One week of class finished, and only nine more remain before winter holiday. No break for Thanksgiving means that Dan will remain Turkey-less until his return to the States.
The University of Liverpool is vastly different from UIUC. Less organized but more laid back, it really is a nice, fresh environment to learn in. Plus, my classes seem absurdly interesting. I'm taking all computer science courses, which is interesting. Usually I have a couple 'filler' classes to soften the workload. Oh well, I can take Wine Tasting when I get back to Champaign next semester.
Brock and I joined the Indie Society, and quickly appointed ourselves as the American ambassadors of the club. We are so glad to be able to vocalize our superior music tastes to people even when we are out of the country.
Everything else is going great (except for the exchange rate). I'm on Skype (danielcgilbert), so feel free to call me if you want to hear me say phrases such as "as you like it", "cheeky" and "fancy any brown sauce?" in my newly-formed British accent.
Also, I'm soon going to begin my foray into video blogging, so if you have any requests (car chases, shout outs, sword fights, dance sequences, etc.), let me know.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Amsterdamned.
It is the strangest thing arriving 'home' and realizing that you are still in a foreign country. That was the only thought flooding my mind as I stepped into my room in Liverpool after a three night trip to Amsterdam.
The trip was a great time, and one that completely wiped out any preconceived notions I had regarding the city. Amsterdam is less of a mecca of debauchery as portrayed in movies, and more of a center of culture, beauty and history fostered by a community of friendly, laid back people. Sure, there are the coffee shops that act as chimneys pumping marijuana smoke into the streets and there are the windowsill prostitutes who line the alleys of the red-light district. However, even in the 'shadier' areas, the people were friendly and everything felt completely safe. Above and beyond these places, there are the canals, museums and architecture that make Amsterdam great.
Brock and I flew out of John Lennon airport on Thursday evening. We met a nice girl from Liverpool who was meeting a friend who gave us a ride from the airport to the Amsterdam city center. We made our way to our hostel, which was the cheapest one in the city for good reason. Within a couple of hours, I was approached and asked whether I 'needed any Charlie Parker'. Assuming that either meant heroin or was a sexual proposition, I decided to pass.
We went out to a bar, where we watched Everton (a soccer club from Liverpool) play a match against a Dutch team. After that, we met a band who gave us a free ticket to a concert. The show was advertised as 'gypsy-ska' and turned out to be a b
last.
On Saturday we explored the city and checked out the Rijksmusuem. This museum had a bunch of masterpieces from Dutch painters. Prominently, they had about a dozen Rembrandts, including the hugely famous 'The Night Watch'. It was incredible to see firsthand. We had a nice dinner and hung out in some more bars the rest of the night.
We began Sunday by checking out the Van Gogh museum. It was insane being in the same building as over 200 original Van Gogh paintings. We saw a few by Monet as well. After the museum, we took a canal tour through the city and stopped at a flea market. There were so many friendly Dutch people selling cool little things. I even saw a Wham! 45 for sale.
We made our way to the Anne Frank house, which was the one thing in Amsterdam I was most excited to see. Unfortunately, due to Yom Kippur, the house was closed all day. That's what I get for not being familiar with Jewish holidays.
Next we went to check out the red light district, since we were too afraid to be there at night time. It was rather unsettling to see the prostitutes, but interesting, nonetheless. We found a bar that was playing the Liverpool match, so we had a few Heinekens while watching the team struggle again. It was such a cool feeling being able to support a British football club that plays a few miles away from my current home.
We attempted to stay up all night, since our flight home was early Sunday morning, but after several bars I was ready for a two hour nap. At 7am, half-asleep and fully-exhausted, Brock and I made our way to the airport to catch our short flight back 'home' to Liverpool.
More pictures will be up once I upload everything to Flickr. Until then, just use your imagination.
