June 2011
5 posts
The End.
It’s my last day living here:
In the words of my friend Zac, “Mary Chapman Court is the ugliest building in Norwich—by far.”
The stories we’ve shared of the first time we experienced this prison block involve some of us filing for room changes immediately, exclaiming “OH HELL NO” as we sat on the bed, and wanting to cry at the sight of the cinderblocks...
One last week.
My flatmate Becca has gone. : ( Becca was the first English person I met in England. She took us out the first night she came in and showed us aroudn town and where to go. Becca became my little sister really. We became so comfortable with each other that the whole “roommate courtesy” line began to disappear and we fought like siblings:
“Becks, you’re leaving a...
Happy Paris.
After I blew off all that steam, ate some porridge and watched clips of French films (hehe) I’m ready to discuss my beautiful four days in what I’m willing to bet is the most beautiful city in the world.
Oh Paris, where to begin? Perhaps with Sophie’s wonderful grandmother who housed us, fed us, gave us her films to watch, paid cab fare for us and even took us out to dinner our...
Traveling Hell.
I literally just got off the coach a half hour ago after my trip to Paris. No one be discouraged by the subject—I had an AMAZING time in Paris with my wonderful friends, Sophie, Anneke and Amanda in Sophie’s grandmother’s beautiful home. I’ll get to all that in the next post because I feel I need to blow off some steam.
Before I get to the details, this is very important:...
Last Day With Two of the Best
I’m going to Paris tomorrow and when I return, two of my closest friends in England will no longer be here. That’s absolute insanity. It’s so weird to fathom the absence of people that you’ve seen every single day for the past five months (give or take). Even stranger, is the fact that you don’t know when you’ll see them again.
Asha’s American, but...
May 2011
14 posts
Times a Changing.
Going to Paris on June 2nd. Did I say that already? Well, if not, I’m going to Paris on June 2nd. Staying there till the 6th, coming back to England one last time and then spending the last twelve days packing, relaxing, and getting ready to return to the Yankee states.
I’m starting to feel that homesickness thing again. It’s funny how it works. If you told me to go home one...
Back to Norwich!
I departed Helsinki at 6:05 yesterday. My grandparents gave me a traveling angel that’s meant to protect you on journeys. It worked because I came home safe. I don’t have many stories to tell except that three people found it appropriate to have a very loud conversation for an hour on the coach ride at 11 PM. I was ready to cry from happiness when they got off at Stansted Airport....
Enjoying Finland.
Asha said the way she likes to explore European cities is just by eating and walking. Well, I’ve done plenty of that in Helsinki and in my grandparents’ hometown an hour south of Helsinki. I went to the city yesterday with my mom and aunt. They’re fraternal twins but they start looking strikingly identical the more time you spend with them. They’re exactly the same....
Coming to Finland
Isn’t half the fun in traveling actually traveling to that place? Did that make sense? Well, I always have stories to tell about the coach ride and the plane ride. Anyway, I boarded the coach at 9:30 in the morning in Norwich, armed with half a can of Pringles, a trail mix pouch and a bottle of Vitamin Water. My coach is scheduled to arrive in Gatwick Airport at 2:45, an hour before my gate...
New Ideas.
So I recently wrote that I want to be a nomad and just pick up and leave whenever I want. I want to travel place to place and never stay put and keep meeting people and keep learning and experiencing. This all sounded so idealistic and so exciting. Along comes my flatmate, Victor. Have I introduced you all to Victor? Victor is a no-nonsense German who has become my ‘guru’ of some sorts...
bebumboo.
That’s a random sound in the title, inspired by the random sounds Tobi Lee Sigona makes. I do miss Au Bon Pain dates on College Ave where she and I make weird faces at each other, coupled with weird noises while we drink our French Vanilla/French Roast coffee blends. Miss you Tea Leaf. <3 Soooo much.
So the last thing I posted was a poem by Langston Hughes. I love Langston Hughes. I said...
“Colored child at carnival:
Where is the Jim Crow section
On this...”
