New Website!

UPDATE: The link's working now... :-) Maybe I should have checked my spelling. hehe.

If you're reading this and you haven't come to it from my new website, well, then, you're missing out! :-)

I've created a new format for my website and, as a result, for this blog. I won't be posting new entries to this blog (located at http://www.blogger.com/hannah.kali.johnson)... rather, my blog will be hosted off my fancy-schmancy website: http://www.WhatWillWork.org

So, sorry if that's a headache for your blogger followers... but I'm being selfish and making my own life easier, at least that's the idea. This blog and all the entries I've posted over the last year will stay active until I either transfer them all to the new one, or give up on that idea and just decide to leave it be...

See you at http://www.WhatWillWork.org
-Hannah

Reality Check

A friend shared this with me today and I had to share it here. A nice reality check. And now, back to my delicious Italian dinner, and revamping this website. I should have the new and improved version live by Sunday... check back and see how much better it will be!!!
:-)

Rotary speeches, coursework, and elections, oh my!

As I warned last week on this very blog, this week was a bit crazy! But now I have a chance to catch my breath. I’ve just given my third Rotary speech of the week (this week was: Rugby Dunsmore, Erdington, and Rubgy). I had a marvellous time at all three events, and made even more Rotary contacts! ***ok, seriously? Marvellous is spelled with two 'l's' here? I'm doubting my American-British english dictionary right now*** And I got more events to fill my calendar! One of them is a stroke awareness project of Rugby Dunsmore where they take peoples blood pressure as a stroke prevention tool. An issue I’m very passionate about, I was thrilled to hear that I can join them at their next blood pressure screening day to help out.

Coming up is a Rotary charity walk from one of the local(ish) clubs- a charity walk in the Cotswolds in early May. I can’t wait. The scenery should be spectacular, the company even better, and hopefully the weather will be tolerable. Do I sound like an English person or what? Apparently I’m adjusting.

I’ve finalised my topics for all my coursework for this my final term of my masters degree. I’ve got two essays and one project to complete by the end of April. My goal is to get at least a detailed outline for all three done this weekend, if not a bit of writing as well. We’ll see... haha. As regular readers of this will realise, I’m often much too optimistic about what I am to get done on weekends as I’m typically travelling around England. But this time I really do need to work, as I’m off to see Phantom of the Opera on Monday evening in London, and then on Saturday the 14th I’m off to Liverpool for the day. And the week after I’ve got symphony tickets! Busy busy, just the way I like to be.

I’m sitting on a train writing right now, on my way back to Coventry from Rugby. It’s a short trip, 11 minutes according to the schedule. Through beautiful countryside with lots of sheep. The sky is spectacular today, with large puffy clouds that just add to the ambiance (sorry, no meteorologist here to use the scientific terms- are they cumulus clouds? that's the only kind of cloud I remember from middle school). I’ve hated the clouds of late because there have been so many I’ve not seen blue sky for awhile. But today is an exception. I can’t wait for it to warm up a bit more so I can sit in a park with a picnic and a good book.

OK, back in Cov now. Just heard some election results for our student union elections. Pretty much the people I wanted to win did win... but we're still waiting on the race I'm most interested in- SU President. Apparently there were MORE complaints filed today against the opponent of the candidate I'm supporting, and they're not releasing results till Wednesday as a result! How am I supposed to wait that long? This is feeling like Florida...

It never fails...

... Yankees fans are simply rude.

I'm sitting here wasting time rather than studying (I'm not the only one who does this every once and a while). I'm wasting it by using my new subscription to MLBtv Premium (oh la la). When the regular season starts, I'll be able to watch nearly 100 baseball games a week (no, I won't actually watch that many). I bought a subscription so I can watch M's games every once in awhile. And I sprung for the fancy-schmancy "premium" because they promise home and away video feeds, so theoretically, I'll get to hear Dave Niehaus! :-)

Because it's still spring training, and they don't broadcast many spring training games, I'm stuck watching other teams to get my baseball fix. This morning I'm watching USA vs. Yankees (there are lots of practice games between MLB teams and national teams preparing for the World Baseball Classic starting later this week).

So why this time do I say it never fails that Yankees fans are simply rude? Well there are so many reasons. Hehe. But today the reason is their shortshop fumbled a play, resulting in a run scoring. And they booed him! First of all, Yankees fans- it's spring training. Doesn't count! It's time to get the errors out of you before the season starts! And two: get a life. You are supposed to boo the other team, not your own!

The video is from my trip to Fenway last July. I know I'm supposed to be studying peace and reconciliation, but I can't reconcile with Yankee fans... but I'm happy to chant about them with thousands of other crazed fans.


Note: to put this in context, there was about to be a fight, and a Yankee player started it. Totally legit to chant that as a result. :-) And no, if you're wondering, there wasn't a fight after this. The umps were in control.

A wine glass of kindness

I just got a knock on my door, which surprised me as I live in a locked hallway, so it had to be a hallmate of mine. Sure enough it was, and she had a glass of wine in her hand. She and her friends couldn't finish a bottle and didn't want it to go to waste so she handed it to me. I know this may sound inconsequential, but it was a really nice sentiment that put a nice feeling at the end of my day (let me add that this feeling came before consuming the wine).

And while we're on the topic of doing kind things for others, let me say that I'm almost ready to cut my hair! No, you didn't read that wrong. And no, I haven't had the glass of wine yet. :-) How does being nice and cutting my hair relate? Locks of Love. For those who don't know of them, they make wigs for children who lose their hair. They survive on the donations of hair from people around the world. I've always wanted long hair, never thought that I'd be able to grow it long (I tend to get cut-happy and chop my hair short a lot). But, after years of growing it, it's finally long. And I love it so much. But I hate taking care of it, and I know that if I donate some of it, a kid somewhere will have a wig to wear. And that will make me feel better than if I had my long hair back (I hope!).

