*Update I'm Alive

I made it through the protest. The picture above is of the small section the cops had blocked off as can be seen from my other pictures. (I got closer than I remember.) It was pretty wild. Evidently it was for public service workers however, the tube(subway) was still running. Squibs I suspect. I guess these protests can get pretty dangerous from what is referred to as gate-crashers, people who just go around to incite a riot. Wild. On a side note, the British police cars all have the American sirens. I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to hear the funny sounding ones. Cheers.

Annoyance So Far...

This is my biggest qualm with Canada and England. I HATE the Canadian dollar or pound coins. The picture above is 8 pounds and 5 pence and it is ridiculous. If you go out and do some shopping, maybe a coffee and croissant in the morning and two beers on your way home from class, you sound like your wearing a cow bell when your walking. Ridiculous I say. I miss the feeling of disgust us Americans feel when we are handed an American dollar coin. That oh so familiar phrase that sounds of in your mind that says "where can I use this?" The American dollar coin doesn't feel like money. We, or I for that matter, always feel as though this is some special coin not to be spent. Here, or in Toronto, by the end of the day, have more money in change in your pocket, than bills in your wallet. I am starting a holding a vote  here with my 21 friends(followers) and want to know, "should we ban all coins worth the equivalent of one dollar, one Canadian dollar, one Pound, or one whatever cookey currency there is in the world?" Vote no or yes (you better vote yes or I will block you from my blog, or will I, probably not but maybe) in the comment section under this post. Cheers, until next time...

Here's the Email I Just Got.

Google Photo of Trafalgar Square

I have ten minutes until class is over and just got this email.

Dear All,

Marches and demonstrations are now in full swing.  Main protest is in Whitehall and Parliament Square (approx 12,000). Breakaway demonstrations are taking place in Trafalgar Square (600) Police have evoked local powers to stop and search which tends to suggest some trouble is expected.

Steve

I go to class in Trafalgar Square. Uh-oh. Should I take pictures of the protesters or put my head down and get out of here? I'm pretty sure you all know the answer to that. Until next time... if there is a next time... muah-muah-muahhhhhh....

Class Today

On our walk today, Ahmed and I came across the British phone booth. Naturally, we had to get pictures of ourselves in it. I'm not sure what's on the agenda for today but I will definitely let you know.

Long Shots Do Pay-Off

Center Court

Un-freaking-believable!!!! I don't know what to say. (Wait, yeah I do.) We made it into Wimbledon. From what I heard it was a pretty wild feat considering who was playing today. Being the quarterfinal, the top four tennis players in the world were up today. Rafeal Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray. I know of Nadal and Federer. That is the extent of my knowledge of tennis, but this place was surreal. We took the forty minute train ride, arrived their at 8am and waited in the queue (line). *not sure why they didn't just say that* I was number 3,513. However, after standing around for 3 & 1/2 hours our line began moving. The doors to let us in opened an hour earlier. After much reassurance that we would get in, I was still extremely skeptical. We walked in line for about 40 minutes before reaching the ticket gate.

Que, there are five of these lines!!!

In all, I think it would be an understatement that the line was two miles long. Wimbledon, which I was unaware of, is a town just outside of London, that for all intent and purposes, is this event. The complex is massive and acts as a tennis club, restaurants, event center, golf course, you name it. It was described to me by our British 'tour guide' as "very posh." Ya think? He said that it costs tens of thousands of pounds a year to be a member, and you don't even get a ticket to this event. Curiosity struck me when I first learned of the possibility of going, so I checked the website. Tickets are thousands of pounds. No way did I think we were getting in for 17 quid. No way. But we did and it was astounding. There are two major courts, center court with the square stands and court one with the round. Nadal played in court one and Federer in center court.



Screen

On the back side of center court is an enormous screen where people can watch the match of the day on a hill.

When I saw it, I thought of a movie theater at Pine Knob. In all, there is approximately 15 courts at Wimbledon. Because the tickets are thousands of pounds to get into the big matches, we went to one of the smaller courts.

