Week 6, Post 2: Dalloway

So far from the characters, I feel Clarissa makes her thoughts a little more complicated than they need to be. She is a great woman trying to have a party, but her love live seems to be a little tangled. Then Peter is very insecure, he feels like he needs to do something with his life and seems to be scared that he will die alone.

 To my surprise, Rezia starts to feel like she doesn't want to have to take care of Septimus any longer. For some reason when I first started reading, I thought that Rezia was very loyal to Septimus after he came back from the war. She was always there to help him do whatever he needed and put up with his screaming a lot in public. I did notice that she got a little annoyed putting up with him and taking care of him, but I didn't think that she would actually ever want to leave him. She does make it clear that Septimus isn't the same man that he used to be, but I had a hard time believing she would actually leave him. 

As for Peter, he's trying to make himself believe that he doesn't love Clarissa. I can't even tell who he loves because he's been with Daisy for quite some time, although I don't believe he has much of a thing for Daisy these days. But Daisy seems to treat him better than Clarissa ever did.

When the story goes back to Septimus and Rezia, it talks a lot about Septimus and his past. I thought this was great because it shows a little more about his character. He hasn't been crazy all of his life, it's just something the war did to him. The back story of his life gives the audience a chance to see the real Septimus. I feel like loosing Evan took a toll on Septimus because he didn't feel much emotion when he died. Knowing that he didn't feel much emotion might have added to the craziness he has been going through.

I’m not sure how I feel about Lady Bruton yet. I’m ready for the party though, it seems like this whole story is a build up to the party, but then at the end we wont get to hear much about the party.

Virginia Woolf has done a good job at portraying how the characters are and their personalities. I can kind of tell how the main characters in the story feel and what they are thinking. It’s almost like you are sitting there watching it all happen. Like the characters were actually people she knew and she was just interpreting their life. I’m definitely ready to see what this party is going to be like, since it is such a big hit with everyone in the story.

Week 6, Post 1: Chinese in China Town

So of course, after talking about not trying the Chinese food here yet, I was urged by Kristen to go to China Town and have some Chinese with her. At first I wasn't really wanting to go, although I did want some Chinese I didn't want to venture out to find it, but I'm glad I did. We got on the Piccadilly line and headed toward Leicester Square, I had never been to China town, so it was a whole new experience for me. We found the Main Street that hand many of the restaurants and started looking at all the menus to see if there was something we liked. The street was beautifully decorated, with lantern type lights hanging from one building to another. I think it was a little crowded everywhere because the Chinese New Year was approaching, and every one had Chinese on their mind. Anyway, we looked at about 7 different menus posted outside of the restaurants before finally picking the place that we had looked at first, we went back to analyze the menu for a final choice. Now that I think about it, I don't remember the name, but I could point it out of push came to shove. :) dining at the Chinese restaurant was nice. They gave very small glasses of water that were almost like a glass you would see used for a couple shots of whiskey, and they had overly large sized menus that took up half of the table. After looking at the menu on 3 separate occasions I decided I wanted to have the "Shredded chicken fried rice" with a skewer of "Prawns." The lady that took our order was new and didn't speak much English, so we had to point out what we wanted on the menu. Then later a guy came back and said that the skewers only come in sets of 5, so I told him to take it off completely because that changed from a £1.60 to a £6.30 with way too much for my stomach to hold. The food came out pretty quick, mine came before Kristen's. She got some kind of fried rice that had everything in it, which kinda sounded good once I saw it. My chicken fried rice was very good, believe it or not I found a small hair almost like an eye lash or eye brow hair, and oddly enough I picked it up and kept eating. I just refused to let my mind think it was disgusting. It might have helped that I worked in a restaurant back home and we would have little things about hair being in the food, but really, half the time a hair showed up in the food I could tell that it was the guests hair and not a cooks. I could tell you about the guest that had a hair in her salad, but really, it's not necessary, basically all you need to know is that it was overly obvious that it was her hair, and the placement of it showed me that it was hers because I knew I wouldn't have served the salad with a hair so noticeably obvious. So the rice was good, it had some onions mixed in also adding a little green to the dish. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture, which I was so determined to do, I don't know how it slipped my mind. I must have just been so hungry I had to dig right in. It was a fairly large portion so I got some for a take away container, which will hopefully be a good snack or lunch for later! Anyway, after our meal we headed back toward the flat. While we were in the restaurant I had started to feel like I was coming down with some sort of cold, so I hit Sainsburys Local to grab some emergen-c. When I got there, the last one had been taken so I didn't get to buy any, but luckily Kristen had an extra that I was able to take. So hopefully I won't come down with anything. The emergen-c made me feel instantly better, which only helps with the healthy state of mind to keep my immune system up from getting a cold! Wish me luck!

