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eredienAh, England. Land of tube delays and train drivers with a really dry sense of humor.
"We are experiencing a slight delay because of the number of cars on the track, even though there was the same number of cars yesterday at this time...we will keep you informed on our progress as the weeks progress."
This is my last full week in England; I'm a bit nervous at going home and bloody terrified about getting a job again in Boston, but I'm ok, really.
Short recap: I have eaten fish and chips. I went to St. Paul's and wandered around to my heart's content, which I did not get to do last time--it is wonderful not to have an itinerary which forces you to cheat on the time you can give to your own experiences. I did not climb to the top (it was closed due to the wind) but I'd done that before, and didn't miss it. Went to the masoleum, where I tried (and failed) not to tear up in front of the burial places of various writers and architects.
I have not yet seen the Changing of the Guard or Westminster Abbey, but I have finally read Peter Pan in Kensington Garden and went today to Sir John Soane's home, which was amazing due to the sheer number of architectural details catalouged (by the man himself, in a series of apparently minutely detailed daily records) and number of cleverly designed staircases and skylights. A truly amazing place; I recommend it to anyone going to London.
I also dropped by the Heralds' College last week. For those of you who do not routinely get descriptions of my writing-ideas or rambles on Subjects of Peripheral Yet Permanent Obsession, I have been completely interested in everything I can learn about heraldry since about seventh or eighth grade and am in the process of gathering heraldic resources so I may eventually write a book featuring a pseudo-heraldic organization in five years or so.
So when I found out that the Heralds' College had a room open--the Earl Marshal's Court, where disputes about heraldic matters are resolved--until 4 pm, I went, read the plaques, saw the pictures of famous and infamous heralds of ages past, read the brochures. And noted that there was a society affiliated with the Heralds' College in the US, which helped Americans understand and research heraldry and such matters.
On the theory that "no question is ever stupid," I asked, "do you have a brochure about this?" as I bought my book (A Heraldic Alphabet; excellent reading. Now I know the words used to denote when the "points" of an animal--tailtuft, tounge, claws, etc--should be a different color than their standard.)
The wonderful woman at the reception desk said, "wait a moment," and called some people. In a few moments, the assistant to the York Herald showed up at my elbow and asked to take my name and address for more information, as the Herald himself had "popped out for a sandwich."
We got into a quite pleasant discussion about why I needed the information, and then she said, "oh, here he is."
And in with the sandwich came York Herald, and we were all introduced to each other, and I was plied with more brochures, and got my information, with an admonition to "just tell them that he's sent you and they'll give you help!"
And then I realized he'd written part of the book that'd got me interested in the discipline in the first place.
That was a really good afternoon.
Saturday I had the True English Weekend experience, went to a pub with Esgalaith and Kassidynet in the evening to listen to a quite good band, had a glass of wine, tried (and failed) to comprehend the scoring system for darts, and talked to a nice Scotsman.
That afternoon we went to Camden Town Market.
Camden Town Market=England's version of Harajuku. Very odd and interesting place. Rush-That-Speaks, Gaudiorrr, and Rabidfangurl--if you ever go to England, let me know, and I'll give you names of places. It's a little warren of everything from techno clothing that glows in UV light to craft-store hand-made hemp soap kitsch and stories selling nothing but bodices. Wonderful. I got an Engrish t-shirt for my sister.
At the Victoria and Albert Museum, Esgalaith and I spent a wonderful hour poring over the stories people had created in the "interactive" part of the exhibit about a picture of a man being dragged along the ground by a stag, and contributed one of our own, wherein they're posing for the artists' conceit.
Have read: Dorothy Sayers' "Lord Peter Views the Body," which is perfect in its delicately funny and exquisitely worded turns of phrase peeking through clear prose, and saw "Edward Scissorhands" yesterday. Today's movie was the second half of "Russian Ark" as well as the "Making of" documentary and an odd thing which we put down as a student film about Russian crazy people discussing the Hermitage. All of it is lovely; the museum set the table with Catherine the Great's actual china for filming.
Tomorrow I get up early to go to a dyscalculia study (more on this later depending on what the results are), and then meet up with Daisho in the afternoon.
"We are experiencing a slight delay because of the number of cars on the track, even though there was the same number of cars yesterday at this time...we will keep you informed on our progress as the weeks progress."
This is my last full week in England; I'm a bit nervous at going home and bloody terrified about getting a job again in Boston, but I'm ok, really.
