Life Back at USC

I know, I know, my blog has cobwebs on it. For the past month and a half back at school, my life has been consumed by recruitment, homework, and sickness. At the end of recruitment (which went really, really well by the way), I came down with a bug that just wouldn’t leave. Honestly, I was sick for just about the entire month of September, even missing the first two home football games of the season because I was just too sick to make it. But now, I’ve almost recovered (THANK GOD) and I’ll be back in complete action sometime next week.

Somewhere in between going home to get some rest and school, I found a way to keep myself busy from 10 in the a.m. til 5 or 7 p.m. I’m currently taking news writing for print and broadcast and I absolutely love the classes. I can’t tell you a specific reason why, but all I feel like I’ve found my nitch in this world. For a while last year, I felt like I may not have chosen the right major. But news writing sealed the deal.

My other classes are social psychology, Spanish for communication, yoga, physical conditioning, and guitar. Yes, the last three classes aren’t anything serious, but I had four left over units that I didn’t know what to do with. These electives are a great way for me to divert my attention from hard classes and focus on something new and fun. Guitar has been quite the challenge though. I’m not very good and being sick for a few weeks hasn’t helped my track record for practicing.

This weekend is the Weekender!!! USC invades San Francisco and I will be right there with the rest of my school. BEAT CAL!!

Summer 2009

Since the cruise with my grandma and mom, I have started my second internship with Hollywire.com and was rehired at American Eagle. So I've been pretty busy. At my internship, I write for the celebrity gossip website, which is awesome for the direction I want to head in. I love the office; everyone is chill about being late, goofing around and overall having a good time. Way different than the office of Gotham, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. 

Overall, this internship is a great opportunity for me. You can check out my posts on hollywire.com! I promise to keep you updated on interesting celebrity news...not spotted in New York this afternoon...

For this summer, getting a paying job was basically a miracle. I didn't necessarily want to return to retail, just because I'm kind of over it, but I knew AE would be the only place that I would have a sure shot at getting a job and getting good hours. And they didn't fail me! Once again, I can't complain about the amount of hours I get, nor the management. And the discount? Can you say shopping! Unfortunately, these aren't the best of times for me economically, so I must admit, I haven't put that 40% off into good use. Not to worry, my time will come.

 

As for other summer activities, I've been to and from the beach, Disneyland, and the movies. I haven't had the opportunity to visit all my friends from USC like I thought I would, but I'll see them soon enough. I never thought the day would come when I would honestly miss school, but times have changed and I want to go back more than anything. I'm looking forward to the fall!

All the Venetian Glass You Could Ever Ask For

The Ruby Princess sailed into Venice on a gorgeous afternoon. The sail into Venice has to be the scenic highlight of the cruise as you pass by some of the city's most treasured highlights, including St. Mark's Square. My mom and I did not miss a single moment of our arrival snapping pictures by the minute. Once the ship docked in the not so scenic part of town, we took a water shuttle to St. Mark's Square. We had a few hours to kill before our reservation to enter the church, so we walked around Venice. Our first time there, my parents and I were enchanted by  this Italian icon. But being there a second time doesn't bring back the magic. My grandma complained that the streets look dirty, which they do to an extent because it's basically ally ways and narrow pedestrian streets. Even though they didn't enjoy the scene, I still am absolutely crazy about Venice. I had two shopping goals in this city: a Venetian mask and glass ring. I found my mask in a small souvenir store. This mask isn't full of color, its white with gorgeous white feathers. It's the most dramatic mask I own, and I own two more apart from this one. 

 

St. Mark's is one of the most interesting churches. Not necessarily my favorite, but you really get a sense of what Venice is built on. The floor of St. Mark's is uneven because the foundation is  over marsh instead of dirt. But when you look up, the entire church is filled with symbolic mosaics. Absolutely gorgeous mosaics that go into the most minute detail. With just one glance, you can't even tell they are mosaics. And St. Mark's tells its story through the museum, which is located at the entrance/exit of the church. The museum displays artifacts that are original to the church, including the original famous horses. Replicas now stand where they once sat, but the real ones can only be seen in the museum. 

After uncovering the history of St. Mark's, my grandma was tired and wanted to go back to the ship. Meanwhile, my mom and I explored Venice a little more, searching for more fun gifts to bring back home. We didn't last too much longer because we were both equally tired. But we didn't mind because we still had one more day in the city.

 

Our ship was docked over night and our next day was time to depart the cruise ship for good. The final departure is always a sad one because all you can think of is how you're going to miss the food, the service, and the facilities of the ship, but in all honesty, I was ready to go home and see Jonathan. Instead of walking around Venice again, we had the idea of going to Morono, another island of Venice where glass is made. We took a tour of a factory and saw the private gallery. The private gallery was absolutely amazing, but wayyy over priced. After that factory, we walked into several other stores until it was finally time to begin our journey to Marco Polo air port. 

