Serendipity When Wandering

After last night's late night post, I turned in for a wonderful night's sleep knowing that we would be having a 10AM meeting this morning.  This is typically a late morning for me, so I had all intentions of waking up with my 6:30 alarm, hopping out of bed, and sight seeing on foot for a little bit.  Six-thirty came and went.  Five snooze buttons, and an alarm change later, I woke up ... just in time to get ready to head to the meeting.  Not a problem, I thought ... there's still so much time on this trip left.


Our practical walking tour took us from the study center to the beginnings of Soho (an amazing food district).  On the way, we saw the post office, grocery store, drug store, walk-in doctor's office, and all the necessities for our three weeks stay.  Our guide Blake took it upon himself to recommend good and affordable eating places - we made full use of this information, deciding to eat at Pret A Manger for lunch.  A smoked salmon sandwich, love bar, and grape and elderberry drink all for five pounds - score!  Pret (as people here call it) makes all the sandwiches fresh, daily.  Any food that is not sold is taken to hostels and other places, for people not as fortunate.  Can you tell why I have fallen in love with this place?  We also grabbed some gelato from Scoop after we ate lunch at the flat.

Little did I know that our little stop for gelato would turn into that sight seeing I was hoping for last night.  Since we were already nearly halfway there, our group decided we would walk to the Thames River.  On that journey we passed through Covent Garden.

                                                      

Looks like it's going to be one of those spots to return to one day.  Covent Garden was bustling with activity - from little shops, to a street magician, little kiosks (including a fruit stand), and restaurants.

From there, we passed countless beautiful buildings, as we zigzagged through the London streets.  Something interesting here - people cross streets when they see an opening.  Cars will not yield to pedestrians (I've heard some irritating honks when pedestrians do get in the way).  There are crosswalks (called zebras), and certain indicated zebras are supposed to give pedestrians right of way - though they are few and far between.  Thank goodness we had some leaders that were more or less taking charge of our direction - Elizabeth, Eric, and Katy.  Those of you that know me know that I would not be the most trustworthy with this job - me and my bad sense of direction!  Here we are, wandering.

We were able to make it to the Thames.  It was a bit windy ... and funny enough, it made me miss home a little bit.  Although I've been here for two days, it feels like the warm beaches of Maui were forever ago.  The Thames looks nothing like the beaches back home, but it's been a while since I've seen a body of water.  Makes me thankful for home.  The Thames was amazing in itself - I was able to see some really great sights, like the Millennial Bridge, the London Eye, and Big Ben.  We'll be taking trips out to those places at some point during our stay.  

                                                       

Rather than retracing our steps, we decided to take the long way home, which was nice.  We got sort of, but not really lost, thanks to the big maps scattered about London ... and Elizabeth and Eric, our wonderful navigators.  I like getting lost.  We've been told that traveling by foot in London is highly recommenced because everything is close and interesting to look at.  I'm stoked we investigated like-so today.

                                                         

I am feeling a little bit more confident about getting around London, which makes me want to see specific things that interest me.  I used today as sort of a serendipitous experience - the rest of my plans will probably be built off of what I saw today.  One thing I really would like to do is to locate street art by Banksy.  Perhaps some willing classmates would like to join me?  Here's a map that shows much of Banksy's work in London, though many of the works have been covered or tampered with.

All of the adventuring made for great exercise and also provided an empty stomach for my first experience with pub food at Marlborough Arms.  It's always nice to see places where local people hang.  The food was decent and the beer was good.  I'm going to sleep a happy camper.  Until tomorrow, cheers!

                                                          

Begin at the Beginning

How can I recount the events of the day?  Has it only been a day since I left the US?  All these time zone changes, new sights, people, and experiences have me at (almost) a loss for words.  As the King said to the White Rabbit in Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures Wonderland, "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end: then stop", I too will try my best to recap the day.

