Election 2012

A few quick words on the election...

I want to start by saying I am actually really glad that my year abroad coincided with the election - I have got to experience America at a time when it's at it's most political. Without making this a too political blog post, I was truly fascinated by the huge divide between the parties - something which doesn't seem that noticeable in British politics. I suppose I've come to realise through this election how different, politically, England is from America. I've learned more about American politics and culture, I feel, by being present during a time when particular issues are at their most noticeable and are being debated openly. Last night, I made sure to watch Comedy Central's coverage (as god knows I can't watch politics for long without some satire...) and when the results were revealed it was incredible to see the divergent responses through numerous social media outlets. I also, like many, stayed up until 2am to watch Obama's acceptance speech...and am now paying for it with this supreme tiredness that is smothering me right now... 

No matter who you voted for in the election - be it Democrat, Republican, or even a third-party - and no matter how much you may dislike the other guy or the other side, I saw plenty of first time voters here who were desperate to get out and vote and that to me is fantastic! What's important is that you voted, and you got your voice heard in some way. There are plenty of places in this world where that kind of opportunity is denied. You did good, America. Here's to the next four!

*Now to wait for the May 7 2015 election in the UK. Which will be my second voting opportunity. All this excitement and I can't even actively join in!

Hurricane Sandy + Trip Update!

First hurricane experience...

...and thankfully not that terrifying. Granted, some parts of the US have been horrifically hit by the (somewhat oddly named) storm, so hoping everything turns out okay for them (or you, if you're in an area which has been hit hard). Here, the storm was expected to hover over us and cause some damage, but it ended up skimming us really. It caused trouble in CT but we were central enough - and inland enough - that we didn't experience much of the storm, in this part of MA. Honestly, I've seen worse days in Leeds... The storm was worrying enough that they shut the university and we were confined indoors all day (apart from the odd one or two who you would hear shrieking and holding onto their umbrellas in vain - though god knows where they were trying to go...). The uni provided packed lunches for us, as all dining services were shut early. They took it seriously which is definitely a good thing - though, most of us were just happy for any excuse to have a day off... Thankfully, the storm passed us by - but the day was very overcast and dark, and we experienced HORIZONTAL RAIN and random gusts of gale force winds which lasted a couple of seconds a time. Honestly, it was just a 'bad weather' day for us - but just north in Cambridge and Boston they experienced much more severe weather, so all things considered we were fairly lucky here in central MA. Now the weather is back to its usual overcast self...

OH LOOK WHAT DAY IT IS, TOO...

Well, it's the last day of October so...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2SPOOKY4ME
[not my gif] 

Which means...ONLY FIVE WEEKS (sort of ) TIL THE END OF TERM OMGGGG

Christmas trip!

We now have accommodation sorted for our three days in Boston and our week in NYC! Just DC accommodation to sort out. We use the site airbnb - which I heartily recommend! - as hotels around that time of year are hella expensive, obviously. So we're travelling on a budget - as students are wont to do. Should be a fun experience! After DC, I have about ten days with nothing planned. WHAT TO DO. But Christmas is now sorted thank goodness. I'm saving trying egg nog til then. BETTER BE WORTH IT, AMERICA.

Salem trip update~

An update will emerge about Salem, MA and things you can see and do there! I will get around to writing the info posts very soon - especially as I need to remember things about Boston for my trip at Christmas! Also expect info posts on travelling, accommodation, NYC and DC too~ When I'm not being buried under books.

-G~

Adventures Ahoy~

New York Christmas!

Thanks to the wonderful work of a good friend of mine, we shall be spending the Christmas holiday in New York City! I am like...dying of joy right now. 

SO EXCITED OMG.

The plan is a Boston to New York to Washington DC trip! Honestly, to go back to the United Kingdom during this time and then to come back would not only be very expensive (travelling to London then back North) but also it took me WEEKS to adjust to the time-zone and, well, EVERYTHING here. So may as well see some more of the States! I have been to NYC but only once and in the middle of summer so very much looking forward to seeing NYC in the winter! I have never been to Washington DC so, of course, I have my magnifying glass and encyclopedias out to investigate-- Okay, I bought a pocket guide. /I AM OFFICIALLY ADDICTED. 