Athens: Home of the Olympics

At our second stop in Greece, we arrived in Athens. My mom and grandma had warned me that Athens was dirty and not incredibly friendly. So to say the least, my expectations were low. After arriving early in the morning, our first stop off the ship was the train station. Of course we walked the mile and a half instead of taking a taxi. Our troop was pretty large, though. The family we'd shared our Turkish guides with came along with us to the train station (but had their own agenda) and an elderly couple decided to join us for the day. Even though the walk to the train station was long, the train tickets are dirt cheap...ONE euro! Once we arrived at our metro station, we waited for the tour. 

Our tour was called "The Highlights of Athens" and began right at the metro station. Since Athens is concentrated with geological sites therefore when they built the subway, the excavated ancient tombs and buildings. Each metro station has a little exhibit on what was there and when it was built. In that particular station, there were tombs and pots. Our tour consisted of our private party, which was nice to have a personal tour guide without completely paying for it. We first went to the changing of the guard outside of the tomb of the unknown soldier. In Greece, the changing  of the guards happens once an hour. The costumes the President's guards wear are pretty funny, especially their shoes! Our next stop was a park built by the first president's wife. She wanted an outdoor oasis, and she definitely achieved it. She was the first to bring palm trees from Egypt and many more exotic plants. 

Suddenly, we found ourselves in front of the President's house. Unlike the U.S., the President of Greece has the option to live inside the President's house or not. The current President lives there now. Further down the street is the first Olympic stadium. Although it's been re-done, it still has an ancient feel. In the 2004 Olympics, the stadium was used for archery and the finish line for races. Our next ancient stop was Hercules' Temple. And that is when I say ruins are ruins. It was a few standing and tumbled down columns. But then...the Acropolis took my breath away, literally.

 

It took us a while to get up the mountain...we walked completely around it before we made it up. And once we were on top, we were pounded by the sun and the sun's reflection on the marble. But it was absolutely fascinating to see the buildings practically still standing. And the view! You can see everything, and I can only imagine Athens on a clear day. 

Kusadasi and a City Stopped in Time

The lovely city of Kusadasi is located on the continent of Asia! This was my first visit to the Asian continent and I certainly hope it won't be my last. Although this wasn't the Asia we normally hear about, it felt like a different place, but not in a bad way of course. Our excursion for this port of call was Ephesus. Ephesus is where Paul wrote to the book of Ephesis; he wrote to the people of this ancient Roman city pleading with them to believe in God. My mom and grandma visited Ephesis in November and remembered most of the land marks clearly. We had a private tour guide whom we shared with the same family we explored Istanbul with. However, Ethan didn't cling on to the tour guide, instead he was my buddy for the day. The guide took us through the ancient city, explaining how the people lived and the functions of the ruined buildings we walked through. Compared to other Roman ruins I've seen in Rome and London, these ruins are far better preserved and much more spectacular. It's amazing how the Romans maintained a consistent style throughout the Roman empire. There was even a Roman theater almost completely in tact and still used currently for select orchestras and singers. It was interesting seeing an actual Roman theater, when I've learned about them in my theater class. Even far more spectacular were the terrace suites.

The terrace suites are located off the main road going through the city. Although it costs an extra few dollars to enter, you witness the excavation of the site. The terrace suites were where the upper crest of Ephesus lived. It is absolutely amazing how well preserved the site is. Most of the mosaics are still in tact if not being restored to their original state. Pots and other artifacts were also recovered from the site. Honestly, I may have enjoyed the terrace suites more than the rest of Ephesus because it was easy and clear to see how the elite lived thousands of years ago. Being able to relate somehow to people who lived centuries before makes the ruins come to life. If you ever visit Ephesus in the sun, I highly recommend wearing lots of sun screen and keeping your shoulders and head covered. The marble and sun combined don't make for a comfortable day. The kids in the other family found the heat unbearable. Since I'm from California, it felt like home.

The city of Kusadasi is surprisingly a clean and safe city. The shopping is awesome because the dollar has a greater value than Turkish Lire. The only problem is you're swarmed with sales men wanting you to come into their store and buy, buy, buy. Bargaining down is pretty easy, but you may not always get the price you really want. I bought a fake, genuine purse outside of the gates of Ephesus. Sounds like an oxymoron to me. Actually, you can pay in TL, dollars or euros. They essentially except any currency they can get their hands on. Another place that is popular to visit is Mary's house. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to see this monumental site, but our dinner-mates did. According to the story he told, a nun dreamed about a house where the Virgin Mary died. But she didn't know where this house was or if it even existed. A man wrote and published her description and the hunt was on. And it has been claimed to be Mary's house indeed. I guess we'll just have to visit next time. 

Istanbul, Turkey: A City on Two Continents

Upon arriving in Istanbul, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. This was one of the few ports none of us had been to. For this exciting excursion, my mom booked a private guide with another family of 5 plus the grandmother. The Denver native family had three kids, a 14 year-old, 12 year-old, and 5 year-old. The five year old, Ethan, was absolutely adorable and the entertainment for the day. Our first stop was the Topkapi Palace, which contains the Treasury filled with jewels, belongings of the Sultan, and religious artifacts. Special religious artifacts too...Moses' staff and David's sword? Hm..not too sure where they got those or how legitimate they are, but they are on displayed. The open palace had a Moorish design and beautiful architecture. Built for the open sun. But on the day we visited, it was far from sunny. Actually, it rained and caught us by complete surprise, of course without umbrellas. We ran through the palace for shelter and quickly left.