– Langston Hughes “Merry Go Round”
Lifestyle.
I think I’m going to be a nomad. I’m going to make my way from place to place, year to year. No certainties or plans. Just going to live and exist and give a little while taking a little back from everywhere I visit.
Sound good? I think so.
Experimenting
…with drugs and alcohol. DAH DAH DAHHHHHN. (Arya, remember how you joked that I’d return home with a bottle of Jack in my hand, looking like Ke$ha?) No. Nadia’s still Nadia, even abroad.
Anyway. I’m going to not wear any make-up besides foundation for a while. Doesn’t seem like so big a deal but when you’ve been wearing it every single day since you were...
Reasons to Be Happy
1. I’m going to Finland in one week. 2. I’m going to be an aunt to a baby boy come September. 3. I’m an American living in England. 4. …and Starbucks in England finally introduced the However-You-Want-It Frap.
Remind me why I shouldn’t be happy.
Updating Updating
I just felt like doing some more writing.
Last night, I celebrated the awesomeness of Obama with two Brits, two fellow Americans and an Australian. That’s how badass the president of the United States is. He has celebrators from all over the world! Granted, it was sparked by myself and my fellow American Asha who have been in awe at how kick-ass Barack Obama is. No, we did not celebrate the...
Let's Get Some Closure.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42852700/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/?gt1=43001
Who remembers being eleven years old and hearing the Twin Towers came down? Osama Bin Laden flashes across the news. He’s labeled the enemy and all thoughts go to capturing him. Nearly ten years, two wars, thousands dead, the nation’s most unpopular president, followed by the nation’s most...
Epiphany.
I’m going to stop worrying. I’m going to take life one step at a time. One foot in front of the other. Where am I going to be in ten years? Damned if I knew. Five? No clue. That’s okay. Five years ago I was a sophomore in high-school. Today, I’m in Norwich. That’s pretty cool.
Enjoy life.
April 2011
5 posts
lalalalala...
Entry title indicates my relaxation and happiness level. Lalalala.
So a bunch of my neighbors have begun to come back after the Easter holiday and we’re all so happy to see each other. The common remark is, “I really loved home but it’s so good to be back here.”
I go home in about a month and a half. I’m not going home to Surrey. I’m going home to the United...
I Forgot Ireland!
I know I already posted something but I forgot to talk about Ireland. What’s wrong with me?! AH.
So it all started Sunday night into Monday morning where Cynthia and I walked to the coach station at 2 AM. We survived. (Told ‘ya I’d be fine, Mom.) 2 hour bus ride to London Stansted.
Okay. I hate London airports, I really do. Move aside Heathrow Hell, Stansted might be giving you...
Patriotism.
I’ve mentioned this to some of my friends here already. Anyway, being here, surrounded by other international students and Brits makes me question the whole concept of “patriotism” and “fighting for one’s country.” Before anyone jumps on my back about all this, I love the USA. It’s my home; my family’s there, my friends are there, my school is there....
Easter Break.
The weather here has been beautiful. I finally got a chance to go to the beach yesterday with some fellow MCC-ers. It was great but I forgot my CAMERA! AHH. I’ll probably go back, it was only 3.80 return on the train for an awesome day. It was quite a diverse group—2 Americans, an Aussie, French, Brit, German and a Dane. I’ll never get over how awesome it is to be hanging out...
The End of Classes, the Beginning of Everything...
It’s the last week of classes at UEA. Easter break is to start and that means a trip to Dublin on Monday with Cynthia, writing two papers, likely a trip to Amsterdam with the same Cynthia and then pure freedom after May 9. I’m not sure how I’ll spend my last month in England when I don’t have any more obligations. We toyed with the idea of leaving early but my room is paid...
March 2011
8 posts
What To Do When You're So Far From Home
All us international students in Mary Chap love our lives here—we’re in England for God’s sake. We can go anywhere in Europe for well under 50 pounds and are thousands of miles away. It’s like an escape.
But then we think about all the things—good and bad—that are happening in the places we call home that we can’t be there for. Our close friends might be...
