AEJ Travel Blog

2007-08-28T09:15:00.000-07:00

Home Safe!

I flew from Hannover to London on Sunday, and spent one last night in East Grinstead at my grandparents'. The flight back to MN on Monday morning was surprisingly quick, and as soon as dad picked me up, we went out for my first steak in two months(!)

I can't wait to get in touch with everyone, as soon as I get rid of the mountain in my room.

Oh, and before I hop in my car to see any of you, I have to take my driver's exam again, as my license expired while I was away...wish me luck!

Last Batch of Pictures...

2007-08-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

a view of the river that runs through Sophia's town from a window at the porcelin museum in Fürstenburg

inside the monestary chapel

outside the monestary in the courtyard

2007-08-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

a typical house on Sylt--almost all the houses had beautiful (and v. expensive) thatched roofs

our car stuck out a little...

Sophia at the beach the morning we left....not exactly in our beach clothes

breakfast with Sophia's friend Kira one morning

me and one of Sophia's adorable dogs (the other in the left corner)

2007-08-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sophia sitting outside a small castle near her home...where we later ended up caught in a torrential downpour!

at a monument near her home as well--the view from the top of the monument was amazing--able to see all of the surrounding towns and the river

starting our journey to Sylt...we actually managed to make it without a single wrong turn!

modeling some sailor hats in a gift shop in Sylt...cheesy, I know. But I like it. We had no one to rush us out of the shops.
a street in Sylt

Approaching my last week...

2007-08-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you've been sorely disappointed in the amount of blogging Alison has accomplished! If you're currently enjoying a nice breeze on your underarm, remember that I cannot wait to catch up with you and fill you in on every tiny, insignificant detail of my trip. Four hours later, you'll be sorry you asked. :)

Anyway!
Sophia and I arrived back from a three-day vacation on Sylt on Thursday. Sylt was a bit chilly, but full of lots to see, even without the beach. To get there, we started on the autobahn, going frightenly fast, and after exiting, proceeded to drive Sophia's little yellow Citröen onto an open air train that took us over the water to the island. Never seen anything like that before! We stayed at her parents' beautiful apartment in Westerland that they rent out to people when they're not using it. We shopped, sat out on our balconey, drove around sight-seeing, met a sea lion, had champagne on the beach, ate yummy seafood (yes, I ate seafood), saw Axel Springer's summer home, and decided to return with men someday. :) Sylt was amazing--relaxing, luxurious, and gave us the illusion that we had way more money than we do! Someday...

Since Sylt, we've been making v. interesting day trips and getting to spend time with Sophia's friends. Sophia's uncle took her, her mother and I on a tour of surrounding towns, visiting a famous porcelin factory in Fürstenburg; Hameln--where the Pied Piper is legended to have lived; monestaries; castles; and met Sophia's father at a beautiful restaurant to end the day. We've also been to Minden shopping, visited Sophia's horse and school, and out to a couple different (enormous) clubs and cocktail bars with her friends. And yes, Europeans really do dance all night in clubs--that's probably why they're thinner over here...But my poor, confused body just didn't know when to get up after staying out till 6am, causing me to sleep in until 3 for the first time in my life. Ugh. :)
Sophia is moving into her first apartment next week, so naturally we had to find an IKEA. Really made me eager to start making money again so I can pay off some debts and stop feeling guilty about spending money! (Although, rest-assured, financial guilt is in no way hindering my vacation...I kindly term my disposition as resistant...much to dad's dismay...) :) (hmmm...I make a lot of smileys....time to grow out of that??) hah.

We've also found it impossible to stay away from our Harry Potter books...I'm currently on page 487 with butterflies in my stomach--who's going to live!?!...spoil it for me and I'll hunt you down...I probably know where you sleep...

Anyway!
Sophia's parents have been nothing short of wonderful in their hospitality and willingness to speak as much English as possible. I'm in love with German food and dining atmosphere and hope to bring some better eating habits back with me! They have a breathtaking garden that Sophia's mom designed herself and an equally stunning home they built around 15 years ago. Their two dogs are very well-tempered and friendly, providing nice excuses for walks in the countryside.

Our last days together will include moving Sophia in on Thursday, Hannover and a tent party on friday and spending time with her brother on Saturday. Sunday I fly back to London, spending the evening with Grandma and Granddad, leaving for the states Monday morn.

Let's see if I can get some pictures up now!
Take care** and thank you for reading this!! It truly means a lot to me, and I can't wait to see all of you and be filled in on every tiny, insignificant detail of your summer!
-Alison

Finally, new pictures!

2007-08-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

I managed to get quite a few pictures on here, even though I'll be home in 3 weeks....but oh well. There's actually three pages of them--so don't miss any! The Oxford ones are towards the back--but there are lots of new ones. Enjoy!

BERLIN PICTURES begin...quite a few

2007-08-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

discussing our footage with Aljoscha at a smaller table in the conference center

at the Ellington Hotel outside in the courtyard with Sophia

inside the Ellington! best breakfasts I've had in a long time...

on top of the roof at rbb--radio company that broadcasts Radio MultiKulti--station that broadcasts in 18 different languages and has programming for all of them as well.

inside the Sony Center--having cocktails with Sophia on our last night in Berlin--the roof is that purple dome--continuously changing colors

2007-08-12T06:07:00.000-07:00

The concert "popeuropa" at a site by the river--you can see a pool IN the river, a sand beach, and to the left is more seating, with the actual concert inside the building behind me

a group of us on the balcony at the concert--Sandra, Jacob, Virginia, me, Lene, Tereza, Zach and Filip

Inside the Berlin Opera house--where we saw a polish orchestra with the most amazing mezzo accompanying...why aren't I doing that, again??? hmmm...

2007-08-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

in the old dutch quarters of Potsdam--completely soaked but completely content with the world's best hot chocolate in my stomach

on the bike tour...cheesy, I KNOW, but the only shot of me actually on my bike...not an easy task, thank you Tereza!

At the Stalin memorial in Berlin--if anyone remembers the actual name of this, please let me know!

2007-08-12T05:48:00.000-07:00

Tereza, me, and Alexandra, enjoying a cup of coffee on our last day

at our farewell party! Paula from Panama, Alex from Romania, and Tereza from the Czeck Republic

and of course Sophia, mon amie that I'll be spending my last three weeks with

2007-08-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

in the European Information Center--where we had our lectures and discussions--the table's actually in a U-shape--seated are Elke, Katerine, Tereza, Viginia, Stefani, and Aljoscha--our film advisor

me, Fabian and Elke, posing with our camera, trying to feign experience and skills we obviously lacked... :)

one last lunch on the lawn--many times we only have an hour or so break for lunch, so we'd pick up sandwiches from the bakery and eat in the sun. sorry the pics are so dark...

BERLIN PICTURES

2007-08-12T05:02:00.000-07:00

The entire group in front of Axel Springer--biggest publishing house in Europe. building is much taller than appears, naturally. V. Exciting, as we got to talk with the Arts Producer of Die Welt and tour the newsroom. Quite different from home

inside the Bundestag!! (German parliament) purple really livens up the room, eh?

The documentary group--reviewing our footage and frusterated with the over-abundance of Nat-sound...

OXFORD PICS cont...