The requirements are pretty simple. No highlighted hair (no problem- I stopped doing that years ago). Colored hair, permed hair, and grey hair are OK, too. When you cut your hair, it must be in a pony tail prior to cutting, and the cut portion must be at least 10 inches long. I have about 11 inches in a pony tail right now. But if I cut it now, I'll have not much hair left... so I'm going to grow it a few months more and re-evaluate. And to satisfy my desire to chop it off now, I think I'll settle for coloring it instead. :-)

Anyone else out there have long hair and are thinking of cutting it? Please consider Locks of Love.

Where have I been?

It's been quite a week, and next week will be just as busy. I tried to sleep in today, but my hallmates were LOUD at 7:30am, so there went that idea.

Saturday: explored Lincoln, which is home to the third largest cathedral in England (it was transformed into Westminster Abbey for Da Vinci Code). Very impressive. In general, it felt more ornate than York Minster, or so this novice cathedral fan thinks). Also walked through the old town area, and toured the Lincoln castle. This was the first castle I've been inside, and it wasn't what I thought it would be. Not much of medieval structures inside. But we climbed a scary set of stairs to the top of the observatory tower- very impressive views from the top!

Friday: Went to work at the YMCA on a new global citizenship project. More on that exciting project later. Finished the evening at the Rugby Dunsmore Barn Dance! This was my second barn dance since I've been in England. I danced every dance, and almost felt like I'm getting the hang of it! Next time I need to take video somehow... I bought some tickets to their raffle, and, to my shock, won two items!!! A bottle of Italian wine, and a scrapbook from the National Trust where I can write about my visits to National Trust sites across England.

Thursday: Religion and Conflict class, then the first (and only) class explaining our dissertation. After that I went out to the Phoenix (student pub) with some classmates. Was thrilled to learn that I'm not the only one with virtually no clue as to what I want my dissertation topic to be (though, by tomorrow we're supposed to submit our topic idea.. hahaha. I've got an idea, but no way near formulated enough).

Wednesday: Comparative Peace Processes class, then spoke at the Royary Club of Coventry Phoenix... which... drumroll please... was my 10th official club speech! That means my club banners from GH are gone, and my speech requirement is fulfilled! But I'm going for more :-) I think I've got at least five more speeches planned. Finished the night by purchasing Dad's birthday present online. Easier to buy from a US-based company and have it shipped to their house than for me to find something here, box it up, and pay horrendous shipping costs. Yeah, Dad, I'm cheap thrifty. :-)

What's next?
Well, right now I'm watching game 5 of the 1995 ALDS (found it on iTunes this morning- had to buy it). Once I get over the excitement of watching that, I may just work on my dissertation proposal. If not that, then I do need to work on essays. Tomorrow more work at the YMCA. Tuesday is candidate hustings for the student union elections ("ask the candidate" time). I have a friend running for union President, so I'll be there to support him. Voting is open for the election Wednesday-Friday. I've got three speeches to Rotary clubs this week (all in Rugby- I should just stay there this week!). The most exciting part of the week is the weekend. I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on Saturday or Sunday. Hooray! You can bet I'll be sleeping in and trying to get caught up yet again. Then it gets crazy again: going to London to see Phantom of the Opera, and Liverpool... all in one week (on top of classes!)

More photos from Lincoln are here.
More photos from last week's trip to York here.

York!

I went with the Graduate Student Centre on a day trip to York today. It was a reallllly long drive (the coach was late on top of that), but totally worth it! I will go back sometime before I leave, as there's still lots that I want to see there!

Here's some photos: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016324&id=60100030&l=7e489

But most importantly, as my dad pointed out, one of my photos looks a little bit (only a little) like a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which may just be the best movie ever made. One photo reminded him of the killer rabbit scene. Hahahaha. Hilarious. "Run away, run away!" For your enjoyment:

Getting back on track... another dose of peace education

The purpose of this blog was, at least originally, to keep my friends and family back home informed of what I'm up to here on the other side of the pond. Now, more than five months after I've come to England (really? Wow!), what is its purpose? Probably a little of the same, but I want to do more writing about my studies. So you'll probably be getting a bit more peace education from your reading. Don't worry, I'll continue with the updates and photos from my travels as well. :-)

Today while browsing on Facebook (addict, I'll admit), I found a posting from a Rotary club in India- the Rotary Club of Purulia. It has been exciting to look at their website and see what they're up to. But the link that I saw on Facebook was about a specific program they are working on- called "Message for Peace." As a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar studying peace, I wanted to participate in their program. It calls for, among other things, submissions of blog entries on peace. I can do that! :-)

As a refresher, class, here's my first two posts addressing the issue of peace education:

Lesson One: http://hannahkali.blogspot.com/2008/10/taste-of-peace-education.html
Lesson Two: http://hannahkali.blogspot.com/2008/10/another-dose-of-peace-education.html

So, what's on the docket for today? Well... brainstorming for my dissertation topic. That's what's on the docket. I am supposed to have a decent idea for a topic by (gulp) next week! Ack!

I'm interested in investigating how the United States can proactively participate in both ending conflict across the world, and, perhaps even more importantly, the prevention of future conflict. Little broad, I know. But it's something I want to spend the next few days thinking about to see if there's a topic in there. Why, you ask? (ok, maybe you didn't, but I did). Well... one main reason.