Recent News.
Hm.
Things have been pretty slow here. I made a brief visit to London to see the Rutgers Mason Gross kids put on “Twelfth Night” at the Globe. It was fantastic to see a show in the Globe, and what’s more, to see people from my school who were all fantastically amazing. Seriously, what talented young actors. I wouldn’t except anything less of Mason Gross. Rankings put SUNY...
Things We Miss From Home
I miss driving and the right side of the road. Sophie misses French food:
“It’s so stereotypical but I want some good bread and some good cheese.”
I’m making a pizza sandwich to eat later and joked that it involves bread and cheese, typical French cuisine. Her reply?
“If it’s shitty white British loaf bread and cheddar cheese, it does NOT equal French...
Dublinnn
I and my lovely friend Cynthia just booked a trip to Dublin from April 10-April 13th in under an hour. I stress “under an hour” because so many Eurotrip planning sessions consist of, “Yeah, we’ll go,” with nothing getting done. We sat down, looked up ryanair flights, looked up hostels, and that’s it. Off to Ireland for a little bit.
The crazy thing is,...
Fasting
Got this from the Norfolk Baha’is
Some people lay stress on fasting. They affirm that in augmenting the weakness of the body they develop a spiritual sensibility and thus they think to approach God.
Weakening one’s self physically does not necessarily contribute to spiritual progress. Humility, kindness, resignation, and all these spiritual attributes emanating from great...
Happiness! (And much of it)
mmm, I love being here. I love the people I live with. I love the environment. I went to a pub (that was older than my country!) with my friends last Monday night and listened to live music by amateur performers (who were awesome). Best part, it was free. Yep. Free music, free entry, 50 cent Coke, in a pub older than the United States of America.
Soo some good news, I suppose. I have handed in...
“This material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of...”
February 2011
5 posts
Sickness and the Student
I can’t help but notice that I haven’t been sick yet. A strange thing, as I’m usually inflicted with colds and sinus infections quick into the semester. Perhaps, it’s because here, I’m getting enough sleep and I have time to eat. That, and I’m not stressed because the concept of “Hell Week” does not exist at the University of East Anglia, nor any...
I've Caught the Bug
The bug of going everywhere!!
Maybe not so much of going everywhere but just meeting people from everywhere. Or going everywhere too to meet people from everywhere. That’s been the best part of this experience so far. I know people from all over the United States and all over the world. Suddenly, it really is a small world. And guess what? Everyone’s human and we’re all the...
Catching Up
I went to London last weekend and there’s not much to say because our (Ally and mine) entire story is told through facebook pictures. Our “I HAVE A VOICE!” album is a homage to The King’s Speech, if no one has noticed. She and I spent about 45 minutes posing with statues in the middle of the Mall while laughing hysterically and literally saying, “It’s Helena!...
Obsessive Updater Part 2.
I am the obsessive updater but I wanted to write this down to share before I forgot. I went to a gathering in one of the flats in the building tonight and mets lots of people from everywhere in Europe (Spain, Germany, France, England). I spent a lot of time exchanging stories and experiences with a German girl who spent a lot of time in the states. She lived with a host family and attended school...
Pirate Parties and Peanut Butter and Banana
My flatmates are turned off by my and the other American’s affection for peanut butter. I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, peanut butter with crackers, just peanut butter on bread…
“Honestly, Nadia, that’s disgusting,” says Becca, my favorite Brit who lives in the room to my left. “How do you EAT that? Peanut butter...
January 2011
15 posts
How We Live in Norwich (and my continued...
Here’s the breakdown of my lifestyle: lots of oatmeal, potatoes, tea and biscuits (cookies!). Biscuits sounds nicer though. Mix in some crackers, frozen veggies, some pasta every now and then, and a damn good Cadbury chocolate bar and you have my living-in-England-diet. Oh and muffins. I love my muffins.
Sophie in Flat 1 and I made veggie burgers from scratch the other day. Soooo good. The...
