Bobbin the Brit is back being british!

Hello! I am back in North Carolina for a bit to work, so expect updates on my wacky adventures and me eating piles of food soon.
I could do this now, but I am still pretty jet-lagged. I am at that stage where, despite sleeping for the night, you feel guilty as if you were back in your home country you would have stayed in stupidly late in bed. It's only the morning, but I feel confused, as all of my favourite radio shows in the UK are on right now (never thought I would miss Steve Wright or Chris Evans if I am that honest, but I forget how much I enjoy their background noise). Plus, everything feels really quite exotic, because of the heat and the buildings and stuff.
Expect more updates, but only when I have eaten something!

Summing up why I didn't update this site, done quick enough for those with a short attention span.

Okay, so...

Disseration and a pile of projects over Easter swiftly followed by research and then revision for only two exams that were still terrifying as they were the final ones that I plan to sit in academia.

*takes deep, calming breaths*

Two exams went as good as could be expected resulting in my 2:1 and now have graduation, leaving university and my immient summer holiday to be looking forward to.
I hope to get a good job afterwards.

Got that? Good.

I will actually attempt to keep this a bit more updated in future. This has been promised with several ideas for revamps, but I will just occassionally chat here, I guess.

I would be an idiot not to link to this.

Like all of the world, I was amazed and upset at the scale of the Chinese Earthquake that occured a couple of months ago. Despite this, it is easy to forget how many people were affected.
I couldn't recommend these comics any higher.

http://earthquakestrips.blogspot.com/

May just be me here...

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article3582292.ece

Now, if you don't get the Sunday Times you may have not have seen this article.
Maybe it's just me, but...

... Surely if you go up to a bunch of teenagers and go 'tell us about your sex life so all of your peers and their parents can read it', then you will get spoiled, naive girls and boys saying stupid stuff about how many partners they have had/how they did it next to a lampost while a mate filmed it on youtube.

I would say the phrase 'Now, I am hardly a prude', but it would just make me sound that I am. Therefore my views are that I usually don't care about people and their sex lives, but I would bring back some kind of medeval punishment based upon humiliation for those who get to second base in the library. However articles like this, which just ends up embarrassing for all concerned (I really want to be around Sophie's parents dinner table when they read this article), and just scares the pants off anyone who works at a VD clinic.

*head desk*

I need a topic to speak about.
Enlighten me.

There are many problems associated with writer's block, apart from the obvious fact that your muse goes AWOL and your head feels empty. With me, the fact that I have spent about eighteen months suffering from it is rather starting to get my goat. This is a rather stupid amount of time, and I'm starting to wonder if my lack of writing isn't just more apathetic than actually not having ideas. I can never carry an idea through. I do have some occasionally, which act as a flash of florescence to brighten my day, but considering that all of my ideas seem to revolve around time travel, I largely give up before I ever grab a Biro. After all, there is only so many times you can write about being kidnapped by a version of yourself six months in the future.
Another problem I have is just with the whole nature of blogs. Part of me-the 'attention-of-a-gnat' element of my consciousness in case you feel like dissecting- wonders if it isn't the equivalent of being the drunk girl at a party wearing fairy wings and going 'shut up everybody! This song is about ME!'.

However, I have already vented my spleen about this odd kind of Catholic guilt (odd as I ain't Catholic), and so I am now actually going to talk about something.

*drum roll*

Graduate Job Snobbiness!

I, like what feels like the entirety of all students is currently looking for a graduate job. Admittedly, this search only began a couple of days ago, partly as the dissertation has now gone off to the great big history department secretary office in the sky, partly because I'm now being asked by my folks' friends 'what are you looking at doing?' , and partly as I have come to the conclusion that three years of studying early modern history must make me employable to someone (My footnoting abilities are excellent if I say so myself). What I like to think is that somehow I will find a job involving books, people, food, something new everyday, creativity and a sense of accomplishment.
At this very early stage of job hunting, what is bothering me is how choosy I am over what jobs I am looking for. Namely, is it wrong of me to feel snobby about Tesco's graduate scheme? As it has been pointed out to me, one out of every five pounds is spent at the place where every little bit helps(every little bit of what exactly? Everytime I see it, the grammar troll in me snarls), but I see the uniforms and the adverts with 'that-bloke-of-Doc-Martin' and my heart sinks. I'm already applying for other places though, and so expect updates about a romantic students dealings with the real world.

Little Argument with Myself

"But, what if it's crap?"
"How do you mean?"
"... What I'm working on. This dissertation. What if I'm doing it wrong?"
"Eh? What brought on that idea?"
" I dunno, I'm looking at it and thinking that it isn't academic enough"
"Oh, come on. That's a pile of rubbish. Has anyone told you that it's crap?"
" Well, I've been told to re-structure it a couple of times and that has only been one chapter"
"But they didn't say it was the information was crap, it's just you are not brilliant at structuring arguements"
" Yeah, well..."
"Look, has anyone told you that all of your work, all of your reading, all of your ideas and all of your analysis is rubbish? Don't do yourself down. You've put so much of yourself into this, it's going to be fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes"
"Oh, okay."

