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'Ello Guvnah

a travel blog by flaminko


You all know me, so an introduction would be silly. However, I will tell you that it's 0937 Sunday, my flight leaves at 0600 Monday, and I should be packing or possibly eating breakfast, but writing this seemed funner (yes...funner).

I'll arrive in London at 0025 Tuesday morning (your time) and 0625 London time. So, sometime after that you can expect a first entry...and probably some pictures of clouds...because that's just how I do.

With that said, I'm a big fan of people writing to me and commenting on my site, I've got pictures of you all with me, I'll miss you guys and I'll be back at the end of June!



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I got soul, but I'm not a soldier...

London, United Kingdom


Anyone else miss Alf? I heart him...

And just another day where we walked about five miles...no complaints though, it was through Hampstead Heath...Beautiful!! I wish I would have known that we were going hiking though..I wouldn't have worn flip-flops!!! Duh, right?

On a more positive note...On Saturday I think I will be doing the coolest thing in the world...I'm going to Dover CASTLE!!! Prepare for at least 100 more pictures...In case some of you don't know, Dover Castle was built in the first century anno domini by the Romans...and yadda yadda yadda...but the coolest thing of course (because we all know how much I LOVE WWII) are the secret wartime tunnels!!!! Apparently they are still haunted...I hope the ghost talks to me!! Dover Castle is also right next to the White Cliffs of Dover...I just can't explain to you in words how excited I am to see these things...It goes something like..I want to run around the room screaming wildly at the top of my lungs telling everyone where I'm going and throw confetti. Yes...that could possibly explain it...

The other day we were watching trashy English soap operas...and then at the Tube station the next day, we saw some of the same people filming a scene on our way to the train! NEATO!!

Last night we sat on our front stoop and kicked back a few...and about 0100 this guy and his girlfriend or wife get out of a cab and go into their flat...but promptly walk back out and across the street to our stoop...nothing out of the ordinary...except for with him, the guy brought a container of salmon. He asked Jordan if he'd like to buy this salmon for £2,50...of course Jordan stood up and tried to speak with a British accent that sounded something like a bovine. They had this conversation and Jordan continues his awful impression of a Brit, when in the middle of his sentence Jordan says "QUOI???" that actually came out something like a sound a crow would make...(quoi means what in French)...and the Brit asked Jordan if he was a pigeon...(pidgin english...if you don't know what it is, look it up) to which we all just couldn't take it anymore and died laughing...so anyway...salmon guy leaves and we all just keep making fun of Jordan...and then the truth comes out...Jordan thought the guy was French. You mighta had to be there...Jordan spent the rest of the night wishing he had bought the salmon...poor thing...

Some other funny things:

Kevin: South Virginia...that is a state, isn't it?

Kevin: Please...you wouldn't be able to read my diary because it's written in a language like the movie Codetalkers
Kelsi: You mean Windtalkers?

COMMERCIAL: Little Asian kid sitting on the toilet says, "EWW! It stinks in here!!" Camera pans out to the hallway, his mother is standing outside of the door and the kid slips a drawing on a piece of paper that shows the air freshener needs to be replaced...the mom goes in and happily changes it and converses in happiness and giggles with her son..who is still sitting on the toilet. Strange...


Anyway, I'm putting up some pictures of us crazy kids because I've got nothing better to do (that's a lie, I should be reading Oliver Twist-I'm sure it's the same as the movie/play, right? *snickers*) Right...so...I'll write some more tomorrow...I think we're doing something...maybe going to another museum...


k

p.s. I'm still taking donations because I like to spend money and don't have enough of it...

Don't ever forget Alf...he's just so precious!!!



permalink written by  flaminko on June 3, 2007 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: 'Ello Guvnah
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Yesterday's flower children are today's blooming idiots!

London, United Kingdom


Today was our day off! HOORAY! We went to Harrod's (too rich for my blood) and H & M!! If you all can recall the past few times I've been around an H & M...I go crazy...But don't worry, I kept it in check today. I only bought a new necklace, purse/bag type thing and some presents. Afterwards we went to Trafalgar Square...and here are some pictures! Except the last one...I took that last night because...well, because the sunglasses looked like fun to wear at one in the morning...

