liverpool, thanksgiving, and manchester.

{the liverpool harbor}

once again i got the privilege of tagging along on a class trip. a fellow international student {from finland} and i were able to join our teacher along with another of her classes on a free field trip to liverpool. the day would be spent touring in and out of some of the best museums i've yet to see. after arriving in liverpool we spent the first couple of hours exploring the international slavery museum which in detail and with much opportunities for interaction described the history of slavery around the world. it was very moving. We then ventured to the same museums collection of intricate model ships, including the titanic. i learned of the many connection between the titanic and liverpool, including the fact that many of the staff and passengers were liverpool natives, as was the ship itself.

{international slavery exhibit in liverpool}

{titanic, museum in liverpool}

we then, very excitedly, made our way over to "the beatles story" exhibit. this was truly the coolest exhibit that i've seen. each room gave genuinly mapped out the stages of their lives and success. my favorite rooms include the hall of screaming fans, the trippy yellow submarine, and the replica of the cavern, where the beatles got their start (first performed as the quarrymen). as well as learning the fun random facts along the way. we also went to the museum further down the harbor that in more detail covers the life and death of john lennon. did you know that hey jude was written by paul mccartney for john lennon's son? yep, that's right. he wanted to help him cope with his parents separation.

{the beatles story, liverpool}

{replica of the cavern, inside the beatles story exhibit, liverpool}

{john lennon}

{inside the john lennon exhibit, liverpool}

my friend melanie's sister came to town, just in time to help make thanksgiving in wales happen. she came bearing gifts of canned pumpkin, which are close to impossible to find here. for the most part not many people even knew it was thanksgiving. i woke up in time to go to the first of my five classes as usual. (i did receive a happy thanksgiving day post it on my door, thanks john). the day felt no different than any other, until i pushed play on the first sound of christmas tunes. harry connick jr. instantly, nostalgia came rushing to my soul.(couldn't think of word to not make that sound cheesy) it can be said that i've not felt nearly as homesick as i did in that moment. i hurried over to help with the preparations of thanksgiving with a bit of pep in my step. the next few hours would be spent preparing a feast of turkey, green beans, sweet potatoe casserole, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, and individually prepared pumpkin pies with homemade whip cream. it was a neat feeling to share thanksgiving with all of melanie's local british flatmates, who've of course never experienced thanksgiving before. we explained that there are still key ingredients missing such as hot apple cider (can't find that here), a comfy couch for taking naps, and perhaps football, or christmas movies. but, we managed to give the best experience that we could including the tradition of going around the table expressing one thing we're thankful for. while very different than any before, it will be well remembered.

{turkey day in wales, yes, i drew that}

{sharing thanksgiving with local british students}

{individual pumpkin pies}

the program i am here with, arcadia, has subsidized many trips throughout the semester to try and give students opportunities to explore the country for a cheaper price. however, this past weekend they offered a completely free trip to manchester for the weekend to participate in a leadership sympsium. even though i generally try to avoid anything with the words leadership or symposium in it, i figured "when in britiain" and "hey a free trip to manchester". i arrived friday morning in time to jump right into the symposium. there were about 20 arcadia study abroad students from all over the uk participating in the weekend. the first session involved gaining further understanding of the results of the personality test we all took prior to arriving. it was the myers briggs type indicator. according to this test i am an infj. this breaks down as introverted (vs. extroverted), intuition (vs. sensing), feeling (vs. thinking), and judging (vs. perceiving). or as it explains introverted intuition with extroverted feeling. we spent the next couple hours participating in active demonstrations further proving our types. the purpose was largely to help us better know ourselves so that we can better lead others.

