Winter Winds

My last blog expressed my feelings about changing my 'Christmas' tradition for the first time in 16 years.

As I would have guessed, my first Christmas in the UK was fabulous. Much like with my time in Long Island, the amount of food consumed was ridiculous. Only difference was that now it was spread out over three days. Doesn't seem as though I've gained any (noticeable) weight, which, after the chocolate, alcohol, turkey, duck, chicken and everything else, is rather surprising. The food, to put it simply, was nothing short of incredible.

While we were singing carols on the Green with a majority of the villagers, I realised that I was in the middle of something that closely resembled Stars Hollow (a nice Gilmore Girls reference for those of you out there). Not only is the village small, but everyone knows who you are and are beyond genuine. I can't even count the amount of times I went up to introduce myself to someone in the village and they already knew/heard 'quite a lot about [me]'.

After 18'' of snow hitting the north a week ago, the landscape was something out of a storybook; a lovely picturesque scene. Going down the pub was a great time. Once again, people were nothing but friendly and the atmosphere was lively. Over all, I had a fantastic Christmas experience. And even though I was 3,000 miles away from the Levin/Fleischhacker family in Long Island, I still was able to Skype via the computer here!

I put a few pictures up for those of you don't have facebook. We'll hopefully be staying up North until the new year (though it's possible we'll be spending our time by the Thames for fireworks). I must admit, this is the first time in three years I won't be with Salcock for New Years. Love, have a good glass of wine and a few shots in my name and tell everyone hello for me.

As usual, I'll be posting my reflection update towards the end of the week with a look back at 2010. In the mean time, enjoy this grey area in the Holiday season!

Festavis for the rest of us...

According to The Guardian, England could see a 'white Christmas' this year.

And for the first time since 1994, I won't find myself squeezed into the back of dad and Lori's car between various food items and bags of presents. We won't be dodging pot holes and snow mounds on Route 17 and 4. I will not watch as the vein on my father's neck grow larger and larger, close to the point of exploding (almost like clock work despite Lori's best efforts) somewhere between the Cross Bronx and the L.I. E. There will be no flipping back and forth between the 660 'traffic and weather' and our mixed 'Christmas tape' (All three Channukah Songs inclued) as we bound towards Melville, Long Island to celebrate the holidays once more. Instead, I'll be forging the crowds at King's Cross/St. Pancras headed north for Lincolnshire. Bags in hand rather than on seats. The vein will now be popping out of my neck (and possibly some colorful words from my mouth) as Adam now tries to calm me. Mumford and Sons will more than likely be music of choice.

And for the first time in 16 years, I will not find Amy commandeering the CD player (which changed to iPod in 2001). Kid's 'gift time', comprised of presents wrapped in both 'Star of David' and 'Christmas Tree' wrapping paper, will no longer seem like something out of Animal Planet. There will be no need to ask 'can Ashley eat this?' (regardless of not being Koshar for over a year). And while goodbyes take twice as long as normal, for we are all either Jewish or Italian, I do not know what this year's goodbyes will have in store. Instead, I'll be eating mince pies, sipping mulled wine, putting up a stocking for Father Christmas, and going down the village pub on Christmas Eve (just to name a few things I've heard about).

Goodbye Festavis Pole of Rout 110.

Hello North Kelsey Christmas Tree on the Green.

This Christmas, if you haven't already noticed, is going to be slightly different from previous years. From the traveling to the dinner itself, the Levin holiday shenanigans will be left to those out on the Island while I participate (and absurdly excitedly might I add) in the Lane family Christmas traditions. And yet, while I will miss what I've known since childhood, I am eager to experience what is in store for this 25 of December.

Turkeys, Tunes and Talks

First, and foremost, a massive Happy Thanksgiving to friends and family celebrating back home today. Enjoy your extra two days off with one another (God only knows you all deserve it). I miss you guys so much, but know you'll have an extra turkey leg or piece of pie for me. I think the weather knew it was Thanksgiving at home and decided to be extra nice today; sunny, crisp, and clear. Can't get much better than that.