 We watched a men's doubles match which was pretty entertaining. *I'm not sure I would watch it on t.v., but entertaining in person.*

Roger Federer

 We did however get to sneak into center court and get pictures of the Federer match. It was insane in there.



Rafael Nadal

Also, we did get to see Nadal warm-up on a small court which was really cool. I was about 30 feet from him and let me tell you, the chicks love this guy. For a minute I thought I was at a rock concert. The "I love you Rafael's" coming from the girls and the "Please stop pushing's" from the security guards was surreal. Who'd a thunk, a tennis player? I took some video of his warm-up.

In all, the whole experience was amazing. From the crowd to the size to the sounds and sights, was just astonishing. Looking back at it now, I still can't believe I was there. I never in my life thought or said to myself, "man I want to go to Wimbledon" but know I think and will say "man I want to go BACK to Wimbledon."

Center Court Judges Chair

Enjoy the pictures of Wimbledon through Flikr by clicking on the photo gadget under the about me section. Until next time...

Wimbeldon



What may very well be a futile attempt, nonetheless we are trying it. Wimbeldon is happening now and we heard through the grapevine that if we arrive to Wimbeldon at 7am, we can purchase tickets for 17 pounds. I checked the Wimbeldon website and tickets are going for 1,500 pounds each for some matches. Our problem is we have class at 11:30. So we are going to try to purchase tickets, ask if we can leave, and then come back after class. What's the expression I'm looking for.......... oh yes, "Longshot!" But hey, when in London...

Big Ben

Seen him from a distance and really liked this shot.

P.S.

One more thing, all of the pictures I take are being added to my Flikr account. You can access them by clicking on the photos gadget on the left, just under the about me portion. Cheers!

Before I Forget

The last two days I have woken up at 5am on the dot. Maybe it is the time change, or the fact that the sun is coming up at that time and there is a large window at the head of my bed, or perhaps it is these four girls who haunt my dreams. When I woke up, I heard a continuous cackle and a slurred bantering of what could only be described as the language of some feral creature. So I popped my head out of my window and this is what I saw. These girls must have had a long night because it is tough to see, but they still had two quite large bottles of wine or liquor or something. Enjoy!!!

Changing of the Guard and Buckingham Palace

We did some sightseeing today. The weather was in the 60's and not too much sun so it was a good day for it. The first week of classes is not "mandatory" because we have the option to attend all of the five classes to decide which to take. As I already decided which ones I am taking, today I took a sabbatical. Don't worry folks, studies are important too. Kids, stay in school. Anyway, Ahmed and I took the tube down to a park, not sure which one because there are three right next to each other, and went to the changing of the guard. Evidently, it is a big to do here. I was not very impressed, probably because the view was not all too good, as you can see in the video. However, it was interesting. Apparently, they do this every day at 11:30 am and as it conflicts with my class schedule, today seemed like the right time to do it. We walked around and shot some pictures, which will be posted, in my album. We took the tube back towards our dorms to get some lunch. We decided we would get off at the stop past King's Cross. It was called Caledonia Road (I think). Mistake. There was no food here other than the little dineresque place where we were greeted by a skinny middle-aged black guy and a white woman, who for lack of better words, looked like she was "road hard and put away wet." 1 - Dr. Candice Pickens, Life's Little Sayings, Forever. Well both of these marvelous individuals were extremely hammered, mind you it's Tuesday at 1pm, and arguing on the little patio. After I snuck in to use the restroom these scallywags were now making out on the said little patio, struggling to keep each other from falling into the buses whizzing by. As we made our stealthy departure we decided we would catch the tube back to 'our side of town' not before Ahmed, had to get a KitKat. As I was waiting outside of this little shop these two British kids were walking into the store. I caught eyes with one of them and as he got close, he said "Whut?" I responded with the "what's up" line. As his glance hardened, he replied "nuthin is up" and continued muttering in what I could not be convinced was a form of English. After the patio love quarrel and what I am sure would have led to a shanking by two 14 year olds, we got back on the train. After a quick lunch at the Chinese restaurant within sprinting distance to our dorm, I am safe, reflecting for you. All in all, a pretty exciting day in the city of London. Until next time...