2007-08-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

my bedroom at Oxford--a view from the door...

and a view of the door--with jess waiting to go shopping

in the morning on the way to lecture...trying to figure out how to cram two nutella croissants into my mouth in the next two minutes...

2007-08-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

our last formal dinner--jess, kortni and I in the queens room for pre-dinner drinks

2007-08-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

previously the warden's lodge, now Merton's library

2007-08-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Shakespeare theater where we saw MacBeth--actually flooded the next week

2007-08-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

a walk from my place to the quads. is there a single place in oxford not perfectly picturesque? i really don't think so.

2007-08-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

the hall where we ate all our meals....yeah...i know.
us having one of our first meals, complete with beaucoup de mushrooms, of course. jess on the right
jess and I in the gardens--one of my favorite pics, taken by world renown photographer Jennifer Novotny.

2007-08-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

last niht at oxford--Jess, Kortni and I with some of our favorite drinks--Guiness, Pimms and lemonade and a sexy susan
the Camera of the Bodelian--where I went do research for my paper. you order the books online, then they're retrieved from the stacks underground and delivered to the reading room of your choice. the briggs dims a bit, no? :)

2007-08-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

the path to my "dorm building" for lack of a better term. More like apartments, jusit without kitchens and such.
My door is there on the right--and this road leads up to the high street

2007-08-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

Tutor Steve Kershaw and his jazzband we went to see one night--one guy from Sweden and the other from Russia. That's Dr. Kershaw playing the bass!

Pictures, finally! in no particular order...

2007-08-10T05:55:00.001-07:00

formal dinner in the Hall--Gwyn looking ?? , me trying to explain something (fascinating, I'm sure..) and Sam listening attentively to Dr. Brooks, or contemplating how to approach his dessert...)
discussion with prof. kershaw over a pint in the college bar after our last formal dinner
a shot of the crowds at the Tour de France--taken by steve--with me in the right bottom corner looking thrilled about the wait!
a cyclist, obviously--again, taken by steve
One of the recovered roman mosaic floors of a palace--dug up by accident while installing a water main in Fishbourne. One of our "field trips"!!

So it's taken me ages, but now that I'm at Sophia's house, I finally have time to proprely update this thing.

We'll see how many pics I can get up on here...

Nap time...

2007-08-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

My filming partners and I decided to take a break (nap, actually) and fortunately, the flat I'm in has wireless! Hallelujah.

First of all, it's freezing in Berlin. I figured it'd be a LITTLE cooler than back home, but I wasn't expecting to shiver my way to the U-Bahns 5 times a day. There's something to get used to---public transport. You don't realize how free a car makes you feel until the only form of transportation you own is a little slip of paper, allowing you to share little train cars with people you don't know or understand. I was quite proud of myself today though, making it all by myself to one of my friend's flats. Most of the time, honestly, I'm content to let other people debate out directions.

Today we spent the morning filming again. Whole new respect for photogs....setting up the tripod, checking white balances, focusing, setting the scene....uhhh...thus it's naptime. The Sudanese falafel we had for lunch was extremely satisfying though.

Last night we found this great Spanish tapas bar though, and enjoyed sangria and calamari. And of course a couple friends knew spanish as well...where do they all find the time to learn 5 different languages??

Yesterday was interesting though, touring an enormous radio station called Multikulti, which broadcasts in 18 different languages, and--I think--is the only one to do so.

Three nights ago, after touring a Jewish Museum, we had a formal dinner that Tereza (from the Czeck Republic) and I had a v. difficult time trying to find. The directions said Torstrasse 18, and the actual location was Torstraße 189...so we walked for almost an hour before getting a call from one of the other students with the corrections... Irritation was quickly erased by the open bar though. And dancing later was helpful too!

Two nights ago, we all went to a concert called popeuropa, featuring a pop singer from Romania and the DJ who did the soundtrack for Borat. I'm developing a taste for Balkan beats, I think. Although after 3-4 hours of it, you're definitely ready for something you don't have to dance to!
The concert had an amazing location--right on the river, with balconeys, beaches, docks and a pool right in the river. I'm going to try and get pictures up as soon as possible...it's just a bit IMPOSSIBLE right now...

days are so busy, and I'm getting a bit rundown, but on Monday, I get to meet up with Sophia and hopefully start sleeping in (!!)

Hope you are all well, happy and warm--I heard about the bridge collapsing and would really appreciate hearing more. Keep me posted on new developments.
Love you, Alison

A free minute!!

2007-07-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ok!! I have 15 mins to write about the past week. here I go. (excuse the typos, please)

Berlin is amazing, overwhelming, tiring, and exhilirating. So many new things to try...Balkan dancing last night, after a booking at this posh club at the top of a skyscraper. Sadly, I´m miserable at dancing, as I´m sure most of you already know. Today we also started filming our documentary on multiculturalism in Berlin. The group of 25 students split in half, one doing a written publication focusing on multiculturalism in the business world, and the other (my half) working on a video documentary. Two German students and myself spent this afternoon walking around a Turkish sector of Berlin, interviewing families and shooting interesting cultural clashes. How often does one get to do that?? A Russian film producer from Eastern Germany is helping us by reviewing our footage throughout the week and making suggestions. And I´ll have a lovely copy to post on here when it´s finished!! V. exciting.

Breif summary of the previous week:
-Tour of the Bundestag, basically parliament
-Tour and conference at Axel Springer--Europe´s largest publishing company--focusing on Die Welt, one of it´s paper companies
-Berlin Wall
-Modern Art Museum
-National Gallery currently housing french impressionism exhibit from NY--lots of Degas--v. exciting, as he is my current favorite.
-Beer Gardens
-Karaoke Bars
-bike tour through Potsdam---probably my favorite excursion--riding bikes by rivers, over bridges, through old dutch quarters on beautiful old cobblestone streets and stopping for the best hot chocolate i´ve ever had...
-German food!!
-lectures from journalists from all around eastern Europe. international journalism is starting to sound quite enticing...

but above all, the other students are my favorite part. 25 of us--from germany, macedonia, belgium, serbia, czeck republic, bulgaria, poland, romania, panama--and just three of us from the states. and everyone gets along SO incredibley well. we have so much fun together and have the most dynamic discussions. and everyone is very patient with my embarrassing german skills....or complete lack thereof.
anyway, i have to go catch yet another train. I've never ridden so many trains...
I´ll try to write soon!!
take care*

I am here!

2007-07-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

There is very limited internet here in Berlin, so my updates for the next two weeks will be very scarce. Just a quick note to say that i made it safe and sound to berlin at 1am after a flight delay, and am managing just fine despite my complete lack of knowledge of the german language. Embarrassing, but not paralyzing! The lectures and discussion tables are fascinating; there are 25 students involved--all from different eastern european countries. Thank goodness the rest of the world commits to bilingualism!! we have bonded quickly though, and all get along really well. the berlin program is much more relaxed than my time at oxford; we have ample time for sightseeing and i rely on my german speaking friends to direct me through the maze of underground transportation! (so actually, most of them are trilingual.) we spend the mornings in round table discussion, the afternoons sightseeing, and the evening discovering berlin's nightlife (which never sleeps, I'm told)
Anyway, i will write more complete entries when i have the time, and when I'm not so overwhelmed by this culture shock! I'm loving every second of it though, rest assured. :)

has it really been three weeks??