Adam and I went to see Jimmy Eat World on Tuesday night. The arena, O2 Academy in Brixton (London) was the perfect venue for a band such as this. High ceilings, massive, stadium-like, standing area (so vertically challenged people, such as myself, aren't left to watch the back of some guys head for two hours), multiple bars on both levels (negates long lines), and lower side areas so that you have the option to lean while still enjoying the music. Not to mention the decor was what you would expect of an old British performance area. Simply beautiful. It's been almost over 3 years since I last saw them (I think it as at the DAR in DC), and I have to say they get better with time (unlike a some bands, *cough* Eve 6 *cough* who, perhaps, should call it quits). 23, Big Casino, Table for Glasses, The Middle, The Sweetness were amongst some of the songs played. Though I think their final song, Goodbye Sky Harbor, in full performance, might I add, was the perfect way to end their set before the encore (the fact that they were able to incorporate a bit of technology with that one, and still have it sound brilliant, was mind blowing). Personally, I thought one of the best parts of the performance was the audience itself. There was a part of me that was a bit worried that they were going to attract 'teeney-boppers' and really young university students; luckily, I was wrong. People of all ages attended (I even saw a few pensioners there) making for a fantastic night over all.

Adam also came in second in The Guardian (Like the NYTimes) 2010 Travel Writing Competition (out of 2000 entries) last weekend. So incredibly proud of him. Check out his article at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/nov/20/reader-competition-adventure-winner

(Second from the top titled 'Mongolia or Bust').

Now, I've saved the best for last in this post. Some of you already know this because of facebook or because of my frantic texting, but if you haven't been updated, I had an interview yesterday with a publishing group. By the end of hour, I had a job. I will be, as of January, starting as the PA to the director of Elwin Street. Even better, I get to start off as an intern (unpaid of course) tomorrow until Christmas, which means that I have the opportunity to really get to grips with the company and see if this is the right place for me (of course this will also mean that she gets to monitor my progress and see if she thinks I'm still a good choice by the end of the few weeks).

It seems like good news all around.

Pens, flashes and cups of coffee

Well well well...hasn't the past few weeks just been one surprise after another.

Let's start with one of my newest writing obsessions: Yelp. For those of you who have never heard of and/or been on the Yelp website, to put it frankly, 'get in.' Your online ratings guide to just about everything and anything, almost anywhere in the world, Yelp was brought to my attention by my lovely boyfriend after suggesting we attend one of their London events. So we journeyed a whole 5 minutes down the road towards Portobello to taste (for free might I add) the various cuisines and drinks from a variety of locally owned restaurants. Two hours later, we left delighted; stomachs full with sushi,crepes,quesadillas, and couscous, pockets filled with vouchers/menus, and ever so slightly drunk. Over all, a very successful evening. After that, I decided Yelp was to be my newest writing obsession, and, seeing I have a bit of time on my hands at the moment (ha), there was no reason not to make it so. For those of you interested in using Yelp, you can find it at: http://www.yelp.com (or .co.uk if you're in the UK). For my profile/reviews see: http://www.yelp.co.uk/user_details?userid=nO-AlmeSHteTNx3N8yKxWA

Right, from there came a second idea to bide my time in the world of fun-employment. Seeing as I'm always trying to promote my photography services, I decided to follow along with some of my other friends/fellow photographers and create a facebook page for Ashley Bess Photography. If you look on the side panel of this blog, you'll see I've put a direct link, for your viewing pleasure. So far, I have 122 likes, meaning that 122 people are following my page, hopefully resulting in clientele.

On that note, I did a shoot for The Baytree Centre yesterday for their 2010 Knit-Off/Clothing Drive, which was a huge success. To further this, for those of you who have been following along my photography via my flickr account, lifelessordinary7 , thank you and please keep up the viewing. However, after being given a wonderful tidbit of advice from another fellow photographer, I've decided to split my photography one more time. Now, if you're interested in viewing anything 'business' related (community events, weddings, photo shoots etc.) please see www.flickr.com/Ashleybessphotography. For all other 'personal' shots (artistic photographs) continue following lifelessordinary7.

Finally, and this is an exciting one, there is an opening with a literary agent in London for an internship/assistant position; we're meeting for coffee today to discuss the position. While it's not paid, it's much welcomed experience; experience that will most definitely help me transition into the editorial/literary world.

'The news man gives information, everything is under control'

Hello all!

It's been some time since I last updated. A few things have happened, though at the moment I'm still in what one might call 'limbo'.

Currently, my job situation (something that has been the main form of both contention and excitement in my life over the past few weeks) is still up in the air. At the moment it seems I have two main prospects:

1. Working at an estate agency in London writing up contracts (writing and picture taking included).

2. A major publishing house in Singapore (yes, Singapore!) has been in contact with me regarding a position with their company. I'm still waiting to hear back about an actual interview, but I've been answering questions for them left and right. I had to submit a 'written test' for them yesterday. This prospect is beyond exciting.

Yet the most exciting bit is graduate school. It seems that King's is very interested in my application. However, because I did get my application in rather late (two days before the deadline), they've asked me to defer my application until November for the 2011 entry rather that 2010. To have the opportunity to study at King's would be out of this world (it is, after all, according to The Times Online, in the top 20. In the world! And to think back to the struggle I went through when trying to get into a decent university out of high school. How things change).