The Bed Intruder and Other Things
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw
“He’s climbing in your windows…”
It’s true! HE IS! EVEN IN NORWICH! We had a bed intruder. Actually, a kitchen intruder. Some creep crawled through the kitchen window in flat one, walked around the building, knocked on doors to see who was home and what was open. He showed his face multiple times (so dumb, so dumb) and got...
Starbucks, Writing, Reading and Joy
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/travel/23overnighter-norwich.html?ref=travel
Read the lovely article.
So, I found my Starbucks in Norwich. One of the baristas is Freddy from the Bronx and he is my new friend. He gives me discounts cause we’re from the East Coast. Yes.
And remember the creepy guy who said, ”I live in an airport. It’s vacuumed.” Well, I saw him in...
More dinners and outings.
Weekends in Mary Chapman are about combined potluck dinners, pub outings and much time spent in Flat 2’s dilapidating kitchen. Many of our conversations involve us exchanging slang and doing voices—If you’re from Australia, why do you sound British? What’s a Minnesota accent? It’s not orega-no. It’s ore-GAN-o. (I’m going to go home and ask for ore-GAN-o on...
Also...
I learned something that fascinated me. I met a handful of French girls who all said that American accents were much easier to understand than British ones. That was SO surprising to me.
“Really?!” “Definitely. Irish ones are the worst, though.”
(I <3 Irish accents. Mm. Danny O’Donoghue. Speak to me with an Irish accent all day.)
Maybe it’s like how I...
Baha'is of Norwich
I met the Baha’is of Norwich today. It’s not exactly what I’m used to—the average age is about 60, but I believe I and my lovely Italian friend, Alessia have taken the average down drastically. Perhaps now we’ll be in the mid-forties, early fifties. Regardless, everyone was very kind and Baha’i-like. It was my first (or second—I may have been to one in...
The Obsessive Updater.
I told you all I’d become an obsessive updater.
Last night, I was thinking of what my life would be like at Rutgers this semester. I’d be taking that no doubt AWESOME Nabokov seminar. I’d be tutoring at Plangere and drinking Au Bon Pain and driving Jeter while singing to the Script as we cruised down 18. When I think about that compared to what I’m experiencing now,...
Perspectives.
My Australian friend gave me a koala. There are so many Aussies here and they are, collectively, some of the nicest people I have ever met. They’re all so friendly and welcoming and they, of course, have great accents. I’m learning a lot about Australia—you’d think I was studying abroad there. I’m in England though, I promise. But, did you know, Australia has the...
Good dinners and Irish pubs in England.
Just to say, I live in the best building. We are comprised of a certain number of Australians, Americans, Germans, Brits, and a couple French. Our RT (RA) is from Ethiopia.
Well, we cooked dinner last night after more shopping (utensils, phone plans, pillows, laundry detergent) and went out to a couple places. I can’t get over how beautiful and really charming this city is. It’s not...
24 Hours in Norwich and I'm already sick?
I was massively dizzy and nauseous this morning after sleeping for 14 straight hours. As I walked to the bus stop I said I was either going to faint or throw up. Well, in the middle of orientation, the latter happened. I dodged to the bathroom in the middle of the assembly and proceeded to get sick. A Spanish girl told me to put water on my face, the back of my neck, and on my wrists. She was...
The Story of my Departure (It's going to be a long...
So I sat on my suitcase, feared it would break, managed to stuff my purse in it and then hopped in my mama’s Highlander. I kissed Jeter goodbye and traveled down the ugly Turnpike.
Fast forward. Mom cries. I cry. I go through security. Random weirdo eyeballs me on the line. I did not beep in security so the TSA did not violate me. I get dressed again (shoes+jacket+hoodie+scarf) and go to my...
One last day.
As a warning, if it’s not already quite obvious, I’ll probably become an obsessive updater. It’s midnight on Monday the 10th, making this the very last full day I will spend stateside until June 18th. Here’s what I’ll miss: (in no particular order)
1. My car. (Jeet Jeet)
2. Au Bon Pain. (Rumor has it that they’ll go out of business in lieu of my absence)
3....
