Holiday Season 2012

Cambridge keeps getting colder and colder; snow even began to fall the last couple of days I was there. So it is safe to say I was certainly glad to be going home for Christmas. Christmas in Southern California definitely isn't like the ones you see in the movies filled with snow angels, sledding, and other snow related activities. Christmas in Southern California generally includes walks along the beach in a light knit sweater. I was hoping for a bit of California sunshine before going back to the gray skies of England, but no such luck. The weather this holiday season is much like the weather I just left- cold, gray, and rainy. The poor weather hasn't stopped me from taking part in my usual Christmas festivities. I spent a day with my cousins in Upland listening to Christmas tunes, watching Elf, and of course baking. We made several kinds of cookies (many had a hint of Peppermint in them) and built a gingerbread house.

I also got to see my beautiful cousin Makenzie dance the part of Clara in The Nutcracker. She was breathtaking. That same weekend I made a quick trip up to my family's cabin in Lake Arrowhead. One day Kiersten and Ruairi went snowboarding so I stayed behind to take care of the pups; Abbie, Aslan, and I went for a nice long walk along the lake.

It certainly wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to Candy Cane Lane or a movie date with my cousin Kylee. She hadn't seen the new Twilight film, Breaking Dawn Part 2, so I went and saw it a second time with her. My mom, brother, Kylee and I then stopped at Starbucks to get holiday drinks to keep us warm while strolling around Candy Cane Lane, admiring the Christmas decorations and lights.

This Christmas Eve, Ruairi and I slept in while my mom did a little grocery shopping for our Christmas Day breakfast. At 3pm we went to Kings Harbor Church for the Christmas Eve service and then made our way to my grandparents house. This year was a bit different since the Murdocks and Sarah and Chris weren't with us, but we will see them all in a few days in Indianapolis for my sister's wedding. It certainly has been a holly, jolly, Christmas this year!

A Day Trip to London

Now that term is over and I have some free time (at least until I get back to the states because then I have to conduct a case study), my friend Carly and I decided to go into London.

Upon arriving, we went to the Pepperdine London house at 56 Prince's Gate, my home away from home. We dropped off our bags and I said hello to Carolyn, Fred, and Jenny. It was around lunch time so we figured we should probably fuel-up for the long day ahead of us. I brought Carly to Kulu Kulu Sushi where I realized that I hadn't had sushi for over 2 months! That is insane. When our tummy's were filled we made our way to Christmas World in Harrods, but not before stopping in Laduree to pick up an assortment of macaroons. I chose Christmas, Hazelnut, Raspberry, and Rose. Then we went down the street to the Natural History Museum; Carly taught Geography before coming to Cambridge so this was right up her alley.

Of course we went to the tourist-y spots: Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and the London Eye. It started to get dark around 4, 4:30 so we thought it would be a perfect time to go to the Christmas market at the Southbank since there were Christmas lights everywhere. We tried to see the giant tree in Trafalgar Square, but unfortunately the lights weren't on when we went. I don't quite understand why since it was pitch dark outside...oh well.

There was a chill in the air so we stopped in Starbucks to get hot soy Chai Tea Lattes to warm ourselves up before going to Hyde Park for Winter Wonderland. We met up with my friend Borja, Jenny, and two of her law school classmates. We enjoyed the Bavarian Village, the 60-something year old D.J. who sang along to songs like Gangnam Style, We Found Love, and Summer of '69, and the endless amounts of Christmas cheer! I was absolutely frozen by the end of the evening, but all I can say is, is that there is NOTHING like Christmas in London. I can't really describe it, it is just purely magical.

This morning I caught up on some sleep on my train ride back to Cambridge. My aunt Annie drove down to deliver some Christmas presents and to take me to dinner. We went to a French bakery called Patisserie Valerie, which is absolutely to die for! Of course we had to order dessert, so we decided to split the Blackforest cake. I have already decided that the next time I go, I am going to try the Strawberry Mille-Feuille with fresh strawberries and cream filling....Yum! Annie then helped me pick out the right medicine at the pharmacy. I am suffering from a cold brought on by my lack of sleep, I'm sure. Hopefully I will feel better by my flight on Thursday because nothing is worse than being sick on a plane.

