Sherlock will save us all.

This Article is where it began, for me.

I've never read the Sherlock Holmes stories. It's been especially hard to ignore them at work. Shame floods over me every time Doyle and his creation are mentioned. I should read those! I should have read them, already! How did I miss this?!

My knowledge of Sherlock consists of what I've gleaned from the general media, studying other Victorian writers, Disney's The Great Mouse Detective, and the second half of that recent Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Jr. That's not much, and not canon at all.

While I don't know much about Mr. Holmes, I do know a fair amount about the world and society in which he lived and died. Granted, it comes mostly from reading historical romance novels, but some of them are quite reputable! (See: Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series.) It was a fascinating place and time quickly coming back into fashion. The increasing popularity of Victoriana is apparent in fashion, the rise of Steampunk (See: Off The Beaten Path Books, in Farmington.), a growing fear and distrust of modern and futuristic technologies, and nostalgia we feel for a time long before our own. Well, not so long...

Maybe our next craze won't be about wizards or werewolves or zombies or the Chinese. Maybe we'll look back on history, rather than buy into myths, superstitions and fear. Maybe we'll make shining examples of strong-willed, intelligent, independent thinkers who helped to shape a better world. Whether they be characters like Mr. Holmes or "real" (our perceptions of) people Queen Victoria bothers me not. ( I've also noticed an influx of books, new and reissued, about Victoria. Here, here, and here. You're welcome.)

So, I shall wait and see what happens. Maybe I'm not the only one realizing that we could be so much better, if only we tried. Until then, I'll do my part. Does anyone have a copy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works I could borrow?

Finally back in Michigan, and it feels good. Sorry I didn't write much in the last couple of weeks. Our (otherwise AMAZING) apartment in London didn't have wireless, and then we also didn't have the internet at his aunt and uncle's in Harpenden.

So, I'll give a quick run-down of what I can remember in my current jet-lagged state of mind.
- ***Got Engaged!*** Sean proposed on the "forbidden lawn" at Brasenose, right before we left for London. It was terrific, and I didn't really expect it until the last 10 or so seconds. It made the rest of the trip sooo much better, since neither of us were anxious about it after that. YAY!
- London was fabulous. The apartment was more of a resort, complete with Romanesque marble 2-story indoor pool, full kitchen, and everything only a 5 minute walk from our door. Far better than a hotel!
- Saw a very cool exhibit at the Imperial War Museum! It was all about the London children of WW2, and I could have spent the whole weekend there! In fact, I wish I could go back. Plus, I found Rhubarb Wine for Mom and Dad.
- I bought so many books that I wasn't sure if I would be able to close my suitcase!
- We got upgraded on the flight home by a very nice BA employee. It's probably all because Sean mentioned the engagement, so that's awesome! It made the long trip home much more enjoyable.
- I have a mountain of laundry to do, and tons of other things on a list.

Can't think of much to write about right now, which is probably a good thing. I've gotta get moving! Hopefully I'll see you all soon!

I'm famous!

So, Audrey, what has been the most exciting part of your trip, thus far? What made your hands shake and your knees knock? Was it seeing Buckingham Palace? A performance of Macbeth in Stratford upon Avon? Going backstage at the National Theatre (which was terrific, by the way)? James Bond Night?

No, no. None of that.

The most exciting thing happened to me last night. After seeing Saint Joan at the National Theatre, I met John Lithgow!

AHH!

It was awesome. Before the show, some of the guys had spotted a few celebs in the audience. John Lithgow, Ed Harris, and Alan Rickman were all at the National last night. Lithgow was sitting only about 15 feet away from us! He was there with what I'm assuming is his son. Anyway. As I was leaving, after the performance, I looked behind me and THERE HE WAS!

At the coat check, I had to say something. I just couldn't pass it up. So, in my high nervous voice came a little "Mr. Lithgow?"

"Yes?" (He smiled at me!)

(All in a rush now) "I thought you were amazing in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels!"

"Thank you! You're so sweet!" (awesome handshake)

And then I turned bright red, wished them a nice night, and started bouncing around like a balloon losing its air.