Yesterday we went to the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery...good lord I've never seen so many portraits in my life! Pretty cool though, much better than modern art! I was finally amongst some talent!!

I forgot what we are doing tomorrow, but I'm sure it will be a fun time!! Have a good one, ya'll!

k

permalink written by  flaminko on June 5, 2007 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: 'Ello Guvnah
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1,2,3,4 shut your loud, obnoxious hole! 5,6,7,8 you're gonna make me suffocate!

London, United Kingdom


There have been a lot of war protesters today...and I mean a lot. They are standing outside the building right now. I'm annoyed. I'm pretty sure my professor stopped to chant along with them...

1,2,3,4 we don't want your bloody war! 5,6,7,8 stop the killing, stop the hate!

What do we want? Troops out! When do we want it? Now!

They say warfare, we say welfare

I scowled at them when I walked by...they need to go join the other protesters in front of Parliament so I can have some peace and quiet...goodness. I don't know what good they think they're doing...I understand the free speech concept and right to assemble and protest, but they're not accomplishing anything except sore throats in the morning. Maybe it makes them feel better or empowered? I guess so. The computer lab is across from the Trade Union Congress http://www.tuc.org.uk/ and I imagine they are affiliated somehow...I don't know..I don't understand the politics here...

It makes me think of the protesters in the States and how much I don't like them either. I really don't like protesters...I think I'll go watch them...maybe take some pictures or videos...OH!!! WHISTLES!! BOBBIES!!!!! I'll check in later...

permalink written by  flaminko on June 6, 2007 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: 'Ello Guvnah
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"Duct tape fixes everything." -Kelsi..."Except my heart!" -Tracey mocking Jordan

London, United Kingdom


And we're back...we went to a place in Hammersmith today in which William Morris resided for the last twelve years of his life. If you don't know who William Morris is by now, you probably should stop reading my blog. Then we went to a pub, hung out for a bit, got a bite to eat and then spent 45 minutes on the tube getting back to our side of town. Just a note, the west side of London is a really really really really long way away. When it was just Tracey and me, we were waiting for the train and Tracey said something about her boyfriend and a guy walked up to us and said, "Excuse me, did you just say I was good looking?" We started laughing...I said, "No, but she said something about her boyfriend!" Then he started laughing and we just talked for a while. Turns out he's from Africa and is in London now as an engineer of some sort. He said that he'd been to the States a few times and asked what we were doing in London and we said studying...and he asked why we didn't take more vacations and we told him because of work and everything...he said he gets five weeks of vacation...we reminded him not to work in America because he would work at one place for like two years and have less than a week in vacation time. But, he was really nice and gave me his business card...I don't know what I'm supposed to do with it though...


Pictures are as follows:

Bobbies controlling the protesters.
Anti-war "art" at Tate.
Parliament area.
Random pictures.
Hammersmith.

There are girls and boys here from Florida State...and wow...Let me write down a few of the things that I've heard come out of their mouths, and as you read them, make sure to use a valley-girl accent or condescending tone:

Broad #1: Uh, like, oh my god, it like, totally smells like dog poop in the like hallway...and I don't mean it's like a good smell...

(Not sure any dog poop has a good smell...but alright)

Tracey: blah blah Ireland blah random places blah Scotland blah England blah, we should go to Stonehenge!
Kelsi: OMG! Yeah!! Great idea!!
Broad #2: Uh, Stonehenge is in England, not Scotland.
Tracey: We know, we are listing places around here we'd like to visit...

(DUH. And who invited you to our conversation anyway??)

Jerk face #1: B*%$£ get me some food! (yes he was talking to his girlfriend in all seriousness)
Broad #3: Ok, hunny, what do you want?

(I dare my boyfriend to talk to me like that...find out what happens...)

Broad #4: OMG I like totally know...I like had anthropology like last semester and like I went to class to like just sleep...

