Hello, it's me. I've been thinking about you for a long long time. In fact, that's why I'm writing. So let's get started!
I will begin my tale by telling you that I have moved. I have switched dorms and now live in the student accommodations that I was initially suppose to live in. You're probably wondering, "how come? Your old room's location was so convenient. It was a 15 minute walk downtown and you could practically roll out of bed and be in your classroom." Although both of those points are true, my decision to move was based on several reasons including:
1. I have gotten to know several of the international students who all live at the other campus. It was very hard to coordinate doing things together and hang out. It was getting lonely at the other dorm.
2. I had a flatmate who, although is quite nice, had a tendency to use other people's things and eat their food. I caught this person once using my pan and eating my bread. When confronted this person stated that he/she thought the food was being provided by the school.....Yeah, no. Even when I was packing I was missing a plate. After asking everyone, no one seemed to know where my plate went. But, when I came back from moving, the plate miraculously appeared, dirty.
3. The noise. My flatmates and I were probably the only ones in the whole dorm that weren't 19. It was so loud and they were so drunk every night. It was very hard to get sleep because they would talk until 5 AM. There was even a group of guys that would, around 3 AM, sing Sweet Caroline in the courtyard. I will admit, the first time was funny. Then they repeated the song 4 more times. THEN, they did this almost every night. It was becoming unbearable. I mean they couldn't even get the words right! It's " Good times never seemed so good" not " Girl, your body gives me wood." But I digress...
So yes I moved and I'm very glad I did. I like my new flatmates and we come from different parts of the world (Russia, Nigeria, Germany, London, Czech Republic, America). I like to call our flat "The United Nations." My room is much nicer. It is exactly the same layout but now I have FOUR more shelving units. And to make things even more better, I have green carpet! It's amazing how a change in the carpet color makes you feel more at home rather than in a prison cell. And to top it all off, the view out my window is great. I'm still looking at the side of another dorm building as well as the smoker's courtyard. This courtyard, however, has grass and flowers! I know fancy, right? I still feel like Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window. Looking out my window the other night, I could see a guy and a girl making out by their window on the 3rd floor/ 2nd window, observe a gentlemen checking out his arms in his mirror 2nd floor/4th window and hear an Asian rendition of I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas in the courtyard. This kind of entertainment you can't find even on pay per view. No missing wives yet, but you will be the first to know. My new address is posted under the "Please Mr. Postman" tab.
I will begin my tale by telling you that I have moved. I have switched dorms and now live in the student accommodations that I was initially suppose to live in. You're probably wondering, "how come? Your old room's location was so convenient. It was a 15 minute walk downtown and you could practically roll out of bed and be in your classroom." Although both of those points are true, my decision to move was based on several reasons including:
1. I have gotten to know several of the international students who all live at the other campus. It was very hard to coordinate doing things together and hang out. It was getting lonely at the other dorm.
2. I had a flatmate who, although is quite nice, had a tendency to use other people's things and eat their food. I caught this person once using my pan and eating my bread. When confronted this person stated that he/she thought the food was being provided by the school.....Yeah, no. Even when I was packing I was missing a plate. After asking everyone, no one seemed to know where my plate went. But, when I came back from moving, the plate miraculously appeared, dirty.
3. The noise. My flatmates and I were probably the only ones in the whole dorm that weren't 19. It was so loud and they were so drunk every night. It was very hard to get sleep because they would talk until 5 AM. There was even a group of guys that would, around 3 AM, sing Sweet Caroline in the courtyard. I will admit, the first time was funny. Then they repeated the song 4 more times. THEN, they did this almost every night. It was becoming unbearable. I mean they couldn't even get the words right! It's " Good times never seemed so good" not " Girl, your body gives me wood." But I digress...