Week 5, Post 2: Mrs. Dalloway

I feel like Mrs. Dalloway had many different feelings for the characters in the book. Although she is married to Richard, it seems as though she has the least feelings for him. They seem to have grown apart over the years, which she seems perfectly fine with, but it is also odd that she would want to marry him and stay with him for so long knowing things have changed. She talks about two other people that she has had feelings for in the past, that she still seems to have feelings for. The first one she talks about is Peter and how he was an ex lover, that asked her to marry him, but she said no. She talks as though she still has feelings for Peter, wanting him to follow his dreams in life and live. Peter seems to always be in the back of her mind. Then she thinks that she had fallen in love with a girl named Sally, but she is still kind of unsure what the whole deal with Sally was. She speaks of her highly, and says that her feelings for her were completely different from feelings of any man. It's a little confusing because it doesn't seem like Mrs. Dalloway knows what she wants, but at the same time she seems perfectly content with the "relationship" that she is in.

Then there is Septimus and Lucrezia, it's kind of sad to see what Septimus had become after fighting in the war. The shell shock sometimes gets the best of him and makes him look like a mad man. It sometimes seems like his wife is always taking care of him, telling him what to do. Lucrezia still stays by his side through all of the screaming and yelling, but at one point she doesn't understand his yelling because I believe a doctor told her that nothing was wrong with him.

Later Peter comes to the house and Clarissa and him talk for a while about the memories they used to have and what they used to do. Thinking back to all of those times Clarissa starts to wonder why they never married. It makes me think that Clarissa has always had a thing for Peter. I just don't understand why she married Richard and still continues to be with him although there is barely anything left. Of course Peter asked if Clarissa was happy being with Richard, but Peter never got the answer because Elizabeth came through the door! But Clarissa made it very clear that she wanted Peter to attend the party she was going to be having.

Peter obviously still has feelings for Clarissa, but it all seems complicated.

They use the word queer a lot, when they think something is odd. We hardly ever use the word queer these days, it seems to be a harsh word now that the younger generation has turned it into a hurtful word. I also thought it was cool that Peter puffed rings when it smoked his cigar. Seems like that trick has been around for at least 100 years! Of course they used to smoke a lot more than that, it makes me wonder if they used to do other smoke tricks the kids do these days. I mean I'm guess they had to learn them from somewhere but I wouldn't think that parents these days would be showing their kids how to blow smoke rings or French inhale. It just seems a little odd to think a parent would teach their kids smoking tricks, but I guess that is from my point of view. My parents don't smoke.

Week 5, Post 1: Nandos

I had been craving some good grilled chicken and mashed potatoes for quite some time since KFC doesn't serve mashed potatoes. So when I got back to my flat after being at my internship all day, I was determined to have some chicken and mashed potatoes. The only mashed potatoes I have had in England were in Bath, where I had chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans wrapped in bacon. Knowing that Bath had had some amazing chicken and potatoes I knew it was possible to get some elsewhere in England. At my flat I started looking up "chicken and mashed potatoes near Earls Court London" of course my search was a little too narrow so I broadened it to "chicken in Earls Court London." The first place that came up was Nandos! As I was looking at their menu I was a little worried because they were home of the "Peri Peri Chicken," and I don't like much spicy food. I found that they had a ranking on the menu of how spicy you wanted your chicken to be, one of the rankings was "Plain-ish." It was perfect, I had found my chicken! Then once I looked at the sides, I saw mashed potatoes! I couldn't believe I hadn't found this place earlier! I gathered my things and took off down the road towards Nandos, it was a little busy being Friday night but they got me right in! As I sat down the lady was explaining how everything works at Nandos, you go up to the computer to order, then the waiter will bring out the food, once the food is out you can get some self serve ice cream! I ordered the 4 chicken thighs, no bones, with mashed potatoes and garlic bread (since it came with two sides)! Once the food came out it looked amazing, the chicken was grilled, with two pieces of garlic bread and some mashed potatoes in a small bowl. Although I generally salt and pepper my mashed potatoes, they didn't have salt and pepper on the table and I didn't ask for any, so I went without. The taste was still amazing. I was filling up so quick on the mashed potatoes, I had to slow down to fit some chicken. The chicken was a little burnt but it was kind of a good burnt like well cooked with the lines showing that it had been cooked probably over an open flame. I only hate about 2 thighs before I was near miserable, but I still had garlic bread left. I pushed through finishing up all of the mashed potatoes and all of the garlic bread but my stomach couldn't finish the other two thighs so I asked for a "take-away" box. They didn't seem to have boxes so they gave me a bag to put my chicken in, a little weird but it was almost easier to fit in the fridge. It was a great experience at Nandos and I hope to go back some time soon! Also, the chicken left over made for a good mid day snack the next day when I heated it up in the microwave!

