Russell and Stephanie

Leaving soon...

2009-07-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

We leave England almost one week from today. Even though I am looking forward to going back home, I am getting sad about leaving. This year has been an incredible, life-changing experience. I've loved being in school again, being in England again, traveling, writing and experiencing new things and making new friends.

Speaking of travels, this summer was chock full of them but since we're still recuperating from them (!) and are slow with the uploads, there won't be any pictures for a while. I do have some on facebook though--for some reason, that's easier to do. Stay tuned...

Aside from family and friends (and Nigel!), I think I am most looking forward to having my bathroom back, the garbage disposal, HEB, air conditioning and shops that stay open later than 5 p.m. Russell is already salivating over the prospect of eating Rudy's, watching UT football and laying on a couch that doesn't let his legs hang over the edge.

The things I will miss most about Winchester/England (again, aside from people), are going to class, the cool weather (even when it rains every day for 2 weeks), the proximity of so many historical places, evening walks by the river and chocolate digestive biscuits.

So we are on a farewell tour right now, saying goodbye to all of the places we've come to love, locking the memories away in our hearts forever ;)

Oh, and freaking out over all the things that need to be done in the next week!

Twyford (April) and Our flat

2009-05-16T13:53:00.001-07:00

Stephanie: In early April, we took a country walk to Twyford, a small village three miles from Winchester. The English countryside is so beautiful! I wish I could take it home with me. Check out the slide show for some pictures.

It was supposed to be warming up but recently the weather has been a bit gloomy (although that makes it easier for me to stay inside and work). People think I'm crazy since I actually like and defend the weather here. For me, it's a refreshing change from the Austin heat.

Here's a bit about our flat: It's an old church (not sure how old but guessing 1800s) that was converted a few years ago into eleven units. A few people live here permanently but most rent.

Ours is a one bedroom with a living room, study nook, kitchen and bathroom.

It's very modern and we feel very fortunate to live here. No complaints except that we do miss not having a garbage disposal (though most people don't seem to have them here anyway) and a yard, especially since grilling season is coming up!

The location is perfect, especially since we don't have a car. Downtown is a two minute walk and the university is about a twelve minute walk.

Barcleona, Spain March 2009

2009-04-12T12:53:00.000-07:00

Stephanie: Spain: next stop, Barcelona. Barcelona is such a cool city. It has everything: culture, shopping, museums, seaside, history, sports and an olympic stadium. We took the tourist bus around town to the various sites. Here are some of the highlights.

Sagrada Familia was first priority. It is a huge and magnificent church, designed by the visionary architect Antoni Gaudi, who has many other famous buildings around the city. The church is an on-going, privately funded project and probably won't be finished for another 40 or so years.

Our guide book recommended we eat at Can Culleretes. It is the oldest restaurant in Barcelona (est. in 1788!). We arrived at opening time, 9p.m. and there was a line. It was worth the wait: great food, great price, lovely decor.

The Barcelona museum had an amazing Roman Villa, very well preserved (seen above). The Romans were so advanced. It was so cool to see their central heating system, food storage and washing rooms. They were more advanced than some modern countries are now.

We visited the Olympic Village which was really cool. It's situated around some great views of the city.

Check out the slide show for other Barcelona sites: The Cathedral, Aquarium, Barcelona football game, Pier, random Spanish parades (O-lay!)

Valencia March 2009

2009-04-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Stephanie: On our trip to Spain, we went to Valencia first. The city was having Las Falles, a huge festival where neighborhoods sponsor Falles, papier-mache monuments that they burn on the last night. It's a week-long celebration, businesses shut down and everyone parties. It was certainly like nothing we'd experienced before.

We learned early that the Spanish like fire, staying up late and having a good time!

The first night, we tried to look at as many Falles as possible around the city. There were over 700 in Valencia and the surrounding area.

We tried to sleep in the next morning after a long day of travel and a late night but it wasn't to be as the city's wake-up call consisted of ear-splitting firecrackers going off at 8a.m. This continued throughout the day and all night. Children as young as two also lit firecrackers in the street.

The following day, we explored Valencia. We enjoyed Spanish tapas at a cafe and waded in the Mediterranean. The weather was cooler than I expected but still very nice. The Falles started burning around 10p.m. Each Falles was like its own bonfire and fireworks show. I was surprised to see so many blazes close to people's flats, cars and historic buildings but there were lots of firemen on hand--they obviously know what they're doing. We had a great time!

Santos comes to visit, March 2009

2009-04-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

Stephanie: Our friend from Texas, Jayson Santos, came to visit in March. We took him around Winchester, London and Portsmouth before heading to Spain.