*************
Half an hour later
*************

"... But what if it's crap?"

But of Course...

Current Mood: Busy
Song: Blockbuster by Free

There are fewer feelings in the world I hate than being stressed. I mean, I can cope with being constantly busy, but I hate stress for the buzz it gives in my head and the headaches and the irrational fears of failure. I have to remind myself that this time will pass.
The worst thing is, I take it out on people who do not deserve it as I tend to lose my temper.

So, I haven't updated this in a while.

"...Well, I do check your blog from time to time"

"... So, would you like it if I started writing it again?"

"Yes"

*****

Blogging to me doesn't feel like a moral obligation, which is why I stopped doing it. From being an entertaining way to report back to people about my trip to the USA, it became something that struggled to find its way into any kind of 'to do' list that I had post it noted to my window. However, I plan to change all this. I already use slate on my facebook page, but want to kick start this again.

In no real order, this is why I stopped updating:

• I started third year at University. I would love to sound all wise about this year and give out sound advice to the proverbial Fresher Grasshopper, but third year (despite me being as prepared as I could) has felt like I jumped out of moving bus and was made to keep running. As it has for many hours, my life has become one full of piles of books in my room, late buses home and devastating amounts of money-more like the GDP of a particularly obscure nation-spent on stationary. I do actually have a life (what with Student Radio and all) outside of the library, but it has become a rare day that I do not finish before 11pm most evenings. Apart from that, thirs year is fun, considering how much how much you try to cram into one day.

Linked to this has been...

• My Dissertation. Before third year, dissertations had always been mentioned to me by older peers as either really easy or with the same gravitas that you might announce that you are about to have a major heart operation. I deliberetly chose a topic that has a limited interest, but I have become (slightly) obsessed with it. I'm taking this as a good thing, yet feel that not everyone is as excited as me about finiding census data.
• My writing-Ha! I wish, I haven't done any for a while. I love trying to, but I rarely have any ideas about what I want to do, and I always feel that at heart I don't have anything to say in fiction (which has the unfortunate effect of me wanting to write emo like poetry). I'm rather thematic in what I write (ie: odd science fiction). However, I have a few ideas boiling away in the back of my head, and I will actually write them soon... Like, seriously!
• Reading other people's blogs. I love the website 'BoingBoing' (http://www.boingboing.net/), and spend quite a bit reading other people's blogs on there. The images and stories they find are always interesting. They also recommend really good books.
• Knitting. Yes, I knit now. yes, I knit in public. No, I don't really care that much about the public reaction-it's hardly poledancing after all. It is a past time that has really developed because I get to see my mate Beck more often through it, and also because it is a lovely way to unwind when you are tired of reading for the day (slight rant about Marxist historians; why do some use such stupidly convoluted language to convey their ideas when I thought the fundamental idea of Marxism was to represent the people? I take great joy out of summurising arguements that they have and putting them into two sentences. This when I am left wing; *sigh*). If you can see a picture at the top of this page, it is of a teddy I made last summer. it's name is Bernard.
• Student Radio. I will miss this-along with all the other opportunities I had-so much when I leave University.
• Drawing. I have had an idea of getting one of my recent ideas done into a comic strip.
• Feeling I have nothing to say. This has been slightly disproved by the length of this blog, which is pleasing.

I'm not good at keeping promises to myself, but I will update this-work, life and piles of yarn permitting. I may even put some of my writing up on here.

So, before I leave, here is a list of the websites I have liked recently (I would put down academic ones, such as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, but these ones are a bit more fun).

I am now off to bed.

http://www.boingboing.net/

http://www.knitty.com/

http://www.superdickery.com/

http://www.atu2.com/

http://www.iwatchstuff.com/

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/knitting/

http://wanderingscribe.blogspot.com/

http://whythatsdelightful.wordpress.com/

www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho

http://www.cracked.com/

http://www.theonion.com/

http://vgcats.com/

http://xkcd.com/

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/

Food

It has just occured to me that I could really go for Pizza right now.
By pizza, I do not mean the bland stuff at University but the real, New Yawk stuff. The suff where it is impossible to lift with one hand. Where cheese cascades over it like a gooey, calciumated Victoria falls. Which has bits of meat that came from about thirty animals (not all the same breed). And also vegetables that have gone slightly crunchy after sitting under hot lights for a couple of hours.
The odd thing is, it's more of an impulse than a craving (it occured to me, like, 5 minutes ago). It's like my love for Jolly Ranchers or Grapes. However, why have finger food when you eat pieces of pizza bigger than your head?