In my class, I'm the sole American. And often (ok, every single class) the conversation meanders its way to how America is to blame for something, or why something did or didn't happen solely because the US would or wouldn't allow it to. OK, that's a really pessimistic view... it's not that bad. But often people will say something, and preface it with a comment towards me, something like "no offense, Hannah, but..." I certainly don't take offense- yes, I'm from the US. No, I certainly don't support everything that my country has done. Can anyone from any country say they wholeheartedly support all the decisions their government has made? I didn't think so.

That said, it's hard to argue with the idea that the US is one of the most, ok, probably the most "powerful" country in the world. When "we" get our hands in the game, "our" position carries a lot of weight behind it. There is great privilege with this position. But with great privilege comes greater responsibility. It's that responsibility that I'm interested in. What is "our" responsibility towards the world? What should "we" be doing that "we" aren't? What should "we" stop doing?

What is "our" roadmap for the future? Your thoughts are quite welcome. I'll post my answers/ideas/suggestions later this week.

To end on a lighter note... I had to post this photo: my finished scarf! Which somehow morphed into a shawl. As Margaret Houlihan would say, "it's a women's prerogative to change her potholder. I'm making it into a scarf."




And I also had to post this one:
I very recently put two and two together and got bluetooth. Ha. I'd forgotten that my laptop has bluetooth capability- meaning I can get photos from my phone to my laptop since the plan I'm on here doesn't allow me to email them like I would do at home. And this one of my brother (puppy) Wrigley hiding in a blanket was too cute to leave for only my enjoyment. :-)

Happy Half Birthday To... Me!

I remember a long, long, long time ago this day used to be one of my favorites of the year. Why February 22nd, you ask? Well, it's certainly not because today's George Washington's Birthday (though it is his b-day today). It's because today is my half-birthday. And why did I like it so much? Because my mom would bring treats for me to share in school. I never got to celebrate a birthday at school since my birthday is in August and everyone was out of school for summer then. So I'd get half a birthday cake in February to share with friends. :-)


Ah, memories.

What's that yellow thing in the sky?

OK... what's up? There's this big yellow thing in the sky, and it seems to be emitting warmth. What's going on? I was actually able to sit on a bench in the cathedral ruins today for an entire hour without turning into a popsicle. In fact, with that yellow thing shining down on me, I actually thought that I might need sunscreen. Ha! Amazing. This really needs to happen more often.

On top of that, this morning my hyacinth pot started to bloom. I bought it earlier this week from Marks and Spencers (think Safeway, but with clothes as well). On sale for £2 ($2.80 or so). I was in need of some flowers, so this seemed perfect. It is! The smell is wonderful- and fills my room. I also bought a small pot of daffodils ($1.30) which are close to blooming.

Finally, unless you've been living under a rock the past few days, you've heard about the somewhat heroic return of Ken Griffey Jr. to the Seattle Mariners. May I just say, Welcome Back!

Kudos to a Sox Fan...

So I was at my host Rotary club this morning for their weekly meeting, and got to talking to one of the Rotarians there afterwards. The story she told me I just have to repeat because it made me feel soooo good!

Every meeting this club goes around the table and shares good news. You put £1 in the jar (for charity) and share your news. My news for today was that winter has officially ended. Not the weather per se, but now that Spring Training has started, spring has officially arrived. At least in my book it has. :-) Now my problem is figuring out if I can get on a sleep/work/study schedule that will allow me to either stay up or get up really early to catch a few M's or Rainiers' games (they will start at 3am my time). Ha.

So... where's the story you say? Here:
This Rotarian went to a baseball game when she and her family where in Boston (insert jealous moans here from folks who haven't had the privilege of seeing a game at Fenway- not me, I've seen two games there- and one was against the Yankees!)... I digress. Anyway, she said two things that struck me.

1. There was a man and his son sitting behind them who, realizing that they were British and perhaps weren't understanding the nuances of the game, explained to them what was going on. I love this! I've done this oh so many times... whether it be complete strangers sitting next to me, or friends who I've brought to their first baseball game. It meant a lot to this Rotarian's family, especially her kids. That's great to hear!
   
2. This second bit is priceless. I love it. She was surprised, if not shocked, when, at Fenway, people would pass money down the row to buy something from a vendor. Why was she shocked? Three reasons. First, that the money made it to the vendor. Two, that the food made it back to the purchaser. Finally, that the change from the purchase also made it back to the purchaser. My response? Confusion. Wait, it doesn't work that way everywhere? Apparently not here. Guess I'm going to have to get to a football match one of these days and see how it's done here! :-)

Can I just say how exciting it is that baseball is back? (but Griffey is certainly doing his part to hamper my excitement- can you just decide already? Seattle wants you. We need you. Not necessarily for your ability, but for your leadership. It's just a year. We'll even let you skip a few games in September to go watch your kid play football. Pick us. And if you don't, the next time you come around Seattle, we won't be nearly as welcoming as last time... anyone got a number for the guy who had the monopoly money on a fishing rod when A-Rod came back? We may need his services again... and don't even get me started on A-Rod... I mean A-Steroi-Rod). Great article on it: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/stevekelley/2008754431_kelley18.html

Junior rumors?

Alright, enough is enough. Here's my personal plea to Ken Griffey Jr.: Make your decision already. The more I wonder if I'd like to see you back in a Mariners uniform, the more I think I'm leaning to yes... and the more I lean towards yes, the more angry I'll be with you should you make the responsible choice and go to Atlanta- an hour flight away from your family.... rather than the 5+ hour flight from Seattle to your home...