As a lot of you know, I'm coming home on Monday. I'm not sure how long I will be home for (depending on my VISA situation), but I will definitely be in the States until the 11th of October. Those of you in NJ/NY/MD/DC I've sent out an 'invite' for various dates I'm trying to get people together. Let me know if you're interested in meeting up. It would be great to see everyone!

Oh, and for you food buffs out there, have a look at this nifty little thing they have in London.

http://www.chinchinlabs.com/

Waiting

At least this time off has offered me the opportunity to start writing again. Enjoy.

Waiting…

A continuous cycle.

Up. Eat. Run. Write. Wait. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.

One day you hope to find what you are so desperately seeking. What you have sought after for so long. For now you just sit. Sit and hope and think and wait. Watch the clock. Or don’t. It rarely changes its long uneven arms. Those wiry arms that crawl around its face. Perhaps one day it will drip right off the wall. Why not? Anything is possible when one is uncertainly waiting.

Eventually, you lose your purpose. Your reason ‘to be’. Draw the shutters and turn the lights off. Allow the darkness to consume you and you it. Devour its soul. Feast on its vastness. It will fill you to the brim, with only an inch to spare.

Or perhaps you triumph over the never-ending feeling of infinity. Forever is such a long time. Make lists. Plans. Jobs. Continue waking and walking until the clock begins to spin its outstretched arms once more and you lose track of its movement.

Weeks roll by. Perhaps even months. You keep your lists. Continue with your plans. Move on with your jobs. Until one day you look to the clock and the stark, painful realisation hits you once more. A blow to the brain, or perhaps ego: you are still waiting. You still lack purpose. No list, no plan, no job can fill the ever lasting void. A mere plaster over a festering wound.

What now? Where will you go from here? Weeks and months seem like eternity and one knows the length and torture of forever. Change paths or create trails? How long until you find what you crave or simply what will satisfy you? Do you give way to other options? Other ideas? Diverge from your original plan and make for new possibilities? Apparently, they are endless.

Your mind is made up. Make for a new path. Find a new way out. Out of the woods and into the clearing. The wolves have found something new to bide their time. You are free. Or at least you can feel freedom breathing down the back of your neck. Not hot and heavy, but light and sweet. A signal of things to come. Hope temporarily fills the void that has haunted you for so long.

For now continue with your lists. Keep making plans. Enquire new jobs. There is the light at the end of the tunnel and the clearing is just ahead. Eventually, your love of life will be restored. It will be slow, hesitant, cautious. It has been burned before and fears the flame that sits before it. One can never be too careful with fire.

One day, in the midst of your lists, you will look to the clock. Something has changed. It no longer melts off the wall. Those outstretched arms will embrace you. The time is now. Your suffering has passed and your reward is great. The wound has healed and the void filled. In the absence of the darkness, welcome the light and look forward to the new day.

Could things bee any more pathetic?

And so it goes.

I've been in London now for five days and Adam has been gone for the same.

It's been an interesting experience. Being in a fairly 'new' city. Alone. Without a job. It's pushing the limits for me. I can assure you that. The evenings are the worst. I'm thinking about coming home, depending on how the next few days go.

On a lighter note, I currently have the worlds dumbest wasp stuck in my bathroom a. My attempts to 'free' it were something out of an I Love Lucy episode:

I decided to make a makeshift 'Bee Protection Costume': Barbour Jacket on, zipped up to my neck and hood on, stuck my hands into really thick present bags (since we don't have oven gloves), put my sun glasses on for protection, and attempted to open the window further. No such luck. Finally, after standing there for a few minutes, hoping said wasp would figure out that the window opened at the BOTTOM and not at the top, I decided to brave the elements. Turned on the taps to the shower. Got in for a few minutes. And then...all hell broke loose. Some shadow from the outside 'pissed off' this very unfortunate wasp (one I'm sure that was nothing more than the village idiot in its home hive. There's no way this thing had any lineage to the queen or anyone with brains) and it started for the shower. I yelped, jumped out of the shower as fast as I could (unfortunately without a towel. The hallway carpet is mildly damp now), and made a run for it, leaving the shower head on the floor of the tub sticking up. Realising this only seconds after fleeing the bathroom, I (screaming at this point) turned the taps off, only to find that the wasp had resumed its normal position by the window and water was now dripping from the ceiling. What a way to start my day. Sometimes I can empathise with Alexander from 'Alexander and The Horrible No Good Very Bad Day'. Maybe I should have stayed in bed.