{the brittania, our hotel in manchester}

of all the things we learned there were a few things about myself that i absolutely agree with. and as part of the process of further knowing and accepting myself, i'm going to share some of them here. i guess this will be more interesting for people who know me well. so no hurt feelings if you want to skip over the next bit.
at my best:
*i have a visionary grasp of human relationships and possibilities, which, when articulated, can elevate and inspire others.
characteristics of infjs:
*i'm loyal to people and institutions that exemplify my values but have little interest in those that don't.
*i prefer to lead persuasively by sharing my vision, and am likely to be sensitive, compassionate, empathetic and deeply committed to my values.
*i want meaning and purpose in my work, relationships, and even in material possessions.
*i'm reserved at first, but once i feel i have nothing to prove i'm able to freely relate and interact with others without hesitation. and can even gain energy from it.
*however, i ultimately gain energy from a certain amount of solitude.
how others view me:
*others may find me difficult to know, because i tend to only share personal things with people i really trust.
*i often express my internal senses metaphorically with complexity.
*i especially value authenticity and commitment in relationships.
*while reserved i don't hesitate to assert myself when my values are violated.
*individualistic
potential area of growth:
*if i'm not able to find some place for my gifts i may feel frustrated and not give others the information i used to arrive at a decision, and thus seem arbitrary. as well as withdraw my energy and insight. and i might fail to check me insights against reason and practicality, and end up following a vision that has little possibility of being realized.
*if unable to give attention to my sensing and thinking parts i will be unable to verbalize my inner insights in a way that others can understand.
*and lastly under stress i become obsessed with data i would normally consider irrelevant such as watching tv, or buying things that have little meaning.

some of these things were hard for me to accept. mostly because i tend to still think of myself within the boundaries that others have put me into (not intentionally). i've often thought that i have to acquire the personality traits that i have been labeled with, thus convincing myself that i truly possess those traits. when in reality they are often not who i am inside. i feel as if i'm getting closer to knowing what the true me is.
it's interesting how knowing these things can really effect the way you see yourself, but also the way that you choose to talk to/ treat others.

{the manchester christmas market}

the following sessions were entitled intercultural communication skills for global leaders and entrepreneurship for leaders. both of which provided more insight into our surroundings. we later had dinner with a group of manchester students who had joined us for the second and third sessions. these students will all be studying abroad in various places all around the world next semester. of them i was able to connect with a british student who will be studying in tennessee next semester. hopefully i'll be able to provide some sort of support for her experience. we then all ventured over to manchester's super crowded christmas market. in addition to the typical christmas items, there were many more traditionally british treats, mulled wine, lots of meats on a stick, nutella and banana pancakes (crepes), trinkets, handmade gifts, and lots of alcohol.

{used books stand in manchester}

the following day we all gathered for a brief walking tour of manchester, which concluded the sympsium. i had planned to try and take advantage of my free train ticket and see what i could of manchester for the last time, on my own. i luckily, and i think with some credit to the symposium focusing so much on each individuals gifts met several fellow students that i was able to genuinely connect with. the rest of the day was spent along with two new friends (studying in aberdeen,scotland), we had quite an adventure around manchester, and headed back late saturday night to bangor with many new stories, and a greater sense of self. how does it always happen that the situations that you have very little expectations for turn out to be some of the best experiences.
until next time.
cheers.

{for more photos click here}

birthdays, protests, and landscapes.

{melanie's birthday cupcakes}

some of my favorite times here in bangor have been celebrating birthdays with friends. a couple weeks ago i got to help a friend of mine celebrate her birthday. the celebration consisted of all international students, drinks, laughs, lots of singing (both in italian and english), and ended with a unique night of dancing at one of the local clubs. last friday night all of us fellow arcadia students helped melanie celebrate her birthday. we hopped in a crowded train to llandudno junction, home of the only theatre for miles. we pre-ordered our movie tickets for the opening night of twilight saga: new moon. got food and drinks at a great pub and then headed back to the theatre to get in line for the teen cult movie, practicing our screams and bursts of excitement to fit in with our surroundings along the way. i will willingly admit that i was very excited for this movie, i had only seen the first one a few months previous and have not read the books, and don't really have a preference for jacob of edward. but, i LOVE going to the movies, i love waiting in long lines for the excitement of finding a good seat, i love previews, i love sitting in a room full of people all experiencing varying emotions, and i love watching the credits until the last name rolls of the screen. and to do that all in wales is just...brilliant. of course the couple hours afterward were spent analyzing the stories faults, but ultimately we all thoroughly enjoyed every part of our experience. we then took an even more packed bus back to bangor around midnight after our train had been mysteriously canceled, and lastly surprised melanie with cupcakes and trick candles.
next adventure: where the wild things are...december 13th. {finally}

{musician performing at the anti-protest}

{a speaker during the celebration, and the djembes ready for the drum circle}

saturday morning i woke up early to catch a mini bus along with several other bangor students, all headed to wrexham. with us we brought signs reading "say no to racism" both in english and welsh. and a welsh flag with the words "this is not a symbol of hatred" written in magic marker. we set off on the hour and a half journey to help the community celebrate diversity, and show an opposing group of anti-islamic protesters that we wont stand for racist actions.