OK, got that over with. :-)

Two exciting bits of news for today:

1. My professors liked the videos I put together for a presentation last week. I feel like I may finally be getting half way decent at editing!
2. I just bought tickets to two events in Birmingham at Symphony Hall. I've wanted to go there for awhile now, but hadn't found the right event. I found two today! First is in the end of March- it's Britten's War Requiem, which was written for the re-consecration of the Coventry Cathedral. Fitting, isn't it? For more information on it, click here... The other concert I'm going to is the annual Easter performance of Handel's Messiah by the Birmingham Choral Union. There is no piece of music that I enjoy more. :-)

A new season...

Guess what folks? Winter ended yesterday, when pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. I love the beginning of the baseball season, after what always seems to be a long winter.

This will be a strange baseball season for me- I won't be able to watch any games in person... unless I can find a game here in England (ha). So, everyone back home- go to lots of games for me, take lots of pictures, and send 'em my way!!! And, if this season ends up being similar to last for the Mariners (and it better not!!!), then head on down to Tacoma to watch my (yes, I said 'my') Rainiers. They seem to be better than the Mariners the last few years... :-)
(photo from the TNT website- I love it!)

Skittles and escaping the city!

Last night I attended the Rotary Club of Coventry's Skittles night in Barnacle. :-) Great name for a village. And Skittles was great. Three variations of bowling- one rolling, one throwing, and one tetherball-esque variation. :-) My team placed second, and did fairly well on the quiz (to which I was absolutely no help- it was full of really difficult questions!). I went with the district's youth exchange student, and we sold raffle tickets. I think we sold about £80 of raffle tickets! It was a great night to see many great Rotary friends!

Today I went with a friend out to Coombe Abbey on the outskirts of Coventry. We both had been wanting to get away from the city... this was just what we needed. We walked around the grounds of this former abbey (from the 12th century), and once we had walked all that (some still had snow on the ground!), then we walked awhile on a public footpath. When the footpath ran out there was a pub just down the road- amazing how that always seems to work out when I walk on public footpaths here. :-) We stayed at the pub for awhile to warm up- it was a bit chilly today! Once the sun began to set, we set out to figure out where on earth we had walked so that we could figure out where to catch a bus home. Great day. :-)

Bomb Scare!

Yep, you read that right. Coventry had a bit of excitement this afternoon. I was about to leave the graduate student centre this afternoon with a few classmates to head to the pub then go ice skating... but our plans were altered a bit when we were stopped by the police from heading into the city centre. We had heard rumors that there was a bomb threat, but (perhaps stupidly) tried to cut through a parking lot to get into the centre despite the threat. The police saw us and stopped us again (sheepish grin is on my face now). You see, these sort of things apparently happen every once in awhile around here. It wasn't a bomb threat- it was an unexploded shell from WWII. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7884520.stm

So, we spent a few hours in a pub waiting for the police cordon to be lifted, then went ice skating as planned. I didn't fall once. :-) Photos to come. :-)

What an afternoon!

It's snowing.

Again. And I love it.
Photos to come when I'm less exhausted (it's 12:30am and I have a 9am appointment. Must sleep).
zzzzzz

Uh oh

I have too much to do.
I must have the "can't say no" disease that plagues my mother. :-)

Do yourself a favor...

If you're looking for a great book to distract you from life for a few nights, go out and get "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. Don't let the thickness of the book scare you away (yes, it's over 1,000 pages long). But it is so easy to read. I'll bet you won't be able to put it down. I finished it this morning, and am already having withdrawals. I'm considering a cathedral road trip in fact (the book centers around the (fictional) master builder of a cathedral in the 1100s). I want to see all the different elements of cathedrals that are mentioned in the book!

Any suggestions for what I should turn to for my next "Stay Sane" book? Nothing related to my field of study, please. I have enough reading for that! :-)

Nicely Done, PSD Voters!!!

Good Morning!!! It's 4:58am... and I've been awake for nearly a half hour already. Why on earth would I wake up at this god-forsaken hour? Well... because yesterday was election day back home, and this political die-hard needed to know how a ballot measure did!

As many of you know, the Peninsula School District is really important to me. As a PSD grad, and with a sister still in the PSD system, and my mom serving on the School Board, it's a huge part of my family. Everyone in my family has worked on levy campaigns for nearly as long as I can remember. Back when I was in middle school I remember sign waving on election day out in the freezing cold with other students, and seeing the horrible effects when the levy failed that year. We had no paper, custodians and some teachers lost their jobs... it was awful. Thankfully, levies haven't failed in awhile- meaning our kids are getting a better education as a result. And tonight was no different- voters passed the levy by 65%! That's amazing. Of course, I expect no less from my town!!!

This amazing support will help the district "reduce class size, increase safety and security, hire and develop professional staff, supplement the costs of after school programs, purchase essential technology and instructional materials, maintain and clean buildings, and acquire clean, safe, and fuel efficient buses."

Thanks to PSD Voters and the Levy Campaign Team!!!

Message to the UK: The World Is Not Ending

hehe.

As my friends and family back home may have heard, we've got a bit of weather here in the UK. A bit of snow, to be more specific. And while I'm thrilled to have snow, let me be quite clear Mother Nature: This isn't enough to make up for the white Christmas I missed back home. Try again, please.

The snow wreaked havoc in London, according to the news I've seen online. Heathrow was closed for a bit, buses were shut down for the day, many of the trains from Coventry to London were canceled. But here in Coventry, sadly, the snow fell beautifully, then melted immediately for most of the day. Around 4:30 I went for a walk around the town and maybe a half an inch had stuck to some surfaces... but I wanted 4, 5, 6, heck, 10 inches. Come on, Mother Nature, help a girl out (note of clarification- it looks like more than that in the Cathedral ruins. Yeah, probably is. But no one walked on it all day- it was roped off. That doesn't count. The rest of the city wasn't like that!!!).