In order to avoid the rain, our guide took us to a Turkish carpet store. The salesmen call the carpet industry a dying art. Each carpet had a different pattern, color, and something special. The last time my mom came to Turkey, she found the carpet worthy of bringing home. However, this time she wasn't so lucky to find another that matched. But the grandmother of the other family couldn't resist buying one. After the stop to look at carpets, we ate lunch at the restaurant next door. I never thought I'd like Turkish food as much as I did. It was absolutely fantastic, not to mention healthy. 

Our next stop was the popular tourist destination, the Blue Mosque. In case we were required to cover our heads out of respect for the Muslim religion, we were prepared with scarves brought just for that purpose. When we arrived, we were only required to take off our shoes and cover our shoulders. I had never been in a mosque before and it was quite different than the churches we've seen in Rome. The carpets are comfortable enough to sleep on. The segregation between men and women was a culture shock that I expected, but not to this extent. I didn't feel looked down upon, but I definitely didn't feel like an equal. Eh, I'm not going to get into this...Next, we went to the Hagia Sophia, which is conveniently just across the street. The Hagia Sophia was once a mosque, but now its more of a museum. There were beautiful mosaics of Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist. Our tour guide noted where the Sultan and his family would sit. Since it was older than the Blue Mosque, I found the Hagia Sophia to be more interesting, especially because it had an interesting history. 

Due to the weather, we were caught in traffic worse than rush hour in Los Angeles. The traffic caused us problems in reaching all the destinations we wanted to see, like the Grand Bazaar. But our dinner mates who went to the crazy shopping center said they were harassed to buy items and felt packed in like sardines. So I guess it's not that big of a deal that we didn't go. Instead, we went to a pottery store where they showed us a demonstration on how they made the dishes and cups. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Istanbul. Next stop, Kusadasi!

Mykonos

After a relaxing and sunburned day aboard the ship, we had a later arrival in Mykonos than a few of our other ports. It felt like such a treat to have two relaxing days! My goal was to go to the beach, but since I had enough sun to last the rest of the summer, we wondered around the island looking for presents. As beautiful as Mykonos is, apart from shopping, eating, drinking and seeing the windmills, there isn't too much to do there. So we shopped, I ate a gyro, of course we didn't drink, and somehow found our way to the windmills. We began our walking tour from a side street off of the main port square. As we followed the twists and turns, my mom stopped my grandma and I for a too frequent picture. I heard that the item to buy was leather sandals, but I couldn't imagine how difficult it was to find an open store! Out of no where, we found the windmills, which were farther than we had originally thought we were. These windmills were different from any windmill I've ever seen, although to be honest I haven't seen too many. They had thatched roofs with a white color and were a little short. Inside some of them were jewelry stores. We began making our way back, thinking it would take a bit longer than our journey there. Sure enough, in no time, we were in full sight of the Ruby Princess. Even though we didn't go to the beach like I had wanted to, the day was still nice, enjoyable, and relaxing. 

Day at Sea - Finally!

After port after port after port, this relaxing day was much needed. Until today, I hadn't really felt like I was actually on a cruise because our daily routine consisted of waking up early, going out to port, coming back exhausted, going to dinner, seeing a show or hot tubbing, and sleeping. Needless to say, I enjoyed sleeping in past 6 am. The second I woke up at 11, I quickly got ready for a poolside day. Unfortunately, I didn't put a sufficient amount of sunscreen on for the four hours I played in the raw sun. That happened to be the biggest "oops" of the trip...and I will never sunbathe for that long with so little sunblock again. 

Once I realized just how badly burnt I was, I immediately left the sun and went inside for some shade. We began the long process of hair and make up for our first formal night. Eventually, the three of us made it out the door and at the table. After eating an amazing dinner, I joined some of my new friends for 50's night at Club Fusion and karaoke afterwards. It was a fun night ending in just as much exhaustion as any of our previous ports.

Bella Napoli - or rather Amalfi and Sorrento

This is my third time coming to the port of Naples, and this is my third time doing something other than seeing the city. Naples isn't the most exciting nor safest city for tourism, unless you want to eat pizza all day. Rather than roaming around a less than spectacular city, we went on our first and last ship excursion to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. My mom had wanted to go to Sorrento, since we hadn't been there and we thought it would be a nice scenic, relaxing day. It was a huge difference from our action packed Rome and Florence adventures. Our first stop on the tour was Sorrento. Normally on ship excursions, they take the tours to some kind of factory with the opportunity of purchasing nice items. We went to an outlet store of beautiful wooden carved tables, chairs, and jewelry boxes. We were then allotted free time to explore Sorrento. We mainly shopped on one of the main shopping streets in search of souvenirs and cough drops. We found both. With Grandma's collection, we now have cough drops in every language!

