has been a strong cultural experience yet. I know there's still time, but not much. Maybe it's just different because Kenya was total cultural immersion, and this seems to be nothing. I think Sheldon got that last year with talking to workers at the hotel about the culture and with eating Icelandic food, or at least going to an Icelandic restaurant, which hopefully we'll do tonight.

Oh, also meant to mention . . . onthe way to and from Akranes, we had to go through an underwater tunnel. That was the first time I've done that, and I didn't know exactly what the tunnel would be like, but it's just like any other tunnel and you wouldn't even know you're underwater. I didn't quite appreciate Jeff saying, "I feel like this tunnel is going to collapse at any moment." LOL.

Kind of funny . . . on the radio we just heard that "Umbrella" song by Rihanna, which was on all the time when I ws in Kenya. It's funny here how the radio station doesn't really stick to one genre. It goes from Beyonce to a lesser known Queen song to Europop.

I also should add . . . I know I've done some complaining about the trip and haven't felt excited about stuff and hate the weather, but I am glad I came. I always love experiencing a new country and seeing a new part of the world, so I'm glad I came. And I did see some cool stuff.

Though one more thing that sucks. My hair is disgusting. It's so gross and stiff from the Blue Lagoon. I wasn't able to wash it yet, and it's seriously as stiff, knotty, and ratty as if I had dredlocks!

Sight-seeing. Finally

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:18:22 GMT

First full day in Iceland. Yesterday, after finally getting to the hotel, I was so sore and tired that we ended up just staying and sleeping while Sheldon's family did the City Tour. In the evening, we all went to the Blue Lagoon. I definitely didn't enjoy it. The water was warm (despite some cold patches), but the wind was ridiculous. My ears and face were freezing, and I kept getting the disgusting salty water in my mouth. After a little, Sheldon and I went to the indoor water area, which definitely wasn't as warm but was at least inside. I didn't really enjoy it, which is unfortunate considering how much Sheldon and Jeff enjoyed it last year. But I guess it wasn't so windy last year either. All of Iceland is a lot colder/windier than I expected. But it's not all bad! There are some really cool sights, like the mountains.

Last night, after the Lagoon, Sheldon, Jeff, Mike, and I went to get food at this Subway at this convenience-like area. It sucked that the menu was all in Icelandic, but I guess, what else can you expect?

This morning, the four of us tried to do a mini City Tour (I guess we'll do the rest tomorrow), which ended up only including the cool church [Hallgrimskirkja] because the other place we wanted to go to (with a cool scenic overlook) wasn't open yet. But I thought the church was pretty cool. Definitely my favorite part so far.

Now we're on our way to do some sight-seeing outside Reykjavik. We're going to a sea-side city called Akranes, another city where Bobby Fischer is buried, Gullfoss Falls, Geysir, and we'll possibly see a glacier and volcanic crater. I don't know. None of it sounds all that excited to me. I've seen some pretty landscapes, but it doesn't seem to be as nice as Sheldon said it was.

Who goes north for Spring Break?

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:09:23 GMT

Who goes north for Spring Break? Really. We are in our rental car waiting for Sheldon to settle things with the Hertz guy, and there is snow on the ground. Plus we had to clean off the car. It was also amusing for Sheldon to figure out how the car works.

The flight here was crappy. My head and neck were killing me. I slept a little - mostly on Sheldon's shoulder. But was I really cold at times, even with two blankets.

I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with this group of people. I just hope I enjoy all we do/see.

Iceland

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:04:12 GMT

I am at the airport once again. This time - luckily - I am not on my own. I'm sitting with Sheldon, Jeff, and Mike, and Sheldon's parents and uncle Dan are haivng a drink. We had to fly on this little 50-passenger commuter plan from Dulles to JFK, and it sucked. Well, just at first. It was so narrow - one seat, a narrow aisle, and two seats. It was just really shaky at first. But once we got in the sky, I was OK and Sheldon kept me cheered up. Even as we began to descend, I was getting a little upset, but he kept repeating "Ass Man" (as in the guy from Buca's), so I couldn't help but laugh. And then I could see the Empire State Building and skyline, and it made me happy.

I don't feel totally excited about Iceland. I don't know why. But I think it'll be good.