Week 4, Post 2: Reading

The chapter "A Christmas Dinner" has been one of my favourites, as it talks about how everybody is so happy and pleasant to one another. It reminds me of Christmas back home, where out of nowhere, the whole town become so pleasant to one another. I like how Dickens refers to the grandma as grandmamma and the grandpa as grandpapa. I have actually never heard these terms used to refer to a parents parent. Although I never really got to spend a Christmas with my grandparents growing up, (They live on the east coast, where as I live in Missouri) my mother seemed to do some of the things Dickens talked about that the grandmamma or grandpapa did. She always likes carrying around a mistletoe and trying to kiss us all. I feel like many families are the same way around Christmas time, I have been to a couple friend's family Christmas parties and some are the same, where as some are different. I guess it just all depends on the family and how they get along. I also thought it was acute that Dickens portrayed the grandmother as the ideal grandmother, working, getting things ready, and getting all of the kids little gifts for Christmas, it made the chapter feel homey. I think it is great that throughout all of this time between Dickens time and ours today, we still see Christmas as a time to be happy and enjoy family. It gives us hope in tradition and cultures. We can know that our great great grand children will be able to experience the love and happiness that the Christmas season brings, which I think is a great thing because it almost keeps us all sane. If we didn’t have Christmas we might as well all fast forward to the inevitable mean society we sometimes are around.

The next chapter I liked was the New Year chapter, as Dickens said the New Year is a great time to look back on the old times in the past year and all the fun it has brought while also looking forward to the future to see what it has to hold. It is also nice to see that in Dickens time people would celebrate the New Year just like we do today. Of course they seemed to have a more formal celebration then I would view our celebrations today. Well, that’s to speak for the younger generation. I liked that everyone was doing toasts, I have never actually done a lot of toasts on New Years, I mean of course there is always one for the New Year, but all of the drinking coming up to the New Year I have never had many toasts. That is definitely something I will have to try this year. Maybe I have spent too many New Years with my parents, not being able to drink; Although the sparkling wine sufficed for a good 15 years. I’m already excited for the New Year, although this one has just begun.

Week 4, Post 1: KFC

Kentucky Fried Chicken just isn’t the same here. The best thing KFC had going for the in the U.S. was there mashed potatoes and gravy. I was very disappointed to see that here, in the UK, they don’t serve mashed potatoes and gravy. I have had two encounters with KFC in the UK, both of which have been about the same. The first time I went with a friend, stood in line for about 4 minutes before ordering, then waited another 2 minutes to get my food. This time though, the process was a lot faster. Between my classes I had about an hour break, so I decided to head over to Gloucester Road to see what I could grab to eat before my next class. Obviously, I chose KFC. Now, I’m not regretting this decision because I knew what I was getting myself into. No mashed potatoes, :(. Anyway, I got one of the cheapest items on the menu, the “Lunch Box.” I soon noticed, they don’t call chicken strips, chicken strips, they call them chicken filets. The first time I went to KFC I noticed the difference because I looked for the word chicken strips on every part of the menu. Thankfully the picture next to the description of the meal was of a chicken strip, that was when I learned it is called a filet. **I made the mistake of ordering “chicken strips” at Burger King, within the first couple weeks of getting to London. It came out as a chicken sandwich, with everything on it and since I’m kind of a plain/picky eater, the sandwich went to waste, and I went hungry.** Back to the real story, I got my Lunch Box and asked for some ketchup, then headed down stairs where the tables are located. It was so packed there was barely any room, but I did find a nice table next to the trashcan. Before even opening my Lunch Box, I emptied all of my ketchup packets on to my brown paper bag, making a huge pile of ketchup. Finally, I opened my Lunch Box and found two chicken “filets” and fries piled for days. Now the true question stands, do I go straight for the chicken or have some fries? I chose to have some fries since they give you so many compared to the amount of chicken. The fries weren’t salted like in the U.S., they seemed to be more healthy, less greasy and everything. After a few fries, I finally cut the anticipation and picked up the chicken strip. The chicken was completely different from your average KFC, it actually reminded me of chicken you would get at Chick-fil-a. It almost makes me wonder if the KFC’s here fry their chicken in peanut oil. Either way, the chicken here is absolutely amazing compared to the chicken at the U.S. KFC, the fries are on the iffy side. I actually found a eye lash/brow hair on one of my fries at KFC, but I try not to think about it too much when that happens. I just threw that fry and any touching it away and enjoy the rest. The fries just aren’t my thing here though, I enjoy the chicken way more. Next time I might just get chicken instead of fries, is the healthier way anyway, right?