Survived

I did it, I survived my first term here at Cambridge. Now I have to play the waiting game to get my marks back on my essay, which won't be available until the end of January. Fortunately I have a lot to look forward until then. Yesterday had it's ups and downs. Here at Cambridge you must have two copies of your paper bound and turned in to the administrative office of your faculty by 4 pm. I stayed up until 4:30 am revising my paper so when I woke up at 8, I figured that would give me plenty of time to print and bind my paper. Well I was wrong. My across-the-hall-mate Carly and I spend 2 1/2 hours just trying to print our papers (page numbers got messed up, tables of contents were wrong, formatting got adjusted etc.). Eventually we made our way to a stationary store that does binding, but of course they wouldn't be able to do it for at least and hour and we definitely didn't want to take any chances. We went to the Graduate Union (I found out it has a cool hang-out area/cafe) and they managed to get our papers bound in about 5 minutes. Carly and I then ventured to the Faculty of Education building and handed in our papers. Hallelujah!

We celebrated by enjoying a meal at the Earl of Derby pub before going to Primark to do a little shopping. In the evening the chapel held a candlelit Christmas Carol service and the CR committee put on the annual college Pantomime.

Today I got to do one of my favorite things in the world....SLEEP! I definitely needed it after all the late nights I had this week. I did leave my bed to go to the University Library to return some books. Tomorrow I will be going to the Vintage Fair that is held in the Market Square, where hopefully I will get some Christmas shopping done. On Monday Carly and I are going to London. I'll get to meet up with some of my friends (Jenny, Elizabeth, and Borja), visit some of my favorite museums, and go ice-skating at Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland!

And then I get to go home on Thursday!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Today is a day that will go down in my history book. Today I was about 10-15 feet away from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It was their first visit to the city since being appointed with their titles. I have seen Prince William stand out on a balcony before at the Queen's birthday celebration two years ago, but never have I seen Princess Catherine. She is absolutely stunning, I really wish I had her wardrobe.

Michaelmas Term

The end is almost here, the Michaelmas Term that is. Yesterday I finished my essay and sent it to my supervisor for revisions. My paper stills needs some work (reference page, whatever corrections or suggestions my supervisor may have), but at least the bulk of it is finished. This week is my last week of lectures and Friday my bound copies of my essay are due, so I am really looking forward to Friday when I will get to have a little more "down time" and enjoy England at Christmas time before heading home.

To celebrate the fact that I sent in my essay to my supervisor on time, Jennifer and I decided to go to Bill's to enjoy a nice sit-down brunch. Bill's restaurant is actually a small chain in England that has its own shop, which sells sauces, marmalades, jams, cooking oils, etc. I enjoyed the grilled vine tomatoes with basil pesto, rocket & balsamic on toasted ciabatta, while Jennifer had french toast topped with fruit and walnut yoghurt. I think we may have to make going to Bill's a monthly thing, because everything just looked so delicious.

Afterwards, we walked towards the Senate House to observe the gathering college students in Santa Claus outfits who were partaking in the Santa Dash vs. Oxford. Every year both schools have a Santa Dash where students run around the town to all of the colleges to raise money for a particular charity. Now that Cambridge is decorated for Christmas with festive lights everywhere, it only seemed fitting to have people dressed as Santa Claus running around. Next weekend I will continue my kick-off to Christmas by heading into London. Every year Hyde Park is transformed into a Winter Wonderland with an ice skating rink, Christmas markets, and carousel bar. I can't wait!

Giving Thanks

I know the British don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but I couldn't believe that I actually had to attend lectures today. Imagine, class on Thanksgiving; it just felt so strange. Even though the Brits don't celebrate this glorious and delicious holiday, I still got to. After class I made my way to the Graduate Union Main Dining Hall because the Alumni Association was holding a Thanksgiving lunch for all of the American students. I went to the lunch with my friend Dawn, who is studying in my course.

The meal served wasn't like Nanny's, but it was nice to be around people who appreciate the greeting "Happy Thanksgiving". I had lentil and tomato stew, a corn pancake, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Like I said, not the same as the traditional Thanksgiving meal I am used to, but I applaud the Brits for their effort.

After our meal, Dawn and I decided to walk around Cambridge and explore some of the colleges that we hadn't been to yet. During our walk we kept saying how thankful we were to be at such an amazing, beautiful, and well renowned institution. I really can't even begin to express how thankful I am for all of the people who have made my time here at Cambridge possible. I have been blessed with extremely supportive friends and family and I thank God that I have them in my life.

The Junction

Read. Study. Write. Repeat. My life in Cambridge these past couple of weeks has been pretty uneventful because term is almost over, which means my paper deadline in quickly approaching. On Sunday night I decided to give myself a break and I enjoyed a concert at The Junction.

Man-oh-man have I missed going to concerts, especially ones that are held at smaller venues. Smaller venue concerts are obviously a lot more intimate and allow you to stand, literally, a few feet away from the performers. The opening act was a band called The Chvrches; they have an 80s electro-pop vibe. The main act was Passion Pit, and I have been fortunate enough to have seen them three times now. I love their energy and interaction with the audience, they really know how to put on a performance. Below is the song "The Mother We Share" by The Chvrches. Enjoy!