{fellow bangor students}

we arrived to the town without knowing what to expect. what we found were two empty carnival rides and few gathered under a tent near the towns center. we were the first to arrive with signs, and it seemed to begin the passionate yet small in size celebration of diversity and protest of anything conflicting with it. throughout the next few hours there would be poignant speeches from various community leaders, politicians, and other members of both wrexham's community and other surrounding towns in wales. consistently there was the presence of music be it live, through speakers, or through the all inclusive rhythmic drum circle. despite the challenging wind, rain and biting coldness there remained a steady flow of passion, hope, and joy, complete with both a conga line, some interpretive dance, and many exchanged smiles.

things heated up a bit as several attempted to head in the direction of the EDL (english defense league) anti-islamic protestors. after a brief rise of excitement, we were soon slowed down to a halt by surrounding police. after learning that there had already been a "confrontation" between the two groups resulting in some sort of riot, and reaching near to the time we needed to head back to bangor, we decided a peaceful ending would be the most satisfying. all in all it was quite a moving experience, different to any i've yet to have in britain, and was proud to be apart of it. my flatmate thom was chiefly in charge of organizing bangor's participation in the event, and will be writing a piece in our uni's local paper. i will be sharing that, as soon as it's made available.

on sunday i woke up yet again to catch a mini bus, but this time as part of the photography society. each month they sponsor a trip to give its members a chance to take pictures out in the field of the particular theme. this month's theme is landscape. our first destination was to the isle of anglesey. more specifically to newborough beach and forest along the south west coast of anglesey. the winds were tremendous in size, but the scenery was breathtaking. the beach consisted of both rock and sands, and ran along a forest of epically thin and tall trees.

{newborough beach}

{newborough forest}

we then began a brief journey through snowdonia national park, stopping at several ideal places along the way. snowdonia is going to be a place in which i will regret not getting to see more of. it's the one true place in which i can honestly say i've never seen anything like it before, in respects to landscape and scenery. it's some how both distinctly rugged and magically beautiful. it's amazing that it has somewhat still remained such a secret. after such a busy weekend, i'm due for some proper rest. i feel a cold sneaking it's way in. still, it was worth it.
until next time.
cheers.

{snowdonia national park}

{the huge slate quarries in snowdonia national park}

{for more photos go here}

northumberlands and edinburgh.

{along hadrian's wall in the northumberlands}

this past week was what they call "reading week" here at bangor uni. reading weeks are set up as weeks off from modules (classes) according to separate courses (departments). students here only take classes within their selected course, unlike me who is taking classes from all over. thus, i didn't get quite a whole week off, due to conflicting reading weeks amongst my modules. blah blah...the point is that i did however get to travel a bit.

{historic, hadrian's wall}

{taken while standing on hadrian's wall, the view goes on for miles}

{houseteads roman fort, along hadrian's wall}

my friend melanie and i visited a family friend of hers in northern england. we spent the next few days in various villages and towns in the northumberland province. we arrived in the prudhoe train station, then walked about 10 min. to the small village of novingham. that night we were taken to our host's local pub for dinner and drinks. we spent the following day, traveling along the historic hadrian's wall, more specifically visiting a roman fort called housesteads situated along the wall. hadrian's great wall was built by the roman emperor hadrian around 122 a.d representing the northern limits of his empire, keeping out the caledonians (scottish). it ran/runs from the east coast to the west coast of britain, even now you can see strips of it here and there, including along highways, and even in random english suburbs. now, the line between scotland and england is much further north.

{speedy trees}

{art installation inside a castle in the northumberlands}

that night we traveled in a fully packed train to the town of hexham, england for a night of fireworks and the largest bonfire i've ever seen. these were both in celebration of what the british call bonfire night and guy fawkes night. named after a failed attempt by a man named incidentally, guy fawkes, to blow up the british parliament on november 5th 1605. traditionally, they now place a fake figure of a man on top of a huge bonfire, and shoot off fire works in celebration that he was not successful in his attempt. here's an anonymous poem i found that rhythmically explains it's history:

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,

'Twas his intent

to blow up the King and Parliament.