I went to the Rotary Club of Coventry again today (you may remember that I presented to them last week!). Today's speaker was the Vice Chancellor of my university, so they invited me back to hear her presentation. It was very kind of them to invite me back. I had a wonderful time simply getting there- according to Google Maps, it is only 0.8 miles from my flat. An easy walk- and the large snowflakes that walked with me were wonderful. Makes the city so much more beautiful! It snowed a bit harder on the walk back home afterwards- that's where most of the photos are from.

I'm going to a play on Wednesday evening with some of the RC of Coventry members who kindly invited me at today's meeting. I know I've said this before, but it's certainly worth repeating: my year here has been so greatly enhanced by my connection to Rotary- the opportunities I've had have been amazing and the people are wonderful and generous.

Next Monday I'm one of several speakers at a Rotary event called the World Understanding Evening. The other speakers are other Ambassadorial Scholars in our district. Some of the people who will be there have heard my presentation before, so I'm working on another revision of it. It needs to be much shorter as there are several speakers- and I've decided to go heavy on photos, and insert my first video into this presentation. If you're reading this and planning on attending the event on Monday, don't watch the video below- it'll spoil my presentation! If you won't make it... watch away. :-) hehe. Nice introduction to Gig Harbor, don't you think?

Super Bowl

Today marks the favorite holiday of the year for many Americans- the Super Bowl. While it's not my favorite sporting event (opening night of triple A baseball is my favorite!), I do enjoy the traditions around it. I enjoy the family and friends who come over to watch the game. I really enjoy the bratwurst (and sometimes macaroni salad) that we have to eat on game day. Now that I understand the game a lot more than I have in the past, I almost enjoy watching the game. But I really do love the commercials.

That left me in a conundrum for what to do this year. There was a party at the student bar that I went to for kickoff, but the friend I went with had to leave at midnight (which was still the 1st quarter- stupid time difference!) so we weren't there long. I came back to my place with the thought that I would watch the rest of the game online- but guess what? My internet isn't working!!! So now I'm sitting in the stairway using the wireless that, to my disdain, only works in the stairway, not my room. Two different carriers, so when access in my room doesn't work, I have to sit on the floor in a drafty stairway. Arg.

I couldn't find video feed, so I'm listening to BBC radio. Let me just say, apologies to my British friends, but the BBC guys just don't have what it takes to cover American football. Not the best called game I've listened to... :-) And now, at the end of the 2nd quarter, I'm annoyed at the Steelers interception and the 100-yard touchdown... I'm still a bit miffed that the Steelers beat the Seahawks in the '06 Super Bowl.

Goooo Cardinals. And here's hoping my internet comes back soon so I can listen in the comfort of my own room.

Could it be? Snow in the forecast???

I just checked the weather report for Coventry, and the news is good for those who want snow!!! That would be me, if anyone is wondering. According to my sources, we're in for "Cloudy with snow, heavy at times" on Tuesday. Heavy snow? In Coventry? I thought that was impossible. Whenever snow starts to fall here, I get all excited and run outside, like a child who is hoping for school to be canceled... and by the time I get outside, the snow has stopped. And I'm forced to trudge back up to my room. Please, Mother Nature, if you read this, gimme legitimate snow! :-)

And if you're wondering, the photos are from my trip to Manchester. Cute little rental, don't you think? :-) It's much tinier in reality than it looks in the photo... And below... if you click on the first photo it will open bigger in a new window. Check out the tall building. That's the Hilton in Manchester. I'm sure it's a stable building, but it certainly doesn't look like it would stand up to any wind!!! The middle photo is of the youth hostel where I stayed, and all you Americans reading this, yep, we drive on the other side here! Crazy to shift with your left hand (third photo)... and the last photo below them... yep, we've got those freaking annoying advertising trucks here, too. Don't you just hate those?

Manchester

I went with a fellow Cov Uni student up to Manchester on Thursday for a conference on European Terrorism and Security, past and present. It was a good conference, with sessions yesterday and today. We hired a car to get there as it was the most reasonable price (train tickets are pricey here!!!). There was a bit of a bump in our plans when we picked it up and they had to call their insurance company to make sure that a lowly student could be insured (Seriously, folks, I'm a postgraduate student! That means that I'm responsible and smart- good characteristics for a prospective rental driver, not reasons to raise the deductible!). But the insurance company didn't believe that, so they made me agree to a higher "excess" (ie deductible) of £1,000. Ouch. Thankfully, I was careful and stupid drivers stayed away from me, so no damage. :-)

I've got a friend living in Manchester that I wanted to see, but wasn't able to as we needed to get on the road once the conference finished so that we could get the car returned before the place closed at 4:30. We got there 15 minutes early... and guess what? The gate was locked, the whole place shut down. Rrrrrrrrr. This customer sure isn't happy, and won't be renting from them again. I had to drive back across town and leave the car in a car park closer to my place overnight (which won't be cheap), and will have to wake up early and return it in the morning. I'll have words to share with them. I could have stayed in Manchester, seen my friend, and seen a bit of the city had the company told me they'd be closing early. But nooooo.

As it was, this trip really was simply for the conference. After it concluded last night, we went straight back to the hostel, ate a nice dinner, and I read a bit of a really great book and went to bed. No exploring the city, sadly. Oh well, I'll just have to go back!