After a long and windy bus ride, we arrived at Amalfi. On the way, if any of us was awake, we saw a gorgeous coast line, expensive hotels for a future destination, celebrities' villas, and quaint coastal towns. Before reaching our destination, we ate lunch at a four star hotel overlooking the Amalfi Coast. It was absolutely breath taking complimented by delicious food. After lunch, we continued on our drive to Amalfi. The first time my parents and I ventured to Amalfi, I was car sick. I was so car sick I had to keep my head down so I didn't see the windy cliffs we were racing through. When we saw tour buses, we couldn't imagine how scary it would be. But actually, the buses have to go a lot slower than cars, which helps the motion sickness. When we finally reached Amalfi, we walked around the town and shopped. At the local church, there was a wedding and the bride and groom were outside the church taking pictures they will never forget. Although we chose against seeing another church, the church is open for visitors. I would definitely recommend this trip again, because the Amalfi Coast's beauty is difficult to absorb in just one trip.

Roman Holiday

With a relative knowledge of geography, Rome is not directly on the ocean. In fact, it is about an hour train ride or hour and a half taxi ride from the port. Since my mom loves figuring things out on her own, we took the train into Rome and planned to use the subway as transportation from one sight to the other. Our first stop was the one sight my grandma personally requested: the Spanish Steps. My mom and I couldn't figure out why she wanted to see the Spanish Steps so badly. I mean, after all, they are just a lot of steps. And she was slightly disappointed when she looked around and said, "This is it?" On our way to the Trivi Fountain, we made a bathroom break at the most elaborate and exquisite McDonald's in the world. It was unlike anything I had ever seen for a fast food place. This McDonald's was lavishly decorated with marble flooring and a few statues. Although the toilets may not have been up to par according to my high standards, the overall atmosphere of a fancy restaurant in a McDonald's is an experience not to be skipped!

After our lavish McDonald's visit, we followed a tour group to the Trivi Fountain. In such a tourist congested area, it is always important to keep an eye out for gypsy children who can steal all your valuables right before your very eyes. However, I have noticed a drastic improvement from my first time visiting Rome, but it is always important to be on the cautious side. When visitors wish in the Trivi Fountain, each is allowed three wishes. The first two are your free choice, but the last is always to return to Rome, and it has never failed me! Each time I've wished in the Trivi Fountain, I've found myself returning, as well as my other wishes fulfilled. Our next stops to cross off our list were 5 churches that either my mom, grandma or I had never seen before. All of which the American travel phenomenon Rick Steves recommends. The first church we wandered into is my personal favorite church in Rome, St. Ignasis. During construction, the church ran out of money to complete it with all marble columns and the dome. In order to appear lavish, the church painted a three dimensional dome on a canvas and painted some columns as in order to make them look like marble! Pretty clever if I don't say myself. In the end, they made a gorgeous church and the lack of money is not noticeable to the ordinary visitor. The next church on our list was the Pantheon. The Pantheon was originally a pagan and has been recently featured in the blockbuster Angels and Demons. On my mom and grandma's last trip in November, they did not visit the Pantheon, only walked by it. Although the church was in service at the time, we made up for it. 

By the end of our church expedition, it was 12 pm. Not bad to see 5 churches, the Trivi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps in only 3 hours. We then went to lunch in the Plaza Nirvoano. The three of us shared a pizza and salad. Most Americans find Italian pizza disappointing. However, I don't really notice a difference between pizza in Italy and pizza at Italian restaurants. Ordering at Pizza Hut is a different story though. While walking to our next stop, a galleria, we saw one of my best friends from USC, Joey! I screamed in excitement as we crossed paths in Rome! It's always weird seeing someone from home in Europe. Last time, I ran into Kim and Amber from high school, knowing they were in Europe too. But this caught me completely off guard because I had no idea that he was even in Europe! After a short walk back to the Pantheon, we parted ways, but it was still good seeing someone from home. 

The galleria we visited was once a palace for a wealthy and influential family. They had a huge art collection, complete with originals and copied works. Some of the copies were so close to the original painting, that it was difficult to tell if the painting was the original or not. At every audio mark, Grandma stopped to listen to the handset. She was enthralled with the collection as well as the elaborately decorated rooms the palace invited guests to dance and dine. Although a house tour and art collection could put me to sleep, it was the highlight of the day for Grandma. After listening to all of the recordings, we headed back to the train station to ensure that we caught our train...but we never would have guessed the trouble it took to get there. 

The lucky day we were in Rome was the day the Giro d'Italia blocked some of the streets, severely inconveniencing some of the tours from the cruise ship and our route to the subway station. At first, the bike race was really exciting! First the cop would come by, then the biker followed by its car with substitute bikes and supporters. As the biker would race by, spectators rattled the gates in support of the biker. Unfortunately, we did not know the race's route. We walked from the monument of the tomb of the unknown soldier all the way to the Coliseum in search for the metro. Towards the end, we were getting a little frantic because we were in jeopardy of missing our train. Finally, we found the station and raced to our train. We were literally minutes away from missing the train. And missing the train entailed missing the boat. But overall, we had a great day in Italy as we sail towards Naples!

