Amsterdam!

Amsterdam

Well we're officially back from the Netherlands. Sorry I didn't post while mid-vacation, I put my laptop in the safe...for safe keeping! Anywayyy...we arrived on our easyjet flight around 7:30pm (6:30 UK time) and it was still bright as day outside. The weather was much warmer than Oxford weather (did you know Oxford is the only place in the UK where the climate is continually colder than the rest of the country, even London is a few degrees warmer year round)Anywhoo, we got on the tram and headed over to our awesome hostel. We had to go across the street to the coffee house to get the manager to let us in...weird.

We checked in and went for dinner right away, we had been traveling for over five hours (from Oxford to the airport was 2.5 hours, waiting in the airport was another 2 hours, traveling from the Amsterdam airport to the hostel...you get the point) So we ate at the "Everything 5 Euro" Italian restaurant.
Classy right ?!!?!
I got Hawaiian pizza and it was not too bad.
That night we just walked around to get a feel for the place. We sat at a nice outdoor bar and discussed philosophy among other random topics. We sort of passed out really early (Mary and I) so the guys went for a walk while we went to bed. The hostel was really nice, it felt like a loft in SoHo except with bunkbeds.

The next morning we headed over to the Pancake Corner (a popular pancake chain in Amsterdam akin to IHOP) I was told by my dutch kibbutz friends to eat a pancake in Holland because they are the best...well Gerrit,Anita,Ben and Hannah...you are right! I had a junior apple pancake and ate it with Hollands finest non-maple syrup....

After breakfast (it was raining when we entered the restaurant but sunny when we left!) we walked over to the redlight district...just to see what all the hubub was about.



Well kids, let me tell you...seeing the red light district during the day is wayyyyy different than seeing it at night. You see, during the day they put the fuglys (fat and ugly prostitutes)in the window, it was like a haunted house. Especially because we were unprepared to see them. We were simply minding our own business, taking a shortcut through a pub when all of a sudden we looked to our left and there was this old woman in a bra and underwear sitting spread eagle on a chair in a windowbox thing.Scary stuff, uncomfortable and scary stuff!

A few minutes later we wandered into a beautiful (and colorful) church, very Dutch (from the architecture to the color scheme and wood carvings, it was so ...well Dutch) Well, after we exited the church we glanced over at the canal and...well just watch...

Well, it may not be thattt clear what this guy was doing, (he was yelling stuff in Dutch) but he played wedding music on his boat music machine and everyone clapped so we assumed it was a wedding or ceremony of some sort.

After the churchboat event, Mary and I wanted to shop a bit so we walked over to the FIRST H&M EVER!! That's us, semi-posing, that woman behind us clearly unaware of the supermodels in her presence. We also did a little souvenier shopping, I got a deck of cards to go along with my new collection and some magnets for our house next semester. Honestly, it was all crap...tourist crap, though I really wanted a pair of wooden shoes, I don't think I could've fit them in my suitcase.

That afternoon we found a giant chess game comencing and decided to watch for a bit.

We went for dinner at the comedy club cafe and enjoyed some nachos and cheese in addition to some good belgium beer.

After the show we walked around Vondelpark and laid in the grass for a bit watching all the bicycles pass by...it was still light outside at 10:30 PM! I felt like I was in Alaska during the summer (even though I've never been to Alaska during the summer).

After the park we walked over to our neighborhood, watched some street performers play some music and then headed off the bed.

This post is long so I'm going to make it into a two parter....get ready...

I'm on a Boat

We did it! We made it on the boat!

BOAT TRIP

Hold up, lemme backtrack for all of you who didn't hear the skype convo between my mom and me (and Robyn).

So every other week OPUS (Oxford Programme for Undergraduate Students) hosts a 'free' weekend trip to various places. There have been three so far but I only went to one (Cardiff) because the other two were to Portsmouth (I've already been twice, and the trip occurred after my friends had left) and Cambridge (which was the morning after the Ball) so I have not truly taken advantage of the daytrips. Which brings me to my next point, the final 'day'trip (it was at night) was a river cruise complete with dinner,drinks (well not free drinks) and dancing. Wonderful.