2007-07-20T02:57:00.001-07:00

First of all, an ENORMOUS thank you for all of the birthday wishes on facebook, on my blog, and in emails.
Fortunately I DID manage to scrounge up a couple random people to drag out to the bars for some birthday drinks... kidding of course.
I've made some insanely awesome friends here, and they made sure it was a successful celebration of the last 21 years.
I know some of you have to be quite curious as to what when down, so here you go!
We all started out in the Merton College Bar--Jessica officially bought me my first drink--I think it was called a Beau-Job. (Trina--a couple of those are in order for you, I think) The whole crew came out to kind of send us off at the bar--professors and everything--so that was really nice. Then Brent, Kortni, Steve, Sam, Jess, Gwyn, Darrell and I headed out to a pub called Old Tom's where I reluctantly experienced a DJodka--not something I'll ever try again. it's exactly what it sounds like--Jack Daniels and Vodka. absolutely horrible.Then we hopped across the street to another pub called St. Aldgates, then onto a really nice bar called Copa, then to a couple nightclubs--the Purple Turtle and The Bridge. And it's crazy because it was a wednesday night, and the clubs were still packed. Oxford is actually a decently sized city--I don't know if I mentioned that already--over 100,000. To be quite brief and cryptic, it was a very interesting evening--very pleasant and enjoyable--and I definitly felt well taken care of.
Ok! so enough of that.

The rest of the week was splendid as well.

I did however, manage to develop strep throat last weekend, so I spent the better part of friday and saturday napping...luckily dad foresaw this though, and sent along a round of antibiotics! So I feel completely fine, thank goodness.

Our term papers were also due on Monday, so the weekend was definitely a struggle. I ended up doing mine on why the romanization of Britain was such a smooth success culturally, and what some of the crucial factors were. Prior to coming here, I had never really been much for history, but I've definitely discovered a new fascination in British history.

We've had a little more free time (not much more) now that lectures have ended and our papers and presentations have been completed, so we've been trying to shop and see everything we haven't seen yet....instead of writing a book, I think a brief, hodge-podged list of highlights will work best:
-Harry Potter movie on Tuesday night!!! (if it wasn't already obvious, i'm slightly obsessed)
-church service at St. Aloysius on Sunday
-high table on thursday...penny wars have an entirely different connotation here than in the US...
-finished lectures on wednesday
-out dancing last night
-visited the Old Bodelian Library
-Divinity School
-Blackwells Bookstore--enormous and built around this ancient pub called the White Horse that refused to move
-Chang Mai--this AMAZING Thai restaurant...Thai is probably my favorite food
-punting again yesterday--much more successful this time
-movie being filmed here at Merton with Emma Thompson--one of my fave actresses
it's called the Brideshead Revisited...based on a novel I believe...
-beautiful beautiful weather...aside from the downpour this morning.

Overall, I cannot believe it's already time to leave, I'm--not hoping, but PLANNING--on coming back, and can easily say that these past three weeks have been some of the best in my life thus far. I firmly believe that everyone needs to have an overseas adventure, and that you haven't experienced life until you throw yourself into a completely foreign one and live amongst a different people. How can you discover your true person surrounded by people with extremely simlilar backgrounds? Living in SD, it's so easy to become insular, and lose the desire to pursue something scary or uncomfortable. It's easy to be happy--SD is a wonderful place to live. But there's this incredible amount of amazing people out there--waiting to make an impact on your life, ready to introduce you to new ideas, passions and experiences. Deep down, we're all people, yes, but the core of humanity is not what you experience on an everyday basis. People here are Very different from people in SD, and I'm sure Germany will hold a whole new set of differences as well.
And there's so much to see in this world. Our lives are so incredibly short, and we only get one chance to do as much as possible. ....hmmm. I'm digressing. Point is, I think I've been bitten by the travel bug. Actually, I was bitten many years ago, over and over, and now I think I'm just permanently infected. I am One with the travel bug. Ha. that was lame, Alison.
I just can't imagine not wanting to have experiences like this one. And I'm also a firm believer that you need to decide what you want, and make it happen. If you want it badly enough, and are willing to devote the required energy, you can have it. None of that "expect the worst and settle for pleasant surprises" mentality. I actually had a great conversation with Dr. Kershaw over some Tetley's at the college bar last night about living mentalities.
Anyway. Enough! Time to head to Blackwells and see if I can sell some roman books to lighten my load a little. I am not sure if I'll have internet at the conference hotel in Berlin. I may have to wander the streets for an internet cafe.
Thank you once again to all of you who have been writing and keeping me updated with your lifes. I know I've been horrible at writing back--please don't take it as an insult--free time is just incredibly scarce. I haven't forgotten, I plan on replying, and I just ask for your patience!!
I love reading your emails--keep 'em coming!! I appreciate them so much.
I hope this finds you happy--and let me know if any of you have any specific gift requests!!
Love, Al

PICTURES!!!

2007-07-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

a view from the top of St. Mary's cathedral looking at (i think) All Souls College of Oxford

2007-07-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

PUNTING!! That's Ryan from Louisiana in the back, by far the most successful at punting, steve from missouri in the middle, and me looking a little...worried?

2007-07-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

On our daytrip to London last weekend--on the Westminster bridge with Ryan (LSU, obviously) and Sam from Oxford. You can kind of see Parliament in the background!

2007-07-13T11:11:00.000-07:00

this is what I see when I leave my room every morning!!

2007-07-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

that's me, obviously, standing in the same garden, with a part of Merton in the background

2007-07-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

this is a view from one of the many gardens at Merton--you can see a black gate towards the centre that leads to another quad....just an example of the incredible beauty everywhere you look here!!

2007-07-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

so this one is a little blurry, but it was one of our first (rainy) days here, standing in front quad at Merton with Jessica from Missouri.

not enough hours in the day!!

2007-07-12T05:38:00.001-07:00

So first off, I feel the need to apologise for my obvious lack of commitment to this blog. And for the absense of promised pictures (although I AM working on that--camera charging as I write this!)

I'm never going to be able to recount everything I'd like, but here's an attempt at some of the highlights!

Friday night was my first chance to breathe, I think. Everything is so beautiful and captivating and distracting here that one is constantly craving solitude in which to just soak everything in. So Friday night I grabbed my journal and some reading material and found a courtyard to enjoy. I don't think there's a single place here that I couldn't just sit and revel in all day. The old stone and beautiful viney flowering plants everywhere create a different kind of peace than the shores of Lake Madison. Equal, maybe, just an entirely different feeling.

Anyway, Saturday was exciting; several of us hopped on a bus and headed to London to watch the start of the Tour de France. We also walked around the bridges by Parliament and Westminster as well. Beautiful sunshine, loads of people, and huge screens everywhere so that you could see the racers up close--with sometimes hilarious expressions on their faces. :) Afterwards we all met up at a pub, had some drinks, and headed back to London...very very tired.

