£ for £

Yesterday's blog (mom, in case you were wondering) was from my first night in the UK. Before I got the internet here I wrote a few blog entries to post periodically once I was connected with the outside world again. Bought a duvet and sheets since then. Haven't started going to classes yet.

Went into the city today. This is the pub that is built into the castle of Nottingham. Pretty neat but too busy so we went somewhere else.

This is something I wrote last Monday...

I took a nap this evening at about 7 and for the first time in a week I actually feel refreshed. The last few nights leading up to my flight out of Logan I was feeling that background kind of stress that keeps you from sleeping the entire night without a hitch. There was a poster sale today in the center of campus and I bought a few that I liked. They were 3 for £5! That’s cheap anywhere.

Got all my classes signed and verified but I can’t really sign up for anything until I get the internet working on my computer. They’re not making it easy, let me tell you.

Some things I’ve noticed about England…

-There are Cash Machines everywhere. And they call them Cash Machines instead of ATMs.

-The term “fortnight” (two weeks) is used quite liberally.

-They don’t have a very good assortment of peanut butter.

- Naked ladies in GQ.

The professor who signed off on my philosophy classes was very strange. Every time he had to think about anything he closed his eyes for ten about ten seconds. He also talked in a very slow, but not in a stupid way. It was more like he was choosing every word very carefully. Between these two quirks my meeting with him took about 20 minutes and I was late to meeting my friends. Oh well. Sometimes life slows down and sometimes it speeds up. Right now I’ll take all the slow life I can get.

Speak easy,

Neil

Time Change

Just moved into my room here at Broadgate Park in Nottingham, England. The room I am staying in is a single in a suite that I share with 4 or 5 other people. I talked to one of the girls across the hall upon arrival and found out that the suite is filled with Americans and maybe one guy from Finland. Tried going to sleep but realized that I wasn’t tired; my sinuses were just really irritated. This could be my body’s reaction to the pressure changes that I went through while flying but I can’t be too sure. Fiddled with the knobs on the heater and figured out how to turn it on. This is great because at the moment I have no real bedding. Earlier when I was taking a nap I improvised by using a towel, a thin blanket I decided to pack last minute, and a few hoodies.

This morning I woke up at 5 am in Boston. I was staying with my friend Ross who goes to Emerson. The T station opens at 5:30 so I got there as soon as I could. Probably could have slept another hour because the subway cars were few and far between. It wasn’t until 6:45 that I arrived at the international terminal at Logan. Lucky for me there weren’t any lines for anything (except for Starbucks!) so I was able to go through security and baggage check with ease.

The plane ride itself was kind of relaxing. Vegetable lasagna and the movie Paper Heart (which was alright). I had a whole aisle to myself since there weren’t a lot of people on the flight. It was the first time I ever used those complimentary face masks that they give you. Boy, would it be terrible if you were allergic to the fabric that is made from.

I was picked up by a guy named Kevin that owns his owns the “Posh-Car: Chauffeured Executive Travel Service”. He seemed a little stiff at first and we didn’t get to much small talk. I asked him what kind of music he listened to and he said that he mostly listened to traffic reports. After a while he ended up talking about the stuff he was interested in. On his vacation time he goes to Kenya with his buddies to go sport fishing. He said the best time to go is December and January. I couldn’t imagine reeling in a 200 pound marlin. Kevin said it’s quite a rush.

Apparently there is a lot of money in chauffeuring weddings (if you own a suite and a Mitsubishi E Class). For two hours worth of work he can make $300 to $400.

I’ve got to try to get to sleep sometime soon. It’s 1:43 am in England, 8:43 pm in New England. I want my 5 hours back!

Speak easy,

Neil

Bones

Just got back from seeing Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones. I can't remember the last time I felt so utterly and completely emotionally drained from a film. Overall I thought it was a great film with only a few slight problems. One thing I learned in film class was that you own emotional response to a film has no bearing on the quality of the film at hand. It says more about you than the movie. It made me think about death and karma and how we really wish we could change things sometimes but often we'll find that the best thing to do is move on. It made me think about how death is not a good enough punishment. At the same time though people (bad bad people) are sometimes born that way and if someone has murder in their veins is it really fair to judge them so harshly? Maybe.

Late and still packing for tomorrow. Just brushed a flea off of my knuckle. How does that happen? It's January!

Speak easy,
Neil

+44

Not too much time to write since I still have an onslaught of stuff to go through before I leave for Boston tomorrow (and then England on Sunday).

I'm going to miss my cat over the next few months. Goodbye's are always hard. She hates getting her picture taken.

Mike drew this picture of me with the body of a koala bear. Although he didn't get my nose right exactly I think it turned out great.

Looked at the paper today and I thought the cat had thrown up all over the front page. Turned out to be a picture of a rabbit.

Speak easy,

Neil

Zeus Mii

The Blockbuster near my house is closing and I got Darjeeling Limited for $3.99 (so good!). They're selling movie cards and I picked up a few at 5 for $1.

My friend Ross and I made a Mii of Zeus Lippman on the Nintendo Wii. I think it came out pretty well considering you can only make humans.

By next Sunday I'll be in Nottingham desperately trying to get over jet lag. More stuff to write about once I'm gone.

Speak easy,
Neil

Brainstorming!

I have figured out how we can quickly find a cure for AIDS. We simply give Bill Gates the virus. He will use everything at his disposal to pin down a vaccine. It probably won't take more than a week!

Speak easy,

Neil

The Current State of the Economy

Burger King apparently has such a high turnover rate that the employment line has turned into a deli counter. Considering the economic crisis, this leaves me with quiet optimism.

McDonalds and Burger King both have creepy mascots. The only difference is that Burger King embraces it.

While reading through my UK dorm terms and agreements for next semester I came across this segment: "9.2 You must not generate any smells which cause annoyance or inconvenience to other occupants of The Residence or adjoining premises." I don't believe I have ever come across an inconvenient smell, but I'm sure it can't be too pleasant.

Speak easy,

Neil

less awkward

I watched the movie Bolt today and it was a lot funnier than I thought it would be. It was produced by John Lassater (who also produced Wall-E, Up, Toy Story, etc.), so it was on par with some of the Pixar films. Fun to watch Susie Essman (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and John Travolta play bickering cartoon animals.

Still waiting for Jimmy Fallon to get less awkward on late night.

Went to Taunton today with Ross. The more I leave the Cape, the more I want to live here when I get older. I don't really like the cold weather but I can always buy more sweaters. The city of Taunton is nothing to write home about but (like anything else) is pretty beautiful in the right light (we got there at golden hour so the sun was in the ideal position for taking pictures of buildings from the passenger seat).

This building was kind of nice. Super tired.

Speak easy,
Neil

Free beer.

Found this Craigslist advertisement while in Rhode Island last week. I was checking to see what kind of stuff people were giving away for free in the middle of nowhere. The title was slightly misleading.

We didn't have a pickup truck so we couldn't pick it up.

Speak easy,

Neil