'I hear you're counting sheep again, Mary Jane...'

*Two weeks until I'm officially finished at Walton High. I still stand by what I said: I'm going to miss my students and the staff. I have made a few really great friends and taught some phenomenal students (ones I'll always remember).

*I've decided to take part in תיקון עולם (tikkun olam--Hebrew for 'repairing the world'). Over the summer I'll be volunteering at the Baytree Centre for women and girls. While the Young People's Activities (Ages 14-19) run for four weeks, I'm taking part in two; one week for Photography and one for Journalism. Though my search for jobs will probably be ongoing, I'm really excited to be doing something good for the community. I miss social action. I've been away from it for far too long. Adam and I both agreed, earlier this year, that we needed to get back into social action; this is my opportunity to do just that. If you're interested in finding out more about this programme, you can go to http://www.baytreecentre.org/index.html

* On a lighter note, tickets for the Royal Albert Hall came the other day. We'll be seeing Lord of The Rings performed by the London Symphony Orchestra on my birthday (what an awesome birthday gift, eh?). And no, I don't know how many holes it takes to fill The Royal Albert Hall (that statement is primarily targeted towards my father who never fails to ask me that question :)).

*Finishing the year teaching The Gothic to my year 12/13s has rekindled my love for Gothic novels. I think over the summer I'm going to sink my teeth into Mysteries of Udolpho and The Monk. Come to think of it, I have tons of books I need to read this summer. And I can. Because I will not have anything else to plan. I'll be plan-free for the first time in three years (counting my student teaching). Wow, that feels so odd.

*Must be off. My summer plans also include updating this thing far more often than I have in the past few months (and running more, and taking more photography, and writing more poetry...)

Long time no write...

It's been a while since I last properly posted. It's all been very crazy around here, what with trying to figure out a new job, how I'm going to move my stuff from MK to London, photography related items and over all work stuffs.

My job hunt has been the main issue of contention for me, as of late. I apply to two or three a day, but I've heard neither yey nor ney as of yet. It's frustrating. Some people say I should continue to look in the area of teaching, but I feel as though if I don't take a step back from it, I'll loose the passion all together. Besides, only being 23 leaves me open for a great many career options (and not just in the London area). While Dubai has had to take the back burner (for family reasons), Adam and I have started looking in Mumbai. To live in India for two years would be incredible, not to mention we'd eat like kings (Indian food for three meals a day = culinary heaven). I suppose I could say (in the most cliche way possible) that the world is, indeed, our oyster. I only hope I find the pearl soon; otherwise, I'm going to find myself with a free (though unwanted) plane ticket back to the US.

The photography exhibition turned out great. After my momentary mini-meltdown after almost everyone had cancelled 10 minutes before it was intended on starting, I ended up having 15 people in total (more than I originally thought I would have). It was great to see Yvonne, who I hadn't caught up with for over a year (she even purchased a photo--my first sale!). Having my pictures in that Pub means that Notting Hill like folk will be going in and out. My prices are incredibly reasonable (for the reason that I'm new to the photography world and cannot justify charging outlandish prices) which hopefully means they'll be willing to make a few purchases. I'll keep everyone updated on the progress of this through photos on facebook, here, and my new website that Qasim put together http://www.ashleybess.co.uk/

I must head off. Currently at Jackie and Tony's for Jackie's birthday. It's great to see them (especially in Manchester--what a city!).

Change of date!

Hi all--an update for those of you who do not have facebook--my photography opening has been changed to the 19th of June. I figured that most of you would be watching the UK vs US world cup game (rooting for the US, of course... ;) ) that night.

Looking forward to seeing you all there :)

New Jersey Success Story?! I think so!

Alright kids, some big news to share. I've been given the go ahead of hanging and selling my photography in one of the nicer pubs in Notting Hill. Those of you who do NOT have facebook and are living in the London area, please come to the opening on the 12 of June 2010. Details are as follows:

Where: The Academy 7, Princedale Rd, Holland Park, London, W11 4NP

When: 12 June 2010 6pm until close

Why: My first photography opening. Come shmooz, drink, eat, and enjoy a night of photography

Price: Free to get in. Average price for food and drinks

Website: http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/17/17682/Academy/Holland_Park

You can contact me on my mobile or at info@ashleybess.co.uk for more information regarding the opening.

Looking forward to seeing you all there! :)

Epic win :)

*I realised today I haven't posted in almost a month. Work has been, for the lack of a better term, nightmarish, for the past week in a half. Bogged down with work, I've found very little time to write or update. I have two more books to mark, but I figure I might as well take a break and update those of you who still follow this (almost two years and going...).