Next to this, an amazingly lovely friend has offered I stay with her during the Thanksgiving period which is very exciting! I've never experienced a proper Thanksgiving before. In return, American friends, CELEBRATE BONFIRE NIGHT WITH ME! /i actually forgot Americans don't celebrate it... //I don't have any fireworks but I still need to try proper smores soooo--

WHY ARE YOU ALL SUCH AWESOME PEOPLE. GODDAMN.

New England foliage

Picture taken by yours truly!

Though I haven't had a chance to really explore Massachusetts and the surrounding country, the trees on our quiet campus, at least, began to turn to a gorgeous vibrant pink/red colour. The tree outside my window - though clearly a kingdom for the many, many insane squirrels who reside here - has not undergone this surprisingly picturesque transformation. Oh, of course, trees change back home - but a couple of trees in particular are amazingly vivid looking here.

Plans and plots and work, work, work...

I am busy! So busy. Really busy. Like...amazingly busy. I had to write my midterm exam today and just...ARGH. My eyes are so empty feeling. Wait, that makes no sense. BUT IT DOES. Luckily, dinner and The Walking Dead are awaiting me this evening. 

God bless this show ;3;

I must somehow catch up on my reading - hence the slow updates on this blog. I still need to write about Boston so I shall try and get some done in the near future. You don't mind?

Apart from drowning under books I am also worryingly addicted to the American vers. of Netflix (SO WORTH THE SUBSCRIPTION OMG) and I can easily watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report here - an intervention may be needed. 

GPOY.

Oh and of course: THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. I've thus far seen the two presidential debates (sorry, vice-presidents). So far so interesting. And occasionally infuriating. American politics is very different to the British system... Different methods, concerns, etc. Never really struck me as being that different until I started taking more of an interest in it to be honest. I find it strangely fascinating... The final presidential debate is tomorrow, I believe. No doubt I will be sat eating pretzels and shouting incredulously at my laptop screen during it. ;D

-G~

*As always, gifs belong to their owners who are super talented. I've only just mastered MS Paint. (-_-;)

Autumn 2012

October started yesterday!

And, though, yes, I did start the new month with a day-long migraine, I figured it was about damn time I posted on this thing. 

The leaves are beginning to change colour here. If you come from a country with deciduous trees this isn't all that exciting...but surprisingly the trees here go particularly flourescent pink/orange/red which makes me figure HEY WAIT...THESE TREES ARE KINDA DIFFERENT. I know. Brainstorm of the century right there. I'd like to get my Countryfile hat on and take some photos of the trees...PERHAPS I WILL. Just up from my accommodation building is a walkway with trees on either side, all of which are in different stages of prettifying... I'm a terrible photographer though, so if I do take a photo try to enhance it with your own beautiful imagination.

ESSAY SEASON

In capslock just to MAKE IT MORE TERRIFYING. YA SCARED YET, ARE YA? All things considered I got started sort of early and my drafts are doing okay so luckily these two essays aren't gonna be the kind that makes me throw books across the room and screech like a pterodactyl at well-meaning and concerned friends (god help me if I ever get to PhD level...). All that said, I should be done with these essays by tomorrow lunch-time which means I can get started on my journal work.

JOURNALS? I hear you a-scream. Or ask, politely. 

Yes. Journal work is something I've never done before for university courses; basically, these appear to be informal pieces of writing - thoughts on a piece of literature or just general musings on how to apply a theory, for instance. When a book or week of study is particularly fruitful these things can actually be really fun to write...but when a week is difficult (DAMN IT POST-STRUCTURALISM WHY DO YOU EXIST) then it can be a bit...hellish. 

It's keeping on top of the work which is the most challenging. Compared to my studies at home, I find there's more weekly work, which was something they warned us about before coming to the US, whilst back home you have 2-3 essays per term...if that. If you have an exam you sometimes only have the one essay. The essays back home are the big concern, and though you have slightly more here, and more weekly work, it means less grade-wise. Which is a good and bad thing. You do a lot more work = tiring. But it's not as grade-decisive = good? I guess I'm not too concerned. I just want to do well and not fail miserably - but as this year does not touch my actual grade back home...it's nice not having all that pressure for a year. INSTEAD WE HAVE MORE PRESSURE. But you know what I mean... Shush.