That was awesome.

Oh, and everything else is cool, too. hahaha

This and other Travel Blog posts imported from an old blog on 2/3/2009, for posterity's sake.

Hooray!

A quick post before I go back to work on my homework. The horrific flooding around England hasn't caused me too much grief, yet. I was caught in London during some serious flash-flooding, and I'll try to get the videos of that up as soon as I can.

Harry Potter. Amazing on so many levels.
Went to London for the HUGE line party, where people had been sleeping out on the cement at the doors of Waterstones for days, from all around the world. It was pretty much a block party in the center of London with thousands of people dressed up and singing and chanting and holding up hilarious signs.

Finished the book almost exactly 24 hours after I got it into my hands.
It was well written, entertaining, and brought nearly complete closure. I still have some questions, but it was good! Worst part was the epilogue, hands down. I was expecting so much more.

Anyway, just writing to say that I'm alive. Once I plow through the homework I have piled up again, I'll write more.

Tut, tut. Looks like rain...

Sorry for the posting delay. I've been busy trying to get ahead on my homework. This Friday (for those who live under a rock) is the release of the final Harry Potter novel, and I intend on reading it all weekend. So, I'm trying to get all of my homework out of the way before then. I just got back from an early dinner at "Old Orleans", which is the most American restaurant in town. Best thing is - the prices are cheap! Of course, there's a KFC, McDonald's, and Burger King... but who wants to come all the way across the ocean to eat there?! We're all missing Taco Bell very much, though. England would be much better off with some Taco Bell.

Next week is my last week. AH! It's flown by so incredibly quickly. I want to stay!

Today, when I stepped out of Brasenose (in order to return a jacket at FCUK ((French Connection U.K.)) which I decided was superfluous) there were movie cameras in my face!!! It was as if I had stepped into the 1900s, and I was surrounded by strapping young Oxford scholars, riding turn of the century bikes and being all-together adorable. Turns out, today, the re-make of Brideshead Revisited is being filmed right out in the Radcliffe Camera. I didn't spot any stars, but there were plenty of extras to giggle at. Speaking of celebs, though, some friends spotted Kiera Knightly in London the other day. That's pretty nifty.

I still haven't been to the museums, here. I feel so guilty! There's a natural history one, a history one, and then a huge jumble of art at the Ashmoleon. I'll try to do one or two this week, after class. They're supposed to be a lot of fun, but I've just been to busy doing other things!

Last night was our James Bond night at dinner - complete with Tom the Brit singing Golden Eye and a few other songs. It was so much fun! We all dressed up in black (I bought the afore-mentioned jacket for last night) and had shrimp, steak, and sorbet. Then, Black Russians at the pub with more entertainment. I ended up leaving early to work on the Sheridan play we're reading, but it was a ton of fun nonetheless.

Tonight, we're going to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at a neighboring college. It's supposed to rain, but right now the sun looks promising, so maybe we'll get lucky. Tomorrow is the last day of class for the week, and then I'm off to London early Friday morning! Angie and I bought witch hats, since we're Harry Potter geeks. I'll be on the look out for a cool souvenir for Katie, of course.

Speaking of souvineers, if anyone wants one - tell me! I don't want to spend a ton, but I'll do my best. There's a flea market sort of thing going on tomorrow and there's always cool stuff there.

And for the parents: I've been getting pretty good grades on my papers, nothing below a 3.8 so far. I got your package yesterday - THANK YOU!!! It definitely made me miss you guys, though. I've yet to have a pasty here that can compare to the ones back home. But, I've seen lots of adorable dogs that I'd love to bring back with me!

I checked - London Bridge is still standing.

Another Sunday has rolled into Oxford, and with it comes clouds. The radio says we'll have a rather nasty storm later today. I was going to go down to Sainsbury's and get a few groceries and some medicine for my cold, but at the moment it might be better to stay in and in doing so, stay dry! It isn't raining yet, but it'll start soon.