London took a few days. We visited Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, the British museum and the National Gallery. Check out the slideshows on the side to view the sights. Russell and Santos went to a Chelsea football game in London. It was fairly sedate, no soccer hooligans. Eight minutes after the game ended, they were told to leave immediately because an employee said 'I want to go home.' Sorry, Santos, no more pictures for you!

In Portsmouth, Russell and Santos visited the Victory ship that Russ and Steph saw in the fall. They noticed a funny sign this time--ha! Quit your whining!

February 2009

2009-03-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Stephanie: February was a month of lots of working and classes started up again for me. I am taking modules on Fantasy, Picture books, Publishing and Non-fiction for children this semester. Good stuff.

On Valentine's day, our friends hosted a Murder Mystery dinner. Lots of fun! There were eight of us and we had to act and dress as specific characters (I was a mysterious French socialite, Russell was a rough-around-the-edges, opportunistic Aussie). Then we had to figure how who killed our host. Turns out it was the Vicar.

Seems like the 'Vicar' is the new the 'butler'--such a shame.

On February 26, we took a tour of the Abbey House (a former abbey), which is now the official residence of the Winchester mayor (for business purposes only though. He lives somewhere else). I have found a new dream career! His or her main duties include attending official functions (i.e. ones with lots of good food) and acting as host for the city. How awesome is that? The mayor is elected from the city council and serves one year. As Winchester is the ancient capital city, it shares a unique position with London's mayor: when the next coronation happens, they are the only two mayors invited (another reason it is a plush job!). At the end of the tour, we got to rub elbows and chat with the former mayor and future mayor (the current one was unavailable--probably off at a fancy party :).

Salisbury, February 5, 2009

2009-03-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

Stephanie: We were bummed about missing our Prague trip, so to cheer ourselves up we went to Salisbury for a day. It was still very cold, with snow on the ground, so that made for a most picturesque visit. First, we visited the Salisbury museum which has a wonderful Stonehenge exhibit (still need to go there) and a large collection of artifacts donated by General Pitt Rivers, the 'father of British archeology.' Pitt River was born Augustus Henry Lane Fox but changed his name in order to inherit a large fortune from his great uncle--not a bad deal!

Next we visited the famous Salisbury Cathedral (although it wasn't famous enough to have an annoying pop song written about it like Winchester Cathedral, was it?). A few facts about Salisbury Cathedral:

it is one of the leading examples of Early English architecture, the main body took 38 years to complete, it has the tallest church spire in the UK at 404 feet, it has the largest cloister and largest cathedral close in Britain, and the world's oldest clock (from AD 1386). It also has one of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta.

We took a tour of the tower where we got to see the ancient wood scaffolding in the interior of the hollow spire. The views of the city were beautiful. Russell and I were the only two people on the tour, so it was very personal. Our guide was great and let us stop for lots of pictures!

Stephanie on School and Writing

2009-03-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

Steph: Since we haven't gone on many trips recently, I thought I would write a little about my school experience. I really love being back in school again, though I'm glad I didn't do back-to-back degrees. My work experience has given me a better perspective on life and makes me appreciate the student life all the more.

My favorite part about my program is being around people who are interested in the same thing as I am. That support and camaraderie is so important. Writing is a lonely process and it's comforting to have encouragement and feedback from fellow classmates.

I am learning more about myself as a writer and how I work best. What I've come to grasp more and more is that writing is rewriting. It is easier for me now to plough through terrible drafts, just so that I have something on paper, and not get hung up on perfection. I then rework and rewrite the drafts until I almost go crazy (!), keeping in mind writer Philip Roth's quote: "I often have to write a hundred pages or more before there's a paragraph that's alive." Yikes. But I keep thinking, no writing is wasted. Even when I delete pages in frustration, it is all practice. Though it is mentally agonizing work, I am still enjoying the process. When I get something right or I have an idea that fits into place, it it so rewarding.

Snow Day!

2009-02-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

Winchester, and the UK, had the heaviest snow in 18 years! Needless to say this caused great joy and frustration.

We had a blast walking around town, sliding down St. Catherine's Hill and watched people with their 'sledges' whizzing down. The downside was that we had to postpone our trip to Prague :(

London, December 29, 2008

2009-01-22T09:48:00.001-08:00

Stephanie: We met our friends David and Michelle in London for the day.

It was a miracle we got there as the trains completely shut down at 1pm with no sign of starting up again. But it was a Christmas miracle: we ended up hopping on a train that began moving and were only 15 minutes late.