*A huge change from last week, I started this week with some fantastic news. One of the pubs in Notting Hill is considering the idea of allowing me to put up my photography for sale. I've already met with the manager, he's interested in taking me on, and just needs to run it by the owner. I never though I'd be able to make money from a hobby. Either way, I'm excited. I've had some suggestions that it would be more profitable if I were to actually start up a proper website, rather than just my Flickr account. Luckily, I have a friend to help me out with this (I get the domain for free, which is a huge help as well) so I'm well on my way to possibly starting a serious side project! I'll post the website name/URL here once it's up and running.

*Exactly two months from next Tuesday I'll be fully moved out of Milton Keynes and into Notting Hill with Adam. It's been a fabulous year living on my own and getting acclimated to the 'real world' (that's not to say that living in the house last year wasn't 'real life'--though it was certainly different, to say the least) and all the responsibilities, which come with it. However, given the opportunity to move in with Adam, and to Notting Hill for that matter, is far more attractive of an option to pass up.

*With that said, still no job sorted for next year, but I have a few pokers in the fire and I'll keep you posted if anything comes my way.

This was the trip that doesn't end...

And so I'm back in the UK. Arrived last Friday and have pretty much recovered from my jet lag. First day back at work was exceptionally difficult, what with my early Monday rise from London, meetings and moderating, I felt dead after 11 hours of work.

Not much of an inkling to write tonight. Pictures up on flickr. Enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifelessordinary7/

Update of flights and poetry blog...

First and foremost, I've managed to get a flight out of Philly on Thursday and arrive in Heathrow on Friday! I cannot begin to express how excited I am to be going back. WIth this said, I'm so glad I got to see everyone I wanted to (this was certainly a blessing in disguise).

Secondly, being stranded has sparked a momentary wave of creativity. Poetry blog is updated: http://lovenotwisely7.wordpress.com/
Enjoy!

Day 6-13...

As if the saying 'what can happen, will happen' couldn't hold more true than it did today. Damn you Murphy, whom ever you were!

My flight out of Philadelphia, for tomorrow, has once again been cancelled. The earliest flight? 27 of April, getting me into Heathrow on the 28th. This has just reached a new level of completely obscene. Not only now are my students going without a teacher for almost TWO WEEKS, but it will be nearly a month that I don't see Adam. I'm going out of my mind to be completely honest.

So to keep myself sane, I'm taking a day in NYC to take photos, get a bit of writing accomplished, maybe visit a museum or two, and then heading to Philly on Wednesday morning until about Friday morning where I'll be coming BACK to Baltimore for a second run.

I feel a bit in limbo right now. I'm not without a job, but I can't do anything FOR my job. It's not as though I need to look for a job, but my funds are going to start dwindling very quickly. I have friends and family here, but I'm also missing Adam horribly and my friends back in the UK. I have so much that I can see and do here, but all I want to be is in the UK getting on with my life. Such a torn feeling...

Day 5 of Epic Volcanic Disruption of Epic Proportions...

I'm entering into day five of being unable to return back to the UK. As most of you have heard (unless you've been living under a rock for the past four days...), a volcano erupted in Iceland, late Wednesday, grounding thousands of flights in and out of the UK/EU. My flight happened to be one of the first flights cancelled this past Thursday, but was luckily re-booked for this Tuesday. With this said, there is no guarantee that BA will give the flight the go ahead to fly; I could still be in the US come the end of the week.
Everyone keeps telling me that 'this is completely out of your control'; however, I still feel a sense of anxiousness and (slight) guilt at the idea that my students will be without an English teacher for anywhere from 2 to 5 days (depending on my Tuesday flight status). The fact that my older students have exams coming up intensifies my anxiousness and guilt ten fold. With this said, I'm thinking this may be the perfect time to try out the strength of Walton High's computer technology. If we could, somehow, connect to Skype, then I would be able to at least teach my exam classes during the days I miss. Not only would this be beneficial for the students, but perhaps would be a step forward with the use of interactive technology in the classroom.
Funnily, the more I reflect on being 'stranded' (if that is what one would call it), the more I realise how much of my life primarily resides in the UK. My apartment and belongings are all there. My boyfriend is there. A very positive realisation indeed. It shows I've really acclimated myself to living in England; not only that, but I still retain the same genuine enjoyment of living overseas. A seriously reassuring tid bit, indeed.
And so I wait until tomorrow to find out the next piece of news, which will lead me to (hopefully) returning home once again. In the mean time, I've been so happy to see everyone whom, had this blasted volcano not gone off, I would not have seen due to time constraints. See, even volcanic ash can have a silver lining...

