Can the magic last?

So as Tara and Sarah set off on their 2-month backpacking journey through Europe, I ask, will they grow apart or together?....

Only time can tell.... ;)

UCL Academic Posse

People ask all the time 'so, what classes are you taking?' or 'who are your teachers?' and then I have to give this little talk about how I am a research student and I don't actually have classes, homework, etc. That's when they give me a look like 'you are not a real student then!'

This is Mark Hewitson. He is the director of the Centre for European Studies where I am enrolled and my 'secondary' supervisor.






Here I am with Christiane Winkler (middle) who is my 'colleague' and fellow post-war Germany student (she's studying German POW's returning after WWII while I'm covering German refugees/expellees), and then next to her is the world-famous German historian, Prof. Mary Fulbrook! Or 'Mary' as she allows Christiane and I to call her. Mary is my 'primary' supervisor' and she and Christiane are my 'peeps' for the next two years in this 'PhD life' I've chosen...

Hometeaching Dinner, Part Deux

Maria de la Seme and Carmen of Durban, relaxing after a belly full o' beans...









Sarah and Tara and those loverly beans! I think though that Sarah enjoyed the pears 'poached' in red grape juice with vanilla ice cream more....


Carla 'DDD' (Den Dulk of Durban) and Maria la Siciliana enjoy their dinner and a moment together...

Colombian beans and hometeaching - what a combo!

As I was told, 'what a househusband!' Cooking and cleaning away, mmm, gotta love those beans!

Maria de la Seme let me use her kitchen to cook dinner for our hometeaching group. I felt like I needed to do it, since I had promised them that I would and since I was leaving soon...

Betchya none of you knew about my spoon-bending powers. I've mastered that, now if only I can realize there is no spoon....

Hometeachers are we! Hometeachers are we! Hometeaching till the conflict is o'er, we shall win...it by and by! (Granted it is kind of militant, but this war! Warfare for souls!) I'd just like to introduce you all to Ryan Wigget of Pretoria, South Africa. He has got to be one of the most noble, regal people I have ever met and amazes me every step of the way at his faith and humility - he joined the Church a few years ago and instead of taking the 'Road of Inactivity' like so many,he listened to the Spirit and chose 'the Way of Progression'! He's a 'ripper bloke' as they say in Oz! I'm happy to report that he will soon be in the 'land of the free and home of the voters for Bush', but alas, he's going to Florida. Hmm....Florida....

Susan and Mel - LOOK HERE!!

Who would have thunk?! On my way to my friend's chef-ery school - Le Cordon Bleu... ;)

Dodi and Di, their memorial

In one of the bottom floors of Harrods Dodi's dad has built a memorial to Dodi and Di. He has a glass from their last night together as well as an engagement ring Dodi bought before they died....

Harrods Food Halls, Part 3

This was kind of cool in the teas section - the Madhatter's tea party. Check out those wacky-tobacky eyes on the rabbit! Kwazy!














Mmm...cured Ox Tongue....with Jelly....Mmm....















Now honestly, this is what I am 'mmm-ing' about - CHEESE!! I loves it so I do!

Harrods Food Halls, Part 2

Harrods Food Halls

Godiva chocolates anyone?...




The meat market was a vegetarian's nightmare. They literally had just about anything you could think of...

including 'gull eggs'....mmm....gull eggs....

Today's 'Kwoffee Twalk' twopic: Is Aaron a 'lost boy'? And will he ever grow up? Discuss....

Considering the fact that I walk around singing Toys R' Us's jingle 'I don't want to grow up! Because if I did, I couldn't be a Toys R' Us kid!' I guess that would have to be the answer to the question, eh?

Here I am trying out my 'piping' skills. What do you think? (Peter's piping from the Disney movie is totally going through my head the whole time I'm writing this! ;)

Finding Neverland....

Students from the ward get together every Friday for what we call 'Russell Square Lunch', except a friend, Louise Hough, said I'll take us to a place that is just around the corner from where I work. She mentioned a name that didn't 'click' until a day or two later...

So (and I am hoping Suzanne or Julia get it) does Great Ormond Street sound familiar?





Here's another hint...'Hospital for Sick Children' and this one was probably around in J.M.B.'s time....


Here's the modern entrance to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children....still not clicking?

Well, it clicked for me and when I saw Louise again I said something to the affect of 'do you work at the Peter Pan hospital?!!!' And she said that she did but that I was the only person who called it 'the Peter Pan hospital'....