Clueless

I am watching a Greenday video. Okay, this isn't new. Apart from the fact that they have packaged themselves as a marketable commodity to the 'rebel without a clue' teenage market (I mean, Greenday jewellry in Claire's accessories? It's about as rebellious as filling in a Big Brother application form), they aren't bad. I rather admire their Blokey eyeliner, partly as I imagine if they did it themselves or if they got their wives to do it for them.
For their videos, they now have to pixellate the images of them smoking. This makes them all look like they have a horrible STD.

Concert Etiquette

To Whom It May Concern,
Sir, I believe you are drunk. Yes, it may be the end of the year and are well enclined to do what you choose in these times of intoxicating (in more ways than one) freedom, but please pay attention to the Etiquette and manners that are unspoken in times of being in a crowd, namely Moshing.

1. If you wish to get to the front of the crowd, doing the following is not acceptable:

• Forcing your way through holding a cigarette,
• Forcing your way through holding a precarious looking plastic pintglass of something that may just be pee. However, since Murphy Law states that you never, see someone filling up a bottle with their pee in a concert setting, it could just well be Carling.

Pouring a drink down a girls's top and nearly burning them with your cigarette does not make you sexy, shows you up to be a moron and wins you no friends.

2. As hard as it is to believe, Moshing requires you to jump about with a lot of people in a small space. On average you could probably fit 30 moshers into the area the size of a toilet cubicle. Therefore, if someone says that they can not move forward due to the sheer mass of drunk, squashed people in front of them, it would do them best to believe them and try and make your way to the front of the moshing another way. They say that you should never underestimate the stupidity of men in groups-how about the stupidity of a man who thinks that they can defy the laws of physics and ran their way to a front like a snow plough with a drink in hand? As well as pouring your drink down your writer's top, you will have her praying that it wasn't pee in that cup. Ramming will result in everyone getting thrown forwards, crushing the legs of the ones in front and again will win you no friends.

Not apologising for sending your fellow moshers-or moshettes-flying as you try to re-enact the parting of the Red Sea is just plain rude.

3. Try and figure out why you are so desperate to get to the front. If you are there to see your favourite band in the entire world, then there is justification in trying to get to the front. If you are watching a decent tribute act but with a frontman that looks like Freddie Mercury if he ate all the pies, then why do you care about getting to the front? No-one will say that your moment of jumping onto the stage with a Tribute Act was the highlight of your evening.

4. There is a reason why people in a crowd will dance with their hands in the air. Okay, it may result in your BO being smelt by all and sundry, but that way more people can see the act and crowd in together. No-one wants to see your breakdancing, so do not dance by ramming your elbows into the back of the people behind you.

5. Do not scream/squeal if you are next to someone's ear.

6. Think before you stage dive and try to ride on top of the crowd. Jumping off the stage on to the top of a girl who is about 5' 2" and breaking her nose will ruin the concert for her.

Admittedly, at the gig I went to, 6 did not happen, but I was amazed at how many people wanted to act like idiots just to hear a tribute act sing 'One Vision' by Queen.

PC Brigade

So, okay, it has been pointed out to me that my view on iD cards are worng, and this I accept. I guess it's because I still think the best of people, and think that ID cards won't change anything. Then again, there is a solid difference between what I think should happen and what the rest of the World does.

For example, my mind believes that Common Sense is pretty common. However, working with the General Public has disproved that one...



What I wanted to do was start this post a couple of days so I could use the news sources to back it up, but keeping up House and reading up on mines kept on getting in the way. I had thought up something once I had read that Bernard Manning had died. Bernard Manning can be best described through this article on Wikipedia -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Manning. I would by lying if I said that I thought this guy was funny. If anything, I found his content distasteful with all of its 'traditional' terms for racial groups and his Sexist jokes about Women. He may have been a nce guy-he was well known for his charity work-but I pesonally would never have sat through any of his stuff willingly.

Now, if I had gotten round to writing this there would have been a link to the discussion on Bernard Manning from the BBC News 'Have Your Say' element of the website. Most of the opinions that feature usually range from the liberal bias to the downright loopy-as-a-fruitbat right wingers who are convinced that nothing good in Britain has been achieved since Maragaret Thatcher left office in 1990. Anyway, they had a discussion on Bernard Manning, and it made me laugh and cringe. As well as the 'I find him funny and I have lots of different friends' comments (to which I say 'why do you need to state this?'), there were continual references to the 'PC Brigade' that was in someway destroying the country. Like there was a secret army of people who only come out at night and deliberetly make life hard by, say, hiding your soap. Does it involve uniforms and sashes or something? If so, can I join?