Sunday was probably one of the best days I've had here so far. Four of us started the day off punting in the Thames, where we had a bit of an accident resulting in Jessica hanging from a bridge and consequently falling into the river. The art of punting is much harder than it looks! (It's done in a flat-bottomed canoe, with one person standing on a ledge in the back, steering and propelling the canoe with a 20-foot metal pole. ) I'll try and get pictures up of that....I think one of the guys even got an action shot of Jess falling in....I'll have to get those from him.
After punting, we visited the Natural History and Pitt Rivers Museums with a huge variety of artifacts, including shrunken heads! So fascinating!!!
After the museums, we climbed St. Mary's Cathedral tower and got the perfect view of all of Oxford. Upon descending, we took tea in this beautiful tea/desserts room that used to be Oxford's University Chest, where all of the money to pay tutors was kept.

Skipping ahead a bit, Tuesday was our trip to Stratford Upon Avon to see MacBeth at Shakespeare's Royal Theatre. I seriously cannot begin to equate the performance to anything I've seen before. We were second row in a theatre built to resemble the Globe, so we literally had swords right in front of our faces and sweat flinging past us. (probably on as well) :) I have never seen acting like this, or an interpretation so interesting. Or brutal. I was barely able to stomach parts of it; at one point, when Lady MacDuff and her children were murdered, they actually made it look like they were ripping the baby from her womb--blood, baby and all--and it was RIGHT in front us, looking way too real....ok I hope I haven't grossed you out too much...oversimplified, the production was in a realm of its own; impossible to classify as the type of theater I've seen before, beacause it was SO REAL.

Anyway, :) ... Wednesday my Roman Britain class took a trip to Fishbourne to see the Roman Palace recently excavated. Apparently in the 1960's, someone was digging to put in water pipes, and dug into the remains of a roman palace that had burned down in its day and had pastures grow to hide it. The floors remained relatively untouched, however, and the mosaic work was amazing--especially considering it was all cut, dyed and laid by hand. Every room in the palace had different mosaic floor patterns. We also got a tour of the archived artifacts by the director of the museum himself, and even got to hold some pieces! ...not something you get to do every day...
...time is going so incredibly fast here...always doing something, seeing something, getting ready for something, etc...I know I'm not finding the time to record as much as I'd like. And I'm already half done! And there's so much more to see and do!

A list of what I hope to see/do in the next week:
1. Explore the Bodliean
2. Explore Merton's Library
3. Visit the Eagle and Child (Tolken and Eliot's fave pub)
4. Visit Christ Church's Hall (where Harry Potter was filmed)
5. Attend a service at Christ Church
....and I'm sure there are more, but those have been nagging at the back of my mind.

Today started with breakfast, lecture, tea and another lecture--the later one by a Lord from the House of Lords on Labour Party Prime Ministers, particularily Blair and Brown and the differences between the two. One of his points that was particularily interesting was that Brown's politics will depend heavily on who we elect next year. Apparently Brown and Obama get along quite well...(that one's for you, molly!)
Tonight we have High Table and then out to enjoy another beautiful night. The weather here has actually been extremely pleasant--usually sunny and dry with cool nights.
Tomorrow after lectures and classes, some of us are tentatively planning on seeing Oxford Theatre Company's Open Air Production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Hopefully the good weather continues!

Thank you to all of you who have been emailing, sending messages with the goings-on back in SD!!!! I really appreciate all of them and will get to replying eventually. It's really hard to find a spare minute here. I miss everyone a lot; Oxford is breathtaking and exciting, but I've always believed that you're happiest surrounded by people who really know you and love you anyway. And it's nice to know I'm missed as well!
Love you all** and hope you're having a relaxing, agreable day.
Bye for now!

[correction: There are 39 colleges within Oxford, not 12.....that's a bit embarassing...thanks to Sam for pointing that out.]

New Goal: Study Old English

2007-07-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

In about an hour I need to start getting ready for cocktails and high table (a thursday tradition) so I'll attempt a breif rundown of the last two days:

I left off last time mentioning that our evening plans were to try out some interesting pubs. The night ended up being SO pleasant. We began in Merton's Bar, which is within the college walls and has this beautifully old scholarly feel to it. It was Quiz Night, so my friends and I competed against other teams answering trivia about Merton. Needless to say, my team of new yorkers and mid-westerners didn't win. The only way we got any points was when the sweet old bartender snuck over to our table and whispered answers.

A couple welsh Oxford students--Gwyn and Sam--then took us out to try The Turf, The King's Arms, and this underground cocktail nightclub with beautiful private lounges glowing with all sorts of neat lighting. Afterwards, we walked back to Merton and found a place to sit in one of the many courtyards. (our keys let us in at any hour) We sat around a round table that was actually C.S. Lewis's inspiration for the table where King Atlan was slain. (C.S. Lewis was a Mertonian.) Every nook and cranny of this place is so insanely rich with history. Everything has a story.

Then yesterday, on the 4th, We had lectures in the morning--one of which was one of the most captivating things I've ever experienced. A professor here who is an expert on Old English discussed selected poems and talked about the uniqueness and unrivaled beauty of the langauge. The best part was when she read the poems alound in Old English. I don't know if I've ever heard anything so beautiful. The way the words are structured and compounded is amazing as well.

Then jessica and I walked around discovering Oxford in the early afternoon. The town actually is quite big--over 100,000 locals, not counting thousands of students.

The rest of the afternoon (3&1/2 hours) consisted of our class on Roman Britain. I'm definitly going to come back with a decent amout of knowledge on the subject--and our professor (as you can imagine) is awe-inspiring in his knowledge, charisma and vocabulary. He also plays double bass in a jazz band that travels world-wide, and they just happened to be preforming at this jazz club opening in North Oxford. So several of us hopped a bus last night to the jazz club. The band consisted of him, the scholarly, english double-bassist, a young, tall danish electric guitarist, and a swedish drummer, dressed in white linen with hair past his rear. They had all original pieces and were absolutely fantastic.

After the concert, several of us decided to check out this Independance Day Party at a club called the Purple Turtle. The club was amazing--a huge mass of underground tunnels, bars, lounges and dancefloors, all lit with purple lighting. Mostly americans, but what did we expect, you know? Gwyn assured us that americans aren't THAT annoying.

Well the bells are tolling, which means I need to get out my umbrella and head back to my room.

Quick QUICK rcap of today then:
breakfast (fantastic breakfasts here)
lecture on Elizabethan and Jacobean poetry--really excellent)
nap...
lunch
As(h)molean Museum--world famous for roman artifacts
Oxford Museum
a bit of shopping
and here we are.

hope this wasn't too dry and sketchy!
feel free to email and post--I love to hear from you all.
Bye for now*

Is "magical" too cheesy?

2007-07-03T11:34:00.001-07:00

Because it is honestly the only way to describe this heaven. My room is enormous with a fireplace and a spiraling staircase leading up to it. the streets in front of Merton (my college--one of the three oldest, built in 1264) are true cobblestone, and everywhere you look are huge wooden doors, stained glass windows, ornate carvings, gargoyles, statues, and crests adorning every doorway. The flower gardens everywhere are just as breathtaking. I hope to get pictures up on here soon**

Yesterday a girl named jessica and i spent most of our day walking around Oxford, just taking everything in. we also had a formal english lunch, with four courses and constant filling of our wine glasses. This caused most of us to become quite sleepy in our introductory courses a little while later...
We headed to our first English pub experience as well, at a pub called the Kings Arms. You definitly can't be shy when trying to order drinks here! There are about a dozen different pubs in Oxford, and it will be neat to compare them all as the weeks go by!