I meandered out of the gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and was pleasantly surpised at how easily I was able to navigate myself to my assigned gate.  The Atlanta airport is massive; however, six different concourses and thousands of travellers does nothing to eliminate the eifficiency of this beautiful airport.  Awesome sinage, moving walkways, and underground transportation all add up to a new airport experience for me.  The major plus for me was the awesome recycling bins strategically placed around the terminals and walkways (Hawai'i could learn something from this gesture).  I was so enthralled by the new sights (and not wanting to look too much like a tourist), I didn't take any pictures, but I will make it a point on the way home. 

Despite the fact that half of my flight consisted of what appeared to be fifth or sixth graders enroute to London, I had a very pleasant trip.  Another lovely passenger, good meals, decently comfotable chairs, free beer or wine, and a touch-screen movie monitor took my mind off of my surroundings - making the flight feel a little shorter than it was.

Arriving in London was something else.  Here is what I first saw:

 Exactly what I was expecting.  Thankfully, a ray of sunshine (also known as Katy - new flatmate) met up with me and we began our journey to the FSU study center in London.

I wish I had some pictures to accompany the entertaining stories to follow, but things were too hectic to whip out the camera.

After buying our first train tickets (and missing a couple of them), Katy and I found ourselves duking it out with the locals for room on the crowded train, with a huge suitcase and carry-on each.  Oh did we feel bad when we noticed that we really didn't fit ... after some glares from the Londoners, a couple of really nice people came to our rescue - showing us where we could've stowed our luggage, and offering us seats.  Needless to say, the ride was less than comfortable.  We arrived at Victoria Station, where we cabbed it to the study center.  Nothing very interesting - other than the fact that it gave me a lot of time to people-watch.  For as crowded as the station was (with a huge line waiting for taxis), the noise level was quite low.  I guess that's my first impression of Londoners - very calm (when they aren't late for an appointment ... or ticked off).

At the study center, we got our keys and were pointed in the direction of our flat (or apartment where we come from).  We were notified that we would have to climb some stairs - but we should be thankful that we would only have to do it once with luggage.  There are no words for the size of these stairs - I will upload a picture of them shortly.  Katy and I struggled to lug our suitcases up, up, up, up four stories (each set of stairs a little steeper than the next).  We both agreed that it was the best cardio workout we've had in a while.

The rest of the day zoomed by just as fast as those London trains do.  We met our other flatmates - Alesha and Elizabeth.  The girls who last lived in this flat left a note on the coffee maker saying that the awesomest people live here (I don't doubt it) [insert picture soon].  We had lunch at a deli, met everyone else (who are also too cool for school), hopped online, took a much needed nap, had some dinner, and went grocery shopping.

Here's us at dinner ... decent Japanese food if I do say so myself:

All in all, it's been a pretty wonderful day.  Tomorrow we will get some of the formalities out of the way, eat some breakfast, take a practical walking tour of the area, and have some 'ono grinds at a local pub.  I'm sure I'll be a little more conscious in tommorow's blog ... and will definitely have more pictures to share. 

I'll leave you with this one, a view from the street while I was waiting to look for an adapter (because the lady at Radio Shack at Kaahumanu sold me the wrong one):

Toodles and goodnight!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Well, it's the night before the big trip.  Surprisingly, I'm really calm and not nervous at all.  I have a bunch of pictures to post from my last day in North Carolina - mainly of downtown Winston-Salem.  I'm not quite sure what buildings I was photographing, I just thought that they looked super cool.  Unlike Hawai'i, all the buildings here match, with the same red bricks.  This is getting me thinking about how beautiful the buildings in London will be.  Unfortunately, my computer is not cooperating, so I'm using my sister's computer instead.  Looks like posting of the NC pictures will have to come at a later date.

I really look forward to meeting all of my classmates - only a few more hours!  Friends and family, keep checking back for updates.  I'm pretty sure I'll be posting everyday :).