Maypole Dancer's Support Group

Near us over the weekend was a Fete in a small village near us. Because taking a Saturday off work is a novelty to me thanks to work, I tagged along. It was only once we were in a car that I realised I hadn't been to one in years. Even then, I had only really been to the same one so I couldn't call myself an authority on them, but I liked the idea of visiting one, as I used to run riot at them as a kid.

A Fete, in case you don't know, is one of those traditional English things that is likely never to disappear as long as people live in the countryside and people feel nostalgic. There are stalls full of Cakes and Booze, usually surrounding and facing inwards towards a village green. There are traditional games-skittles usually-a beer tent, some tea stalls and a raffle which looks like all of the best bits from a harvest festival on a very small table.

Needless to say, this one was very traditional and was therefore very good. It had loads of plants and jams and we ended up drinking tea out of Ancient WI mugs. What amazed me though was the Maypole.

The Maypole I danced around must have the bane of my Primary School Teacher's life. For at least a month we had it set up in a playgorund and we would spend an hour dancing around it hand in hand in a giant circle. The songs we had to dance all sounded like sailor's hornpipes and I spent most of the time standing in the middle, as at least four of us helped to balance it on each side/hold the ribbons. I can remember it being a very old white plank that seemed enormous to me-like the size of a 2 storey house. The ropes were old and faded and I can remember that at least once or twice it actually broke during the performance.

It occured to me that apart from other family members, Morris dances I have had to sit through (just how did the Scottish get the fun dances, the Irish get the money making dancing and the English end up with men with bells, beards and hitting planks of wood together?), seeing the little kids at this Fete was the only other example of the dances I have seen. I was suprised-the pole seemed tiny compared to what I can remember dancing around.

And now on an unrelated note-Just how cool is the Master on the new Doctor Who?!

Angelina Jolie and all that Jazz

Since the last time I updated this lovely blog, I have done the following:

*Knitted a Duck. Only recently I learnt how to knit from my friend Beck.
Relaxing hobby my arse-at first I could barely hold the needles and spent most of my time trying to act reserved when I previously screaming at balls of yarn. There was some knack to it that I couldn't understand-I would watch Beck knit and couldn't figure out how she could do it so fast or stay relaxed as she did so while I ended up with a bit of wool not unlike a slug with holes in.
I stuck at it as I like talking to Beck-previously I didn't see her very often-and it was something that I really wanted to do. Learning to knit is one of those skills that I knew could come in useful one day, plus I have always had a secret admiration for people who can make stuff with their hands. In truth, I wanted to be one of those people. There is also the fact that I am a constant fidgeter-I always need to be at least planning to do something-and the idea of just doing continual motions and creating something out of nothing sort of rocks in its own way.
One day, I believe after I had studied Abraham Lincoln or at least something to do with America, the knitting clicked and I found myself making stuff that I felt proud of. Okay, so the phone covers I have made so far do not look exactly like any convential phone covers (and I am developing hard skin by my nails because of the continual poking of the steel needles) but finally finishing the stuff I have been making this term was my biggest accomplishments. I am stupidly proud of my duck in much the same manner that people would design really ornate cover sheets for science projects during my GCSEs.
Apart from the said exams I nearly burnt myself out getting through.
Thus I might turn this blog into a sort of knitting blog, so I can at least put pictures up of what I have made so far.

*Become Green. Maybe its the constant advertising by evil conglominates (I don't care about the spelling right now as I'm knackered) or the fact that I have been more smoothies to stave of the ever present threat of Student related scurvy, but I have suddenly become interested in Environmentalism. This is not to say that I have led a life up to this moment in pure bliss and ignorance about the effect of rubbish, but it is a reaction to what I see as the implausibility of some of the stuff we are expected to do. I'm going to see if I can make some changes to my habits and maybe write about them on here, but only if they become interesting. I'm not going to write about a neurose for recycling if it doesn't involve a wacky adventure of somekind.

*Laughed at Celebrities. Hence the mention of Angelina Jolie.

*Seriously considered wearing a skirt in this humid heat.

*Watched Pirates of the Carribbean 3. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but then I had been to the pub. I got annoyed by the singing kid at the beginning wearing braces and it was near incomprehensible, but I would pay Johnny Depp to run like Jack Sparrow in all of his movies.

*Finished exams. It feels strange to have a to-do list that begins with 'get out of bed before noon' instead of a list of work to be getting on with. I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

Y'see, I can do less ranty.

Annoyed

I'm trying to work what has pissed me off more today. It is either the fact that the milk that I brought from a shop today had gone off so badly it had gone fizzy that I have no chance of being able to bring back as they will deny I brought it there without a receipt (because it's milk!), or people who don't say 'please' or 'thank you'. Thinking about it, the second one has pissed me off slightly more, as I think it is common courtesy to actually recognise that someone has done you a favour. I only spent 69p on the milk, and I could probably turn it into some kind of lovely metaphor for what I think about that certain institution if I felt like it. Then again, it is 69p that I could have spent on... oh, how about fresh milk!
I think this week is going slower because of the exams and the grey skies in May. Oh well, it feels like I have extra time to revise and knit.