We enjoyed walking around the National Gallery, then we went to dinner at a shady Chinese restaurant (that no one will take responsibility for choosing :). No one got sick, so that was good! The after dinner pub was much better! It was great to catch up with American friends.

New Year's Day

2009-01-22T09:43:00.000-08:00

Stephanie: Russell had to work so Steph was on her own. The city ran a Free King Alfred's Bus day which included free bus tours on some of the old-fashioned coaches. I rode around town, enjoying the scenery and excitement.

Our English friend Tom was in Winchester with his family, so I joined them for dinner at Winchester's Prezzo.

New Year's Eve

2009-01-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Stephanie: The Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market set up an outdoor ice rink so we went skating. I had a lot of fun. Russell accomplished his goals of not falling down and not "killing a kid." Great job, Russ!

That evening, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner party and games with some new friends in Winchester. I introduced the group to Blackberry Apple cobbler and my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that someone described as a "spicy biscuit." I got a kick out of that!

More Christmas

2009-01-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

Stephanie: Christmas has been fun and relaxing. I went to four carol services to make the most out of the season!

On Christmas Eve we had a cream tea and went to see "The Day the Earth Stood Still" at The Screen, in Winchester. Not a good movie but a fun experience. The theatre is small and comfy. Right after the previews, they pause for an ice-cream break.

The Winchester Cathedral market was beautiful with hundreds of stalls selling food, crafts and gifts. I visited five times.

We cooked a lot for Christmas dinner. It was really fun but a challenge with such a small kitchen. We incorporated some English traditions like Christmas Crackers (the kind you pull apart and get a 'prize' inside), Sticky Toffee pudding, goose-fat roasties (roast potatoes) and Christmas pudding (not good but a must for a proper English Christmas).

Portsmouth - December 8, 2008

2008-12-08T07:15:00.000-08:00

Stephanie: Here we are in Portsmouth again. This is Russell in front of the museum.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is one of Portsmouth's most distinguished former residents. The Sherlock Holmes exhibit at the museum was fascinating with lots of memorabilia about the famous detective from all over the world. He is still just as popular today with a new movie coming out next year with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Can't wait!

Russell practically dragged me to the Portsmouth Royal Theatre's production of 'Northanger Abbey.' OK, just kidding.
Here I am enjoying a pre-show glass of wine. I really enjoyed the play--very well done. Russell went in with super low expectations (and a beer) and thought it was not a complete waste of time, though he could've gone without the 10 minute long dance sequences. He really is a good husband :)
Btw, the girl next to me answered her phone during the production and had a conversation. How rude is that?!

Russell by the beautiful Portsmouth harbor.

This is the pub where we ate. We recommend it.

Christmas in Winchester - December 1, 2008

2008-12-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving! - November 27, 2008

2008-11-27T06:39:00.000-08:00

Russell: For Thanksgiving this year, we went over to our friends Cotton and Rupert's house. Cotton is another Texan that lives two blocks from us and Rupert is her South African boyfriend. Cotton was in Sigma Phi Lambda (Stephanie's old sorority) at Texas Tech and loves football. Rupert's sister was there too with her boyfriend from New Zealand. BTW they call New Zealanders Kiwis. We introduced them to Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potatoes with way too much sugar on them.

We ate a great traditional thanksgiving dinner, watched Rugby and football, and played Texas Holdem. Unfortunately the three Texans lost to a south african, so I guess we didn't represent well.

Stephanie's Birthday - November 19, 2008

2008-11-19T06:41:00.000-08:00

Stephanie: I celebrated my 29th birthday on November 19th. We had a party when my parents came. They know how to make birthdays special. Russell took me out to dinner (and got me lots of Jane Austen stuff from the museum) and my classmates gave me a card and candy. I haven't decided whether this will be the first of many 29th birthdays but if they can be as great as this one, I will seriously consider it.

Guy Fawkes Day Bonfire - November 8, 2008

2008-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Russell: The British know how to hold a grudge. Back in the 1600's, a guy named Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the British Parliament, but luckily was thwarted. Apparently, torturing him for five straight days and executing him was not a big enough punishment. To this day, they heap more disgrace on him by creating a fake Guy and burning him on top of a bonfire every year. This is replicated across the nation on Guy Fawkes Night (November 5th), so hundreds of Guys are burnt each year. I think they need to get over it.

The Guy sitting on top of the bonfire

Stephanie rooting for the Guy to burn

They also had fireworks after the Guy burned

The next few days, we toured around Winchester with Jim and Lois, showing them the local sights. After a week's stay they headed back to America, with full stomachs and enough stories to tell for years to come.