I found him! There he is! And that is one thing that kills me about London...you just have to take a 'wrong' or different turn one day and you can find yourself in a new world or maybe even in NEVERLAND! Not the Michael Jackson variety! :(

I live 5 minutes away and didn't know it! I actually always pass by that area, but on the 'back end' of the hospital...'NEVERLAND!'

HAPPY BIRTHD...MESS TO YOU!!

This is a 'happy' recreation of the moment when Rich came back from Brighton and realized his home had been broken into - ya know, in 'merica you can shoot somebody fur less!





















Untangling the craziness that those 'pesky kids' had brought upon him...

One of his comments was 'if I would have known (that we were going to go into his room) I would have cleaned more'. The thing is Sarah and I both commented during the previous night's illicit goings-on about how Rich's room was so clean and orderly - I let out a 'he's SO neat!'











But after a moment to sit down and take it all in, I witnessed a moment Rich's true enjoyment of the moment, balloons, Irish language banner, etc.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Master Russell!!

Breaking and Entering...

Is it truly a crime when your intentions are good? So I sent Rich an email about how I hope he wasn't doing an 'Aaron', i.e. disappearing on his birthday so no one can do anything about it, and threatened that I would punch him if he were staying at the hostel around the corner. But, anyway, 'allegedly' he was in Brighton on his birthday, so Sarah and I did a stealth-covert break-in and decorated 007-style! Here's Sarah putting the final touches on Rich's 'present', aka his door ;)













I don't know what I was thinking?! Just decided that I didn't want another boring picture, so I guess the balloons are maracas and the yellow thing is my poncho - the weather lately has me thinking of warmer climes....



The End! We made a banner and had a great time brainstorming the contents of Rich's birthday card which I found hilarious, but oddly enough Rich never mentioned....hmm...maybe it's the whole 'privacy being violated' thing - some people are so sensitive! ;)

The 'Last Goodbye'....

Poor Arianna had packed up all her stuff (Mom do you recognize it?!), so Aaron told her to wear the blanket and play the part of a refugee - I apologize to all refugees for making fun of your plight. Seriously, I feel guilty for it...












Here we are in the elevator at 5AM! As if I ever get up that early! Some people and their shedjwools!





In one of the corridors (English has rubbed off on me, I don't say halls or hallways anymore) of our dorm they have this Gustav Klimt picture (YES! It's an original...okay, no it's not...) called 'the Embrace'. I name this photo 'Le Embrace', copyright pending...






This was Ari's taxi to the airport - you can barely see her, but you can see her looking back at us. I shall call this one 'Last Glance'.

'This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friends!'

This was the picture that did not want to be. We wanted a 'last' photo of the 4H clan, but on my camera alone there were about six photos all of differing degrees of 'insanity'. I chose this one as my favorite because I like to 'accentuate the positive' as you all know...

So I don't know what's worse? The 'craziness' of the Irish woman's smile; the 'stoned' eyes of the South Carolinian; the 'I wish this was over yesterday!' look on the New Jersey man; or the 'I'm trying to be patient' look of the Alaskan?! You choose!....







There, that is more like it! Yes, Sarah in classic European fashion turned her head at the last second, but this honestly is the 'happiest' one out of the plethora...

'Would you say I have a plethora' of photos? 'Yes, El Guapo!'

Arianna's 'Fare thee well' par-tay!

Rich and Arianna: need I say more? I fully expect some kind of 'threat' from Arianna regarding the 'guffa' pic, but, sorry, I just take 'em and post 'em, know what I mean Verne?



















Arianna and 'Buddy on patrol', Anne Gunnison - they were also quite a pair! Always understanding each other's jokes, which in my opinion, is one of the ways you can know if you have a true 'pal' friendship that is going to last ;)









The 'au revoir' in le kitchen! How 'unAmerican' indeed, the cuisine du jour just happened to be PIZZA! We knew Arianna would miss English pizza once she was gone...

'Breakin' up is hard to do!'

I tease them (doesn't this photo just look like a 'movie shot'?), but honestly Rich and Arianna's friendship was wonderful to see - two people who honestly cared about one another. It made me happy....AND JEALOUS AS CAN BE!! But I digress...











Here's a little piece of history, i.e. 4H from the opposite rooftop. Kind of creepy when you realize people can see in...mine is the window on the left, curtains drawn: 'the proprieties at all times, Mr. Thornton!'









And to end the evening on the roof, a parting shot of St. Paul's Cathedral and the moon - my favorites!!

Aaron Cubed: the Thinking Man?