Home of the Medicci: Florence!

Today's journey to Florence only took one train ride. Quite less adventurous as a bus and a walk! In order to see different sights than our previous 3 times, we took a walking tour with one of the best art historians I have ever met. This girl knew what the story behind every stone on a building. We learned all about the Medicci family; how they lived, their influence in Florence, and the remnants of their history. When the average person goes to Florence or Rome, he or she doesn't really appreciate each building. I would have never guessed that the restaurant I quickly ate at today dated back to the 15th century. When you learn the story behind the buildings and the feuds between the weathy and powerful families, you really get a profound appreciation for the archetecture that is standing before you. And that was what our tour guide gave us, well at least me.

After the tour, my mom wanted to go see the Medicci Chapel and Saint Lorenzo Church. Well, so much for that...we went shopping instead! Majority rules. My grandma bought a white belt and a new black purse she's been looking for. I bought a purse, a few scarves, and some souvineer gifts for Tommy and Jonathan. Eventually, yes, we did make it to St. Lorenzo and it was definitely worth seeing. After understanding the prominence of the Medicci, we played a bit of art history and figured out some things for ourselves with the foundation our guide gave us earlier today.

Currently, we're on our way to Rome, church capital!!!

First Port of Call: Monte Carlo!

Today, the Ruby Princess docked at Monte Carlo!! Since my mom and I had already been here twice, my mom thought it would be nice to do something no one has done! One wrong direction, one bus ride, and about a mile walking later, we arrived at the Villa Rothschild. Located between Monaco and Villa Franche, it has 7 gardens (4 of which we walked through) and the manor over looking two harbors. In the first garden located outside the manor doors, there was a fountain water show every 20 minutes accompanied by orchestra and opera music. The atmosphere was relaxing, just what we all needed. Honestly, it was gorgeous! Built for a princess. The couple that built the villa died without any children, so it is open for visitors. We ventured through the exotic garden. Well, I guess their idea of exotic was plants native to California, cacti. The garden just below was inspired by Beatrice's visits to Asia. Although my grandma didn't want to walk through, I took the camera and snapped around 20 pictures worthy of a post card. Honestly, you couldn't go wrong! For lunch, we ate in the cafe inside the manor. Interestingly enough, it is located just outside the dining room where Beatrice and Rothschild guests dined on a nightly basis. The view was stunning, and we were sad to leave it.

After walking the same mile and taking the same bus back, I thought it would be a great idea to go to the casino since my grandma hadn't seen it. Even though we managed to get to a villa neither of us had been before, getting to Monte Carlo Casino, where my mom and I had been twice, was a completely different story. My mom thought taking the public bus would be easier than walking. Knowing that we were going to the casino, the bus driver didn't inform us that the only bus stop would be the stop for the elevator, so we missed it. Then, we had to walk all the way back through the tunnel and figure out how to get into the correct elevator. What there aren't signs for is you have to go down one elevator, cross the street underground, and then go up from there. At least if you ever go it will be easier for you.

And there it was, Monte Carlo Casino in all its glory. Parked outside are the Ferraris and Masseratis of the wealthy gamblers inside. This is popular for tourists because its not everyday you see a car worth more than your lifetime earnings! The view of the Med is exceptional from there as well. Although we've been there multiple times, we've never gone into the casino because it costs 10 euros just to get in. Imagine how much you'll lose gambling! Even though it was difficult getting there, returning to the ship was as easy as can be when you take a water boat!

Our next stop is Florence! Can't wait!

BARCA!

Yesterday afternoon, my mom, grandma and I arrived in Barcelona. Upon our arrival, we labourously pulled our luggage through the subway to the hotel. Our hotel is located on Las Ramblas, a very touristy part of town. And we have a balcony overlooking one of the most popular parts of the street. However, my mom had her first almost failure...she booked the hotel for June instead of May. But it was no problem! One major difference between Spain and England are the pick pocketers. Even though it is not very fashionable, I would recommend carrying your back pack on the front rather than the back, if you don't want to lose some valuables.

After freshing up at the hotel, we went to my favorite church in the world La Sagrada Familia. Every time I have been to Barcelona, I've checked on the progress of the church. Contractors have been building the church for over 75 years and it's thought it won't be done for another 50. I absolutely love the architecture of the church. Every detail has a specific meaning from the spiral staircases to the gargoyles. Unfortunately, the line was too long and we were too tired to go up the lift and climb around the top of the church. On our first trip, we did this and it is definitely something to be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

We arrived on the day of the big soccer game: Barcelona vs. Manchester Utd. The city was thriving with blue and maroon fans flocking the streets. At the hotel, I met some students from a small liberal arts college in North Carolina who invited me to watch the game with them. Although we had no idea what was going on, we tried our best to cheer and boo appropriately. Among the students was a fellow ADPi sister!! Who would have guessed!?! It was great to meet someone who has the same appreciation as I do for diamonds and lions. We then went into the streets for a bit to experience the excitement of the Barca fans! We didn't stay for long because it got more rowdy than celebrations in the states. This makes Laker fans look terrible! If we win the NBA championship, I expect a celebration like this!