Weekend in Luton

Last Saturday I made my way up to Luton to spend the weekend with Annie and Paul. I am so thankful to have family close by because it always me 1) delicious home-cooked meals, 2) a change of scenery and 3) a couch to snuggle up on for lazy weekends.

Last weekend was a bit more hectic than the usual weekends I have in Luton. My cousin Neil, his wife Steph, and their beautiful daughter Daisy where over from Ireland for the week. It was so great to spend time with my baby cousin, and let me tell you, she is one smart cookie. Neil's friend Dave and his fiance Nikki also came down from London so it was a full house. Annie cooked a fabulous Italian dinner and after we stayed up and talked for hours while enjoying bottles of wine and whisky from Paul's impressive stash.

On Sunday Annie cooked another fabulous Sunday roast. Some of Annie's friends came over, as did my other cousins who live in Luton, and Paul's son, daughter, and granddaughter. After dinner we went outside and set off fireworks in the backyard, which I thoroughly enjoyed. In California it is illegal to set off your own fireworks so this was quite a fun experience. I sampled a slice of Annie's famous Lemon and Lime Cheesecake before packing my bag to head back to school. I would say that it was another successful, fun, relaxing weekend in Luton spent with family and friends.

Living in a Cambridge World

Tonight I went to another formal hall dinner. As I walked back to my room after sharing a wonderful dinner with some of my Eddie's friends, I realized just how lucky I am. I have been blessed with an amazing family, one that loves, supports, and encourages me to go after my dreams. They have always believed in me even though I constantly doubted myself repeating phrases like "I can't do this", "I'm not good/smart/funny enough". I am so extremely thankful that some how with the help of God, my family, and the U.S. Government, I have made my way to Cambridge University.

I know that I complain sometimes about the traditions of the university, but I really do feel as if I am living in some alternate universe; a universe where it isn't unusual to see young men, strolling through the city centre, dressed in tuxedos and academic gowns. Although I do not particularly enjoy wearing the academic robes mainly because they are so unflattering, I do enjoy the setting of formal hall in which we are required to wear them. I enjoy getting dressed up and having candlelit dinners with my friends. *We aren't allowed to take pictures during formal hall, but I found this picture of one of my friends, Ben. Gives you an idea of the formal hall atmosphere.

Analysis of Picturebooks

Analyzing Picturebooks on Prezi

Remember, Remember

Remember, remember the fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. For I see no reason, why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot. The dark shadows of winter are fast approaching and the cold winds are creeping eerily near to the East Neuk of Fife. What better way to keep warm than to join the History Society and the English Society to celebrate that ever so famous event – the Gunpowder Plot.

On 5th November, 1605 a group of conspirators attempted to assassinate King James I of England and VI of Scotland. Had they pulled it off, November 5th would have marked one of the boldest terrorist atrocities in the history of the British Isles. The now (in)famous Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators were caught red handed in the cellars of the Royal Palace of Westminster (now the Houses of Parliament) stacking the gunpowder which would have blown the King of England and Scotland into oblivion. Since 1605, celebrations have been held every year on the 5th November to celebrate the discovery of the Gunpowder plot. Join the History Society and the English Society on East Sands for St Andrews’ biggest Bonfire Night Bonanza where we shall have the traditional ‘penny for the guy’, hot cider and marshmallows.

“Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent To blow up king and parliament. Three score barrels were laid below To prove old England's overthrow.

By God's mercy he was catch'd With a darkened lantern and burning match. So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring. Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king. And what shall we do with him? Burn him!”

Words of Encouragement

"So, in our time at Cambridge, it helps to remember that a supervision which we muck up is one out of a hundred, a single step on a much longer journey; that, even though we can find it tough going, we are gifted and privileged people who earned our places in the face of fierce competition; that even those who seem to glide effortlessly swan-like are in fact ducks paddling furiously under the surface to stay afloat. The big picture is that we have been given a great opportunity and we’re going to have lots of experiences we have along the way, good and bad; the difficulties of any particular moment or set of moments are part of the picture, but not the main part, which is that this experience, this opportunity, is there to be grasped and enjoyed and will help us become who we’re going to be."