What'd you do today?

Holy crap a lot has been done already today. Woke up, showered, went down to breakfast, walked forty minutes to orientation, spent an hour at orientation, then 4 hours worth of class, went to the subway, took it back near our dorms, ate a sandwich, and now talking to you fine folks. London is so incredibly congested. So many cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and people are moving together in what to me appears to be a perfectly coordinated dance. Everytime I cross a street, I never know what way to look first. Fortunately some of the crosswalks have it painted on the ground, "Look Right." Thanks for that. I took some pictures today of buildings. Also, I have posted the final pictures of Toronto as well. It is extremely hot here. As you can tell, I added a weather gadget. At the time I added it, it was 86 degrees here at 5pm and the sun was behind the clouds. Needless to say I have been sweating all day. During our long walk to class we went by the theater district and I can't help but say there are a ton of shows I want to see. Wicked and The Mousetrap are at the top of the list with We Will Rock You (a show about Queen the rock band) a close third. Another interesting tidbit is that the Notre Dame Law Center is in Westminster, which means, we are really close to Westminster Abbey. Awesome!! And the school has organized a day trip for us this Saturday to go to Bath and Stonehenge for the low-low price of 20 pounds. Nice. So for now, enjoy the new pictures. Until next time...

Good Morning LONDON!!!!

My faithful travel companions, I am BACK!!!! The excitement, anxiousness, and overwhelming dizziness is setting in. I arrived at the Detroit Airport right on time, 75 minutes (maybe 90 min, but who's counting) before departure as suggested in my itinerary. I said my goodbyes, headed to the bathroom, went through security, which surprisingly was uneventful, (see Bec, I am a grown-up, I took off my belt and everything) and headed right to Max and Erma's for a drink. A drink, turned into three crown and cokes until I helped the British fellow sitting to my left and the bartender (who admittedly was terrible, but friendly) figure out how to work a touch screen smart phone. **Ashamedly, I already miss my phone. As I am reading of Mice and Men, I have made the decision that I want a place on a river, for vacation with no electricity, air, television, internet, or phone for that matter, for a quiet place to slow down. I fear I have lost that in myself. I am unable to stop. With TV, internet phones, etc., I can no longer function unless three senses are exacerbated. ** After a successful phone call from the Brit to Minneapolis --thanks to me-- I was treated to another crown, free. Not so bad. However, while everyone is thinking I am a drunken undergrad student reliving my days at MSU, I will candidly if not remorsefully admit that I was somewhat nervous for this flight. Being my first international flight, over the pond, for nearly eight hours alone, even the rough and tough Matty was feeling a bit uneasy. But, since the favorable beverages at Max and Erma's, the fact that I am listening to an overwhelming array of Stan Getz records - courtesy of Delta's in flight entertainment options, and the grotesque glass of merlot I am drinking, I somehow feel distinguished. By some freak turn-of-events this experience up to know, has been enlightening. No longer do I feel as though I am incapable of doing it on my own. *Swig* I have always known I was capable, maybe the barrage on my senses has in someway exonerated my comprehension of self worth. But, I think this epiphany has actually occurred. Never more have I wanted to succeed. Never more have I wanted to do something to make me and the people who mean the most to me proud. Three hours in and I have already figured out the world and where I belong in it. My narcissism and prowess mean nothing, other than an illustrative of my excitement, fear, and longing to experience that which is foreign. Above all, I think the feeling of being uncomfortable is what excites me. I don’t need to jump out of a plane, my previous brushes with death were all to real. So again I say, good morning London, let the excitement begin.

That's a Wrap!!