Training for London

Just a short blurp ... my sister is currently training lightweight me for London.  Here we are catching the World Cup Finals:

Friends and family that know me can pick out the mug that is actually mine :).

Visit my Facebook site to see more pictures from my trip -- it's a bother trying to upload them all here.

Losing Track of Time

** Note, this was supposed to be posted on the 9th, but my lack of internet kept me from posting.  I just transferred from Word.

Confession time: I am 26 years old, and the farthest I have ever flown by myself was from Honolulu to Kona. For those readers who are unfamiliar with interisland travel in Hawai’i, that’s a whopping 40 minute flight. So, as can be imagined, I was a little worried as I headed off on the first steps in my awesome summer adventure this morning.

   

Thankfully, I have a super boyfriend who took off of work this morning to escort me to the airport. He also made sure I had something in my tummy before takeoff. The first leg of my journey took me from Maui to Los Angeles. Departure was set for 12:58pm with an ETA of 9:08pm. I thought that this would be perfect because my connecting flight to Raleigh/Durham was at 10:15pm – just enough time to get a snack and head to the gate. The flight was pretty easy peasy lemon squeezy – I sat next to Nick, a well-behaved 8th grader who spent most of the ride reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Yes, I was thoroughly impressed! All was well until I noticed that the airplane made a 365 degree turn. Sure enough, the captain came over the speaker in that low, mumbly pilot voice that seems to be the same no matter what airline you travel on:

“Good evening, passengers. As you may have noticed, we are turning around in a circle. Please do not be alarmed. We just got word from LAX that Vice President Biden will be taking off shortly and they need to clear the area around the airport of all planes. We have been put into a holding pattern and will have to continue flying until we get the clear to land at 9:00pm local time.”

I thought that this would be no problem until we were in the holding pattern for what felt like forever. The minutes dragged on mostly because I rely too heavily on technology to tell me the time and find no reason to wear a watch … I think I just found a reason. Finally we got the clear to land. As soon as we touched ground, I rummaged through my purse to locate my phone, held down the on key, and anxiously awaited for the Motorolla jingle that sounds when my phone powers on. The screen flashed 9:40pm and panic began to set in. We were still taxiing and the pilot announced that we would have to wait to get towed into the gate. Not to mention, I was sitting in row 43 of 45. Twenty minutes later, I erupted from the mouth of gate 33, frantically searching for the nearest Delta agent. She calmly let me know that my flight would be leaving out of gate 34A – right beyond the wall. The travel gods were watching over me today – unfortunately, the snack gods were not. Darn you, Vice President Biden, darn you.

I boarded the plane to Raleigh/Durham with a growling stomach. A $1 breakfast burrito, cup of OJ, and plane pretzels is not enough to sustain life for very long. This was all negated by the fact that I sat next to yet another pleasant passenger, Doug, who was on his way to Raleigh to visit his brother. After chatting with him for a while, the hunger subsided. Even though we sat in the plane for about an hour before taking off, I was happy. I closed my eyes and didn’t wake up until the sun was rising. Awaiting me was something I had never seen before: a massive amount of land. Rivers, lakes, and fields passed below, colored by the oranges and blues of a brand new day. Mainland travelers may take this for granted, but it sure was a sight for little ol’ me who is used to flying over nothing but clouds and ocean. Call me cheesy, but the view got me singing “America, the Beautiful” in my head as the plane glided down.

My not so little, little sister is hosting me for the next couple of days in Durham and Winston/Salem. North Carolina is beautiful and green – very different from the islands. Janna took me to Waffle House to satiate my hunger and give me a taste of what food in the South is like. After a hearty meal of biscuits and gravy and a breakfast sandwich and creamy grits I was one happy camper.

We toured Duke University, where I was blown away by their beautiful library. We ate Pho for linner (not quite lunch, but not quite dinner) – who knew I could get Vietnamese cuisine out here? We ended our night with lots of catching up, talking story, chilling out with Law and Order SVU, and sipping on delicious milkshakes from Cook Out.