Ideological preference.

Okay, so I have a blog. I look around at other blogs, and try to wonder how they have so much to say about the world, when all I do is eat, read and sleep in that particular order. I'm guessing that because I am a number of people who start this kinda thing and then wonder why, after a couple of months, I bothered. And so I am now going to use this underrated social platform (for me that is) to describe stuff I actually care about.

So, in no particular order.

1. The other day I saw a 50 second clip of the new Michael Moore movie on American health care on You-Tube. I have to admit, I find it bizarre that a country like the USA does not have a system designed to provide some kind of standardised health care for all.

Now, I am fully prepared to hold up my hands and state that I have not seen the film and feel like ranting at Michael Moore because he annoys me. I thought that Bowling for Columbine was very interesting, but the failing of Fahrenheit 911 was that it had no basis on facts. The fact was, everything in it was based on an idea you could write on the back of a napkin. If you weren't willing to buy into his ideas, then you ended up like me; feeling that it was a shallow idea that only gained any form of logic because of the wars that followed it.

The problem I had with this 50 second clip of the new movie was his insistence that hospital treatment for the Brits is free. This is not true due to tax, Mr Moore. I also admire the way you seemed to pick a particularly quiet hospital in the clip. Again, maybe I should watch the entire thing, but considering his insistence that everything in hospitals is 'free'-I can't help but wonder if he will give the subject any kind of bias.

2. I saw 'Look Around You' the other day (the first series before they tried that ill-advised version of Tomorrow's World), and think the British comedy scene is doing really well at the moment. I'm hoping to watch more Peep Show and Mock the Week soon, as the humour is very unpredictable. That's what I love-jokes where you can't see a punchline coming.

3. I played my first game of chess where I can claim at least 45%of a victory in chess. I played two games this evening-the first one wasn't terribly exciting, but the second was interesting as it was described to me as we played. The problem I have with chess is that I do not see the 'paths' of the chess pieces on the board. I just see areas where pieces should go as it gives them a bit of 'space', instead of thinking of ways of attacking and defending the pieces with the most points. I sincerely doubt I will ever win a game under my own steam just yet, but the way I see it Chess is a discipline. You have to learn how to concentrate and look at the board while planning ahead, which isn't something you have to do with knitting.

Ah, knitting. I never thought I would ever say I like it as much I do. At first, it was a struggle to even hold the needles, but once I got it and saw how quickly I could knit I was hooked (haha!). I think it is because it is relaxing for me to do something repetitive without concentrating too hard, but also because it is surprisingly sociable. Chatting and knitting is rather like riding a bike (but admittedly I do not get a lot done if I am talking)I'm tempted to turn this into a knitting blog in a way, so I can tell people what I have made. I finished a phone holder today, and I have to admit that it has turned out a lot better than I expected it to be.

4. I have nothing against ID cards. I can honestly say that as I believe that my government isn't that interested in the everyday life of everyone, and if it means I can go out somewhere without having to prove my ID-say, when I go into a bar-then I don't have problem with it. Also, you have to remember that the system won't work yet does have its practical advantages. I don't believe the bull crap about them preventing crime ('Hey, you! Biometrically scan your eyeballs before you rob this bank!'), but say if you wanted to travel abroad. You already use your driving licence to prove your identity, how about having a system where your ID card was used instead of your passport? Passports are nice and official looking, but wouldn't it just be nice to swipe your card to enter a country?
While I state this, I know there might be a reader or summat who will scream at me for naively trusting the Government, and I don't. I just refuse to wipe of the idea just because of the potential of an Orwellian state we should refusing the idea. To set up an Orwellian state, you have to assume that your Government doesn't trust anyone and that people can't think for themselves. Just because you might get an extra card in your wallet (or maybe even something onto your driving licence as I suggested) doesn't mean the government is out to get you. In the 'Orwellian' argument, people seem to think that the card means that people won't use your common sense, and you will have to show it everywhere you go. They also assume that the government will bother to do millions of background checks, which I refuse to believe.
'But what about the GDR?' someone says. The GDR was a closed Communist State of about 18 million people (according to something I read earlier on boingboing.net). No-one can ever be sure because of the amount of paperwork destroyed, but they reckon that they had at least 1 in 7 people informing to the government. Firstly, as much as everyone is scared of the world we are not in that society by any way shape or form so don't compare it to it. We have CCTV, but does anyone remember the original reason why they came in?