This morning, after a very different English breakfast (ever tried scottish eggs??) I attended lectures from two different Oxford professors--one on the history of the Oxford English Dictionary, and the other on trends of leading world powers. The dictionary lecture was given by a woman who is considered to be the leading authority on the OED in the world. Believe it or not, it was fascinating.

Between lectures was tea time, (there are about 5 poortunities to get tea a day) and after lectures we had our induction into the Bodliean library, which houses 8 million volumes...and is again, is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. (Rivaled only by Oxford's other architecture.) Harry Potter was filmed there. (and we also saw the square where Malfoy was turned into a ferret!) After the Bodliean, we had our first formal walking tour of Oxford and all its colleges. There are almost a dozen colleges here at Oxford, if you were unaware, each of them unique but equally stunning.

Tolken and TS Eliot both stayed at Merton, and Louis Carroll lived next door (not at the same time of course) near Christ Church College, and drew his characters and settings from thins right outside my window.

So much of what I'm experiencing will be better shared through my pictures, so I apologise if this is dry! I'm in a bit of a hurry, as a bunch of us are headed to The Bear tonight--the oldest pub here at Oxford--and then maybe Merton's College Bar.

I've discovered (moreso than ever) how I love English food. The food at Oxford is amazing (I know I keep using that word) and the desserts (we all agree) just keep getting better.

My professor is also (once again) amazing. Not only does he teach and write books, but he also plays in a recording jazz band (that has toured the US) which is giving a concert tomorrow night at a pub in North Oxford (quite a lengthy walk from Merton). Some other students and I are planning to attend.

We had about an hour of spare time today (with the induction and tour taking up a bit of time) so we found this beautiful old bookstore on the High Street (main street) and I'm definitly headed back. There's this quiet feeling of reverence (??) that you get when you look at writings older than your country.

There's so much more to describe--hopefully it will come out in my next couple of postings. THANK you to all who commented on my news story on KELO--it was SUCH a surprise when Matt called me here for an interview. I hope I didn't sound too uneducated...cause I didn't know much...

Anyway, night for now--enjoy your SD sunshine!!

made it!

2007-07-01T01:02:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you all know that I arrived safetly, with ALL my luggage, despite a scare; someone had taken my suitcase off the belt and set it with another pile of suitcases, but a nice man (who ironically is a student at Oxford) helped me to relocate it.
I am currently in Redding with my dad's brother's family--Graham, Jane, Oliver, Fraiser and Tom. I managed to (barely) stay awake all day yesterday, while visiting dad's sister's family and grandparents in East Grinstad, so sleep felt gooood last night. I'll write more after I get to Oxford!

NOTE TO THOSE I HOLD DEAR:

2007-05-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

If you're reading this, you've decided to show an interest in my summer abroad.

THANK YOU!

It means a lot to me.

Please feel free to leave as many comments as you like, about whatever you like. I'd love to hear what you're doing with your sunshine, or what you think I should do to occupy my two months in Europe.

Here's a schedule of my summer as of yet...

June 29 ~ depart!

June 30-July 1 ~ spend time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins

July 2-21 ~ study at Oxford University, Oxford, England ...address will be posted

July 22 ~ one more day with family

July 23-August 6 ~ International Journalism Conference with the Intercultural Summer School in Berlin, Germany

August 7-26 ~ reunite with Sophia Pape in Petershagen, Germany and galavant around Europe together.

August 27 ~ return!

NOTE: this blog was previously used for a media class, where we had to blog on news stories and post video projects. Please do NOT view the pathetic, carelessly-made video projects, but feel free to peruse the news stories...there's some interesting stuff.

Once again, THANK YOU and ENJOY!

Jackrabbit Guarantee

2007-05-10T01:04:00.001-07:00

I thought this came together pretty well...

ahh!!

2007-05-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

You know what that is?
I'll give you three guesses:
1) the world's largest hot dog collection
2) a garden of flowers to celebrate cinco de mayo
3) 18,000 naked mexicans

I hope you picked c, because that'd be a huge waste of hot dogs.

But seriously. Apparently a photographer who made himself famous by taking nudie photos en masse broke his own previous record of 7000 people.
He had them all raise their arms, lie on their backs, and make the shape of an arrow.
Some Mexicans were supportive, saying it was breaking down prudish barriers. Others were offended that so many chose to "lose their dignity" so close to a cathedral.

I can't find it in myself to be offended... i just have two questions:
1) what was the ratio of men to women
2) how much tequila was involved?!?

OH MY GOODNESS this is cool.

2007-05-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

If you're going to read and investigate any of my postings, this is THE ONE.
Hark!

No but Seriously, my postings have been exceptionally interesting tonight, I think. And this one takes the cake. and the next. and the next.

So. Here's the story:
"Like a plot from “The Da Vinci Code,” a team of code breakers claims to have found music hidden for 500 years in intricate carvings at the church where author Dan Brown set the climax of the best-selling book."

The article goes on to talk about how there are 213 cubes at Rosslyn Chapel, and how the scientists believe the patterns on the cubes are Chladni patterns, created by vibrations of musical pitches.

And the coolest part---the music has been recorded!! This site gives a preview and talks about the presentation which will take place in May. LISTEN to it and watch the short preview. It's beautiful.

I can't wait to go to Europe...

there she is, folks. read on...

2007-05-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

Alycia Lane, fully clothed.

way to go, woman.

2007-05-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Man. Suzy Shuster deserves an award. Or at least a new husband.

"Alycia Lane, a 34-year-old anchor for CBS affiliate KYW-TV, e-mailed vacation pictures of herself in a bikini to NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen. But the shots were intercepted by his wife, former Fox and ABC sports reporter Suzy Shuster, who was anything but amused."

Granted, I have a tendency to over-react at things like this, but I have to commend Shuster on how she handled this:

Shuster got the e-mails in an account she shares with Eisen, and responded with a snarky letter to Lane.
“Boy, do you look amazing in a bikini ... congrats! Whatever you’re doing, (Pilates? yoga?) keep doing it — it’s working for you. Anyway, sorry but those seven e-mails you sent to my husband, Rich, well, oops, they came to the e-mail address we both use from time to time, but no worries, I’ll forward the beach shots as well as the ones of you dancing with your friends on to his main address. Do you have it?”

I love her. I don't know her, but I love her. I hope she found a way to get completely honest answers from her husband...maybe a lie detector test?

And screw all the women out there who feel the need to attract MARRIED men. sluts. no, worse. hmmm...is there a word? I hereby promise to boycott any works by Alycia Lane. Ugh.

we had him---even if only for a second!

2007-05-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

The Syrian Ambassador came to SDSU last semester, and fortunately, I found time to go and listen. I am extremely glad I did. He talked a lot about how Syria tried to warn the US against giving weapons to Afghanis several years ago, telling us that the Afghanis would eventually use them on us. Syria was right. Dr. Moustapha also talked about how Syria offered much assistance and knowledge with regards to our actions in Iraq, since they're neighbors and consequently know each other quite well. Apparently we were extremely rude and refused to take a moment. I mean, c'mon, how useful could insight from neighbors be? It's not like they're the first people the FBI interviews for background checks of new recruits or anything...haha. wow. I amuse myself.