Eating at a pub with Jim and Lois

Jane Austen's House - November 7, 2008

2008-11-07T06:35:00.000-08:00

Stephanie: On another day trip, we visited Jane Austen's house in Chawton. Mom and I were super excited. Russell and Dad brought along reading material. This house is where Austen spent the last eight years of her life (before moving to Winchester to be near her doctor before she died). It is here she revised three of her novels: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey and wrote the other three: Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion. Her writing desk was on display but I was not allowed to sit at it.

The house is as it was when she lived there, with original furniture, clothes, and memorabilia on display. It was such a remarkable experience, as I am a huge fan of hers. I am in awe of her talent and writing abilities, especially when I think about how she wrote: at a small desk, on expensive sheets of paper, constantly dipping her pen into ink. I feel very spoiled (and inferior) having a laptop and delete button (which I use often). I can't imagine writing in longhand, draft after draft. Though now I'm thinking I should try it...

After almost clearing out the gift shop of Jane Austen stuff (tea towels, note cards, mugs, plastic bag holders--you get the picture), we headed to Casandra's Tea Room (named for Austen's sister) across the street for a cream tea. Delightful!

http://www.jane-austens-house-museum.org.uk/

Trip to Oxford - November 6, 2008

2008-11-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

Stephanie: My parents arrived in Winchester November 5th. It was great to see them. One of our day trips was to Oxford. We took a tour of Oxford University, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The architecture and grounds were beautiful, so is the grass. No one is allowed to walk on it (just like at A&M!)

Mom and Dad helped us navigate the city.

We had lunch at The Turf pub, a favorite of many famous patrons, including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkein who hung out there. Another patron: Bill Clinton when he was a Rhodes Scholar.

American Election Night in England - November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

Russell: For election night, Stephanie and I went to a local pub that was having an party, hosted by the Liberal Democrats (they were the only ones having an event). It was odd how interested they were in America. The place was decked out in American flags and red, white and blue decorations. Of the 325 people that were there, we met only one other American. We quickly found the McCain section (about 5 people) and hung out with them until 3AM. Unfortunately for us, and the U.S., Obama won. But we still had fun.

Russell and Steph at Oneil's Pub Election night party

Steph Visits a Wolf Sancuary - November 4, 2008

2008-11-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

Hi ho, Stephanie here:

I got to go on a field trip to a Wolf Sanctuary! I was a little nervous because we had to sign a waiver but it was a really cool experience.

You may wonder what a Wolf Sanctuary has to do with a writing course. Well, it explores the subject of wolves in literature. Apparently they haven't always been portrayed in the best light. We had to watch a video at the beginning to see a history of wolves and how they are viewed and cared for throughout the world. It did make me reconsider the stereotypes of wolves as grandma-eating, house-blowing down, predatory baddies. The sanctuary is one of the only ones in Britain and promotes wolf education and activism. The wolves are allowed to participate in movies and television but only if it portrays them positively.

We hiked out in the sanctuary with the wolves. They were on long chain leashes, held by two handlers each, so I didn't need to worry. Here I am on my meet and greet. I got to rub her belly and stroke her back. She was very calm--just like Nigel, only bigger, hairier and she could rip my hand off if she wanted to. She didn't seem very interested in me though. It was awesome!

Scotland Trip - October 15-20, 2008 (Part One)

2008-10-31T07:38:00.000-07:00

Day 1: Arriving in Glasgow

After arriving to Glasgow by train, we checked into our hotel and explored around. It was too late to visit any museums, so we went on a quick walk around the hotel area and went back to the hotel to eat. I tried Haggis for the first time with neeps’ and taties’ (turnips and mashed potatoes).

My first bite of Haggis

BTW Haggis is a combination of sheep’s heart, liver and lungs along with various spices and is prepared by boiling it in the intestine of the animal. To me it looked and tasted like ground beef but with a pasty texture to it. It's pretty decent considering what it's made out of.

Day Two: Exploring Glasgow

We started off by having a hearty Scottish breakfast. I tried another traditional Scottish food that has disgusting origins. The majority of Black Pudding is made out of cooked blood that becomes congealed when it is heated. They toss in a meat filler which has a lot of fat in it. This wasn't as good as Haggis.

From there we went to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery Museum.

Stephanie making friends with a statue

They had a lot of interesting things ranging from a Salvador Dali painting to a tacky Elvis with a glowing halo.