By the way.... if you hadn't put two and two together, this is the second trip I've driven for here in the UK... and this time, unlike last time, I drove a manual car! I didn't kill the engine once (no surprise, as I drove a manual at home)... but I'll admit, I did reach down with my right hand trying to shift a few times. Hehehe. Crazy folks here, driving on the "other" side of the road and shifting with your left hand... (can't say "wrong" side, no matter how much I want to say it, as that would be culturally insensitive!).

Ouch.

I've been in Manchester the last two days, and have lots to share about the trip... but while I'm working on that blog posting, let me share this lovely piece of bad news I saw while catching up with the news I've missed while in Manchester... ouch.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A Photo...

...from my presentation at the Rotary Club of Coventry on Monday, thanks to John for sending it my way!!!

The flag was such a considerate touch, as was the toast to President Obama! Much appreciated! :-) Looking forward to their upcoming Skittles evening- a new cultural event to experience!

Stream of consciousness

I've had a busy last two days with little to no time to digest the festivities, but a few things I wanted to mention:

• I attended a conference for Ambassadorial Scholars and Counselors in London on Sunday. Met some more scholars who I hope to get to spend some more time with, got some ideas and even changed my presentation a little bit for...
• ... another presentation to a Rotary club today! The Rotary Club of Coventry this time. I had a wonderful time, had a great host and met lots of interesting Rotarians (why should I be surprised by now, every club I've been to has been great with lots of fascinating people!)

And I've now just had a marvelous idea... and must abandon this post to write it down before it floats out of my head and into the abyss (where most of my marvelous ideas tend to go).

Topics galore

It's about that time in the semester when I need to be deciding on topics for essays, and, gulp, for my dissertation. Admittingly, I'm a little bit behind in my coursework (due to essays from last term being due last week- I've started playing catch-up with my readings though!)... Now that the reading has begun in earnest, I'm starting to gather lists of potential topics.

The classes I'm in this semester are: Comparative Peace Processes, Religion and Conflict, and Project Management. In Comparative Peace Processes, we have two graded projects: a class presentation, and a final essay. I'm not thinking much about the essay yet as the presentation happens February 11th, and I want to be fully prepared for that. It's a group presentation on the situation in Darfur. I've been reading books, watching programs online (Frontline has a good program in their archives), and trying to get a better grasp of the implications of geography and how the international community has been involved (well, they haven't much been involved, which is a huge part of the problem). Those are the areas I'm focusing on for the presentation. It's interesting certainly, and important to develop skills in analysing conflicts, but wow is it depressing. The effects of the war crimes committed in this region of the world are nearly incomprehensible. Never again, the world said, after witnessing the Rwandan genocide. And yet, we allowed Darfur to happen, and the conflict is ongoing.

After such depressing study, I've decided that the essay I will be writing for the Religion class needs to be on a more uplifting topic. There are a few questions to choose from and within those there is plenty of leeway to find something a bit more optimistic. Not sure what yet, but I'll get there!

Back to depressing Darfur study I'm afraid. And a conference of Ambassadorial Scholars tomorrow in London- that should lift my spirits a bit!

Well...

To quote my favorite fictional politician, "what's next?" (Don't know who I'm talking about? Shame! :-) President Jed Bartlet of West Wing, of course!)

The inauguration is over, and it's time to get to work. This headline of this morning's Guardian put it perfectly: "Let the remaking of America begin today."

I'm excited to hear what our new President and his administration serve up in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. I wish he and his family a hearty welcome home, and get to work! We expect a lot out of you, and in part because of you, we expect more out of ourselves.

Celebrating MLK Day

Happy MLK day! I had planned on calling home bright and early this morning to wish my sister a happy MLK day, at, say, 6:30am her time or so... just to be a loving sister and start her day well. But then I realized the wrath that she'd throw my direction for waking her up on a day off of school would cross the continent and the ocean between us and cause serious bodily harm for me. So no phone call. :-)

It was strange to be here on Thanksgiving, when everyone else went about their days as normal and I was stuck in a bit of a haze wondering why mom wasn't making me help cook something. And, while MLK day doesn't really have any traditions in my family, it was weird today, too!

I did get to celebrate a bit today- I handed in the last two essays from last term! It's done! It's my "term one sine die" (for those of you non-legislative folks out there, sine die is what the Washington legislature calls the time when the legislature adjourns- latin for "without day"). It will be nice to 'only' have to concentrate on one term's worth of courses now!

And, in addition to turning those essays in, I picked up an essay I had written for another class from last term. It was the only graded assignment we had, so that grade determined whether we passed or failed the course. No surprise, I passed. But it's good to know! :-) One class down... ;-)

And, to finish this day before inauguration day, I baked cookies! A friend from my course came over to help. Want to guess how many we made? 20? 30? No.... Try 72. Yep, I've got more cookies than I know what to do with. I left a huge ziplock full in the kitchen to share with my hallmates, and I think I'll end up taking some to class on Wednesday.
It's a recipe that my family always makes for Christmas, and I didn't have a chance to make them for Christmas this last year. I decided I needed to bake them for another celebration... and inauguration tomorrow is the perfect excuse!

(Note: Yep, those are eggs on my windowsill. I still think it's nuts that people here don't refrigerate eggs. It scares me. That's one element of British culture I won't be adopting... but, since I don't have room on the two tiny shelves of the refrigerator I share, I put them on the chilly windowsill). :-)

They know I'm from the US when...

...I pick up a knife and fork.

I find the fascination some people seem to experience when they see me eating a meal vaguely entertaining. It used to be really entertaining, but the novelty has worn off a bit over time.