Cult movies and free buses to Boston make for a happy self~

God bless this movie.

They do surprise sort of screenings here of an evening, which is really nice. It gives you a chance to unwind and chill out with friends which is a god-send when you're as busy as I currently am. These screenings thus far have been the Marvel movies (I went to see X-Men First Class) and a society here screens famous bad movies (WHICH IS A SERIOUS GUILTY PLEASURE OF MINE OMG) and we managed to go to a screening of The Room. EVERYONE THREW SPOONS. WE HECKLED. WE RECITED LINES OF DIALOGUE. Honestly one of the happiest moments of being here thus far (also fun fact: second time I've seen that film in full; I recommend everyone try and go to at least one screening, even if you're not sure exactly what you're off to see...TRUST ME ON THIS, HOLMES). So much fun. I just love cult movie gatherings like those - I certainly hope to see more of these over the weeks. Tonight is my third visit to a screening here: Hitchcock's Psycho which I am very looking forward to and shall be going to shortly.

Another third for me is a trip to Boston! A good friend and I are going to be adventuring Boston this Saturday. The university has free shuttle buses to Boston which is possibly one of the best things ever. A FREE SHUTTLE. I had no idea about this until a few weeks before heading here so was glad to see it was as awesome as it sounded. Though a tad chaotic at the beginning - hope this next trip will be a little more controlled. I do not need to be sandwiched between strangers again. As delightful as that was. No really. Who doesn't love being squashed by people cramming onto a bus with no queueing. /my English angry-appreciation for queueing comes back in full force in such situations. If you're ever stuck in a crowd and you hear someone shouting: OH NOW REALLY THIS IS TOO MUCH. WHAT OF THE QUEUE. ...it's me.

HEY YOU PROMISED THINGS WHEN YOU GONNA DELIVER?

Yes! The posts about Boston are forth-coming. Expect an entry on the Aquarium and ferries and such very soon. Hopefully this next trip to Boston on Saturday will give me a much needed push to hurry up and get some writing done! I have pictures to illustrate and everything. Don't say I never spoil you.

-G~

Oh Tasty Things, Where Did You Go?

I experience odd forms of homesickness...

YES. I said the dreaded 'h' word that no one says because somehow amongst those who cross overseas, or even just away from home for a while, this is a bad thing. Something to be avoided. Something silly and childish. And maybe it is to those of you are who are true LONE WOLVES, but most people do experience this annoying brain tic and it can appear in a myriad of ways. Many blogs can help with overcoming it...  This one? Well, this one would rather laugh at my more common experience of it...

Now I'm English. No, really. And, yes, we can laugh forever at how British cuisine isn't as delicious as some of our European neighbours'...but I actually miss food. Not just STANDARD TRADITIONAL ENGLISH CUISINE (thought that too...) but I mean, random food. Even brands. Stuff that's definitely international in some instances, yet for some reason isn't really available here. So I decided, in my hungry nostalgia, to list my top six missed foods. Does it mean I sit and cry about them? ;3; ...No. Does it link to homesickness...? Well, maybe yes and maybe no. But I do know that I get a lot hungrier here, so let me indulge myself a little, okay? For me, aside from the OUCH MY SOUL aka proper homesickness, it often manifests itself in a nostalgic longing for food I used to get but now can't... (Though, yes, I'm sure ALL this stuff is available, even the weirder ones. But on a day to day basis? Less so.)

*Note: I don't own ANY of these pictures...well, bar one. I'll tell you which. Images below belong to the talented photographers who took them.

YORKSHIRE TEA

Oh most glorious of all teas. How I do miss you. I have been sent some teabags but through a combination of coffee machine-provided hot water and NO SEMI-SKIMMED MILK (seriously, America? what is this percentage nonsense... *moustache twirl*), the tea when brewed is significantly stranger tasting here - honestly, I think it's the water; I need to boil it myself... Which makes me sad-face. BUT when using kettle-boiled water and a good splash of milk...this is by far THE BEST TEA on the market. And it's not just because I'm from Yorkshire. I promise. *screeches* *hugs teabags* /scientifically proven to cure all ills and world problems.