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Funerals always make me think.

I don't like this first sentence. It's too short. Too simple for the topic of this post. However, it's the truth and sometimes, it's best to just say things as they are.

I've not been to many in my life time, thank God, but of the ones I've attended, I always end up following a long and in depth string of thoughts; sometimes about life itself, other times about the people whom surround me. Death is never an easy concept to cope with and perhaps this is my 'coping mechanism'. I suppose it's better than resorting to self-destructiveness such as over drinking, emotionally shutting down, denial or any of the other devices people tend to fall back upon at the loss of a loved one.

Today was Lori's father's funeral. Out on Long Island in a Jewish cemetery on, what one may ironically call 'a beautiful day', we all stood around, paying our last respects to a man known as a loving husband, father, uncle, and brother. Howie had suffered from Alzheimer's for many years, the past 5 months being the worst. As I looked at the coffin in the ground, I found myself thinking in cliches: He's in a better place. At least he's not suffering. We'll remember him as he was over a year ago, not how he has been for the better part of a year. All of which were certainly true. Elegies were read by his three children, tears were shed and prayers were recited. Drifting in and out of the main service, I found myself contemplating the rabbi; a seemingly odd thing to think about, no doubt. Here was a man who has seen, one can assume, as many deaths as he has births, and I began to wonder: how is it he separates his own emotion from the immense emotion that joins, hand in hand, with death? At one time in my life, I intended on joining the rabbanit; since then, my plans have changed. However, thinking back to my preconceived notion of the profession, I don't think I ever once took into consideration the immense emotional burden (or perhaps that is not the appropriate phrase word to use) that came with the job. While I was ready to give advice where needed, I never once thought what would happen when, eventually, someone would pass away. The need to separate myself, my emotions (and, as most of you know, I am a rather emotional person to start with), to ensure I was providing the support needed for the ailing families of the lost. Today, I wondered how this man did just that. How can anyone separate themselves, emotionally, from death, especially when you are around it so often? Is it something that you must learn, as doctors, policemen, and firefighters must do in order to effectively carry out their jobs? Or is it something that comes naturally? Something that separates those same individuals from the rest of us? I certainly do not have the answer to this question, but it's something to ponder.

Quickly quickly (part II)

Change of plans (yet again):

8pm. Slainte in Fells. My cell number is the same as last time (I got to keep it yay). If you still need it again (because we will probably move on from there), send me a message.

Hope to see someone of you Saturday!

Quickly quickly!

Just a quick update ...

...Saturday plans have changed for those of you who are looking to join in on the festivities. Gin Mill in Canton at 8pm for drinks. We may move about after a few--this being the case, let me know if you're interested in attending (if you haven't already done so) so I can give you my new number (the old cell phone from the last few visits was stolen--hence why I've been unreachable to most these past few days).

Anyway, thoroughly looking forward to seeing everyone! (Though my time in Philly has been extremely enjoyable!!!).

'Roll away your stone I'll roll away mine...'

*So I'm home. I know that some of you may have not known that I was coming back to the States for a while, but my reason for not saying anything on here was so that I could surprise my mother; and may I just say, she was quite surprised :) I decided that, because I may not have my passport/work permit sorted come the summer time, I would need to find another time to come home to see friends and family. With that said, this trip is geared more towards family as I will be home in October for the Rosenfielder/Schapiro wedding, so my time in Baltimore will consist only of Saturday to Sunday. Anyone wishing to get together, I'll be heading to Canton/Fells Point Saturday night for some drinks (nothing too crazy--just a way to catch up with everyone). Let me know if you want to meet up (I'll take your number and let you know where we end up).

*I'm taking this time home to relax, catch up with some much needed reading/running, and applying for jobs. I've already applied for one this morning at the International School of Choueifat in Bahrain. They are offering such a fantastic deal to teach such fantastic students in a cultured, unique and exciting environment, how could I do anything but apply? If I were to get this, I would be able to save up enough money to pay my way through grad school and not have loans to worry about--how amazing?

*Over the weekend I was able to celebrate (to an extent as it had to be cut short due to having to come home quicker than expected) Easter with Adam's family. It was more family time than it was religious. The meal on Friday was great; Adam's family is wonderful (I have a few pictures that I will post when I get back to the US). We also ended up seeing a more modern version of The Canterbury Tales in Leeds, which was so well done. I've never seen a group of actors so talented in my life! Not to mention, half the time you were rolling in isles or had your mouth open from disbelief that they had said or dome one thing or another. Over all, I'd highly recommend anyone go and see this (if you happen to be in the Leeds/England area some point soon).