Stephanie with angelic fat Elvis

Call me uncouth, but I liked the tacky Elvis better. From the museum we had an early afternoon tea at the Willow Tea Room. It was designed by an artist named Charles Rennie Mackintosh, which I think was supposed to impress me. Seeing as how this was more for Stephanie than for me, I acted impressed and enjoyed a good cup of tea.

Russell enjoying an afternoon tea

After our tea, we walked to the University of Glasgow where we paid for a cheap, but very infomative tour of the campus. The U of Glasgow was home to Lord Kelvin (the father of Thermodynamics), James Watt (is cool because he has an electrical unit named after him), and Adam Smith (the father of modern economics). Honestly, I'm not a very big fan of Lord Kelvin. I can't remember my exact grade in Thermo, but I know it wasn't good and I hated the class. I did not become a civil engineer to remember pv=nrt. I'll never forgive him for taking up space in my brain that I desperately need for an equation that I'll never use.

Russell sulking in front of Lord Kelvin's statue

Other than their infatuation with Lord Kelvin, the university was a great place to visit. It had beautiful archicture and a really old feel to it.

Stephanie in front of the main building

The south side of the main building

Before leaving, we were told to check out the Hunterian Museum on campus where they had on display Robert the Bruce's toe. We saw the toe. Upon leaving the museum we decided to take a walk through Kelvin park. We ate at a restaraunt called Blas where we tried Cullen Skink, which is basically just chowder. It was good though, and we were able to see Kelvingrove Museum lit up at night.

Kelvingrove Museum at night

Here I am the next day describing the food we ate in an awesome Scottish accent. I totally blended with the locals.

Day 3: Glasgow/Inverness/Tain

We did a lot of traveling on Day 3 since we had to make it up to Inverness for a boat cruise out of there the next day. The train ride was six hours long, but we were able to see a lot of the scottish countryside and the William Wallace monument in Stirling.

The William Wallace monument in Stirling. "FREEDOM!!!"

We arrived in Inverness and then took a cab to see the Glenmorangie Scotch distillery in Tain.

Russell enjoying scotch at the Glenmorangie distillery

The cab was driven by a country music listening Scot that spoke both English and Gaelic. It was a very entertaining ride. He was especially excited to know that I was named after John Wayne (Wayne's my middle name). We arrived at the distillery and received three "wee drams" of scotch for tasting. They let us keep our nosing glasses and gave us a free hardback book about the history of scotch. We were able to walk around, look at the stills, go to their tasting room, buy some scotch and see where it was aged.

The Glenmorangie whisky stills, the tallest in Scotland

From the distillery, we walked to the Morangie House Hotel. It was the nicest hotel that we stayed in during our Scotland trip. It was even nice enough for both the Queen Mum and Prince Andrew to visit.

Stephanie in front of the Morangie House Hotel

Russell and Stephanie enjoying the posh environment

Dinner was delicious. We each ordered an appetizer and decided to share a main course (chicken stuffed with haggis, yum). It turned out to be a great idea, because my appetizer was huge. We went to bed tired, but with an empty stomach.

Russell with his appetizer - mussels

Scotland Trip - October 15-20, 2008 (Part Two)

2008-10-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

Day 4: Inverness/Loch Ness/Edinburgh

We woke up very early and took a train to Inverness where we took the bus to our Loch Ness cruise. Our main goal was to find the monster. Although I believe in UFO's, I don't believe in Nessie. Stephanie, however, was determined to find her.

Stephanie looking for the Loch Ness monster

The Loch was beautiful. It reminded me a lot of Washington state. There wasn't very many other boats out so a lot the time it felt like we had it to ourselves.

Russell and Stephanie on Loch Ness

As you would expect, it was cold and very windy,...

Stephanie trying to stay warm

...but we were still sad to get off the boat when we arrived at our destination: Urquhart Castle.

Stephanie and Russell at Urquhart Castle

At Urquhart we felt a little rushed, as we were only given about 50 minutes to look around before the tour bus left to take us back to Inverness. Urquhart has been around since the 6th century and has seen many people storm its walls, but none as fierce as Stephanie (and definately none wearing a pink hat).

Stephanie storming the castle

Stephanie after storming the castle

From there, we took a tour bus back to Inverness and listened to a very entertaining tour guide that sounded like Willy from the Simpson's. From Inverness we took a train to Edinburgh, found a hotel, ate dinner at a burger place and relaxed the rest of the night.

Picture taken by Stephanie from the Forth Railway Bridge near Edinburgh

Day Five: Edinburgh

The day began early with a monumental discovery. See the movie below.

Wow, and you think you know a person.

From there we went to visit Edingburgh Castle, which was the highlight of the trip.