So both Andrea's walk over to the OPUS office to sign up for the trip but find...THERE'S NO MORE SPOTS OPEN!
Of course the two newest students to Oxford are denied a going away party (we never got a welcome dinner like the other students). It was painfully ironic.

So I called Mommy and complained. And then she put me in my place and I put the situation in perspective. So, the program people told us to come to the dock anyway(in case people didn't show up...I know ghetto!) and we did. And as luck would have it...everyone showed up. But as luck would also have it...the program people pitied us and let us on the boat anyway!! All was well, and there was plenty of food, even leftovers. The boat was nice and the music was great and the drinks were reasonable and the scenary was breathtaking and I could go on and on about this boat, but I'll let you look at the pictures instead...





There is nothing more to say about the boat trip except it was exceptional! I had a blast and it was a great ending to a great semester. Tonight is our Fakeuation ceremony for those sassy blondes in the picture (they officially graduated college but because they were here couldn't walkk down the aisle or throw their caps in the air).

I will probably post pictures from the ceremony but I also might not.
We leave for Amsterdam on Monday folks!

London for the Day

London for the Day

On Saturday I wanted to go to London. So I did. I love that.
Dainia,Andrea and I got on the Oxford Tube and for 10 pounds got a round trip ticket good for 24 hours (that's cheaper than Bellmore to NYC).


We didn't have any definitive plans except to meet up with our roommate Mary and her parents for a show at night. We walked around a bit, stopped by Buckingham palace to holla at the Queen


Then Dainia and I went to the national gallery (it was free!) while Andrea met Mary on Oxford Street.

I tried to take a picture at the national gallery but the flash went off and I got in trouble, here's what I got...

On our way to Oxford street we passed the Queen's calvary museum and saw real live (well behaved) horses! We took pictures and gawked for a while but then continued walking. We passed Gordon Brown's pad at Number 10, Downing Street then hopped on the tube to Oxford Street.


On Oxford Street we wandered into the Primark headquarters (If Walmart's clothing section had a baby with Target, and then had a sale, that's what Primark is...super cheap trendy clothes) and met up with Mary and her folks.
After a bit of miscommunication it turned out Mary never told her parents I was coming so they made reservations and bought tickets for 4 (Mary,Andrea and Mr. and Mrs. B) Needless to say I started crying and threw a big hissy fit in the store...no just kidding. I was a little upset that they were going to see SISTER ACT the musical but I got over it. I've seen plenty of theater since I've been here. How much theater you ask? Let's have a look...

-Billy Elliot: West End Production
-Much Ado About Nothing:Oxford Student Production
-Alls Well That Ends Well:Oxford Student Production
-Romeo and Juliet: Globe Theater
-Waiting for Godot: West End Production
-Tick,Tick,Boom: Oxford Student Production
-The Tempest:Oxford Student Production

7 productions in 7 weeks! Holy Theater Major! And of course I will try to see Sister Act before I leave. . .

Also I want to buy a type writer...just in case the computer turns everyone into zombies. Oh wait it already did. And I just want to sit at my typewriter and write classy thank you notes.
Sorry for that rant, my tutor and I were talking about typewriters and he let me try his out.

That's all for now. I'm going to Amsterdam next Monday.

Who wants to go Punting?

Punting and Katie's Birthday Party

These past 48 hours have been jam packed and fun filled, so fun filled that there's nothing left to do but blog about it!
Wednesday night I ordered my groceries online from Tesco.com (there are only two large supermarket brands in England, Tesco and Sainsbury)Not only were the groceries on time but Tesco delivered my groceries to my REFRIGERATOR! Not too shabby England, not too shabby!

About an hour after my groceries appeared in my fridge we all went out to the Purple Turtle to celebrate Katie's Birthday. The night was a blast and we ended up singing and dancing the whole time I got a high score on the touchscreen picture game...






Too bad I was the only one who ever played...USA baby!







(From L.) Andrea,Greg,Chris,David and Birthday girl Katie down front






























A very blurry Andrea sandwich (Me, Katie and Andrea)

The night ended a bit early because it was Wednesday and a few of us (myself included) had tutorials in the morning so we hit the sack around 2 am, The next morning was my Shakespeare tutorial about King Richard II and my tutor suggested we sit outside in the common! It was so beautiful and peaceful, except when they started to mow the grass...