Well, I have finally left Toronto. Exams are over and I am home. Exams were pretty simple **I hope** to say the least. I really liked that they only lasted an hour each. I have a whole bunch of pictures and updating for you guys. Wednesday after our last class we went on a tour of the Canadian Superior court. Our Professor is a judge there. You can see a picture of him here. From what I hear, he is actually quite influential and could be the next justice on the Canadian  Supreme Court. I hope so. He's a really nice guy. We met in the largest courtroom in Canada, which surprisingly isn't that large. One cool thing about the court room is that they still chain the prisoners to the floor. Crazy right. Thursday we went out for our last hoorah. In the afternoon we went to a place called Kensington Market. It is an outdoor market, knick-knack place, restaurant, etc. outdoor district that encompasses a few blocks. It was really cool. In Kensington Market is where I found the Grilled Cheese. This place is heaven. You go in and order from six different menu items, all of which are, you guessed it, grilled cheeses. You have the option of sitting there on one of there picnic tables, or walking across the street to sit at the patio bar. So you order your grilled cheese, walk over sit on the patio, get a drink, and they deliver the sandwich to you. It was great. After walking around Kensington Market a while we went to the entertainment district where there is a bunch of bars and restaurants. I saw this guy get out of a nice BMW, not a three series, and I asked him if he knew of a good place for us to go. He said yeah and pointed across the street. Somehow we got to talking and I told him we were in Toronto doing a study abroad. Interestingly enough, he graduated from Georgetown and was an attorney. He said he had a minute and would walk us over to the bar. He walked up, hugged the bouncer, and asked him to take care of us. And they did. We immediately got ushered in, past the line, through the side door, without cover. Cool. We find a little table in this packed bar and are having a couple drinks when all of a sudden, CAT FIGHT!!!! These girls are going at it. Looking for blood man. As people are breaking it up, one of the girls grabbed a bar stool and swung it at the other girl. Miss. Then things started flying. Purses, bottles, you name it. After the girls were ushered out we went back to our drinks. About an hour later guess who we see, the same guy that got us in. He motioned to us and he took us upstairs to the rooftop patio. This is one of those places you see in the movies. Very VIP. So we are enjoying ourselves now in the VIP on the rooftop of this bar. After last call we were finishing up our drinks when this guy, comes back from the bar with a bottle of Grey Goose. Ha. Who'd a thunk right? He starts pouring us more drinks. By this point, none of us were feeling any pain. As I thanked this guy he said, "No worries. We're members of the same guild and we take care of each other." I thought that was the smoothest thing anybody could say. This guy was like the modern day Shaft. Then we left, not before Shaft suggested an after hours bar. So of course, we checked it out. Sketchy to the max, but I guess that’s what you get for going to an after hours bar, in Chinatown, on top of a restaurant. This place serves drinks until 7:30 in the morning. Who can do that? It's madness. We went home. Friday we studied. Saturday we took exams. After exams were done I started packing my room. It was bittersweet. Around 5 we all went across the street to Mullins for a farewell beer. Courtney's flight left at 8:30, so around 6:30 we saw him off in a cab. Around 7:30 we saw Ahmed off to the subway station to go to his uncle's house. All in all, the experience in Toronto was fun. It was expensive, the weather was terrible, and there was a bedbug scare. However, I met some really interesting people that I hop to stay in touch with. So for now, I am signing off. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did and I will see you again on June 25th. Next stop, London.

Can a Fella Get a Grilled Cheese?

As I have been laid up in bed for the last two days, I have resorted to telling you about my adventures in acquiring a grilled cheese sandwich. It started this afternoon at about 3pm, I started with Google. I got no where. I found some delivery website, but no restaurants with grilled cheeses. OK. I found a restaurant that had grilled cheeses, SCORE. I called to place my order and was informed that the grilled cheese was only on the lunch menu. I asked "so does that mean you can't make a sandwich with melted cheese in it unless it is before 2pm?" The response "yes." My response "that is expletive, expletive, expletive!" After numerous failures that included my walk to a sandwich shop ran by an Asian man and woman whom confused my request for a grilled cheese with a veal and cheese, I gave up and resorted to Subway. *sigh* I went to Subway at least confident I knew what to expect, wrong. I ordered a footlong turkey and cheese. That was all. No vegetables, dressings, or drink. The total, a whopping $10.16. Really Subway Canada, $10 for a mediocre at best, turkey sandwich. Man, I am certainly starting to miss the old U.S.