As I rememember others, I'll write them down...watch for updates! They're doozies! But in all honesty I'm not sure I will have others...we heard them say they'll be home in 52 hours...darn...I'm all torn up about that...I guess we'll just have to pick on the UCONN kids next! *evil laugh*

Another funny commercial: A man and a woman are at a restaurant getting ready to eat and the man orders lobster and the waiter brings a live lobster out and it looks at the guy and he doesn't eat it...They take the lobster home with them alive...He comes home later to find random things that belong to the lobster around the house...enter bedroom...finds the rubber bands to keep the lobster's claws together on the bed...enter bathroom...finds woman and lobster in the bathtub together and the lobster is flirting and doing things that could probably be technically classified as beastiality...Next scene: Man and woman at restaurant, man eating lobster. **DISTURBING**

That's all for today, I've got some reading to do! HA!

<3 k

P.S. Ryan found me this website...it's got ALF on it... Ryan is officially my hero for today =)

http://www.tv-links.co.uk/show.do/1/2534

permalink written by  flaminko on June 7, 2007 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: 'Ello Guvnah
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Ad perpetuam memoriam: WORLD 2007

London, United Kingdom


Today was quite a long day...Tracey and I woke up at 0800 and got ready, knocked on Austin and Alex's door and left at 0830. We walked for about ten minutes, got on the Tube, went to Waterloo Train Station and were standing at the meeting point by 0905. I got some breakfast and we hung out until 0935-ish when everyone else showed up. We took a train at 1006 to Hampton Court Palace. We were introduced to the palace at 1130 and toured the Clock Tower area, Henry VIII's State Apartments, King's Apartments of William III, Queen's Apartments, the Garden, the Georgian Rooms, the Tudor Kitchens and played in a Maze. We didn't start back for the train station until after 1600.

This palace is unbelievable large...Every door, window, bed, room, etc, etc, were so oversized that we figured Henry the VIII was making up for something he lacked elsewhere...catch my drift?? I wish I could have taken pictures of the inside of the palace, but I suppose the outdoor pictures will have to suffice...(if you want to see a scandalous picture, and I don't mean a perverted one, email me and I'll send it to you).

As for the Tudor Kitchens, there were originally about 50 of them, with 800 workers preparing the required two meals a day. Can you imagine?? They only have a few of the kitchens open for public viewing, but they had pretty sweet fake food and whatnot lying around...but the weirdest part...was that they actually had something producing the smells that would have risen from the kitchen. It made me gag- and it could have been because it smelled like cat food mixed with malodorous raw beef, some anchovies and topped off with rotten eggs- but I could be wrong. Good idea in theory, not so good for people with weak stomachs. When we first started walking through the Tudor Kitchens there was a little area to the right of us where they implied a butcher would have worked...they had a fake bloody, skinless animal hanging on the wall, blood all over the walls, hunks of meat lying on the counter and best of all...sound effects...of heads being chopped off...Delightful!! Once again, good idea in theory, not so good for people with weak stomachs...truth be told, I was a little disturbed and horrified...and by a little, I mean a lot…I can only imagine the disgusted look on my face...and if you know me, you know exactly which "disgusted looked" I'm referring to...

The garden tour was not so exciting...probably because my back was acting up a little and by this point we had been there quite a while and were starting to get tired...I was disappointed to hear that the gardens were redone in 1974...because that makes them so new compared to the palace, and in turn, that makes them so uncool. They're just not old enough for me to be interested in them. Plus, I have a black thumb- keeping plants/flowers alive just isn’t my cup of tea…

Ever wondered where the term "mind your Ps and Qs" came from? When printing presses became available, they had to set the type backwards so that when they rolled the ink on and pressed the paper against the letters, it would come out correctly. Since this was done backwards, oftentimes people confused their Ps with their Qs. And as you all know, the British are infamous for saying "Mind (insert anything here)." Mind your step. Mind the Gap. MIND THE GAP. Mind that Child. (and so on and so forth) So, there's your adagial history of the day.

I was thinking today...people destroy things all the time, as did people “way back when.” The people “way back when” probably never thought that anyone would be interested in these items, but we are…Nowadays, we collect artefacts and antiques and this and that, but we still get rid of everything. Will the people in the future be like us? Will people in the future have the things from now studied and classified and critiqued? I would like to say yes, but what do we produce now that would even be worth something in the future? We mass produce so much crap, and it is all usually very cheaply made, that it probably won't last for 600 years and if it does, there will be so much of it still around that there will be no uniqueness left to anything. What will that say about us? Will the people of the future be even worse?