We’ve got another busy day tomorrow, so I’d better get some sleep. I just wish that I could figure out this whole time zone thing … I’m really losing track of time!

Across Two Ponds and a Mascot

I'll be leaving for my great summer adventure in about ten hours.  Here's a very boiled down version of my trip:

Maui --> LA (stopover) --> Raleigh/Durham (visiting my younger sister for four days) --> Atlanta (stopover) --> Gatwick, LONDON (to study abroad for three weeks!) --> Atlanta (stopover) --> Las Vegas (five days with the BF) --> Maui (home for another week) --> Honolulu (back to school and reality).

I would go more into detail, but I'm exhausted.  Here's why:

My unorganized packing mess.

The only reason why I still have my sanity:

My awesome boyfriend - he's a keeper :).

Just one more thing before I try to squeeze in some sleep.  Introducing ... Tako, my photo mascot.  Keep an eye out for him, as he will be making surprise appearances in my awesome summer adventure pictures.  Raffy the Giraffe Turned Dragon was supposed to come along, but he got swamped with work and sent Tako with me instead.

Raffy the Giraffe Turned Dragon apologizing.

Straight back to work.  Darn those never-ending emails.    

The replacement ... Tako!

Fighting Off the Baby Blues

"It'll be fine, don't worry about it, you guys will get along without me ..."  I've been reassuring my sister with these lines, repeating them over and over for the last two weeks or so.

Let me back up for a minute.  About four and a half months ago, my sister Lauren had her first baby.  His name is Layne Robert Futoshi Manuel - LJ for short.  Everyone absolutely adores him - he is, of course, the first grandchild and great grandchild in our family.  Not to mention he is a cutie patootie!  Lauren and her husband (my awesome brother-in-law, who has been in this family for just about a year, but it seems like he's been around forever) Leabert had to go back to work at the end of May.  Since I am still living the life of a student and wouldn't have time to find a part-time job this summer, Lauren asked me to stay with them on the Big Island to watch LJ.  I agreed, of course!  I wouldn't be able to pass up the opportunity to get to know LJ better ... and become his favorite aunty.


Some things you should know about me and babies:

• they used to freak me out because they seem so fragile
• LJ's diaper was the first I've ever changed
• I didn't know a thing about babies when I arrived on the Big Island
• LJ was the first baby I've ever carried

It's not that I don't like babies -- there were never really any around when I was growing up. 

As I explained in the earlier post, this whole summer is full of experiences.  I think that watching over LJ for five weeks will be one that I never forget.  I've learned so much from this little guy:

• the sound of a baby laughing is enough to bring tears to my eyes
• how to do multiple things one-handed (with baby in the other arm)
• how to change a diaper, put on a onesie, burp a baby, clean up spit-up
• I've also memorized the whole "Your Baby Can Read" starter DVD

All of this plus more.  The past weeks with LJ has been Baby 101.

Yesterday was his first day at the sitters.  My sister and I dropped him off and held back tears on the ride to her working place.  They grow up so fast, and I can't believe how much he's developed in a very short time.  Thinking back, he's had so many firsts since I've been here:

• first time being constipated
• first time sitting up on his own
• first time rolling over
• first time eating real food
• first fall
• first time he pulled hair

I get sad thinking about all of the firsts I'm going to miss.  Life is already boring without him.  I'm sitting here on my last day on the Big Island (there's time because he's at the sitters) thinking that maybe I shouldn't be the one reassuring my sister that they'll be okay - I might be the one that needs reassuring that I'm going to be okay without him.  I mean, it's not that easy saying goodbye to this face.

Thankfully, this little guy is only an island away - although inter-island plane fare in Hawai'i is a robbery. 

Not to mention, I have so much more to look forward to this summer.  Will blog about it very soon.  Until then, I'll be fighting off my baby blues.