***for those of you who are really confused, here's a hint. People here eat with their knife and fork in ways quite different than most people from the US. I, for example, put my knife down after cutting a few pieces and switch my fork from left to right hand then proceed to eat the pieces of food I've cut... whereas people here will use the knife to scoop food onto the fork in ways that I'm not physically capable of doing. Trust me, I've tried. And failed.

I've now given seven official presentations to Rotary Clubs around the area, with five more on the books for the next few months, and many other official Rotary events to attend. Most of these events/speeches includes a meal. Which is why I brought this up. I really did try to adapt, and I really did fail (fine by me- why change something that has worked well for 24 years?).

My failure reminded myself of another similar failure... and for the sake of entertainment, I thought I'd share. A few years back I read in some magazine that I identified as reputable (I think in Newsweek, but I can't remember) that it's healthy for ones brain if you occasionally force yourself to do a normal everyday chore in a different way. Their examples included brushing your teeth using the hand you don't normally use. So I tried that- I'm all for keeping my brain healthy- and wow, what a mess. Hahaha. I think my toothbrush spent more time out of my mouth than in it that morning (aren't you loving the visual?). So glad I can entertain.

On a totally separate note, guess what I just bought? My ticket to the Medieval Spectacular, which is part of the Rotary International Conference being held in Birmingham this year (for all you US folks, Birmingham ENGLAND, not Alabama. :-). It's an evening at Warwick Castle, where I haven't been yet! I'm excited. That morning I'll be working with my host club, Leamington Spa Regency, standing at the Coventry Rail Station helping Rotarians who are coming into Coventry for the day giving directions and things like that (I'm sure they'll tell me what to do!). And the best part is the uniform for that morning- I'll look beautiful- don't you think the vest brings out the, um, ahuh? Hahaha! Maybe I'll get my hair highlighted to match. Or not. Lets just hope it doesn't rain that day like the day the photo was taken (that photo, by the way, was taken Thanksgiving night in Warwick, only a few steps away from the Castle where the Medieval Spectacular will be!

Happy First Day of Session!

If I were still back home, today I'd be driving down to Olympia for work. It's the first day of the 2009 Legislative session! I'm sure all of you will be watching the opening ceremony (it airs at noon on TVW's webcasts, on the TV it'll play at 7pm!), and all the committee hearings, right? Government in action, folks! It's exciting!

I'd be watching the opening festivities tonight... but I'll be giving another presentation to a Rotary Club... so I'll have to catch the highlights later. :-)

To all my Olympia friends- only 104 days left!

It's odd...

...to wake up, and, as this news-addict does every morning, check various news websites only to find this headline story on CNN...

I had heard it was raining at home, but wow- didn't realize it had gotten that bad! And CNN, if you're reading this- when did Fife move five miles south of Tacoma? Last time I checked, it was east of Tacoma.

The CNN story (here) said that some places in western WA had gotten 13 inches of rain Wednesday. I don't think I believe that figure, but the Tacoma News Tribune is floating (pun intended) figures of more than 5 inches in many places. Now, for those of you who aren't familiar with my home state, there certainly are areas that are very prone to flooding where people are pretty used to this year after year. But 5 or more inches in a day? Who can prepare for that? And on top of the 10 inches of snow they had just before Christmas? Yikes.

For those of you who spent the months before I left teasing me about how I was moving to rainy England may I mention that it hasn't rained any significant amount here in weeks...

Things I miss from home....

I'm often asked by people here about things I miss from home. Well, I've got it easy. Differences between the UK and US are pretty small, in the scheme of things. But there are things I miss. My family and friends top the list, of course. Beyond the people, I find it funny that the things I miss are everyday things- food, for example. The things that I never gave a second thought about at home.

Here's a partial list... and please note, this is not me complaining!!! I'm just answering a question I get a lot! And I can survive 11 more months without these things (mom, if you're reading this, please, ignore that last sentence. Please keep sending me care packages! Mac and cheese and almond roca are good space fillers!!!) hahaha.

• Kraft Mac N Cheese. Yep, the blue box. :-)
• Baseball (I know, it's the offseason- but I can still miss it!)
  
• Jiffy Corn Muffin mix. Can't make corn casserole w/o it!
• Water. I miss the water. Can you blame me, after living in Gig Harbor most of my life?
• Electrical outlets in the bathroom. Seriously, folks- despite serious evidence to the contrary, I am coordinated enough to use a curling iron in the bathroom without electrocuting myself. But no, I have to buy a mirror 'cause my curling iron cord won't reach from all the way across the room to the bathroom.
• Big washers and dryers (what takes me one load at home takes 2-3 here, and at triple the cost!)
• Breakfast sausages. They taste totally different here.
• Bacon. Again, tastes totally different here.
• Having my own kitchen. And all the kitchen tools I have at home. OK, this is simply because I have to share a kitchen in my accommodation- it's not uniquely British. But I had to mention it.
• Pizza from the Tides Tavern.
• My car. Yes, I'm American, and I love my car. Only, I sold my car before leave... so it's not mine anymore. I miss the freedom it gave me!
• 'Cheap' gasoline. No, I don't have a car here (yet!), but if/when I get one, I'm sure I'll miss $1.67/gallon gasoline.
  
• Kinza's chicken teriyaki and their salad dressing
• Mountains. I miss you, Mt. Rainier!
• Almond Roca. Oh my gosh, the best candy ever.
• Johnson Candy Co.'s 'Candy Ice' mints. 2nd best candy ever.
• The letter 'z'
  
• The Grand Cinema. I miss their cheap and really great movies and free popcorn (the benefits of membership!)
• Frisco Freeze. What I'd do for a cheeseburger, onion rings, and rootbeer shake from Frisco...
  