Anyway, this article made me quite pleased. Apparently, we're starting to listen to Dr. Moustapha.
During part of the article/interview, Moustapha was asked exactly how Syria could aid the US right now, after so much damage has been done. His reply was:
"We don't have a magic wand. But we are neighbors and we have excellent relations with all the groups across the spectrum. At least we can help revive the national dialogue among Iraqis. Some of them do listen to us. Some of them do heed our advice…. Our policy is different from the United States. We talk to all the parties."

ok I think Newsweek deserves an award for this one.

2007-05-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

What an ingenious idea for a news story....I know this has been done before, and even glamorized in the Hannibal Lector Trilogy, but interviewing a criminal with similar characteristics to the one who's currently in the papers is incredible.

Newsweek decided to interview Wayne Lo, a former student at Simon's Rock College of Bard in Great Barrington, Mass., on the shooter at Virginia Tech. Lo was one of the US's first school shooters, killing six classmates.

Not only did Newsweek have a nice lengthy article with him, but they decided to make the bulk of the article an interview. His interview was fascinating. I strongly encourage you to read it--click here.

He was calm and intelligent and admitted that he doesn't think he was mentally disturbed at all. He and the Virginia Tech shooter had so much in common.

I loved a point he made about guns and gun control...it makes a lot of sense:
"The people who do these things are people who don’t want contact. They wouldn’t be capable of going out there and stabbing people to death. But there’s such a disconnect when you’re using a gun. You don’t even feel like you’re killing anybody. The fact that I was able to buy a rifle in 15 minutes, that’s absurd. I was 18. I couldn’t have rented a car to drive home from school, yet I could purchase a rifle. That night was the first time I fired a gun. Why should a person who has never touched a gun be able to buy one and the first time he fires it, be able to kill people? You wouldn’t be able to drive a car without a license."

go figure...

2007-05-02T18:08:00.000-07:00

So...I know everyone (including myself) is intrigued by the latest craze we all call Facebook, but the very mention of it is honestly starting to make me groan. I'm starting to wonder whether or not it does more harm than good.

This story that KELO's doing right now enforces my gut. A high school kid from Beresford (tell me again why facebook allows high schoolers to get accounts???) apparently created a hit list of classmates and teachers that he wanted to kill...knowing full well that every one of his contacts would see it.
First of all, facebook gave him an outlet to scare the hell out of people with.
Secondly, how come only ONE student reported him? He has to have more than one friend, and with the handy creation of mini-feeds, the heading "so-and-so wrote a new note called People I Want To Kill" showed up on every single one of his contact's home pages....c'mon kids...have some sense.

Everything I hear that pertains to facebook or is somehow related to facebook is negative. it causes relationship problems, friendship problems, misunderstandings, and it's very nature encourages everyone to release their inner stalker-demons...

hmmm, all this talk about facebook reminded me that I haven't checked mine in 2 hours...I think I'll just check it real quick....
kidding, just kidding, I'm really not an addict...or a creeper...

movin' on up

2007-04-20T08:30:00.001-07:00

Theresa's chaotic morning

2007-04-20T08:02:00.001-07:00

a photo demonstration of the troubles my lovely roommate faces in the morning...

kind of makes you cry...

2007-04-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

My first question is, "who raised these people?"

A group of people apparently broke into and stole from at least four churches in the Crooks, Dell Rapids and Renner areas Sunday night.

One of the pastors interviewed was even nice enough to say that at least the thieves were polite in not vandalizing things...talk about looking on the bright side!

How sick and desperate would a person have to be to rob churches--especially COUNTRY churches--the ones who scrimp by in minimal budgets provided by pennies from the pockets of its aging congregation....I mean, c'mon!

I'm sure these churches were reasonably easy to break into as well--like taking candy from a baby. In my mind, whoever did this should be given a harsher punishment than those usually reserved for theft. It's not just theft--it's sick and twisted. ugh. bad taste in my mouth.

Finally, some decency!

2007-04-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

and these girls were in High School.....

At a Lousiana high school, 20-25 girls were turned away from their high school prom for coming in dresses that were deemed too revealing.

The funniest part of this article is a quote from a boyfriend of one of the girls who got turned away. (keep in mind that these girls were given the opportunity to fix their dresses and return, but declined.)

"I think it was discrimination toward a woman who has features."
yeah...you sure enjoy those features, don't ya, buddy...
man alive.

The excuse these girls used was that they just had huge breasts that simply couldn't be covered up.
I've been noticing a huge trend the last five years ago with younger girls wearing more and more risque clothing. My sister is 14 and wears lower-cut tops than I do. And the thing is, it's encouraged. One has a hard time finding (literally) decent clothing in some of the most popular clothing stores.

What it comes down to, though, is that these girls who got turned away from their prom are 15-16-17-18 years old...they have the rest of their lives to be (ahem) promiscuously dressed.

A treat for hopeless romantics!

2007-04-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Things like this make me feel like there must indeed be a God.

This British man dreamt of a phone number when he was 19, then texted it out of simple curiosity. He reached a girl a couple years younger than him.

They spent the next five years of their lives getting to know each other....and falling in love.
They are currently on their honeymoon.

It sounds like the plot of another cute romantic comedy, doesn't it?
...gives a whole new meaning to the term "dreamgirl"...

I firmly believe there must have had to be higher powers at work here...I would love to check back with this couple in 30 years.

some people are so friendly...

2007-04-09T17:19:00.000-07:00

2,400 miles is a little to long to ride in a car with a stranger, in my opinion. But then I'm not retired, in my 70's,from NYC, with cats and (presumably) lots of extra money. Perhaps if I were these people, it's seem like more of an adventure.

Betty and Bob Matas, a retired couple, decided to move from NYC to Arizona, and didn't want to ride on a plane, for the benefit of their cats. They couldn't drive either, like many New Yorkers. So they decided to pay a random cabbie--the lucky Douglas Guldeniz--they met one afternoon $3000 dollars to take them and their cats to Arizona.

I don't really have much to say about this--other than I hope I can be that spontaneous when I'm 70.

another reason to indulge...

2007-04-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

It seems that I'm usually drawn to blogging about feature news stories. Tonight will be no exception.

This is encouraging! Apparently Cocoa can help control blood pressure. Now we always knew that chocolate has minor magical powers, but this article presented something new to me.

"The drop in blood pressure among participants who consumed cocoa products for at least two weeks was in the same range as achieved by someone taking drugs commonly prescribed to control high blood pressure."

The article also says that by lowering blood pressure, chocolate can reduce the chances of having a stroke or heart attack by 10-20%.

--This is signifigant--chocolate is cheap, can be enjoyed and has the the healing powers of a drug that took scientists years to create.

No Winnie the Pooh. Nor Tigger too.

2007-04-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

So...I'm all for school uniforms and their positive effects on student productivity and behavior, but this school went a TAD too far in my opinion.

It was sued because one of its pupils wore socks displaying a very disarming Tigger on them. I'm sure he was mid-bounce or something ridiculously rambunctious like that.

"But the school's policy requires students to wear clothes with solid colors in blue, white, green, yellow, khaki, gray, brown and black. Permitted fabrics are cotton twill, corduroy and chino. No denim is allowed."