If we compare even two decades from the early and late 20th century, look how different the people are...the "corset-wearing, ride-in-a-horse-drawn-carriage, marry-a-man-five-times-my-age-and-pay-him-to-do-so" days are long gone. We've traded in our bonnets for pink hair dye, celibacy for children at age 13 and horse-drawn carriages for cars that have 1000 Horsies (Horsepower). Isn't it strange?

Some say we've proudly become more advanced and are becoming technological masterminds...but what is that going to get us? It always has to be bigger and better and somebody has to outdo someone else and get more money. Isn't anyone else scared of these sorts of events? I'm of the opinion that by mass production (thank you Renaissance) and new and ever-changing technology we are going to destroy ourselves. What happened to modesty and just happy to live another day because you managed to avoid the Plague? Most people look at historical figures and their time periods (or even the 80s) and gasp in shock and awe about how these poor, pathetic people even lived without a (portable) phone or computer or the Internet- it just baffles them! While I thoroughly appreciate my cell phone, Internet and computer, I am able to look back at historical time periods and wonder what happened...what went wrong...and then I'm back to the hope of simplicity.

I do like having modern things, but there comes a point when it becomes a vicious cycle of outsmarting the next guy and doing whatever it takes. I am aware that it has seemingly always been like that, but once again I pose this question, when does it stop?? A lot of the things that we invent and create today are completely unnecessary. What good would it be to transport a molecule across the room do? What good would a vacuum without a cord do? etc. etc. If we can't reach our Coke and hamburger, we could teleport ourselves across the room to get it...right?? And seriously, a vacuum without a cord...was it really that big of a hassle in the first place?

I'm not entirely sure where that came from, (ab intra obviously) but it makes me really angry that a lot of stuff from our lifetime will be thrown away and no one will care what we did, except to learn from our mistakes...it's my hope that future generations are able to put that "special touch" back into things and perhaps create a product of quality (instead of focusing on quantity). Who am I to say these things? I'm just some over-opinionated, naive, confused, cranky, 22-year-old female college student. But I know I'm right...

On that note, though, I'm afraid I must retire for the night. My eyes are drooping, my head nodding and my stomach growling -a lethal combination...So, I will bid you adieu, hope I offended at least someone, and I wish you all a great day...




permalink written by  flaminko on June 8, 2007 from London, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: 'Ello Guvnah
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Don't flash the octopus

Dover, United Kingdom


Wowowowowow...if you thought I wasn't serious before about not ever coming back to the States...I'm serious now. As you know, we decided to take a trip to Dover Castle. I can't even explain to you in words how I felt about it. Wow. I've been to many great/cool/amazing/what have you places...but this undoubtedly takes the cake. Because of my obsession with history, old places, water and friendly people, I was beyond cloud nine. If I ever go back to England, I will go to Dover and completely forgo London!

Tracey, Jordan and I left for the Tube and bus station about 0830 and boarded the bus at 0925. Before I even got off the bus, I was in love. We drove by the White Cliffs of Dover and by the English Channel.


This is so frustrating that I can't tell you how I feel...Well anyway, we got off the bus about noon and could see the castle from where we were standing, but I think it was about a mile away. We headed north (away from the castle) and walked by a park, then found some food and ate in the park. At the park there was a Boy Scout gathering going on and there were families and pets and beautiful trees and water...It was nice to actually see a bunch of actual British people and not just a bunch of tourists...It was just a really nice scene.

We were trying to decide which bus we should take to get to the top of the mountain that the Castle is on, and this really nice old man and his wife helped us figure it out. Turns out they were getting on the same bus, and when we actually boarded he told the driver to make sure he stopped at a certain stop for us and he told us he would ring the bell to remind her. We weren't sure which stop to get off at, but a bell was rung when we were near the castle and I asked Tracey if she thought we should get off there, and a woman across the isle asked if we were going to the Castle and since we were she said we should get off in two stops because yadda yadda yadda. VERY NICE!! When we got off, we thanked him a million times over and waved and thanked the bus driver and everyone was just so amazingly polite...I couldn't have asked for a better day...