So yes I moved and I'm very glad I did. I like my new flatmates and we come from different parts of the world (Russia, Nigeria, Germany, London, Czech Republic, America). I like to call our flat "The United Nations." My room is much nicer. It is exactly the same layout but now I have FOUR more shelving units. And to make things even more better, I have green carpet! It's amazing how a change in the carpet color makes you feel more at home rather than in a prison cell. And to top it all off, the view out my window is great. I'm still looking at the side of another dorm building as well as the smoker's courtyard. This courtyard, however, has grass and flowers! I know fancy, right? I still feel like Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window. Looking out my window the other night, I could see a guy and a girl making out by their window on the 3rd floor/ 2nd window, observe a gentlemen checking out his arms in his mirror 2nd floor/4th window and hear an Asian rendition of I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas in the courtyard. This kind of entertainment you can't find even on pay per view. No missing wives yet, but you will be the first to know. My new address is posted under the "Please Mr. Postman" tab.
Apart from moving I've been busy exploring Liverpool, getting lost, and seeing some Beatles sights. On Tuesday, I ventured over to St. Peter's Church where Paul McCartney and John Lennon first met. As the story goes: Lennon and his skiffle band The Quarrymen were performing at the Church's festival. McCartney came, listened to Lennon's group, and they were introduced afterwards where McCartney impressed Lennon with his spot on rendition of "20 Flight Rock." The church still functions, however the field that Lennon was playing on is covered by mostly gravestones as well as the church's school.
Buried at the church is John's Uncle George who was Lennon's father figure. His Uncle's death was the first blow to Lennon with his mum following 3 years later. His grave is well kept compared to many of the others. As I started snapping pictures, the skies were turning dark gray, and crows were cawing. English Cemeteries are scary and their graves aren't well kept with many of them broken and open (I would know,as you will soon see, I've been through two of them). I started hearing noises and quickly got up to find a woman standing near me. I have no idea where she came from. I continued my business and she continued to stand there staring. I stopped at the famous Eleanor Rigby's grave and snapped some photos and got this feeling. And sure enough, I turned around there was a tour group behind me. Again, I didn't hear them coming. They didn't say anything to me as I apologized. Don't people talk?
Buried at the church is John's Uncle George who was Lennon's father figure. His Uncle's death was the first blow to Lennon with his mum following 3 years later. His grave is well kept compared to many of the others. As I started snapping pictures, the skies were turning dark gray, and crows were cawing. English Cemeteries are scary and their graves aren't well kept with many of them broken and open (I would know,as you will soon see, I've been through two of them). I started hearing noises and quickly got up to find a woman standing near me. I have no idea where she came from. I continued my business and she continued to stand there staring. I stopped at the famous Eleanor Rigby's grave and snapped some photos and got this feeling. And sure enough, I turned around there was a tour group behind me. Again, I didn't hear them coming. They didn't say anything to me as I apologized. Don't people talk?
After St. Peter's, I thought about heading home. The clouds were getting darker. Out of curiosity, I looked to see where other Beatles-related people are buried. It just so happened that Julia Lennon's grave at Allerton Cemetery was on the way home. I usually don't make it a habit of waltzing through cemeteries taking pictures, but today was an exception. This cemetery was huge. I mean huge. I had no idea where she was buried so I put on my deerstalker cap and began my search. I figured, it's John's mother's grave it would probably have lots flowers around as tribute. I don't think Sherlock could have found it. Over an hour went by and I hadn't found it yet. At this point I began looking on Google and found the section she was buried in. So I headed that way. No luck. I probably looked like an idiot walking around the same graves over and over. I whipped out my phone and kept looking at the map. Half an hour went by. Still no luck. At this point, I was determined to find this grave. I'd spent more than enough time here to not just give up. I went down the main road and walked to the end of the cemetery because she was buried in the last section of the cemetery. The road dead-end at a gate. Or at least that's what I thought. I went through the gate and past some trees and lo and behold...more graves! At least a third of the cemetery was through this gate.