Now this is an odd dress code. No pink? Boys can wear blue but girls cannot wear pink? Wouldn't it just be easier to just institute uniforms? With such detailed rules, there's bound to be mis-judgements. And probably blatent mockeries of the system as well. It is undoubtedly the first time Winnie the Pooh has been used to defy authority. I'll bet A.A. Milne never saw that one coming.

this made me giggle. hard.

2007-04-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Pandas and porn. Porn and pandas. Is it just me, or does it just sound wrong to use those two words in the same sentence?

But apparently we shall resort to the corruption of our beloved symbol of peace and tranquility for the sake of procreation.

In order to get pandas to breed more, Thailand has decided to subject on of its male pandas to panda porn. They videotaped the intercourse of other pandas and have Chuang Chuang locked in a cage, forced to watch procreation on a TV screen.

The funny thing is, the video seemed to have absolutely no effect on Chuang Chuang.
Maybe I'll marry a panda.

our own TCM...

2007-04-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

So...the big news at KELO tonight is Daphne Wright's murder/dismemberment/crazy person trial. So incredibly gruesome! It honestly does sound like something straight out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Maybe because she used a CHAINSAW.

The evidence against her is so overwhelming too. Her clothes were found wrapped around the peices, she has the reciept of the chainsaw, people remember seeing her buy it, there was blood of the victim on her car and in her basement, bone fragments scattered everywhere, incriminating letters, and the list goes on. This killer was obviously not as dementedly crafy as the TCM killer.

And it was all for love--that's the sick part. It seems more "natural" when it's because of a twisted childhood or a severe mental illness...but she did this out of passionate love for another...she killed and dismembered trying to "save" a love.

I've always maintained that love is the greatest gift humans have been given...so I guess it makes sense that the most powerful thing humans can experience can create the most destruction as well.

can you say creepy?

2007-03-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

If I were this guy, I would be really scared of dying.

Since the majority of the world practices some sort of religion, I view it as logical that the majority of the world isn't completely misled. And I would venture to say that every religion believes in some sort of sacredness concerning deities...so what exactly is this man trying to do?

He built a 200 pound chocolate statue of a NAKED Jesus and displayed it during Holy Week.

What's just as disturbing, though, are his past artistic endeavors:

"Cavallaro, who was raised in Canada and Italy, is best known for his quirky work with food as art: Past efforts include repainting a Manhattan hotel room in melted mozzarella, spraying 5 tons of pepper jack cheese on a Wyoming home and festooning a four-poster bed with 312 pounds of processed ham."

I just feel like sometimes CREATIVity can go too far and slip into INSANity...

Determined for Excellence

2007-03-30T08:27:00.001-07:00

my first photo project.

steak and gin just proves too tempting...

2007-03-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

I, like most people, enjoy hearing stories about stupid criminals. I think it makes us feel safer. I found this guy on msnbc.com this morning, and there's not much conclusion to draw from the article...except that this place must have had some really good steak. :)

(read the article or read on for a shortened version)

This guy in Indiana would go to the same restaurant on the same night of each week, order the same food and drink, and escape without paying the same way every time.

He would go to O'Charley's in Bloomington on Wednesday nights and order a ribeye steak and two gin-and-tonics. Then as soon as the bill came, he would conveniently excuse himself to the restroom and escape home.

Fortnately, on his fifth excursion, O'Charley's was ready and had police tackle him as he made one final getaway attempt.

SDSU Promotions Manager Micah Grenz

2007-03-30T08:04:00.001-07:00

my second editing project.

ick.

2007-03-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

So...My spider used to be cute, now it just looks fat and creepy.
I don't want it anymore.
How incredibly shallow of me. :)

you can take the girl out of the glamour, but...

2007-03-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

So...this story made me laugh, in a shallow kind of way. Apparently Naomi Campbell was given work restitution in a charge brought against her by a former maid. The spoiled girl hit the maid on the head with her swanky cell phone. Now I'm not sure how much a bonk on the head by one of the (presumably) newest, sleekest cell phones would have hurt, but hey--if you have a chance at a million-dollar settlement, go for it!

Anyway, the truly funny bit was the description of Naomi showing up for work for the NYC Department of Sanitation.

"Campbell, 36, arrived in high heels with workboots slung over her shoulder."

She wore 6-inch stiletto boots to her first day of restitution.
Her lawyer argued in court that Campbell was "not cut out for cleaning."
Yes, indeed, people like that really do exsist.

Poor smokers...

2007-03-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

It's a sad way to go. So many people have their lives cut short by cigarettes, yet so many people take up the habit every day. A smelly, expensive and unsightly habit. My grandpa died of emphysema seven years ago, after having a lung removed and being confined to a bed for several years before and after that. I have a friend who took up smoking this summer, and is now unquestionably addicted. I really, really don't understand. Thank God for the new cigarette tax--how can people argue with lengthening lives???

Anyway, these thoughts were ignited by an article I read on Keloland's website. The article was on a new type of quitting method: hand gel. Apparently, Kelo found a frequent smoker to test out the gel, and it helped her to reduce her nicotine intake from eight cigarettes a day to three.

Her description of the gel's effect was interesting. She said the first sensation was tingling in her hands (where you rub the gel) and after a couple minutes, she could actually taste nicotine in her mouth! It's creepy to think how fast drugs--or any substance for that matter--spread through a person's body.

There are few things I have no understanding of and tolerance for. Among Racism, alcoholism, hatred, and rape is smoking. Completely pointless. Thank you, companies like "Nicogel" for providing an easier way out for oen of life's worst choices.

Oh, Perry.

2007-03-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

So...this is probably my favorite KELO video ever--one that isn't a blooper. Perry Groten's packages are always hilarious, but this one in particular is one I've shown to people again and again. Enjoy!!!

Needles!

2007-03-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

So...I'm at work right now, and when I have spare time here I peruse KELO's website looking for interesting stories. Tonight I came across something I've always been particularily intrigued by--acupuncture. Those who practice it claim it can solve all sorts of health problems--and the interesting thing about this practice is how incredibly old it is! According to Wikipedia, it's history dates back to the first millenium BCE, with Chinese medical practices of the Han Dynasty. Check out more historical facts here.

Anyway, KELO had a story tonight on how one man is using acupuncture to lose weight! Kevin Rydberg apparently can feel "things moving around" inside his body, prompting him to eat healthier and spend more active time with his kids...and apparently that movement is referred to as his "qi" in the ancient practice.

If I weren't a complete needle-phobe, I'd be open to trying it someday. Too bad.

does this mean I can't get my drugs from Canada?

2007-02-28T19:03:00.000-08:00

This is a little freaky. Internet companies selling "fake" prescription drugs without even requiring a prescription. Sounds like something that can easily be avoided by common sense and education, but when you take a step back and think about it, what's going to stop an impoverished African buying an online drug and taking his chances at its effects? Put in that position, wouldn't you? What I want to know, is what kind of sick twisted freak is trying to sell fake drugs to people desperate enough to take a chance like that? The report I found said that the sale of fake drugs is increasing rapidly, and that 50% of the drugs found in these markets are indeed fake.

neat, yes, but necessary?