While the massive celebration was taking place, this was not the night to have a balcony on Las Ramblas. Cheers and fireworks didn't cease until around 2 in the morning when the police cleared everyone out of the streets. And this morning, it looked like nothing happened! There was no sign of the massive party that took over the city. Quite amazing if you ask me.

Earlier today, we finally boarded our cruise ship and currently we are headed to our first stop: Monte Carlo!

London: Days 2, 3 and 4

Getting internet has been a bit more difficult than I previously thought...Anyways, our second day in London we ventured to Hampton Court, most famously associated with Henry VIII. In honor of his 500th anniversary, Hampton Court had an entire special exhibition of him, including a reinactment of the day he married his last wife, Katherine Parr, and an exhibition of his six wives. Rarely viewed artifacts and portraits were displayed for our viewing pleasure in his apartments. We also watched a fencing and falconry demonstration where young children were invited to participate. It's too bad I or another member of our group wasn't younger because it would have made this a day to remember. One of the most interesting things we explored was the kitchens where servants prepared two meals for 800 people daily!! Not to mention a courtier of his court ate 4,500-5,000 calories a day!! I guess he may not have been the only one to turn out fat....

After our adventure at Hampton Court, by my special request we went to the world famous Harrods. Unfortunately, we only had 30 minutes to look at pretty things we couldn't afford, but we did buy a cute bracelet. Small, but at least we can say we bought something from Harrods! And accross the street, was my second favorite store in the universe, Zara! I first discovered Zara in Portugal a few years ago and have been enchanted since. Even though it originates in Mexico, there are few in California and the one that I have been to wasn't my favorite. But the ones in Europe are to die for! Walking out, I found a shirt with a, wait for it...diamond!!! Now, this may not be a big deal to you, but its a big deal to me since the ADPi symbol is a diamond and shirts are hard to come by. Oh, and yes, I bought it.

Yesterday, we went to Cambridge with London Walks on their explore day. London Walks is a fabulous way to get to know any part of London with detailed tours lasting around two hours. But once a week, they have an explore day and it's a great deal! Our first stop in Cambridge was the American Cemetery. Since it was Memorial Day in the U.S., the cemetery had a ceremony playing the national anthem upon our arrival. Ironically, I've never celebrated Memorial Day more appropriately, and who to think in England! Our next stop was the walk itself where we learned all about the university and the individual colleges. Quick fact: 80 Nobel Prize winners are associated with Cambridge and around 40 went to Trinity College. Trinity College was founded by our man of the hour, Henry VIII. I guess he wanted to leave a better name for himself. The highlight of the day was going punting down the Cam. It was a beautifully relaxing trip, even amusing when a punter was close to falling in the water occasionally!! We ended the night exhausted in our new hotel, Jury's Inn in Chelsea. A bigger hotel than we normally stay, but quite nice indeed.

Today, we started our day a bit later than normal waking up a quarter til 9. Who would guess sleeping in would be considered past 6 a.m., considering at home I don't get up until 10 at the earliest! As soon as we could we were at Leister Square buying tickets to Hairspray! On past trips, we went to multiple plays, but on this trip, Hairspray would be our first and last. Between buying the tickets and the show, my mom thought it would be a great idea to go to Winston Churchill's War Rooms during WWII. This was perhaps one of the most interesting museums I've been to because for me, it was history coming to life. We walked through the halls that Churchill himself commanded fighting the Germans. With about an hour to get to our play, we left the museum and Churchill. Neither myself nor my mother or grandma had seen the play. My initial thought was whether the actors would have British accents or try to master Baltimore accents...and they tried! I thoroughly enjoyed Hairspray, although I did have some problems with a few of the actors. I felt Tracy was played too old and Amber played too unsophisticated. On the other hand, Wilbur and Edna were absolutely hysterical!! Clearly the highlight of the performance!!

After the show, we met up with one of my sorority sisters, Marissa, who is finishing her study abroad program here. During dinner, my mom played a thousand questions because I will be participating in the same studying abroad program that she is completing. It was a nice break to see someone else! Well that was my trip to London and boy did it go by fast!! Next stop: Barcelona!!

Greetings from London!!

Friday at 3:20 p.m. my mom, grandma, and I anxiously boarded our British Airways flight direct from Los Angeles to Heathrow London. Our day had already started out rough, forgetting and misplacing important items and documents, how were we ever going to make it three weeks!! My mom and grandma had made a great choice in flights since we didn't have a lay-over in Chicago or Atlanta like we normally do. These lay-overs can extend travel times by days (well, it certainly feels like that). Not having a lay-over was definitely one of the better decisions to begin a trip and certainly easier to keep track of everything...and everyone!