Finally, I found her grave. For 53 years, there was only a wooden cross with no name marking her grave. It is said John never visited the grave because it was too painful. In 2010, John's surviving half siblings replaced the cross with a stone for "mummy." I was actually surprised to see only two flowers. I know it's not John's grave, but she was a huge part of him. If it wasn't a spur of the moment decision to visit, I would have brought some. There are more Beatle graves to see in Liverpool but that's for another day. That was enough walking amongst tombstones for one afternoon.
Finally, I found her grave. For 53 years, there was only a wooden cross with no name marking her grave. It is said John never visited the grave because it was too painful. In 2010, John's surviving half siblings replaced the cross with a stone for "mummy." I was actually surprised to see only two flowers. I know it's not John's grave, but she was a huge part of him. If it wasn't a spur of the moment decision to visit, I would have brought some. There are more Beatle graves to see in Liverpool but that's for another day. That was enough walking amongst tombstones for one afternoon.
I spent today walking down the Mersey River to downtown Liverpool. They have a beautiful path along the who riverside and my dorm is about 5 minutes from the River. It was about an hour and 20 minute walk but the weather was great and I had the time ( as well as the calories to burn). When I reached downtown, I perused the shops. I stopped in the UK equivalent of Barnes & Noble and saw that Actor Chris O'Dowd ( Bridesmaids, Girls, The Sapphires) will be giving a talk to promote his new children's book on October 29th. He has a children's television show here that's quite popular has written a fictional book with the show's characters. It cost only 3 pounds to attend the event so I bought myself a ticket. So I'll be seeing a celebrity and hopefully, fingers crossed, get his autograph.
I continued walking around the downtown area. I started heading towards the campus where my class was. It was so beautiful that I stopped in the Central Library to sit and read. The library is 4 floors and the fifth floor is a rooftop garden where you can sit, see downtown, and read. I went into the garden and began reading a book and enjoying the environment. I thought was alone and no one else was up there. I began hearing noises again ( I'm sensing a pattern). I turned around and there were two different couples making out on their bench (or snogging according to the Brits). They obviously didn't care about the other couple making out nearby or that I was amongst them reading. I packed my bag and left before more couples showed up. Then it would have gotten weird. Below are some pictures of the library. It's beautiful.
I continued walking around the downtown area. I started heading towards the campus where my class was. It was so beautiful that I stopped in the Central Library to sit and read. The library is 4 floors and the fifth floor is a rooftop garden where you can sit, see downtown, and read. I went into the garden and began reading a book and enjoying the environment. I thought was alone and no one else was up there. I began hearing noises again ( I'm sensing a pattern). I turned around and there were two different couples making out on their bench (or snogging according to the Brits). They obviously didn't care about the other couple making out nearby or that I was amongst them reading. I packed my bag and left before more couples showed up. Then it would have gotten weird. Below are some pictures of the library. It's beautiful.
I could write quite a bit more, but you probably have things to do! I will end by saying that I've booked a trip to London. On November 5th, I'll be taking the "Peace Train" to have "Tea with the Tillerman" himself. Yep, I'll be seeing Cat Stevens in concert! I'm heading down there on Tuesday and staying two nights until Thursday. I have a list of things I want to see but for those of you who have visited London, if you have any suggestions on sites to see, please let me know! This won't be my only trip to London so whatever I don't get to this time, I'll catch on a subsequent visit.
It's that time again! 9 people voted, and 3 take the crown this week. It was Elton John who hosted the concert. John was invited onstage to play three songs: Whatever Gets You Through the Night , Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, and I Saw Her Standing There. This week's trivia is:
It's that time again! 9 people voted, and 3 take the crown this week. It was Elton John who hosted the concert. John was invited onstage to play three songs: Whatever Gets You Through the Night , Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, and I Saw Her Standing There. This week's trivia is:
I have free Skype calling to mobiles for the next month. If you would like to chat, shoot me a message via email, Facebook, singing telegram. I'm pretty much free whenever so we can plan around your schedule. Just a reminder that I'm five hours ahead. Now it's time to say goodbye. I'll see you next week, same bat-time same bat-channel!!!! Peace & Love!
Mark
Mark