FRESH BREAD

Fresh bread? Oh yeah. My diet when at university in the UK isn't fantastic, admittedly; bread being one of the main snacking foods for me back home. With Nutella, fresh and warm bread is perfection. And even an 'okay' sandwich is just so much better. Thousand extra points + level up if the crust is crusty and the inside really, really soft. *dribbles*

CADBURYS CHOCOLATE

I don't normally buy lots of chocolate back home, though I am a fiend for the stuff. But here? I LOVE the sweets here and I've still have lots to try...I want to write a post about new foods actually, so watch this space! BUUUT I do miss Cadburys. Some have speculated that due to cocoa butter amounts sometimes differing per place - and yes brands do alter their products between countries, particularly products which involve a higher or lower percentage of an ingredient (TRUST ME I KNOW THIS IS SCIENCE FACT YEAH), and I did find Cadburys here...but it tasted like Hersheys. I know. Maybe I'm crazy... But I'm damn glad I got sent a bar of the stuff from home. SO GOOD. /granted the bar I bought here was caramel. A RISKY CHOICE.

SHEPHERD'S/COTTAGE PIE

A proper food stuff on here. More commonly eaten by me than the INCREDIBLY delicious steak and kidney pie, this is so good when you grate cheddar cheese on top, or Gloucester... /what's the difference between the pies? one uses beef mince, the other lamb. Guess which.

GRATED CHEESE

Put it on everything. Seriously. Smother all the dishes. NOW OF COURSE THERE IS CHEESE HERE. Hold onto your hats. This isn't a list of foods which aren't here at all. But I just can't get any cheese. Partly because for this year I won't be responsible for cooking for myself. So I rely on campus food of course. Which, no matter where you go, rarely indulges this much cheese. /LOOK I JUST MISS OVER-EATING IT SO MUCH. //addicted.

STEAK & KIDNEY PIE

Oh look. It made an appearance. Looks angry.

BONUS! KINDER SURPRISE

Not English by any means but christ are these impossible to find. /Someone told me they stopped selling them. THIS IS A TRAGEDY. //by the way these things are the slightly more expensive sweet...so trust me, I treat myself to these like...twice a month. If that. But knowing they're hard to find, according to people here, makes me sad. A BLOOOOOO BLOO.

I do like American food; please don't misunderstand, my American FRIEEEENDS.

I worry this will turn controversial so let me summarise by saying: most foods in America are beautiful. THE COLOURINGS IN SNACK FOODS IS GLORIOUS. I'm re-finding food from my childhood which is still available here. It's all awesome... And this post is not to say America doesn't have this stuff. It does, I'm sure (less sure about the pies, like). DEFINITELY HAS BREAD AND CHEESE. I MEAN COME ON. Just less easily available to me, right now. at a university, compared to at home, or at uni in the UK. And as such my diet has changed somewhat, and mostly consists of bagels at the moment (not the party kind, eh, Haylie?). Which is cool. But not the same. So I get nostalgic for home over food. A terrible entrapment. I'm ever so hungry for this stuff. Luckily, I was sent two of the things on this list:

Photo belongs to me~

So I feel much more at ease... Though I sort of ate the chocolate. But I still have tea!

*inhales deeply into the boxes*

COMING UP NEXT...

A blog post on delicious new foods~ /you see? cons and then the pros. that's how it works.

- G~

Kindle Help - International Travel Blues

A super-srs post about srsbsns...

I found that my post about Kindle use when abroad was relatively popular so here's a head's up! When I first arrived in the States, naturally one of the first things I wanted to do was start downloading some of the novels required for my literature classes. My first hurdle was that I had not yet set up the wireless connection to my Kindle (which, admittedly, is still shaky here - in part due to the system in use here, not the device), I needed to transfer my files manually. Some of the problems I experienced, oddly different each time, were things such as:

• The file appeared incompatible;
• It wouldn't automatically transfer (due to wireless connectivity but also manually);
• I got errors about the ownership of the book file...