We got off the bus and walked probably a quarter mile to the ticket office...but along the way, we had to stop and take pictures because the view was breathtaking...

This castle is so old… it was built in the first century

Yes, I was sad that no ghosts talked to me. I had heard quite a few ghost stories about the Castle and we even talked to one of the guides about the ghosts. He said that he'd seen the woman in the red dress by the bedrooms and talked about the bottom of a person in the King's bedroom, servants and soldiers. He'd seen some of the queer movement about the Castle and he told us about a headless drummer boy running around. The story of the drummer boy goes something along the lines of he was sent on an errand and took his drum to keep him company. A couple of soldiers heard he was going alone and with a lot of money, so they tracked him down and cut his head clean off with a sword. They found the body, but never the head…even centuries later. A lot of people have accounts of these ghost stories...drumming, and sudden smells of sweat and dirty socks where the soldiers used to be, etc. They've had numerous paranormal investigators at the Castle, and one of them revealed the name of the Drummer Boy: Sean O'Flynn, Irish, 14 when he died.

On the walls leading down to the basement and up to the roof there are names/dates from men/soldiers/prisoners/carpenters long since passed away etched into the stone.

John Gram ( I think), Drummer Boy, and I think he was part of the 73rd Foot Regiment. I can't remember what the guide said and the picture is a little too unclear to see it. But I do remember that the letters were a mix of capital and lowercase.

April 12, 27th Foot Regiment, known as the Bellinghams.

Names of prisoners who measured how tall they were and marked it.

There are two things that give me the good types of goose bumps: music/lyrics and history. I know believe that Dover Castle deserves it's own category in the "things that give me good goose bumps."

We went into the Secret Wartime Tunnels, but unfortunately were not allowed to take pictures. So the pictures inside are actually ones I found on the Internet. We started the tour with talking about the Dunkirk rescue and WWII, because that's when most of the construction was done. However, the tunnels were started in the early 1800s during the Napoleonic Wars.

I'm wearing black shirts for the rest of my life. One time, I wore my IOWA sweatshirt and some adult walked by us on the street and made some comment about being from Iowa and an American...I bought a football jersey and wore it one day...two different people asked me where I got it, and on our tour the tour guide made some reference to the jersey I was wearing and asked me about it...I answered that I didn't even know who it was =) The first people to ask me where I got it were American, the second were Deutschers!! So I sorta got to use my German because Tracey and I were talking way too fast in English...Oops. I seem to translate things here a lot...btw, I love German. Anyway, today at the castle we were touring the Secret Wartime Tunnels and the when we walked by the actors, one said something about being from Chicago and I told him I was actually from Iowa, and I think he knew where it was! Then I was walking back towards the church at the Castle and there was a man taking a picture of his three family members and so I asked him if he wanted to get in the picture and I would take it...and so he did and when the picture was taken they all started complimenting me on the fact that I was wearing a Cubbies t-shirt...it was cute...but anyway...since my mommy and daddy always taught me not to talk to strangers, I figured I should wear solid colored t-shirts so no strangers will speak to me.

That took an awful long time and I still have way more to say. But it's after 2300 here and I need sleep. Another big day tomorrow. I have about 150 more pictures than what I actually posted on here...but I hope you liked the ones I did put up, keep those emails coming, love you and miss you all!

<3 Kelsi


permalink written by  flaminko on June 9, 2007 from Dover, United Kingdom
from the travel blog: 'Ello Guvnah
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Don't flash the octopus: PART DEUX (Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Welcome back to the States, Casey)

Dover, United Kingdom


Since Saturday, I've been a tad bit busy. Mostly trying not to be busy because I want my time here to never end. But, alas, it must. I only have nine more days here, which is incredibly disappointing to me and I can imagine once I get home all I will long for is to be here again.