*It's 77 degrees here right now so I am going to take full advantage of this and go for a run. Oh how I've missed the sunshine and warmth--maybe Bahrain will be a nice change of scenery, eh?

Newest Blog

Hello all.

A quick update.

I've decided that, after the disappointment that was Oxford, I am going to start taking my writing a bit more seriously. I've created a new blog devoted to my writing, in hopes to push myself to improve my ability.

http://lovenotwisely7.wordpress.com/

At this point in time, my poetry is a far cry from wonderful; however, even the greats needed to start somewhere and I figured that what better time to start than now.

Please visit and enjoy!

Thanks!

-Ashley

Rolling with the punches...

For those of you whom do not have Facebook, I received my letter from Oxford today informing me that I was not accepted into their programme.

For much of today I was extremely upset; however, with much encouragement from a variety of friends and family (thank you again everyone), I'm finding myself already feeling better about the situation. I suppose when one doors closes, another one opens. As cliche as that sounds, it's so very true. Thinking back to being rejected from Northeastern, that landed me at Towson, eventually leading me to the Towson Study abroad programme ( one of the many positive things), finally landing here in the UK. No doubt my experience at Northeastern may have been completely different, altering my experience after university.

Anyway, tomorrow is a new day and a new outlook at that.

I'm too tired to write anything else this evening...more in a few days.

God Bless you, Dylan Moran.

Oxford makes their decision tomorrow.

Right. Breathe.

For the next 4 days or so--or until I receive notice--I may be something of a nervous reck. Yes, this is completely out of my hands, but the thought that someone currently has my future resting on the surface of their mahogany desk, in some small upstairs office-like closet, in a building that probably dates back to Chaucer, makes me feel the slightest bit uneasy.

Let's put things into prospective.

Being accepted to Oxford could lead to the following:

Becoming one step closer to becoming a university professor.

Publishing my first piece of writing.

Networking with some of biggest names in publishing.

Coming out with a resume that may look like it's on steroids (metaphorically speaking).

And yet, being rejected could lead to the following:

Looking to other schools in hopes to complete a Masters in Writing/Literature.

Traveling with Adam to India to do some volunteer work/teach English.

Moving back to the US (NYC) sooner than expected.

Saving a bit more money to go towards more traveling.

All of these seem like viable possibilities--none of which are less than the others. Either way, in this situation, I think I win. Yes, I will be relatively disappointed if I do not get this; but let's be truthful here; who wouldn't be?

Moving away from Oxford for a while, I've been a bit homesick for a the past few weeks or so. I'm not quite sure what it is. Perhaps it's the fact that I've been listening to specific music that reminds me of home. Perhaps it's looking at pictures from University that makes me wish I was back in Baltimore, even just for a weekend. Or perhaps, with the coming of Spring and Summer brings back certain smells, which bring me back to certain places and times, reminding me that this will be the first summer NOT spent in the US. Luckily, I know that this pang I'm feeling will pass. I'm happy to say that, when I'm in Notting Hill/London, I don't feel it nearly as much (if at all), as I do here in Milton Keynes. I suppose that's a good sign as well.

'I'm not done with my travels, so lets run, lets run, lets run...'

A real quick update...

...for those of you whom I haven't spoken to, I finished yesterday's half marathon in 2 hours and 12 minutes; a whopping 5 minutes faster than last year. Running with another person certainly helped, as did not having stomach cramps and resisting walking at all costs. Sarah was my saving grace at times as she certainly kept me going during the painful 9 and 11 mile marks. Well done Sarah!

There are quite a few pictures up. My favourite happens to be my finishing picture caught on film. Take a look! This is, indeed, the look of pain (the last mile and a half was immensely painful). Regardless, I managed to sprint to the very finish! My next will be in July and I'm looking to cut my time down by 2 minutes. Fingers crossed.

' 'Cuz I've still got miles to go...'

A very quick post...

Milton Keynes Half-marathon this weekend. Very excited at the prospect of finishing in under 2 hour especially considering the people I'm running with and their incredible endurance levels (it'll be good to have a running group so we can keep one another going--or rather so that they can keep me going). Looking forward to that same feeling I felt when I finished last year--only this time, it'll be almost 20 minutes sooner and Adam will be running along side with me, rather than standing out in the pouring rain (like the awesome boyfriend that he is) waiting for me to finish. Not much else to say. More to come after Sunday...

'I'm a million different people from one day to the next...'

I have a bit more time now to update this and give an overview of our trip to Istanbul.