There is always a danger of looking back through history to some mythical age where we had more freedom. However, in our past we were also more likely to die of horrible illnesses and force children to work for food. We are not losing our freedoms and should be thankful for it.
I can write this, therefore I am free. Ipso facto.

5. Call me cynical, maybe I am. I just like to think of ideas instead of hearing about a perceived threat and thinking it signals the end. In spite of everything, I am a cynical optimist, I believe everything should go right eventually. I'm not cynical about everything-I'm not cynical about Global Warming (though my 'cute animals' theory of environmentalism wonders what animal will be concentrated on next) and believe in recycling to state just two things. I just believe that you should be able to figure things out for yourself.

So, now I'm going to bed. Maybe one day I will write about funnier things, and feel less ranty. Goodnight.

Jumping through hoops

I realise I said I would update this when I got back, and I never did. I will someday though. One day I will go into massive detail about what I have been up to.
I'd sum it up better, but I'm suprisingly tired and my brain cannot think in more than short sentences or descriptive catchphrases. Saying that though, I think I can sum up the Americans, by saying that for politeness and sheer cheeryness, Americans are great.
Leaving Jesse was very hard, but that isn't to say I had a great holiday. Everytime I think about it, a big grin develops all over my face. However, I got back to the UK having no sleep on the plane, and then remained jetlagged until at least the wednesday, before going back to University on the Friday. It was a bit of a rush I guess, but I shall head home after my exams to make up for it.
In some ways I am lucky this term-only 4 exams to deal with, and then at least 3 weeks of pure relaxation before the summer, but even then I'm stressed out by them. I think, once again, it is because of the unknown nature of them-I hate the feeling of jumping through hoops to maintain a grade. The idea that 2 essays and an exam prove your entire year is an un-nerving thought. Either way, it could be worse.

Washington DC.

Hello!
The ankle is better. Well, now it is starting to twinge, but I am no longer using painkillers or a strap over the ankle to stop it from moving. I think it is only starting to hurt as I went walking in some woods yesterday, and then sat there watching baseball for a couple of hours. Either way, I sincerely doubt it is broken anymore, but it does now mean that I have sprained each ankle now.

I thought today I would update what I have been doing since I last typed here, and it has occured to me that this might be the last time I fill out this blog in the USA. I fly back Sunday evening, and land Monday morning. Because I will be spending a lot of time with Jesse and his family before I go, I doubt I will write anymore while I am here. Instead I plan to sum up my experiences once I get home, and keep on using this blog regularly. However, because Jesse and I do not plan to go out anywhere until this afternoon I thought I might as well fill in my thoughts about Washington. This is going to be a bit shorter than the New York post, simply as I only spent about three days in Washington, compared to almost a week in New Jersey.

Getting there
The journey there was not as knackering than the epic trip from North Carolina to New Jersey, and it only took us a couple of hours. However, the roads of New Jersey seem only to be designed to confuse and intimidate. Thankfully, getting into Washington DC was simple enough as all the roads are labelled.

The B&B
I could not recommend the place we stayed well enough. It was a 3 floored B&B townhouse, with extensive views over grassland and on a quiet street. It felt like we were staying in a Hotel, and was extensively restored throughout. They also kept the rooms immacualte, which was quite something since we left our room in a bit of state a few times (our luggage kept on exploding out of our bags). They also did Waffles for breakfast. Truly this place was a find, and if anyone is interested in going here I will pass on the details to you.

Getting to the City Centre
Another good thing about our B&B was the proximity of it to the City Centre. We could see the State Capitol building from where we got the bus each day. However, the sad thing was the poor area we would travel through on the way to the City Centre. I felt it was such a shame to have such a poor community right in eyeshot of the Government buildings, as you would think that such urban deprivation so close to there would be given loads of government funding. This unfortunately wasn't the case. This area was much like what our Guidebook described, as Washington DC does have a serious problem with urban deprivation and gun crime. It would be very easy of me to take some kind of moral high ground and exclaim that such poor areas would not exist like that in Britain, but they do. Call me optimistic, but it would be great if areas such as this were given the investment they desperately need in cases like this, as then it would not not influence a Tourists perception of the city.

Tourism
I realise that what I just typed gives the impression that I didn't enjoy Washington DC, and another complaint follows...
May just be me here, but I got the impression that Washington DC only tolerates Tourists as they bring in money. Don't get me wrong, there were lots about all doing the kinds of things that us Tourists do, but I got the feeling around landmarks such as the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument that they didn't really want you there. We couldn't get into any of those areas, as they relied on a ticketing system or planning up to six months in advance for a security pass. You were not allowed to sit on the Capitol steps or anything like that, as they had barriers everywhere and lots of Guards about.
There were also the numerous security checks you got every time you entered a building, and so half of Washington DC security guys saw what I was buying and the sweets I was carrying in my handbag. It got quite annoying after a day of hearing the question: "Can you show me your bag, Ma'am?". I understand why they would need to do this, but it didn't feel friendly to me.