The trip was a great time, and one that completely wiped out any preconceived notions I had regarding the city. Amsterdam is less of a mecca of debauchery as portrayed in movies, and more of a center of culture, beauty and history fostered by a community of friendly, laid back people. Sure, there are the coffee shops that act as chimneys pumping marijuana smoke into the streets and there are the windowsill prostitutes who line the alleys of the red-light district. However, even in the 'shadier' areas, the people were friendly and everything felt completely safe. Above and beyond these places, there are the canals, museums and architecture that make Amsterdam great.Brock and I flew out of John Lennon airport on Thursday evening. We met a nice girl from Liverpool who was meeting a friend who gave us a ride from the airport to the Amsterdam city center. We made our way to our hostel, which was the cheapest one in the city for good reason. Within a couple of hours, I was approached and asked whether I 'needed any Charlie Parker'. Assuming that either meant heroin or was a sexual proposition, I decided to pass.
We went out to a bar, where we watched Everton (a soccer club from Liverpool) play a match against a Dutch team. After that, we met a band who gave us a free ticket to a concert. The show was advertised as 'gypsy-ska' and turned out to be a b
last.On Saturday we explored the city and checked out the Rijksmusuem. This museum had a bunch of masterpieces from Dutch painters. Prominently, they had about a dozen Rembrandts, including the hugely famous 'The Night Watch'. It was incredible to see firsthand. We had a nice dinner and hung out in some more bars the rest of the night.
We began Sunday by checking out the Van Gogh museum. It was insane being in the same building as over 200 original Van Gogh paintings. We saw a few by Monet as well. After the museum, we took a canal tour through the city and stopped at a flea market. There were so many friendly Dutch people selling cool little things. I even saw a Wham! 45 for sale.
We made our way to the Anne Frank house, which was the one thing in Amsterdam I was most excited to see. Unfortunately, due to Yom Kippur, the house was closed all day. That's what I get for not being familiar with Jewish holidays.Next we went to check out the red light district, since we were too afraid to be there at night time. It was rather unsettling to see the prostitutes, but interesting, nonetheless. We found a bar that was playing the Liverpool match, so we had a few Heinekens while watching the team struggle again. It was such a cool feeling being able to support a British football club that plays a few miles away from my current home.
We attempted to stay up all night, since our flight home was early Sunday morning, but after several bars I was ready for a two hour nap. At 7am, half-asleep and fully-exhausted, Brock and I made our way to the airport to catch our short flight back 'home' to Liverpool.
More pictures will be up once I upload everything to Flickr. Until then, just use your imagination.
I'll pass on the Charlie Parker...
We're back from Amsterdam without being stabbed or robbed! Just wanted to let anyone who is concerned with our safety. I'll do a post about the trip within a few days, but I'm off to class.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Flat tour.
Here's a little house showing Brock and I have put together for your viewing pleasure. We're off to Amsterdam for three nights, so we should have some good pictures and stories when we return. I miss you all, leave me your messages so I can feel somewhat connected to life back home.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Word?
We're all moved in now, but without internet for a few more days. By midweek, I'll be online, providing you with all of the communication you've been missing since I left.
My roommates and I have been wandering around Liverpool, stopping at some of the billion pubs and clubs here. Somebody thought I was from Ireland, and another woman thought I was a Liverpudlian pretending to be from Chicago. Brock and I saw a couple of fights, and are planning on staying out of any ones we see in the future, even though Brock feels it necessary to throw pizza and gum when he's drunk.
We moved into our flat yesterday, and it's pretty amazing. We live in a gated community underneath the biggest Anglican church in the world. Buying stuff for an apartment feels so chaotic, especially since we're looking for really cheap things for our short stay. England is not the country to be looking for cheap things, though.
Here's the view from my bedroom....
...outside our front door
... and Brock reppin' the J-Man.
I'll be able to post more as soon as we get internet at our flat. So until then, keep it real homies.