Russell with Edinburgh castle in the background

The castle is over 900 years old and is where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James I who united Scotland and England under one rule when Queen Elizabeth died. It holds the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny which is an ancient Scottish relic that King Edward I stole in the 1300's. It was placed in Westminster Abbey until 1950 when a group of college students from the University of Glasgow broke into Westminster Abbey, stole it and took it back to Scotland. England eventually got it back, but the backlash caused them to permanently "loan" it to Scotland, only taking it back whenever a new monarch was crowned. Very interesting story.

Russell on top of Edinburgh Castle

Stephanie touring the castle

Stephanie and Russell bombarding Edinburgh from the castle

View of Edinburgh from the castle

There were a lot of interesting things to see there. We spent three hours walking around the grounds and through the various buildings. In the dungeons they have on display an old door to the cells where the prisoners were housed that had a lot of graffiti scrawled into it. The most interesting one was from an American prisoner held there during the Revolutionary War. Long live the stars and stripes!

From the castle we went to the Scottish Museum and the Museum of Childhood.

Scottish Museum: Can you spot Stephanie?

We went back to our hotel, rested and ate dinner. That night we went on a ghost and ghouls tour of the Edinburgh underground which was, according to the BBC, the most haunted place in Scotland. We saw neither ghosts nor ghouls, but as you can see below, Stephanie was still scared.

Stephanie trying to be brave during the ghost tour

Day Six: Edinburgh and back to Winchester

Before leaving Edinburgh we manage to see the National Scottish Art Gallery and the Museum of Writers. We walked around the Royal Mile of Edinburgh one last time and headed home back to Winchester.

Stephanie on the Royal Mile

Stephanie in front of the Museum of Writers

London - October 11, 2008 - Texas OU Game Day

2008-10-13T03:17:00.000-07:00

Is there any doubt that the best team in college football is Texas? Probably, but I'm not one of those doubters.

Things I learned from the game:
1. Jordan Shipley exists
2. Colt McCoy will win the heisman.
3. Jamaal Charles is no Ogbanaya.
4. Bob Stoops is no Mack Brown.
5. Stoops is poops (although I kind of already knew this).
6. The Oklahoma punter deserves a daytime Emmy award.

Stephanie and I traveled to London to watch the Texas-OU game on Saturday with the Texas Exes. Since the game started at 5 PM over here, we spent the early afternoon at the British History Museum shown below.

Stephanie in front of the Museum of British History

The most intelligent exchange of ideas occured while we were in the ancient Egypt section. It went something like this.

Russell: They sure carved a lot of crap.
Stephanie: Yeah. They didn't have television.

Russell decoding ancient Egyptian Hieroglphyics

Anywho, from there, we walked along the Thames River to the BBQ place by the Tower of London where the game was being shown. We arrived at 4 PM and it was packed already (about 100 people). We managed to find a good seat, met some nice people and cheered the Longhorns to victory. It was a fun environment to watch the game in. You could tell that everyone missed football and BBQ. We met one guy that traveled from Amsterdam just to watch the game. The only things that could of made the day better would have been to see a crying Oklahoma child in the stands and a corny dog, but I guess we can't have everything. The video below is us singing the Eyes of Texas after the game. Hook Em!

Victory Celebration after the TX OU Game

London--September 28, 2008

2008-10-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Hello! Thought I should blog about London before I forgot what we did there!

Stephanie in front of Buckingham Palace

The International Society at The University of Winchester organized this trip for the foreign students. It was all Asians, Canadians, and Americans. I suppose London is old hat to the European students. We got a super discount and my Advisor was kind enough to let Russell go too (otherwise I would've had to hang out with undergrads--as if).

There were 48 of us on the bus, which is quite a big group to keep together in a big city but I don't think anyone got lost. The first thing that struck me was the traffic. It was Sunday and there were still back-ups, congestion, and a wreck with rubber-neckers (reminded me of home). To cut down on the congestion there is a fee to use a car in London--about $15 a day. The public transportation is so good though that most people don't use cars anyway. Our guide, Susanah, said that her husband had a car but never used it. It was parked on the street and gone 3 weeks before he knew it had been towed. Apparently the signs changed and he never checked. Susanah was really cool and a wealth of information. A 6 ft. 5 Blonde Californian who had lived in London for 12 years, she carried around a floral umbrella and was easy to find in the crowd. Her accent was really interesting to listen to as it went in and out of British and American.