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:30:59 GMT

Susan said it’s good I was taking my Lariam even though I still got malaria because they prevented it from being really bad. She also said that most people here get it at some time.

The Simple Life?

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 19:16:06 GMT

Aoife and I just had our first experience with hand washing laundry. I don’t think my clothes got any cleaner. Or perhaps it was just that they were so dirty that now they’re just slightly dirty. We were very Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie.

At our new house in Ruiru

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:03:23 GMT

So Aoife and I are at our new house. The house is bigger and nicer than before. We have two beds but still share a room. The bathroom is nicer but no working sink there. The woman who lives here, Margaret, doesn’t speak English, but her daughter Susan is staying while we’re here. Her 7-year-old girl Maggie is staying here, and she has a 9-month-old baby. Margaret’s son lives in a smaller place on the same compound with his wife and 5-year-old son Francis, who’s cute but clingy. The food is already better than before, but it seems we’ll be helping more. We rolled chapatti tonight.

I feel awkward when we’re the only ones who don’t know Kiswahili. Today Ian, Edith, and George from the orphanage were discussing our placement and plans for tomorrow, and it was so obvious but so secretive. I think that’s just rude. It made me feel like a little kid – like when your parents talk to the doctor about giving you a shot without wanting you to know.

I also feel weird about Margaret not knowing English. Tonight Susan told me to wipe off some dishes. Then Margaret came and was saying something about it. She took me into the kitchen to put them in water and then she wanted me to dry them. She gave me a cloth and I started drying them, but then she was laughing, talking to me in Kiswahili (or maybe Kikuyu), and taking that cloth and giving me a different one. It’s one thing when they have a conversation among themselves that you don’t understand, but it’s another when you can’t even communicate about basic things.

It looks like Aoife and I will be helping out in the school where kids from the center go, and I’ll probably teaching English. We’ll learn more tomorrow. I’m not sure if that’s really what I want to do. But I don’t know what I DO want. I know I’d get bored doing what I’ve been doing at the orphanage all day. There’s only so much paper and crayon drawing that I can take.

I’m kind of homesick. I miss all the fun stuff I’ve been doing. I miss Jessica. I miss talking to Mom and Dad on the phone. I hate to admit it but a part of me wants to be at Jomo Kenyatta airport right now, about to head home. I miss the normalcy of home. I miss my culture.

Even though I do feel glamorous here. No matter how long it’s been since I showered or that my hair’s a mess, I’m like a celebrity to the kids. A white person! They look at us in awe and want to shake our hands. It’s getting a little annoying now. Just a little excessive. Now I know what it feels like to be Jennifer Aniston.

But today, a girl about 2-3 saw us and got scared and started crying! We must be the first white people she’d ever seen. Susan said it must be like if children in America see a black person, and we tried to explain that that was far from the case.

First day of volunteering

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:51:55 GMT

I am beat. I went to the orphanage and finally got to help out. I helped with mopping, then sat with the kids as they colored and made string bracelets, played catch and basketball. I feel so wiped out.

It’s exhausting but I also felt bored and incapable at times. Coloring last forever and I was like, “OMG, is it lunch time yet?” It was just a lot of the same thing. And I didn’t really know what to say. A bunch don’t speak English, but at least I’m able to give them attention and affection, which they’re so in need of. But it was also hard. Not that it was sad or heartbreaking. But it was just so dirty. Kids with snot caked beneath their noses, filthy hands and feet. And to think that this is an improvement for those who were once on the street. I realize hygiene isn’t the top priority when you’re a street child, but it’s just difficult. And then I feel selfish b/c I’m thinking how germy it must be how, how gross it is, how I’m going to get sick. And I hate it because I’m here to help, not to feel that way.

Writing by a dying flashlight . . .

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:32:00 GMT

I’m writing by flashlight. Yet another blackout. Today we had so much language info. Too much all at once. Then we went to see giraffes. I got to feed one. It was a little gross and scary, but it was so cool. Then we went to a crocodile place. There were a bunch of sleeping crocs that were so still we thought they were statues. I got to feel one’s skin, which was surprisingly soft. They apparently sleep a lot after eating and had each recently eaten a chicken. They live to 100 and can stay in water for 30 minutes. We also got to feed ostriches. Then we went to see the Bomas dancers. They put on cool cultural dances. We looked at a few tribes’ traditional huts.