2007-02-28T18:51:00.000-08:00

This isn't exactly what I would have predicted for the personal computers of the next decade to come equipped with. Apparently, fragrance cartridges will come with computers, to allow users to not only listen to their favorite music while working, but smell their favorite smells as well! Sensors in the computer will use the internet to deliver data about smells that will please the user. (At least I hope the smells will be meant to please!) This forecast was from a South Korean survey, which was compiled after interviewing over 3,000 Asian technology experts. survey also revealed that scientists are working on tiny robots meant to swim through our bloodstreams to target problems, phones that can go three months without charging, and military dress that changes to match its surroundings better. I have to say, the scientists working on the fragrance cartridges might find themselves more useful if they decided to help with the robots instead...

makes my heart smile...

2007-02-28T18:44:00.000-08:00

There's not much else to say about this...I guess I'm still very much a sappy little girl at heart. But c'mon, who DOESN'T melt at this???

Apparently, these twin tigers and twin orang-utans , who were all abandoned at birth, have become an inseparable foursome. There's more pictures at the site---go, on--indulge that inner child!!

Artistic Images by Jael

2007-02-23T15:45:00.001-08:00

my first video project.

Congrats, brainiacs!

2007-02-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

It's refreshing amidst the "Recent Iraq Death Toll" and "Spears Shaved" headlines to read Autism Gene Breakthrough Hailed". I guess this blog is an insignifigant shout-out to all those insanely intelligent people out there who could be using their brains to scam the better part of mankind but instead choose a more noble purpose. There isn't much out there more commendable than saving children from life-altering diseases. Although breakthroughs like this occur every day, this one stood out to me, being as aproximately 1 in 100 British children have some form of autism. Of course the breakthrough isn't enough to save every child out there, but it provides much hope to know that there are people out there willing to relentlessly pursue the small steps towards a bigger purpose--a cure that will probably be named after someone else.

wow, britney...can we say "drama queen"???

2007-02-20T15:54:00.000-08:00

So...Britney Spears shaved off all her hair. Not cut, but shaved. I have to say, it's impressive, but unimpressive at the same time. Impressive that she allowed her vanity to leave her for that split second decision, BUT unimpressive at the same time, because it kinda screams "look how not-vain I am, look at me, look at me, LOOK AT ME!" But...apparently she's checked into rehab after doing so, so she COULD have been under the influence of something powerful enough to rid the pop princess of her vanity, even if only for a minute.

very very creepy.

2007-02-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

So...my boyfriend showed me a video on youtube about a couple who is protesting the Catholic Church by trying to break all ten commandments. It was a bit offensive (in my opinion) and kind of vulgar, but you gotta give it points for being original! (Warning: do not view with children.)

are you kidding me???

2007-02-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

So...exactly how lazy have Americans gotten? This lazy. Apparently, Nintendo Wii is now being hailed as an adequate means of physical activity. Hallelujah. This means I can stare at a TV screen for 35 minuets a day and still lose my goal of 10 pounds. This is way better than grapefruit and green tea. And this is definitly going to help moms everywhere with their "you need to get outside and do something" argument...what kid needs fresh air and sunshine when he/she has a controller and a comfy couch?
Ok, so I admit, Nintendo Wii does encourage more movement than your traditional Donkey Kong and Final Fantasy X. But to try and pass it off as an exercise? What ever happened to playing kickball at the park after school? Goodbye sweet days of summer with its tanned skin and freckled faces. Hello 'pasty' and early vision loss.

A tad distasteful..

2007-02-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

So...I've been hearing and reading a lot about the resurgence of the KKK lately, so this morning I decided to search KKK on MSNBC.com and see what articles came up. Surprisingly I found an article about Macalester College in St. Paul. T'was particularly interesting to me, as several of my cousins went there, one was married there, etc.
Apparently, there was a little party on campus where students were invited to come dressed up as politically incorrect individuals. Someone decided to come dressed up as a KKK member and another, a blackface with a noose around the neck. Man I'm sheltered here at SDSU, because I can't even imagine what would happen if something like that happened here. And what's more--I can't imagine the kind of people that think something like that is funny. What kind of a family life did they have??? It's a good school too...

Sioux Falls makes the NYTimes

2007-02-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

So...at Kelo last night we did about 20 different segments on the AMAZING donation of T. Denny Sanford. Apparently this Sioux Falls native started lots of businesses, earned a worth of roughly 2.5 billion dollars, and plans to give it all away before he dies. The biggest donation ever to go to a hospital in the history of our nation went to Sioux Valley in S.F.--an astounding 400 million dollars!!! We actually had a one-on-one interview with him and plenty of graphics of the projects to take place in the next decade or so. The New York Times even did a piece on it. I can't even imagine what this advancement will do for S.F.--bringing in so many bright and talented people, giving students a great incentive to stay close to home, and of course giving better health care to South Dakotans! I'm sounding tres cheesy in this post, but I guess that's how I get when I'm excited... :)

a guilty pleasure.

2007-02-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

So...I'm admitting it to the world--mark this day on your calenders because it's quite revolutionary--I'm coming out of the closet...and proclaiming my devotion to the works of J.K. Rowling. I was there in the beginning, partaking in the frenzy of the Philosopher's Stone with the rest of the world, but have since succeeded in staying strong through the next 5 books and 3 movies. I have three of the movies and my brother owns all of the books. I don't own figurines or anything, although I am friends with some addicts more engaged than myself, and proud to call them mine. Anyway, to relate this to media, I found an article about J.K. Rowling finishing her newest and final book in the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows sounds tres promising and I am ever so glad my brother has it pre-ordered, as it will no doubt make for some delightful summer reading. This shouldn't be a guilty pleasure...they'll be classics one day--mark my word.

we have our share of weirdos...

2007-02-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

So...I love going to msnbc.com and looking through all their weird news. Another thing I do when I'm bored at work. While perusing this afternoon, I found a man with a peculiar hobby....and I thought I was weird for collecting hotel soaps. I spose gravestones are kind of pretty....

Animal Tracks

2007-01-27T18:59:00.000-08:00

So....I love animals. Most people do, I know, but I REALLY do. To illustrate this fact, the following: during my free time at Kelo this summer, I would visit this site every morn. (I worked 2am-10am....beautiful.) These pictures, though, are some of the most entertaining photography I've seen, but only if you're as animal obsessed as me.

Pinkisthenewblog.

2007-01-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

So....my roomie (the one who loves The Bunny Suicides--refer to my profile) showed me this blog that provides endless entertainment. This guy is definitely one of those people that you would never want to spend more than 5 minutes with, but his flamboyantly gay (I think I can say that with decent confidence) drama queen-esque writing is hilarious and epitomizes that which drew in so many viewers to Queer Eye. It doesn't seem quite natural, it's collectively the definition of shallow, but somehow it's a bit irresistible. Can another human being be a guilty pleasure? Maybe I'll ask my roommate.....

Makes me laugh every time....

2007-01-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

So....I work at Keloland. Tres excited about it--in fact, I stumbled upon it with incredibly lucky circumstances. I've been working there since May as a Production Assistant and have had beaucoup good experiences, and almost as many stressful ones. Nothing, though, compares to the stress of having something like this happen!! Every time I watch it, I laugh out loud, although it's a bit sobering to think that, in the television industry, a mistake as simple as grabbing the wrong tape can be seen by millions of people.....