We whizzed around the city as she pointed out different things to do when we returned with more time: Harrods, The London Eye, the British Museum, Half price show tickets in Leicester Square (yes please!). One interesting thing she mentioned about Harrods is that it used to be the official place where the Royal Family shopped. After the owner's, Mohamed Al-Fayed, son, Dodi, was killed in the car crash that also killed Princes Diana, he set up a memorial for them inside the store. However, the memorial says that they were murdered, not killed, implying the Royal family was involved. Needless to say, the Queen and co. shop elsewhere now. (Scandalous!)

We caught the changing of the guard, at Buckingham Palace, which was very cool and official. I love their furry hats which are apparently made out of bear fur (very warm) but have opened debate about their PCness with the Animal Rights peeps. (Controversy!) We did not see the Queen. Maybe next time.

Changing of the Guards

We then stopped by St. James gardens where the rich and royal used to promanade and where the Pelicans live. Then we went to Covent Garden for some shopping and lunch (Bangers and chips aka sausages and french fries :) and watched a real-live street performer. He stood on a ladder in the middle of the square and juggled three big knives. (Dangerous!)

Tower of London was next where we saw the famous Ravens (legend has it that if the Ravens leave, the monarchy and entire British kingdom will fall).

Russell in front of the Tower Bridge

For those who want the British Royal family to stay put, don't worry the birds' wings are clipped. I learned that some of the guards actually live on the Tower of London grounds. I think this would be so fun--I mean you're right next to the famous execution spot of Anne Boylen, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey! We only had a short time at the Tower, so Russell made sure we saw the Crown jewels, dishes, Coronation robe, etc. along with one ginormous pure gold punchbowl. (Par-tay!) Then we went through the armor museum where you could see the different suits for horses, boys, young Henry VIII and big Henry VIII.

King Henry VIII's Suit of Armour

And then it was over. We got an ice-cream and hopped on the bus to go home. Did I mention the weather was really nice? It was.

Portsmouth

2008-09-25T15:41:00.001-07:00

Time has flown by and Russell and I already feel that we have been in Winchester for ages and are almost locals (without the accent). We were going to go on some trips before school started (classes begin on Monday) but with still getting stuff in order with the apartment, exploring Winchester and waiting to learn more about the ins and outs of European travel, we've stayed in town.

We did make a trip to Portsmouth the other day though and that was very worthwhile.

Portsmouth Harbour

A harbor city with lots of ships and ferries coming and going, Portsmouth is home to several historical ships, including the HMS Victory which was Admiral Horatio Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 (I had to refresh myself on British history but apparently it was a big one!).

Russell in front of the HMS Victory

As the admittance fee was quite high on all the ships, this is the only one we paid to tour. It was very impressive and large, yet hard to believe over 800 men had to sleep, work and eat on it. I will think twice before complaining about sharing a tiny bathroom with Russell! The tour guide was a crusty old seaman-type who had little patience for the schoolchildren holding up the tour in front of us, so that allowed us more time to look around. We were even sneaky enough to take pictures when he wasn't looking too (I'm guessing you can't do this because it slows everyone down even more). The displays were very vivid with being up close with the tools used for unruly behavior (cat of nine tails), seeing the hammocks where the sailors slept (conveniently, they double as a coffin, in case you die onboard) and descriptions of the meals: wevilily biscuits, gruel and salted meat. There was even a stuffed rat in the kitchen to give you a real feel for ship life and hygine. Oh, and to save space and time, the men ate on the same table where surgeries were performed--eww! Russell commented that if the Admiral's quarters weren't so large, there'd be more room for everyone else. It doesn't look like they thought in terms of that kind of equality back then.

Anyway, Nelson died onboard his ship but not before hearing that the British had won the battle against Napoleon's navy. After that Nelson was a national hero. He was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral and a statue of him was erected in Trafalgar Square, named in honor of his victory. As Nelsonmania erupted, so did the merchandizing and we saw a large display of beautiful artifacts, as well as cheap crap, made in his honor in the museums. I was disappointed to learn that his mistress--a former prostitute--Lady Emma Hamilton, got a whole wall of the museum devoted to her (as well as a pub named after her), when his poor, neglected wife got a tiny corner that mentioned she was devoted to Nelson for the rest of her life. So sad. Where was the First Wives Club back then?

This is a city we will definitely visit again (they had a Cadbury's outlet too!). Two thumbs up.

Settling In

2008-09-18T10:39:00.002-07:00

We are in our new apartment (moved in on Monday evening, September 15th) and now have internet (and therefore phone access (via Skype) and T.V (via Slingbox)! Hallelujah and Praise the Lord!! I feel there’s so much to catch up on. Let me first give a shout out to McDonald’s who provides free wi-fi and kept us connected to the world for the past week--May your golden arches keep shining.