My roommates and I have been wandering around Liverpool, stopping at some of the billion pubs and clubs here. Somebody thought I was from Ireland, and another woman thought I was a Liverpudlian pretending to be from Chicago. Brock and I saw a couple of fights, and are planning on staying out of any ones we see in the future, even though Brock feels it necessary to throw pizza and gum when he's drunk.
We moved into our flat yesterday, and it's pretty amazing. We live in a gated community underneath the biggest Anglican church in the world. Buying stuff for an apartment feels so chaotic, especially since we're looking for really cheap things for our short stay. England is not the country to be looking for cheap things, though.
Here's the view from my bedroom....
...outside our front door
... and Brock reppin' the J-Man.I'll be able to post more as soon as we get internet at our flat. So until then, keep it real homies.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Liverpoolin'
So, Brock and I are safe and sound in Liverpool, England.
The last few days have been sort of a whirlwind, but I'll take a minute to review.
Once we got to O'Hare, we were pleasantly surprised to find that our flight had been delayed an hour. Later, we were pleasantly surprised that the flight was pushed back an additional 20 minutes. Our last pleasant surprise was learning that the plane was moved to a different gate all the way across the airport. We decided that the best way to deal with all of these setbacks was to go to a place that embodies all that America has to offer - the place we will miss the most while we are away: Chili's.
The eight-hour plane ride was an experience in itself. I was able to sleep in 30 minute intervals for a large portion of the trip, waking up a couple of times to find "delicious" airplane meals waiting for me.
We finally made it to Manchester, where it was around 8am, though it felt like 2 in the mornin
g to us. Took about 1.5 hours to clear customs, then we were off to the train station. After catching some fresh air and a bacon-and-tomato sandwich, we took a 40 minute trip to our home for the semester, Liverpool.
The city has been wonderful, so far. We spent most of our first day viewing flats and visiting pubs. We decided on an awesome flat that is right below a giant cathedral. Moving in on Saturday, so pictures will soon follow. We met a couple of students from Denmark along the way, who we'll be living with this semester.
Here are all of the roommates. Well, it would be if I were in the picture, so just imagine that I am. In fact, imagine that I am holding a giant sword and fighting some sort of dragon-spider monster. That's about right.
We're staying at a hostel one more night, then have a bunch of orientation/fresher's week events. I'll try to keep current on this blog-o-rama, and will try to throw in special treats, such as this video of Brock:
The last few days have been sort of a whirlwind, but I'll take a minute to review.
Once we got to O'Hare, we were pleasantly surprised to find that our flight had been delayed an hour. Later, we were pleasantly surprised that the flight was pushed back an additional 20 minutes. Our last pleasant surprise was learning that the plane was moved to a different gate all the way across the airport. We decided that the best way to deal with all of these setbacks was to go to a place that embodies all that America has to offer - the place we will miss the most while we are away: Chili's.
The eight-hour plane ride was an experience in itself. I was able to sleep in 30 minute intervals for a large portion of the trip, waking up a couple of times to find "delicious" airplane meals waiting for me.We finally made it to Manchester, where it was around 8am, though it felt like 2 in the mornin
g to us. Took about 1.5 hours to clear customs, then we were off to the train station. After catching some fresh air and a bacon-and-tomato sandwich, we took a 40 minute trip to our home for the semester, Liverpool.
The city has been wonderful, so far. We spent most of our first day viewing flats and visiting pubs. We decided on an awesome flat that is right below a giant cathedral. Moving in on Saturday, so pictures will soon follow. We met a couple of students from Denmark along the way, who we'll be living with this semester.
Here are all of the roommates. Well, it would be if I were in the picture, so just imagine that I am. In fact, imagine that I am holding a giant sword and fighting some sort of dragon-spider monster. That's about right.We're staying at a hostel one more night, then have a bunch of orientation/fresher's week events. I'll try to keep current on this blog-o-rama, and will try to throw in special treats, such as this video of Brock:
CHEERS!
Dan
Dan
Monday, September 3, 2007
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