- Rev'd Philip Hobday (Magdalene Chaplain)

Experiencing Autumn

Matriculation and the River Cam

My day started at 6 am yesterday. For those of you who really know me, know that Shannon + early mornings = a struggle. I met a few of the girls on the rowing team in front of reception at 6:30, and then we rode our bikes down to the boathouse that we share with Trinity Hall. At 6:30 am it is still dark and there aren't many cars on the road so it was a quick and easy 10 minute ride. We then had to wait for everyone else to get there so we could take the boat out. Around 7:30 am we finally had everyone there, the oars were positioned along the river, and so therefore we were able to lift the boat over the tops of our heads and place it in the water. The stern side gets in the boat first, while the people on the bow side steady the boat. The bow side then gets in and pushes the boat off of the side of the river using their oars and away you go...or so I thought.

Our first launch was not as graceful as it should have been. Instead, the worst possible thing that could happen when you are rowing, happened. That is right, our boat tipped and in we went into the River Cam. The water was absolutely freezing, we were lucky in that there was no frost that morning. We then had to tip the boat over so it was facing the right way up again and carry it back into the boathouse. Carrying it back to the boathouse required us to lift the boat and carry it above our heads, which of course meant that all the water that was in the boat, was now going to pour down on us. To make matters even worse, I then had to bike home in the freezing cold while dripping wet. Not the greatest first experience in rowing. I spent the rest of the day trying to warm myself up and catch up on some reading before my matriculation ceremony.

The matriculation ceremony is the official ceremony that initiates you into Cambridge University as well as your individual college. The ceremony begins with a prayer said by the Dean in Latin in the chapel followed by the induction of Masters, Fellows, and then first year students. Your name is read and you must go to the front to shake hands with the St. Edmund's master who has a brief conversation with you and then you sign the Matriculation registry. When the ceremony was over we then followed the Masters and Fellows out into the Garden Room for pre-dinner drinks of Sherry. The butler then rings a bell and invites us into the Formal Dining Hall for a candle-lit dinner. We all had to stand behind our chairs and wait for the Dean to read another Latin prayer before we were able to sit down. During the dinner, no one is allowed to leave unless you receive permission from the Master. We were served a four course meal that started with soup served with white wine, the main course served with red wine, dessert and sherry, and finally a cheese platter and coffee. The meal ends with another prayer read by the Dean as students follow the Masters and Fellows out into the Combination Room. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures because it is not allowed during the ceremony.

The whole Matriculation ceremony lasted for four hours. It was a long, tiring evening, but one that I will never forget. The tradition of formal candle-lit dinners dates back to when the University was first founded in 1209. I am very honored to be able to take part in such a long-standing tradition, even though I look ridiculous in my Harry Potter robe.

Week 1 of Lectures

I survived my first week of lectures. This term I am taking three classes that actually go towards my degree: Perspectives in Education, Research Methods, and Children's Literature. Research Methods isn't much fun, but hopefully I will learn a lot about the ways paper are written at Cambridge since every school is different. The way that my Children's Literature class is set-up is kind of like a Socratic Seminar. We (the students) are sort of responsible for our own learning by posing questions and having an intellectual conversation about the week's reading. I am also taking Irish. That's right, I am trying to learn Irish. And let me tell you, it is certainly not easy. I feel as if one cannot actually learn Irish, one can only memorize all the words and phrases. It isn't like Spanish or French in the sense that you can pronounce the word as it is spelled.

For example:

1. Dia is Muire dhuit. (meaning: God and Mary to you)

actually sounds like: Dis ee-sh Moy-ra hwitz

2. Ta se go deas bualadh leat. (meaning: It is lovely to meet you)

actually sounds like: Ta shay go dat boo-y-la lat

Not sure how long this class is going to last.

soon reality sets in

Tonight marks the final hoorah of Fresher's Week. An International themed bop, or as we say in the states party, will be held in the CR with a DJ providing us with some tunes. The fresher events have been helpful in getting to know some of the people that live with me in college, but I am also looking forward for classes to begin. Now I am not looking forward to reading, writing, homework, stress, anxiety, etc. but I am excited to experience Cambridge lectures.

These past few days have been filled with running various errands, going to society meetings, and a visit from my friends Sam and Sophie. Sam has been in London for the past two weeks visiting various people, including our British friend Sophie so they decided to come up for the day. There isn't much in Cambridge besides the numerous colleges so we just spent the afternoon walking around town and stopping in Auntie's Tea Shop to warm us up a bit.

Saturdays at St. Edmund's means a full English breakfast served at 11 am. I must say that this is probably my favorite day and probably the only day that I will wake up in time for breakfast. After my stomach was filled, my friend Jen went with me to buy a bike. My grandparents have been very generous and sponsored my purchase, which will make my commute to lectures a whole lot quicker. After getting my bike we stopped in a pub called The Granta, which is probably my new favorite place. Let me just say, they make the best Veggie burger. Pub food is very filling and a bit fattening so we probably won't make it a weekly dining-out experience, but I say that once a month is probably all right.