On second thought, I think I WILL go before the storm hits. Sainsbury's is in a mall. If I have to be stuck indoors during a storm, a mall is far more interesting than my room here at Brasenose. :)

I've been listening to the main radio station here, FOX. I found it last night on my clock radio, and ever since I've turned it on, I've known about 80% of the hit songs they play. About a month before I left for Oxford, I started listening to all of the popular British music I could get my hands on. It's paid off!

Yesterday, I went to London with Catie, Joe, and Stephanie. We got into town around 9am, I think, and then wandered around Kensington and Hyde Park while shops opened up. After breakfast at the Hyde Park Cafe (right on the Serpentine - beautiful) we headed for Knightsbridge for some window shopping. Probably not Joe's first choice, but we saw lots of shiny cars along the way and he snapped pictures of them all.

After lunch at Cafe Nero, we all went down into Kensington to meet the girl I'm renting an apartment from after the program at Oxford ends. The place is AMAZING!!! Ground floor, outdoor patio, full kitchen, nice showers and baths, beautiful view, cosy livingroom, safe and friendly complex with porters at the front gate, a gym, and a pool that looks like a Roman bath (complete with pillars and marble). I was in awe. I almost want to skip the rest of Oxford and spend the rest of my trip in Kensington!

After that, we headed for Belgravia to look for Stephanie's hostel, and to rest a bit. Then, we split into pairs. Catie and I headed for Covent Garden, which was SO MUCH FUN! It was packed, of course, but we had a delicious pizza at Cafe Pasta, and then wandered around watching street performers and looking in the covered market. I definitely want to go back with Sean! We left London, completely exhausted, around 7pm and I was in bed by 11. I tried to stay up to do homework, but I kept falling asleep sitting up.

This morning I work up feeling awful. This cold will NOT go away! But, if I get this Lemsip stuff at Sainsbury's, it's supposed to help a lot. My ankle's taken a beating this trip, too. I've been wearing the brace I brought for well over a week, and now my skin is all irritated from it. So, today I'll go without it and see how I do. It feels (and looks) much better, so I think I'll be alright.

Hello to everyone back home! I love you all very much. I apologize for not getting postcards out to a lot of you yet. I ran out of stamps! Eek! I'll try to find more this week. Plus, the sunflowers that Sean sent during the first week have finally been tossed. They looked sort-of okay last night, but they really looked awful this morning. I'll probably pick up some flowers in the covered market tomorrow. (I've been wanting to buy flowers, anyway.) My bangs are growing out, and I think I might have lost some weight. Double yay! I love you all very much, and I hope you're all doing well. Sorry for the random postings. I know they don't make a lot of sense sometimes. :P

Enlightenment.

Just a few things I've picked up, thought I'd share...

- "Cheers", which is used all over as a way to say "thanks" or "goodbye" actually derives from the tv show, Cheers. That's right, the American one from the early 90s. Apparently, it was incredibly popular and Brits at the time thought it was a cool thing to say. Now, it's as common as apple pie.

- You can get a good apple pie in the Covered Market for under 3 pounds.

- The professor who has an office next to my room is very nice, and from the East Coast. And, he's a history professor! He told me that the University Parks, to the north of the museums here, are where Christopher Robin played as a boy.

- What we refer to as candy in the States, is only the hard candy that ppl suck on here in the UK. That's what you'll get if you ask for candy. Ask instead for sweets if you want things like gum, chocolate, etc.

- Sunflowers, although they do last for many days in a vase, do not last forever.

- My last name is common in Poland. I'm not a bit Polish.

- Joe's blog is witty. http://joeysadventures1.blogspot.com/

- It's possible for me to go into a clothing shop here and not buy anything.

- The 5th Harry Potter movie was good. Really, it was.

- The way that Americans pronounce 'Oxford' is "fancy".


In other news, yesterday's trip to London was great. The play was much funnier than I thought, which was a relief. My ankle is much better, but I'm still wearing the brace to be safe. I've gone this far without doing laundry, but I've reached the end of the line and now I have to do a ton tonight.

Tomorrow, bright and early, I'm going to London with Catie, Stephanie, and Joe. There's no set plan, so it'll be a nice day all in all.