Right, so my rants are over. Here is the good things about Washington DC, and what I recommend seeing.

The Sights

• Washington is essentially a planned city. Nothing in it is left to chance, and so all buildings are ordered and easy to find. Most of the Tourist sights are stretched out along the Mall-a three mile long stretch of grass. This does mean that everything can be a bit of walk. I'm guessing from the stuff I read in the White House Tourist Office that the distances between buildings is ideological (a literal representation of keeping all the houses of government seperate son they don't influence each other) and also because up to the early 20th Century people rode horses everywhere in Washington DC. Therefore, while everything is a bit of a walk, it is only a short gallop away. Saying that, there are lots of Tourist buses to take you about.
  
• The Statues are worth seeing. I loved the Lincoln, Jefferson and FDR Memorial. The Lincoln memorial is particularly memorable, as it is set out right at the end of the mall. It is also very imposing, and you can see why most of the big protests that have occured in America over the past 70 years or so stop here. It also has a darn fine bookshop that I have bought a biography of Lincoln in, plus a very informative exhibition. I liked the exhibition as it contained many of Lincoln's quotes and gave the historic context of them. The Jefferson Memorial is built in a similar style to Lincoln's (all classical sculpture looking), but the FDR memorial is totally different, and exists as a walk through memorial of FDR's life and most famous quotes (I previously had no idea that he was responsible for the 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself' statement).
  
• This time of year is siginificant in Washington DC, as it is the Cherry Blossom Festival. This celebrates the blossoming of around 94 (?) trees that were given to Washington DC by the Japanese Government in 1912. They are well worth sitting under and walking through, as they look beautiful.
  
• The Smithsonian is the kind of Museum I wish existed everywhere. You could easily spend a week looking at everything and not visit the city entirely. Split up into 5 or 6 buildings (though admittedly only 4 buildings were open for us), it houses some of the most influential exhibits on the planet. During our visit, we only visited the Air and Space Museum, and it is well worth the queues and the sheer number of people to look about in. I really recommend the 'Space race' exhibit there, though bring your own packed lunch. Getting fast food took an eternity.
  

Food
Washington DC is not known for its food like New York, but I can recommend a few places. 'My Brother's place' is a good place to eat, though you have to be over 21. Union Station has the most amazing amount of food, and my stomach recommends that.

For now, that is all I can recommend for Washington DC. I admit, I liked New york a little better, but if you want a quiet ed-du-ma-cated break then it is well worth it. I particularly recommend it if you are a Pub-Quiz fact fan/Historian like me.

The Bobbin the Brit guide to the where, what and 'Eh'? of New York City.

Hello!
Once again I live up to my reputation of being the one who develops stupid injuries. From the girl who brought you 'the cut on the thumb from a craft knife when making a Viking Village out of Bolser Wood when she was 7' and 'the sprained ankle from falling over a slide during Fresher's Week' is now 'the incident from falling up the stairs'.
Currently I am having to rest my right foot after I sprained it going up the stairs of the National Art Gallery of Washington DC. Two days ago it was really quite painful, and even yesterday I couldn't put very weight on it without hobbling like a peg legged pirate. I was even told yesterday I should get it checked out at a Doctors as it could be a hair-line fracture. Thankfully now I can walk on it again and the bruising seems to be from a sprain. If it starts getting bad again tomorrow, then I'll see a doctor but otherwise I'm not as worried now about it. At least it happened before we drove back from Washington DC, and not when we arrived in New York.
So, because I am going to watch a few movies with Jesse in a bit, I am going to give my review of New York.
... and type this while eating lunch.
My account of Washington DC shall follow probably tomorrow or in a few days.
I was planning to write this in as an account of what we did and when, but then I couldn't remember the order. Therefore, what I am writing is just my opinion and recommendations based on what we experienced. If you don't agree with anything I am saying, then feel free to rant and let me know why-though please be constructive in your criticism.

So, here goes.

Getting there
It took us over 12 hours to get to New Jersey. We drove longer than the length of the UK, with only a few stops for food and restrooms. We also went through North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and most of New Jersey before we arrived. This is not a journey to try if you do not like the person you are travelling with (which wasn't my experience with Jesse but we were knackered by the time we arrived), and while Virginia (in particular) is absolutely stunning, you will feel by the end that you have gotten to know every bit of the States personally.
I swear New Jersey Interstates are solely designed to infuriate you when you get lost.
To get to New York itself, we stayed outside the city and travelled in for the first few days by train, which involved changing at Newark Penn Station to get to New York Penn Station. It's really cheap compared to the UK- about ten pounds return and the journey took us over a hour each way.