Fresher's Week

The past 5 days have been very busy over here at St. Edmund's. Saturday marked the first official day of Fresher's week. The day began with a trip to Amies and Ryder's to get our gowns for the Matriculation ceremony, formal dinners, etc. Jennifer and I decided to walk back on our own because we figured we knew how to get back to college (which we did). We decided to take "The Backs" which is a path that runs parallel to Queen's Road and provides a picturesque background of King's College. Jennifer and I then went to the "Buddies Dinner" and since neither of our buddies showed up, we decided to make our own group and even met a new buddy named Nate who plays for the Cambridge Rugby team.

Monday was filled with mandatory events like the Welcome Meeting, where we were introduced to our Tutors. Tutors are sort of like our welfare angels; whenever we feel stressed, or overwhelmed, or just need someone to talk to, our tutors are there to help. We also had our Matriculation photograph taken, in which everyone was required to wear our newly purchased gowns.

The Cambridge University Student Union (CUSU) held a Fresher's fair on Tuesday and Wednesday. The fair consists of a wide range of clubs that students can join; I joined the St. John's Film Society (discounted movie screenings), the Vegetarian Student Union, the Irish Student Union, and a club that sends students to either Kenya or Uganda for a month during the summer. The Irish Student Union even offers Beginner's Gaelic to its members so I think I am going to take advantage of that. In the evening, all the Freshers went on a Pub Crawl to Sir Isaac Newton, The Maypole and two other pubs but I don't recall their names.

Today I had my Induction Program with the Faculty of Education. My department and classes are located at Homerton College, which is on the other side of town (about a 50 minute walk). I had meetings from 1-4, an hour break for tea, and then more meetings that went until 7:30. I did get to meet the other students in my program (there are about 20 of us), and the five supervisors. I will be assigned a supervisor in the next week or so; they are required to meet with me for a total of 11 hours over the program to discuss my two essays and thesis. The Induction Program ended with a drink reception in which they served wine...I am definitely not at Pepperdine anymore. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to St. Edmund's Socities Fair but I believe I am going to join the Croquet and Garden Club, and the Yacht Club. The Yacht Club teaches you the ins and outs of being on a boat and members are given opportunities to go on overnight, weekend, or week-long excursions. Afterwards, I met up with Jennifer to watch our friend Nate play rugby. The game was advertised as Town vs. Gowns, whatever that means. If I am going to attend games on a regular basis, I will need to learn a few more rules.

Tomorrow I have another Induction meeting at Homerton College and a meeting to sign up for Gaelic classes. I also need to look into buying a bike...

Walking Around Cambridge

I woke up this morning and was determined to make this a "good" day. So after giving myself plenty of sleep and time to get ready, I then ventured out into the unknown. I walked around the main city centre for a couple of hours with the sounds of Mumford & Sons, the xx, The Avett Brothers, Tegan and Sara, and Iron & Wine streaming through my headphones. I didn't know where I was going, but luckily enough it is pretty much a straight path from St. Edmund's to the main city centre.

While I was strolling along the cobblestone paths, I stopped in some familiar shops like Waterstones, where I picked up Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower in the off chance that I have time for an outside free reading book. I also ran some errands and found the post office and a place where I can top up my mobile. Unfortunately since I had to pack for a whole year in two bags I didn't have room to pack one of the essentials for England, an umbrella. Have no fear, I know where a Cath Kidston store is so I bought an adorable umbrella covered with pink roses. When I was done with my errands I began to walk down small side streets (not too many to get myself all turned around and lost) and passed some of the better known colleges of Cambridge.

When most people think of Cambridge University they think of old, tall, pointy castle-like buildings like the ones in the Harry Potter films (yes, some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed in Cambridge). I passed by some of those old, tall, pointy castle-like colleges which are King's College and Trinity College. The architecture is beautiful, stunning. Rivers run just on the side of these colleges as well and since it was a nice sunny day today, there were many punters out. And for those of you who don't know what punting is, essentially it is the British version of an Italian gondola ride. Apparently there is a huge competition between Oxford and Cambridge punters during the spring time in London; hopefully I will be able to go.

This evening I went to Eddie's Bar which is our school's bar located in the building just across from by dorm. A girl I met earlier today while walking back through campus suggested that I go so I met up with her and chatted with a few other people she met. I talked to a girl from Australia, a girl from South Africa, and a boy from Ireland who once caught a salmon in Ballina. St. Edmund's truly is the most international college out of all the colleges here.