I managed to get some files working BY CHANCE but it was a lot more awkward this time around. After some looking online, I found that there is a simple reason why this headache occurs...

Picture does not belong to me!
Used for illustration purposes only!

International laws strike again!

Anyone who has a love of dvds or video games should know enough about international region coding; incredibly prevalent in dvds (I won't explain video games but look it up, it's kinda the same issue...). Simply put, these regions govern where the dvds can be used and sold. In England, we use Region 2. In America, it's Region 1. Therefore, in our respective countries, the other's dvds won't work. Regions are shared between many countries, not always based on geographical closeness (Japan shares England's region code, for example). This is a headache for movie/tv fans who want to import dvds of their favourite foreign shows which may not yet be imported (OH HOW I WISH I COULD BUY PARKS AND RECREATION...) Why all the talk of dvds? Well, the same thing often applies when downloading (this happens when you try and buy American downloads from the US itunes when in the UK). As such, you will experience difficulty when trying to use files downloaded from amazon dot co dot uk. The device will probably be linked to England as well, with an English address, and a top hat and a monocle, etc. What I recommend you do in this situation is to go onto the English amazon site and take a look at the 'Manage Your Kindle' section. Somewhere there you will find it will invite you to go to the American site. Do so. The site will automatically transfer your files across to the US site and from there you will use your Kindle. Your whole account will be copied across to avoid re-registering annoyances...but your UK account will also remain untouched.

Now I'm not saying this is a fool-proof way...

...but this is what solved the issue for me. Of course, technology is never NOT a pain so my apologies if the problem is not solved through my vague recommendations. The site's FAQ is big enough that you might find where the fault lies but in my case it was a desire for the device to transfer to the American site so it can download files without fuss. And it has worked. This is also a problem you may find in buying music from the site. You will not be able to download music from amazon UK when in the USA due to DUN DUN DUUUN international laws. So again, use your American site for this. You still have both sites, remember! Both you can order ~actual material goods~ on, but unfortunately downloads are still a bit of a mess regarding usability when abroad. For music, I find that it's still an issue, though I'm not sure why - but found that when buying, you can choose the option to send the album, say, to oneself as a gift which seems to bypass any confusion the player might have. Don't worry though you're still paying for it and if you're in the US you SHOULD be able to download the music, but the system does get confused from time to time, and this can help if you JUST GOTTA get that Taylor Swift album! D:< *Granted this may have been a temporary glitch*

If you do experience any problems, do check their FAQ and around the web. They are helpful. I'm just sharing my own headaches and letting you know how I worked through them.

My Kindle works awesome now. I'm currently reading Evelina and it's surprisingly good. 

It's no Pamela, thank goodness.

PS: Setting up a wireless connection in your new permanent internet access will be a big help for you to avoid manually finding files and putting them on. 

PPS: To find files and manually put them on go onto the site, click 'Manage Your Kindle,' look down at your recent downloads which should be listed, then access a little drop-down menu next to each one in 'Other Actions.' Click the 'transfer USB' option and this should work. Else try and find the file in your computer and do the ol' copy and paste method. If required, I can do a post about this in the future, but lots of people have written on this subject so go take a look! ...Oh yeah, make sure you have the USB cable with you. Obviously.

PPPS: I use 'England' a lot here - my Yorkshire roots are showing! - and by that I mean, THE UNITED KINGDOM. Sorry, Scottish/N.Irish/Welsh friends! D: Y'all know what I'm mean.

-G~

Library of HORRORS, Mall of DOOM & Other Anecdotes

It has been a long time, dear reader...

Blegh. I hate sentences that contain the word 'dear reader.' It sounds creepy opposed to cuddly. Like something you'd hear when you're alone in a library...and the lights aren't working...and a voice too close to your ear breathes: 'How are you...DEAR READER.' 