Sunday we went to a place called Red House. William Morris lived there for about five years. I'm not sure that William Morris has a very good fashion sense or taste. His houses have motley artwork from very different architectural and historical time periods. For example, a medieval room with white cabinets, pious murals on the wall, red brick and white panels with Asian pictures in bright blue on them. Uh, no. I'm not claiming to have the best taste when it comes to that sort of thing, but I like to think I know that some things are distasteful. It becomes gaudy when you mix so many elements together- too busy.

Today is obviously Monday; we have started reading Children of the Ghetto. It's a decent book, just long and we need to read the 500 pages or so in about three days. In addition to this, by the time we leave, I need to have eight- two page posts written on places I've visited that tie in with our literature and posts actually about what we've read in this class. But that's not all!! Bob, tell them what they've won!! A research paper!!! Yeah...that involves trekking it back to the British Library and ordering books. Oh, plus we have to read one more book and some more poetry. All in eight days...stressed? A tad.

Tomorrow we are going to a Jewish Museum, plus class; Wednesday, I am going with my professor to the SPAB headquarters to research my paper (Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings) and then class; Thursday, we have class, then I believe Tracey and I are going to the Museum of London; Friday we are spending all day at Cambridge; Saturday and Sunday are reserved for the library and reading and writing; Monday, class, plus all of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and discuss our papers; Tuesday, probably nothing, but supper with Florence that night; Wednesday we go home. Boo. I don't want to!!!!!!! *Throws temper tantrum*

What I wanted to write the other night but was far too tired to do:

On the tour of Dover Castle's Secret Wartime Tunnels, they did a skit type thing. During that we saw an injured Airman and he needed to get surgery, which they called 'going to the theatre.' Before they could take him there, they talked a little bit about the medicinal aspects while in the tunnels. They said that they really needed penicillin but had a hard time getting it because the American company, Pfizer, took over patent and production rights saying they could produce it more efficiently and effectively. Because of that, the people in England had a hard time getting a hold of it. We also learned that if someone needed stitches and there wasn't anything to stitch them up with, women were asked for their silk stockings. Obviously they didn't use the whole stocking...they just used a strand of silk..duh...Also, if no one had silk stockings, they could also use red hair because it's strong and thing. Interesting, huh?

More about the rest of the day...we got to the castle about 1330 and walked around until 1600, went on the tunnels tour, left about 1650, headed towards the exit of the castle, walked down the mountain, got to McD's about 1745...back at the bus stop at 1805. The bus was supposed to come at 1815, but didn't show up until 1835...as we were getting on the bus Jordan realized that Tracey and I lied to him. HAHAHAHA. We told him that we would be leaving Dover about 1600 and be home by 1800. Yeah, we flat out lied to him because we knew he wanted to come but was far too concerned about getting other work done...=) It was actually really funny that it took him the whole day to figure out we didn't tell him the truth. In our defence though, we both said that 'we thought' we'd be home by 1800...he didn't actually ask us to look for sure. Oh, details and details.

Anyway...the bus driver was really polite and respectful. He just had this really nice look in his eyes that has been somewhat hard to come by in England...When we were on the bus going to Dover, there was this couple sitting behind Tracey and I that were giggling and kissing and I'm pretty sure other things...They were lying all over each other and it was downright disgusting. I put on my headphones and blasted them because this couple (especially the girl's voice) were the last thing I wanted to hear. Her voice sounded something like a high-pitched, frog-in-her-throat, mauled by a British accent. UGH. She kept kicking Tracey's seat and Jordan didn't have headphones to block it all out. Poor thing. I thought if it was any other day that I would turn around and tell them to get a room, but I was too excited to get to Dover to let them bother me.

Once we actually got into Dover, some guy in an SUV screamed at the driver. In England, it's my opinion that everyone cuts everyone off and no one really cares because if you don't push your car into traffic, no one will let you in. It’s sad that everyone is so wrapped up in their own lives and so selfish that they won't let you in the flow of traffic, or smile at you. Mind you, Dover was a complete 180- except for the guy in the SUV. So anyway, this guy thought that it was wrong for this bus to cut him off and started honking and got right up beside the bus and screamed obscenities, which included dropping the F bomb (or some variant) every other word. After the light turned green, we got to the next traffic light and got stuck next to him again. This time, he started throwing things at the bus, still yelling...when the light turned green he just sat there continuing his rage, and then bus drove off. The bus driver just smiled and shook his head yes and kept the door shut. It was quite amusing. I suppose though, that this disproves my theory that Brits don't have road rage! Damn.