Short recap: I have eaten fish and chips. I went to St. Paul's and wandered around to my heart's content, which I did not get to do last time--it is wonderful not to have an itinerary which forces you to cheat on the time you can give to your own experiences. I did not climb to the top (it was closed due to the wind) but I'd done that before, and didn't miss it. Went to the masoleum, where I tried (and failed) not to tear up in front of the burial places of various writers and architects.
I have not yet seen the Changing of the Guard or Westminster Abbey, but I have finally read Peter Pan in Kensington Garden and went today to Sir John Soane's home, which was amazing due to the sheer number of architectural details catalouged (by the man himself, in a series of apparently minutely detailed daily records) and number of cleverly designed staircases and skylights. A truly amazing place; I recommend it to anyone going to London.
I also dropped by the Heralds' College last week. For those of you who do not routinely get descriptions of my writing-ideas or rambles on Subjects of Peripheral Yet Permanent Obsession, I have been completely interested in everything I can learn about heraldry since about seventh or eighth grade and am in the process of gathering heraldic resources so I may eventually write a book featuring a pseudo-heraldic organization in five years or so.
So when I found out that the Heralds' College had a room open--the Earl Marshal's Court, where disputes about heraldic matters are resolved--until 4 pm, I went, read the plaques, saw the pictures of famous and infamous heralds of ages past, read the brochures. And noted that there was a society affiliated with the Heralds' College in the US, which helped Americans understand and research heraldry and such matters.
On the theory that "no question is ever stupid," I asked, "do you have a brochure about this?" as I bought my book (A Heraldic Alphabet; excellent reading. Now I know the words used to denote when the "points" of an animal--tailtuft, tounge, claws, etc--should be a different color than their standard.)
The wonderful woman at the reception desk said, "wait a moment," and called some people. In a few moments, the assistant to the York Herald showed up at my elbow and asked to take my name and address for more information, as the Herald himself had "popped out for a sandwich."
We got into a quite pleasant discussion about why I needed the information, and then she said, "oh, here he is."
And in with the sandwich came York Herald, and we were all introduced to each other, and I was plied with more brochures, and got my information, with an admonition to "just tell them that he's sent you and they'll give you help!"
And then I realized he'd written part of the book that'd got me interested in the discipline in the first place.
That was a really good afternoon.
Saturday I had the True English Weekend experience, went to a pub with Esgalaith and Kassidynet in the evening to listen to a quite good band, had a glass of wine, tried (and failed) to comprehend the scoring system for darts, and talked to a nice Scotsman.
That afternoon we went to Camden Town Market.
Camden Town Market=England's version of Harajuku. Very odd and interesting place. Rush-That-Speaks, Gaudiorrr, and Rabidfangurl--if you ever go to England, let me know, and I'll give you names of places. It's a little warren of everything from techno clothing that glows in UV light to craft-store hand-made hemp soap kitsch and stories selling nothing but bodices. Wonderful. I got an Engrish t-shirt for my sister.
At the Victoria and Albert Museum, Esgalaith and I spent a wonderful hour poring over the stories people had created in the "interactive" part of the exhibit about a picture of a man being dragged along the ground by a stag, and contributed one of our own, wherein they're posing for the artists' conceit.
Have read: Dorothy Sayers' "Lord Peter Views the Body," which is perfect in its delicately funny and exquisitely worded turns of phrase peeking through clear prose, and saw "Edward Scissorhands" yesterday. Today's movie was the second half of "Russian Ark" as well as the "Making of" documentary and an odd thing which we put down as a student film about Russian crazy people discussing the Hermitage. All of it is lovely; the museum set the table with Catherine the Great's actual china for filming.
Tomorrow I get up early to go to a dyscalculia study (more on this later depending on what the results are), and then meet up with Daisho in the afternoon.
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(no subject)
13/1/05 01:06 (UTC)Secondly, since we're talking about heraldry, a post of mine which has a footnote for you. (yes, my posts have footnotes, and that's why you love me)
(no subject)
13/1/05 04:45 (UTC)(no subject)
13/1/05 14:12 (UTC)(no subject)
13/1/05 17:05 (UTC)Also, we are busily cleaning the units in preparation for your arrival, and may it be less scary than it could be.
And yay tube conductors.
--R
(no subject)
18/1/05 15:11 (UTC)I know my totally fake crest is supposed to have a rampant unicorn on it or something.