*shudder*

In all honesty, this is what I expect at the library here. OH DON'T GET ME WRONG. It's almost the exact same twin as the one back home... Smaller, yes, but has the same dystopian!Russia look to it. Which is actually one of my favourite architectural styles if you must know... And no, I don't know what the style is really called...* I decided to visit it some days ago because HEY I'M A DEDICATED LITERATURE STUDENT OH HOLLA~ and figured I needed to find Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas a little earlier than last minute. So in I waltzed. Within the first five seconds of being in the foyer I was asked if I was lost. And here I thought I looked sophisticated and dashing. I was directed to a lift and up I went. Of course, I had no idea how to look for the book I needed but figured the system would probably be the same as the one back home.

OH HOW RIGHT I WAS. Right down to it being a LABYRINTH.

Now, again, I'm not complaining. Libraries, aside from the cute but politically threatened ones you get in your local town centre, are supposed to be big and intimidating. I guess. The referencing system does make sense but no one takes the time to actually figure it out. I am full of literary bravado so I figure THIS LABYRINTH CAN'T TAME ME. 

Now the building has a light-saving obsession, I guess, which is something new to me. Basically the rows and rows of books are smothered in shadows. Oh yeah. Smothered. Got the fancy words out. 

Dragging myself along the shelves, I squinted at the spines, trying to figure out what books were where. 

'Yes... Yes, now this definitely is the right section... Virginia Woolf... Henry Fielding... Weird order but... Ah. Now where can Hunter S. Thompson be? ACK!! WHAT IS THIS. REFERENCE BOOKS. NO. NOT REFERENCE BOOKS. ON AGRICULTURE? WHAT IS THIS AGRI-COOL-CHAR YOU SPEAK OF? HELP ME. OH GOD. IT'S SO DARK. HELP. HELP. HUNTER, WHERE ARE YOUUU!!' 

I stumbled blindly into the light...of the corridor. A startled looking woman stood there blinking at me. I rearranged my bag and coughed.

'Are you lost?'

'I'm looking for Hunter S. Thompson.'

'...'

'I'll try downstairs...' 

It took me three days to try again.

I still can't figure out how to turn the lights on...

What could possibly go wrong?

Do you know what I hate? GETTING STRANDED. I have a trip to Boston this Saturday and it's my number one fear. That I will get there early. Be there on time. And the bus will never show. I'll be stranded. Yep. I blame this event.

So a group of friends and I decide to head to the nearby mall. The uni does runs to it every Friday. A timely schedule! INDEED, HAHA, INDEED! But not so much. You see, a shuttle bus usually drops you off and picks you up in the same spot. This was the same as the last mall trip. It went like clockwork. Pretty much. Give or take 40mins whatever. The shuttle bus this time left on time! We arrived. We shopped. We missed the earlier bus but hey let's get food and talk and stuff. THEN. OH, THEN.

We waited in the spot where the bus should pick us up. Waited. And waited. AND...WAITED.

Within 20mins of waiting past the time needed, we came to only one conclusion: the bus would never return and we must begin to make shelter. Any leaves or trees in the vicinity became objects of salvation. YES. We would be saved. SAVED. We could make a tiny bonfire. Cook the ridiculously large ants that were crawling all over the carpark and feast. FEAST. FEAST ON THE DELICIOUS-- Madness became our only reality.

We phoned for information and were met with the equivalent of a shrug but...like...in sound. You know?

We contemplated phoning the emergency services. The life guard. NASA. All those dudes.

Then we remembered that one of us had a load of friends present elsewhere there.

Long story short COLLEGE KIDS FAIL. High school kids saved the day. 

As we headed back, we passed the DEMON BUS which refused to pick us up. 

There was a moment when our smouldering eyes of madness met the confused glance of the unknowing bus driver. Then we were gone... And the bus driver sneezed...and continued driving. 

There is no moral to these tales...

Other than... BEWARE OF AWKWARD TRANSPORTATION. AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO OPERATE LIGHTS IN THE LIBRARY ELSE YOU'LL NEVER FIND YOUR WAY OUT AGAIN AND WILL HAVE TO LIVE IN A SHELTER CONSTRUCTED FROM NOVELS BY BURROUGHS, ATWOOD AND BECKETT. /actually that'd be nice!

-G~

*Brutalism? I...?