I've always thought international plane companies to be sooo much nicer than American ones, and this certainly stands for British Airways. Their service, food, and aircraft were all up to par. Although I was envious of the first class passengers, I had enough room to sleep for an hour or two. On long flights, I would wholeheartedly recommend some sort of sweat or pajama pant, just to make curling up on a chair a little easier. I'd never tried that before and it did the trick.

Upon arriving in Heathrow around 9 a.m. this morning, we went through the airport with little trouble and little waiting. The public transportation in Europe is millions of lightyears ahead of our public transportation system (or lack of) in Los Angeles. There are two ways to get from Heathrow to London: the London Express and the London Connect. Can you guess which one is more expensive? The London Connect is about half the price as the London Express, although it is a bit longer. And that's in pounds...in dollars its probably 3 times more expensive. So you can guess which one my money-pinching mom choose, which ended up timing our arrival at our hotel perfectly.

Our hotel is not too far from Paddington Station, which makes pulling the luggage around a lot easier since we don't have to endure the busy Tube with three suitcases and three back packs. After getting settled, the beautiful day was impossible to resist. We dined at the Victoria, the pub down the street. To Americans, a pub might be a peculiar place to grab lunch or dinner, but to the British and the Irish, its an every day custom. Grandma and I ate fish and chips, while my mom, hoping to not upset her already queezy tummy, ate a delicious roast beef sandwich. We then walked off our pub grub at Kensington Park. Another custom foreign to Americans is the use of parks. Now, we have small playgrounds and grassy knolls where we may have an occasional picnic or football game with not too many people around. But Europeans, especially the British and the French from my experience, go to the park daily, if the weather allows. And on a beautiful day like this, naturally families, friends, and football teams (American and soccer) gathered for a nice day outside. Our mission impossible was finding the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The receptionist at the hotel gave us the impression that it was on one side of the park, but of course it was no where close. After giving up four times, we found it! Now, this wasn't your typical fountain with a statue and spouting water; this was a circle, kind of like a river, where families and children could come splash and put their feet in it. In hindsight, this fountain embodied what the Princess of the People would have wanted to be remembered as.

Mom and Grandma were getting to the point of near exhaustion and wanted nothing more than to return to the hotel and sleep for an hour or two. I knew that if I got even the smallest taste of sleep, I wouldn't wake up. And that was exactly what I did when they failed to drag me out of bed. While they went to a London walk, I stayed in the hotel and slept. I woke up ten minutes prior to their arrival. Aparently, for the first time my mom failed to find a London Walk and they took a bus through the city instead. London Walks are great for an afternoon or night activity and you can find one to fit any interest. My personal favorite is their famous Jack the Ripper Walk departing from the Tower Hill tube station every night. While studying for his role as Jack the Ripper, Johnny Depp took the walk with the famous tour guide. If that doesn't tell you how good this walk is, then I don't know what does.

Well, that's it for the night. Even though I slept for most of the afternoon, I'm still exhausted and wouldn't mind more sleep. I'm sorry to say that I won't be watching the Laker game that is on in a few hours...

Freshman Year: Check!

            At 2:00 pm on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, I walked into my last final of freshman year.  All I wanted was to get this stupid final over with because it was at the very last time slot on the very last day.  Not to mention the class wasn’t my favorite.  I knew I would return to a practically empty suite still having to pack the remainder of my stuff.  And I knew it would be almost as sad as graduating from high school.  The thing about high school summers is everyone lives close, with the exception of the annual family vacation.  But in this case, I had friends returning to all parts of the country.  And then there’s housing.  I won’t be living with any of the people on my hall because I’ll be living in my sorority house.  Since high school graduation, it’s just been a whirlwind of changes, and each one has its fun, new experiences.

            For the last month and a half of freshman year, I declared two minors, attended many sorority events, wrote a lot of papers, and completed my first internship.  After years of addiction to Law and Order, I declared a forensics and criminality minor.  And who wouldn’t minor in Spanish, one of the world’s leading languages?  I think these are the minors I will stick with, after debating over marketing, health communication, and communication in the entertainment industry. 

            Completing my first internship was probably one of my proudest moments of the year.  I had a busier schedule and harder classes than last semester.  I was even involved in all of the same extracurriculars, Trojan Vision and ATVN.  And then, adding an internship on top of that…I never thought I’d make it out of freshman year alive (or at least with a good GPA)!  I accomplished all that I wanted to in the end, and all of the craziness and extra work was definitely worth it.

            Our last ADPi invite was Diamond Ball. It may not have been the best due to personal problems, but it was certainly the nicest venue, the best food, and the most dazzling to see.  Everyone looked absolutely stunning, and the class of 2009 will definitely be missed.  Before the invite, we ate at Zip Fusion, a Japanese restaurant near downtown.  I devoured some of the best sushi and teriyaki beef I’ve ever had.  All in all, it ended up being a great night.