Week 3, Post 2: Dickens

I find it very interesting that Charles Dickens notices so much about people in their everyday lives. Sketches by Boz portrays a large amount of people in London just going on about their lives. I've particularly found it funny that on page 150, Dickens talks about a man on the omnibus that is very impatient. The part I found humorous was when he said "and if anybody puts a window down, that he can reach, he immediately puts it up again." I think about our everyday lives today, and I know many people that wouldn't have the nerve to reach over and put someone else's window up that they had just put down. It would be considered very impolite, but it seems like the man didn’t really care about being polite. Also that he pokes the driver with his umbrella is funny because it wouldn't be something you would see often. People would generally just sit and patiently wait and not ask questions.

What I find funny about Dickens writing is that he seems to speak of things as though he has tried a couple things out and knows some of the best ways to do things because he has gone through the tough ways. For example, as he talks about getting out of the cab he says, “We have studied the subject a great deal, and we think the best way is, to throw yourself out, and trust to change for alighting on your feet.” Then he goes on to talk about how sometimes it is nice when the driver gets out first then he is there to break you fall, if the driver did break his fall he would offer eight pence to him. The funny part was when he said “…on no account make the tender, or show the money, until you are safely on the pavement.” It makes me wonder if one day he gave the driver the money and then the driver just kind of let him fall out of the cab. I liked that he basically implied that he had done some things that didn’t work out as he had planned and he was telling the audience the best way to get out of the cab. Also, he could have been stating something that everyone else knew also because most people had to learn the hard way too.

Dickens is very good at describing people, he seems to start with some of the first things he notices about the person, and then he goes on to tell how they dressed, and the way they acted in some situations. Sometimes he would describe someone’s face, like how their nose is always red, how there hair was that day or if they wore a hat or a scarf. I like this because it allows me to understand a little better, and I get the image in my mind as if I were there also with him, seeing it as it happened.

Week 3, Post 1: Subway

After quite a long walk around the Westminster area with my Modern Britain class, I had worked up an appetite and was ready to try Subway here for the first time. If you recall in a past post, I had found that the cheese was very different from the U.S. Cheddar cheese in particular. I've been very iffy about trying the Subway here because I feel that the cheese would not be the same. So as I rode on the tube to the nearest station to my flat, I was thinking about how the cheese would taste on my Subway sandwich.

Keep in mind I'm a simple sandwich person, I like Italian herbs and cheese bread, with ham and cheddar cheese toasted, that's all, so you can see how essential the taste of the cheese would be to my ideal sandwich. As we neared Earl's Court station, I could already smell the amazing sandwich I was about to eat. The question now is, get a foot long because I know the sandwich will be amazing, or get the six inch because I just won't be as satisfied as I would be in the U.S. Guess what I got?

The 6-inch. I know, I'm a wimp. But before I chose the length, I examined the cheese and there wasn't any yellow cheese, just white. But then right before the lady was about to add the cheese, I saw a grated yellow and white cheese mix, so I asked what it was. When she told me it was the same thing, I asked her to put the grated one on my sandwich hoping the yellow cheese would be correct. Then, as I was about to pay, the male worked asked if I wanted a cookie, I replied no, but then he said "for you, it's free" so I told him to pick out his favorite and give it to me.

To my surprise, the cheese was half yellow cheddar half white cheddar when I tasted it, it tasted half U.S, half UK. I made the mistake of getting the 6-inch because I don't like eating many foods out of my comfort zone. I really should have just toughened up and got the full foot long, but I’ll be thankful for my subconscious mind watching my portions for me.

After the sandwich, I ate the raspberry cookie that the guy picked out for me, it was delicious! A little hard, but still great, it had white chocolate chips with little spots of raspberry spread throughout the cookie. It definitely compensated for my ignorant choice of the 6-inch sandwich! Soon enough, I headed back to my flat with a full and satisfied stomach. Along the way, I saw a sign in front of a pub advertising a “Full English Breakfast” for £6.95 open at 10am. I’m not sure what the full English breakfast consists of but I definitely think it’s worth a shot! Maybe one of these weeks you will hear about it!