We found an apartment, or flat, as the British say, the first day we moved here (September 10th) and in between then and Monday we worked on getting our deposit through so we could move in.

Our new flat!

That was more of a challenge than we expected. Apparently going with our UK and US banks it was going to take a week to wire the money needed (six months worth of rent because we have no UK credit history). This was going to be too long as we only had the hotel reserved through Sunday night and didn’t want to continue paying for rooms. We felt like the people on that commercial: “It’s my money and I want it now!” Fortunately Russell discovered Moneygram and we were able to wire the money. Of course it wasn’t easy though. Russell’s parents got the third degree from the Moneygram place in San Antonio (we owe them big!) and we had to do it in 2 transactions.

Then when we went to collect it in Winchester we had different hold ups. The first had to get authorization from someone on the US west coast, so that couldn’t happen until 4pm UK time. The second place had us in two separate lines with employee A and B wondering why we were in their line. My favorite part was when employee A asked employee B why she sent us to her line when she doesn’t handle Moneygrams. “Because,” shouted employee B across a room of 30 people, “it’s for 3,000 pounds!” Yikes. We did not get robbed but I certainly clutched my purse a little tighter as we walked out.
As we didn’t have a phone, communicating with our leasing agent was tricky and we were worried we would miss him. I was imagining we’d have to spend the night on the streets that night with 8 bags of luggage and a wad of cash. He did arrive in the nick of time, at 5:30pm, we passed off our money and got into our apartment! What a relief! My advice if anyone is going to do this is to just bring a suitcase full of money with you on the airplane. You will probably have any easier, quicker time explaining that to Customs than getting it some other way. I document this story to remind myself of how stressful it was and that it all worked out OK. Russell was a lot more patient with the situation than I was.

We love our new flat and are so thankful to all who prayed about this. That was our goal: to get into an apartment within 5 days. It was a great concern. It is in an old church (old by our standards but built in 1870s) with 10 other modern flats. It’s very close to the city center and next door is a beautiful old hotel, The Winchester Royal, which is the oldest hotel in town (we didn’t get to stay here as it was booked). The flat is also furnished which was a welcome surprise as we do not need to go out and buy too much stuff. We will provide pictures of the inside of the flat once we’ve fixed it up.

The weather is perfect. I love going out in a jacket and not sweating. It rained the first few days we were here but only in the afternoon and it was light.

A view of Winchester from St. Giles Hill

Everything we need is within walking distance, which is important, as we won’t have a car this year. I believe we will get in great shape, especially since the University is at the top of a hill.

We’ve eaten out at a few places and have enjoyed the food. Russell loves St. George’s Fish and Chips and would eat there every night if he could. He is also renewing his love for Dr. Pepper as it tastes different here, and in our opinion, better. I’ve loved getting back to the snacks I enjoyed as a kid in England: Prawn Cocktail crisps and Digestive biscuits, to name a few (these may sound gross but don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it). The Sainsbury’s (grocery store) is very close so we’ve stocked up on essentials as well.

We’ve explored and been sightseeing as well but I’ll reserve that for another post as this is getting long. Cheerio.

We're here!

2008-09-12T12:04:00.001-07:00

We made it to Winchester safely and with our luggage intact (my big concern). Thanks for your prayers. The city is beautiful: very historic and picturesque. We've had some time to explore but we've mainly been focusing on getting an apartment and a bank account. We did find a place to live. It's in an old converted church, is near the city and comes with some furniture, so that's helpful. The money wiring is tricky and we're hoping it will go through quickly so we don't have to stay in our hotel too much longer. Since we don't want to pay $18 a day for internet, we've been hanging out at McDonald's to get free service. The temperature is in the 50s and it has rained every day.

The news has been quite eventful. Hurricane Ike has made national headlines. I hope our Texas friends are safe and inside. There was a chunnel fire which has caused a lot of distress with travelers. Also, the third biggest British airline just went under leaving tons of people stranded on vacations and out of work. The pound has fallen a lot, which helps us, but the British economy is going through their own credit crunch and is not fairing too well.

Tomorrow we hope to go to the Southhampton boat show which sounds like a big thing.

We have a blog!

2008-09-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Russell and I are heading to jolly old England, y'all! I will be attending the University of Winchester, in Winchester, to pursue my Masters in Writing for Children. We have started this blog to document our trip. I'm a little intimidated about the blog because I've never done one before and I'll feel pressue to keep it up. I can't promise we'll post regularly but we'll do our best. Check back soon...