            Currently, I’m unpacking my stuff from my dorm and packing my suite case for my upcoming European adventure. You can follow my everyday excursions on this blog. I’ll hopefully have updates, however long, everyday depending on internet availability.  GO LAKERSSSSSSS!!!

            

Hopes and Tragedies

            Three weeks ago, the USC community experienced the worst tragedy of the school year.  Two FRESHMEN were walking back to campus from Greek Row. Neither has returned to school, but one will never. For most students I talked to, this was their first time experiencing the death of a friend. Unfortunately, this is my second since graduation. I did not personally know her, but I had multiple connections to her, including that we both worked at the bookstore on the ground floor. I have multiple emails from her asking me to cover her shifts. However, I do know Marcus, the boy that was hit and is still currently in the hospital.

            When death occurs, communities are formed and relationships are strengthened. The Greek community carried the weight of this tragedy together. On Monday, March 30, a candle light vigil was held in honor of Adri and in hopes that Marcus would make a speedy recovery. Every house was represented in great numbers. We cried together and lent a shoulder to lean on. Without knowing the support of the Greek community, none of us would have been able to overcome this tragedy. It’s almost sad that the strength of a community has to be tested with such a horrific event.

            I equated this incident with Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones.  My favorite quote from the book is Susie’s statement “These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence; the connections – sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost but often magnificent – that happened after I was gone”.  As she watched her family from heaven overcome her disappearance, Susie realizes something beautiful forms around it. All we can ever hope for in death is a positive outcome, some purpose that gives it meaning.

            Personally, the hardest concept for me to get over was anyone could have been hit. Me, my best friends, anyone of my sisters. It’s almost odd that death is mostly associated with older people, when in reality, it can happen at any moment, whenever God decides that it is time to go. This experience has left me not taking anything for granted and cherishing every day and every smile.

            Unfortunately, people don’t value life. And even worse, those who do have to carry that burden. Keep your heads up, USC. God bless.

Where To Begin...

Hello everyone!!!

          Time has certainly gotten away from me this semester!! It’s taken me a while to get a concrete weekly schedule and now that it is complete, I can share it with you.  My goal for this semester was to get my first internship, just to get the “first” over with.  I was lucky enough to land an internship at The Gotham Group.  The Gotham Group is a management and production company that has produced a number of films including The Spiderwick Chronicles, Starsky and Hutch, Chicken Little, and Papa Hemmingway (in production now!).  Apart from the basic office duties such as filing, copying, stapling, binding, and all that fun stuff, I read scripts and write coverage.  I can also read other scripts for fun!!  So far, so good.  But I’ve never known filing to be so brutal!!  I walk out of there with three or four paper cuts on various fingers.  It’s ok, you can laugh.

            I was really excited for my classes this semester because all of them sparked some interest in me.  I’m currently taking modern philosophy and the meaning of life, the history of the news, improvisation and theater games, neuroscience, and plays and the question of performance.  I expected philosophy to be a lot like theory of knowledge, but I was entirely wrong. We are studying different philosophers (some that are not so modern) and that pretty much covers that course.  At the moment, we have not found the meaning of life. But once I do, I will let you know immediately! The history of the news is interesting because I’ve noticed that a lot hasn’t really changed from the beginning of time except for content; people have always had a crave for learning about other people or events (which could be one reason why you’re reading this now haha). My improv class has been sworn to be a life-changing class. After every class, I walk out with extreme amounts of energy, sometimes a little too much energy. Not allowing other people to govern your thoughts about the world is really a life-enhancing experience, although, these flashes of confidence last only for the night. You may be wondering why I decided to take a neuroscience class. I figured well, I don’t want to be the dumb girlfriend, since as many of you may know, Jonathan is a neuroscience major. Let’s just say your brain may be safer in his hands…Last but certainly not least is my arts and letters. It’s nice that I’ve already read 3 of the plays and been in one!! And this one was the favorite, Noises Off! We haven’t gotten to that section of the course but its soon to come…oh the memories!

            Now that you are enlightened on my classes, you may want to know what else I’ve been up to this semester. Like last semester, I’m volunteering at ATVN and TrojanVision. At ATVN, I still hold the same position, assignment desk. I didn’t have enough time in my schedule to be a writer/shooter/editor, but my time will come. However, at “CU@USC”, I moved up a notch to be a senior producer! The difference is that I get to run the show! I decided, along with my partner, which aspects we want the interview to cover. I’ve had a lot of fun so far so hopefully our luck continues!

            Back in January, I turned 19! I had my birthday party at the Geisha House, a restaurant in Hollywood. It was the most successful party I’ve ever thrown and I had the time of my life! That night, my two worlds mixed for the first time! Friends from Walnut came over and met all of my new friends at USC.

 

           This week is my sorority’s charity for the Ronald McDonald House. We call it Row Cup. It’s a soccer tournament among the fraternities. So this week I will be far busier than normal. I hope the beginning of the year has treated you well and I promise I’ll keep you updated more often!