Subways
We only used it a few times. I recommend getting a Metrocard, which is essentially a London Underground Oyster card. It takes a while to get used to the numbers that they use to name the lines, but it feels less claustrophobic than the London Underground. Get yourself a map if you want to get anywhere.

The Hostel
To be honest, I would have loved our hostel and would have recommended it to anyone if it was much closer to Manhattan and was in a better area. We were close to a Subway station (113th Street), but we were in an area referred to (by a Taxi driver we used) as 'Spanish Harlem'. It took ages to walk anywhere. While this area was around ten minutes west of Colombia University, the area wasn't all that nice. There were gangs of people hanging about near our Hostel and we weren't always sure what they were doing. Saying that though, they never approached us.
Now the Good Part: The Hostel was well worth its price. It was cheap, warm, comfortable, friendly and provided the best breakfast I have ever had at a Hostel. Considering I have stayed at a Hostel that once beleived that people solely survived on topast and watered down coffee, that is high praise.

Food
If you are willing to walk around for hours-especially at the end of the day-then you will find some great places to eat. Here is what I recommend:

• You must eat Pizza. Not because it is essential, but because it tastes so good! I never like Pizza usually, but no-one can resist big slices of gooey Pizzas with lots of cheese. Most pieces I ate were bigger than my head. If you want Pizza, then I recommend the restaurant chain 'Sbarro' or the authentic 'Ray's Pizza' we ate near the Natural History Museum.
  
• Delis are good for supplies of drinks. One we ate provided hot and cold food, but it wasn't that good as the food, by the time we got there, was stale from sitting out all day.
• You really don't get enough Mexican food in the UK. We ate at a really cheap chain place called 'Chipotle' one evening that tasted superb. I am addicted to Tacos and Guacomole.
• If you can finish a large McDonalds meal, then you have a stronger stomach than me. I managed, but only just.
• Fruit Juices are cheap, and you get far more smoothie for your buck.

Places I recommend to go
This is just a quick summary of my favourite places.

• If you want to see the Skyline, then go to the Rockerfeller Centre off 5th Avenue. We were originally going to go up the Empire State, but the queue was stupidly long and we were told it was a bit crap. If you go to the Rockfellers 'Top of the Rock', it is a reasonable price (we got a discount through our Hostel) and you get to walk about up there, taking lots of pictures of different angles. It is 67 floors up. We went up during the evening, and seeing the sunlight bounce off each building was beautful. I would wrap up warm though.
  
• New York itself is great fun to walk around. Most of what we found to see and eat was done through looking upwards and aiming towards buildings. New York is shockingly loud and busy the first moments you arrive, but once you have found your barings it is a lot of fun. That is how we found Trump Towers, The Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station.
• Central Park is great if you just want to relax and see a landscape that is not dominated by buildings. The green areas tend to be fenced off at this time of year, but there are lots of benches and vendors. Central Park Zoo is interesting, albeit a bit small. It's worth seeing the Sealions being fed at 4pm, and the Penguins are too cute.
• I didn't actually shop that much, except at Times Square. There are lots of tourist shops, but clothes are a lot cheaper than the UK (especially for sport tops and at Gap). Times Square is more of an experience than a place, and you can easily pass a few hours there without realising it. It is so busy and loud, it reminded me vaguely of the cityscape in Bladerunner-but without the scaqry robots or Harrison Ford. I also recommend FAO Schwarz and the Apple Store. The Village and Soho are just very artsy and expensive, but worth seeing for the Buildings.
  
• I loved the dinosaur exhibit at the Natural History Museum and the Metropolitian Art Museum was interesting as well. As I found to my curiousity, alarms go off if you touch a sculture, so be more careful than I did (no worries, I didn't knock it over).
  
• There are celebrities thast you can spot. However, I dunno if seeing Tarentinos feet and 'the tall guy off Everybody Loves Raymond' counts as a celeb spot.

I think that is everything I have to say about NY, though I will update it if anything occurs to me. However, while it seems like I saw everyhting, Jesse and I got nowhere near close to that. I just wish I had seen the Statue of Liberty up close, but I honestly don't think my trip to New York and New Jersey could have been improved upon.

Counting down!

Hello everybody-I'm taking a break from packing-I'm off to Washington DC tomorrow!
I would like to aplogise for not updating this as much as I would like, but I have been really busy with being a archetypal tourist. Therefore, I plan to do a few massive blog entries on where I recommend to go in New York, and Washington DC and anywhere else I recommend.
I have been updating people via my email as I do not have a lot of time on the computer at the moment-if you aren't one of these people, its because I cannot access all of my email addresses. Just to let you guys know that I will write more-honest! I have piles of stuff to say, as usual.
Only a minute left, so see you guys soon!
Byebye!