After my tutorial ended I met up with my friend Paul at the Oxford Programme for Undergraduate Studies office then to the antique fair with Katie where I bought some neat prints for my friends back home (50p each!)

Ater the antique market we went punting. Now I know what you're thinking, "what the heck is punting?" Well I won't just tell you...I'll show you!







































































I even tried punting, but I almost fell off so I stopped.























After punting we had a pint at The Head of the River and a cartoonist came up and asked if we wanted a charactature , Chris said yes...


















The cartoonist was an Oxford native who grew up in a Jesus Army cult...we then had a discussion about religion...
After we sat around for a while (Chris and Andrea met up with us) I walked over to the Sheldonian theater to see the King's Singers! Just watch them and you'll know what I mean...


After the concert I went over to Marios to meet up with everyone for Africanfood (Mario is a family friend of Andrea who is in fact African)

Then we went home.
Phew, what a day(s)!

LONG TIME NO SPEAK!

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted...probably cause I'm at Oxford where everyone reads for 24 hours a day. I'm not exaggerating. Seriously, there are no weekends because everyone works all the time. Which is fine I guess, considering this is the only time in my life where I can devote 100% of my free time to William "The Bard" Shakespeare. This week I had to read "Twelfth Night" and write an essay on "Identity" The essay must be 2000-25000 words..and that's it. According to my new friends here who have been at Oxford for more than one semester, say this type of essay is a rarity and usually we are given a longass booklist to read in one week. ::fingers crossed that doesnt happen::

So I would love to post a million pictures for ya'll but I have to admit my camera has been relaxing in my dresser drawer. My friend/roommate Mary Baskerville has been taking all the pictures around here, but don't worry, I think tomorrow I'll snap some for the blog (you're welcome Dad).

The weather has been gorgeous and I just got back from a walk around the river Thames (pronounecd tems, like temperature without the 'per' or the 'ature').

In case you haven't been talking to Shari (my mom who's been acting like my press agent) you wouldn't know that I've moved. Well if you've sent a postcard to 222 Abingdon Road, don't worry about it, I know the people there, if you haven't sent a postcard but would like to, send it to 107 Botley Road, OX1,OHB and I'll be sure to receive it!

Okay, here are some pictures I stole off of Mary's blog,





The awesome medieval gate leading up to the entrance of my college, Hertford (pronounced Hartford) Jonathon Swift once went here along with John Dunne! For other info about my college click here!





















The Bodelein Library, one of the oldest buildings in England- it's really historical here's a link about it, also they filmed Harry Potter here! I almost snapped a picture in the entrance hall(the infirmary at Hogwarts where Harry's arm healed) but the librarian told me to put my camera away!











Greg from Commack and Katie from Michigan

Me and Trishy the fishy on our way to a BBQ (don't ask)









While I type Mary is uploading wayyyy more pictures to picasa so my next post will be 90% pictures I promise! Thanks for reading! Tell your friends, if you want, or just keep reading!

Table of Contents

Greetings! (From my couch in my living room on Long Island...)

Okay, you got me. I haven't left yet. In fact, I haven't even left the couch yet today. I've been watching a National Geographic Channel special on identical twins. (Don't worry, I start my job at Bellmore Bagel Cafe tomorrow). The reason I decided to post today was to give an overall description of my upcoming trip(s).

Here's a table of contents for the future of this travelblog...

Chapter One: The Homeland
On February 3rd I will be flying on the Brockport group flight to Heathrow Airport in England. A mere six hours later I will be on another plane to Israel (aka the land of milk and honey). There I will work on a Kibbutz for two months. While I am not yet sure which Kibbutz I will be living on or what job I will be doing, I'm sure it will be fun and I will let you all know when I do know.

Chapter Two: The "Other" Homeland
On March 25th I will be starting my tutorials at Oxford University . I will be studying the comedies of William Shakespeare, Play Reading and Creative Writing. (Mom and Robyn will be visiting during Passover and we plan to travel to France.)


Mind you, this is only the broad plan. I hope to go to many more countries and experience many more cultures than just Israel and England.

Hopefully, Mary,Rachel and I will get to travel to Spain and Belgium. Perhaps the Harlequins Crew and I will make it to Ireland. Only time will tell...