• Stores that are open 24/7 (or even just until 10pm!)
• Eddie Bauer. Crazy that I miss a clothing store, right? Oh well.
  

Things I don't miss:

• Driving on the right hand side of the road. I drove nearly 500 miles while my family was here in a rental- and not once did I veer to the right. No crashes either. :-) I love driving! And apparently, I adapted well.
• Television. I don't have a TV here, and that's great.
• Campaign ads. Yes, the woman who is addicted to politics was THRILLED to be an ocean away from campaign ads during the last weeks of the campaign. :-)

I'm sure there is plenty more for both lists... but it's time for me to put the finishing touches on my newly revised Rotary presentation so I can have it ready for tomorrow's speech!

2008 Wrap Up

Well, Happy New Years everyone!

I have been peer pressured into posting about my 2008- it seems all my blogger friends have done it, so I guess it's my turn. Here goes:

January:
The legislative session started, so I spent most of my waking hours in Olympia. No vacation time during session... but I did manage to visit a place I hadn't been since I was very young: the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I had a great time- I really should go there more frequently. There I saw a Boeing 707-120, known as SAM (Special Air Missions) 970. It may be better known as the first Air Force One, delivered in 1959 as the first jet used by a US President. It carried Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and flew the Vice President and other dignitaries till 1996. You get to walk inside parts of it- and it's not nearly as spacious as it seems on TV. :-)

February:
There was an amazing lunar eclipse in February, which I photographed from the Tacoma Narrows Airport. The photo to the left is a bit photoshopped, I'll admit... but I did take the photo of the moon, and the photo of the Narrows Bridges... but the moon photo I used a 300mm zoom lens... and then copied and pasted. :-) I love technology. Also in February, my family went to a concert at Jazz Alley in Seattle to see Jake Shimabukuro. Jake's a world renowned ukulele player, who has played with Jimmy Buffett. It was my second Jake concert, and my second time meeting him. There I am --> with my sister and Jake.




March:
In March we celebrated my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary at CI Shenanigans, a restaurant in Tacoma. It was great to have everyone together! My mom made a quilted table runner with photos from their wedding, I made a video of wedding photos and other family photos, and lots more. And that night, my dad, sister and I drove across the pass to Eastern Washington for one of Kjersti's fastpitch tournaments. Only one other time in my life have I been as scared as I was on that drive, and I wasn't even driving! The snow and ice was horrendous. We arrived at nearly 4am, slept for about an hour and a half, then had to go to the fields. Brrrr. It was miserable. We had tarps up to try to block the wind. I brought a propane heater- and I seriously think without it we may have gotten frostbite. You can see just how bundled up Kjersti is.

Eastern WA in March? Never again.



May:
Fastpitch season for Kjersti continued, and I saw all but one of her school games (I think). What a great sister, right? :-) Oh yeah, I'm an even better sister for posting a picture of her pitching with that lovely mask. Hehe.

But the really exciting event of May was me flying to Orlando, renting a car, then driving to Cocoa Beach... warm weather, parasailing, kayaking... and, oh yeah, a space shuttle launch!!! It was my second attempt going all that distance to see a launch- the last one was with dad and Kjersti in Dec '07. But this time, it actually launched! It was amazing. And don't worry, I have photos and video. :-) I rented a 500mm lens for my camera, and this is as close as it would get me:







June-August:
My summer was jammed packed. In addition to getting ready for my year abroad, I went on several vacations, and quit my job. The vacations were fun, the quitting the job part wasn't. :-(

Kjersti and I went on a "college visit" trip. At least that's what we told Mom and Dad, our monetary backers. :-) We visited UConn, Boston College, Boston University, Georgetown and UVA. So yes, technically, we did visit colleges. But the exciting parts (in my opinion) were the baseball stadiums and historical sights we managed to fit in. :-) We saw Dave Niehaus (Mariner's broadcaster) get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame (hooray for Dave!!! Our favorite Mariner!), we went to a game at Fenway Park where the Sox played the Yankees (by the way, that game was on my sister's 16th b-day- how awesome a sister am I for getting those tickets?). We spent a day in New York City (never, ever, ever again will I drive anywhere near there). We stayed with family in Washington DC. We went to a National's game at their new stadium. I saw old friends, and got to visit my favorite place in the world- Jefferson Memorial.

Then we flew home, were home for one day, then went to a Mariner's game where the hometown fans celebrated Dave's induction into the Hall of Fame and I got this great photo of the Navy's Blue Angels who were performing for Seafair that day. They're between the light standards. :-) From the game we drove to Winthrop, in Eastern WA, for round two of the festivities surrounding my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary- a family reunion-esque vacation. Remember before when I said the drive in March to eastern WA was one of two terrifying drives I'd been on? Yep, this drive to eastern WA is the other terrifying drive I was talking about. Yikes. Dodging deer, winding curves with cliffs and no barriers... no way will I take that road ever again.

Fastpitch continued.... though we went from freezing cold in Eastern Washington to miserably hot north of Seattle...










September:
Here are Kjersti and I at the last Rainiers baseball game of the season... it was sad to leave the stadium knowing that I'd miss all of the 2009 season. Did you know that I have been to every single opening day game at Cheney Stadium for my entire life? That's 24 years in a row for anyone counting. And I've only missed one July 3rd fireworks show- when I was living in Washington DC. And now I'll miss an entire season. So sad. Oh well. At least they broadcast the games online... too bad they start at 3am my time...


What else did I do in September? Oh yeah, I moved to England.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Here's wishing a great new year to you all. If this year is half as exciting as last year was, I'm in for a treat.

-Hannah