Three score barrels of powder below

Poor old England to overthrow.

By God's providence he was catch'd

With dark cantern and burning match.

Holla boys, holla boys!

Let the bells ring!

Holla boys, holla boys!

God save the King.

another surreal experience.

{bonfire night/guy fawkes night}

{wee lad swingin' a glow stick in front of me}

{silhouettes on bonfire night}

{fireworks}


the next day was spent exploring newcastle, england. we saw a bit of the university, walked along the river tyne, went to a small flea market, crossed the swing bridge, experienced the center for contemporary art (which was really neat), and saw the inside of the sage theatre (also called the slug). the night ended with exactly what melanie and i needed, while our gracious host was off at choir practice, we made our selves some dinner (french toast) and watched an old classic (when harry met sally). followed by a bit of british tv, and then fell fast asleep in anticipation of the next days events. {it was very pleasant to be in a proper home again}

{downtown newcastle}

{the swing bridge, on the river tyne in newcastle}

{view of the sage theatre, and the tyne bridge at sunset, newcastle}

{inside the baltic: center for contemporary art}

{top floor of the baltic}

{night reflections of the swing bridge, baltic, sage theatre, and tyne bridge, along the river tyne}

after an early train we arrived in edinburgh late morning, leaving a whole day to explore and experience. i can confidently say that scotland was what i'd always imagined and hoped it would be. the scenery, the people, the ACCENTS, all wonderful. despite the heavy construction that takes up a significant part of the city center edinburgh is majestic. from the castle that sits above the town on a rocky cliff, to the beautiful buildings and streets through out the city, all of it, majestic. we first found our hostel/hotel that was potentially one of the nicest places i've stayed, and is made even 100 times better by the fact that we only paid 12 american dollars. after setting our bags down we set off to the castle. due to it's massive size we spent a couple of hours walking around, through, up and down the castle. the best bit was getting to hear our scottish tour guide tell his tales and jokes with a heavy scottish rhythm. we continued down the infamous royal mile filled with shops, pubs, street vendors and classic scottish closes (alleys).

{where we stayed in edinburgh}

{taken along a side street near our hotel in edinburgh}

{edinburgh castle}

{inside edinburgh castle}

{the oldest bldg. in edinburgh, the castle chapel}

{view from the castle}

{cannon, inside edinburgh castle, looking out to the city}

after eating delicious scottish steak pie at a pub along the royal mile, we headed back to the hostel to drop off our loot. only to turn around and head back out to yet another pub, advertising traditional scottish music. there, we were to encounter the guitar, banjo, moothie playing, plaid pants wearing, tam o'shanter sporting, thick scottish accent singing greame e. person. also known as the only person to do musical walking tours of edinburgh. he was more than we could've asked for in a scottish experience. he sang and played for nearly 3 hours intermittently telling jokes (frequently about us being american and my being texan), telling historical tales, and successfully involving most of the audience in his performance. we were all singing along, lifting our drinks with smiles as wide as we could manage. the most surreal moment, being as the whole bar sang, swaying and smiling "bye bye miss american pie...". and i'm pretty sure everyone else there knew the words better than we did.

{down a scottish close (alley)}

{the royal mile, in edinburgh}

we started the next day with a scottish breakfast from our hotel. however with the absence of haggis, it was actually just an english breakfast. it did however include black pudding, which i am glad to have found out what it consists of only after the fact. (thanks thom for the insight) our last day was spent exploring some areas we had yet to see, some old bookstores, shops, and cafes. luckily, we stumbled upon the very coffee house that j.k. rowling is said to have written harry potter. i must say i could feel the inspiration as i sat in the elephant house and ate my bacon and brie pizza. ha. after having a bit of a chat with a couple of really friendly locals working at a tea shop (who also "took the mick" out of my being from texas) we ended our trip gliding through the edinburgh modern art museums, and taking a last stroll around the city. i can say that i already look forward to my trip back to scotland, even though it'll probably be years from now. but i will be back. now for some rest.
until next time.
cheers.

{the coffee house j.k. rowling is said to of written the first harry potter}

{old scottish bookshop}

{taken inside edinburgh museum of modern art, art installation}

{to see more photos from this trip feel free to click on the link below}
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theafterglow/