When we got off the bus and looked at a map, we originally thought that we wouldn't get to see the White Cliffs of Dover because the map showed them a mile or so away from the actual castle. This was a little disheartening because I was really excited about them! Even when we got to the castle and could see the English Channel we figured it would take us a long time to get there and we probably wouldn't have enough time. But, once we got to the other side of the castle, we noticed that we were only like a fourth of a mile off!! In the Secret Wartime Tunnels, one of them ended with a window facing out towards the English Channel. This was where Ramsey's lookout was during the Dunkirk rescue. They have since close the window off, but that's how close we were...It was so great...

The whole WWII aspect made me think of hanging out with the WWII vets at work. I couldn't help but think of a story that Charles Dixon told me. He said that his unit was preparing to invade Malay, and during preparations, they were told to prepare for 9:1 casualties: nine dead to every one person living. That was just on the American side. They obviously didn't make it that far to invade Malay, but my God, could you imagine? Could you imagine even living in those tunnels for months upon end? Could you imagine looking at nine other people around you and know that only one of you would survive? That would scare me white. Yet, here I am, waiting to join the military- ready to volunteer to fight or die for my country at the drop of a hat. I'm so interested in history and the soldiers and the military that I feel I have a good grasp on their trials and tribulations, so wouldn’t a normal person be scared and not want to join the military? Seemingly so…but of course I'm scared...I don't want to die...However, if I did...my parents would never have to worry about money again, my student loans would be long paid off, I would die with honour and maybe post mortem, someone would publish everything I'd ever written. Lord knows I have enough of it...Maybe I want to join to commemorate those who have fought in the past, because I'm thankful for what they've done, for the rights, country, people they've defended, because they are my heroes, because I'm just too curious and want to be there too, because I feel I owe something to my country. Whatever the reasoning behind it is, I'm sure it wouldn't make sense to anybody, I’m not even sure it makes sense to me.

I feel like I've been a part of a lot of first time things this year. I was part of a group of the first people to do the internship in Des Moines, the first people to take that class, the first people to go on this trip to London, etc. This was also the first time I'd lived alone in my own apartment, the first time I auditioned to sing the National Anthem at a baseball game, the first time I started to care about school and put effort into it, the first time I've been so determined, the first time I've been with somebody I would consider my equal- the first time for so many things and not just new experiences. The first day that we arrived, our taxi driver told us that we would learn a lot about ourselves on this trip. I think I’ve learned a few things, but more or less realized a lot of others: I can actually get along with other people, I was entrusted to lead others and didn’t fail, I do actually have strong morals, my expectations aren't too high, I am outspoken, I stick to my guns and I do catch on to things a lot quicker than previously thought. I thought I knew a lot about myself, but perhaps I underestimated myself to such a degree that I had gotten lost. I've always been the aforementioned things, but with all the other problems and blah blah of this game of life, they had been forgotten. It’s a game of pure chance, but I should always remember the final goal: to get to the end knowing I tried my best.

So, I suppose this is where I blow and roll the dice and prepare myself for next move.

Good night world, pleasant dreams..til morrow

Kelsi

  • ***a few stanzas of my new favourite poem***


  • Yet each man kills the thing he loves
    By each let this be heard,
    Some do it with a bitter look,
    Some with a flattering word,
    The coward does it with a kiss,
    The brave man with a sword!

    Some kill their love when they are young,
    And some when they are old;
    Some strangle with the hands of Lust,
    Some with the hands of Gold:
    The kindest use a knife, because
    The dead so soon grow cold.

    Some love too little, some too long,
    Some sell, and others buy;
    Some do the deed with many tears,
    And some without a sigh:
    For each man kills the thing he loves,
    Yet each man does not die.

    - Oscar Wilde, The Ballad of Reading Gaol


    permalink written by  flaminko on June 11, 2007 from Dover, United Kingdom
    from the travel blog: 'Ello Guvnah
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