First and foremost, if you ever want to go on a trip where your main purpose is eating, I highly suggest Istanbul. Turkish food, actual Turkish food, not just some kebab place found in West London, is the best I've ever tasted; it even trumps that of the Cafes of Paris and the hole in the wall Pizza places in Rome. LonelyPlanet called it a 'gastronomical orgasm' and I fully stand by that. The mezze plates were always fresh, and you never had the same item more than once; I never knew there were that many types of humous! The lamb was flavourful. The coffee was a little bit of sweetened heaven; that is, if heaven were to have an IV drip filled with caffeine jabbed into its arm. The baklavah was flakier and sweeter than I have ever tasted (sorry Grandma, I think this may be the one and only time when I will EVER say I found something you make, made better). All in all, the food was well worth the amount of money we probably spent (and even that didn't even come CLOSE to compare to Rome and Paris).

Moving on to the actual sights in Istanbul. If you ever wondered what it was like, imagine taking Oxford Street or Madison Ave. and mashing it together with images from '1,000 Arabian Nights' or Disney's 'Aladin'. One moment you are walking down a cobble stone street with shops ranging from Monsoon and The Gap and the next thing you know you're hearing the Call To Prayer from the surrounding Mosques as you enter into one of the many side street bazaars and are being pulled in every direction to buy a carpet or a puter Turkish coffee maker. Women in Hijab and full length burkas juxtapose women carrying Louis Vuitton purses and wearing Burberry jackets. Everywhere you go has a different smell: spices, onions, honey, incense, petrol, shit--sometimes mixed and sometimes completely separate. Listening to the shouts from the bazaars drown out the noise from jackhammers coming from the adjacent buildings. The sound of continual progress and growth. The people could not be more hospitable and willing to bend over backwards to ensure you are comfortable and have what you need. That is, until you meet a cab driver who realises he has two obvious foreigners in his back seat who have no idea where they are in the city; our second cab ride, costing us 25 TL should have only been 10 TL max. With that said, everyone needs to make a living and the exchange rate was in our favour.

All in all Adam and I had a fabulous time. It was a great way to spend our one year, Valentines Day weekend and the start to my half term. We saw most of the main sights: Blue Masque, Aya Sophie, Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Asia (from the European side), and a few other places that I can't remember off the top of my head. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is looking for a slightly different experience to that of Western Europe.

Tesekkür Ederim!

I've returned from a weekend of phenomenal sights, sounds, smells, and tastes as a result of the collide of Eastern and Western culture. Istanbul was an experience of a life time, yet three days was not nearly enough. Pictures will be posted both on Facebook and my new 'photo blog':

www.flicker.com/lifelessordinary7

Enjoy :)

'Scene after scene passes by my life...'

I know it's very unlike me (as of lately) to post more than once in a week, but I thought I'd just take this time to let all of you know that I've decided to put together an online photo album. Unlike the typical facebook photo albums, which contain anything from a night out to my travels abroad, this particular Flickr account will ONLY contain photos that I have taken whilst traveling. To narrow it down even further, I'll probably only post a few from each trip; photos I really have put a great deal of effort into, not only taking, but editing as well (and by editing, I mean fiddling around with iPhoto...). This will also be a nice way for those of you out there, who don't have facebook, to actually SEE what I'm getting up to these days here in good 'ol England (unfortunately, my blog is updated far less than I would like...)

My account is: www.flickr.com/lifelessordinary7

If anyone has any problems with this address, could you please let me know so I can fix it as soon as possible!

I hope you enjoy :)

Holy toledo, Batman!

Hi all! Just a quick update seeing as I should be marking and it's already 8:30...

*First, my application for Oxford went out. Received a confirmation a week later (today) saying that they received everything and my application is the process of being reviewed. Their decision date is the 19 of March...so until then, I'm putting this out of my mind and focusing on other aspects such as...

*I'M GOING TO ISTANBUL IN A WEEK FOR OUR ONE YEAR/VALENTINES DAY WEEKEND/HALF TERM! I've never been to that part of the world before so my excitement level is through the roof at the moment. The sights, the food, the sounds, the food, the haggling in the streets, and did I mention the food? If there's one thing I love, it's Turkish Food--compliments of my grandparents taking me to this incredible Turkish restaurant in Knightsbridge. The best part, we've only spent 150 pounds each on round trip tickets, and two nights in a four star hotel (highly rated by Tripadvisor.com and we all know their word is scripture...).

*5 months = Notting Hill

*Book of Eli was an interestingly unsettling film; I can only assume that was the intention of the director thus making it successful? I still need to see Avitar and Sherlock Holmes (Jude Law = guilty pleasure. I feel so...ashamed. The Road and one other film that Adam suggested (that I can't remember off the top of my head. It's a French film so we all know there will be all of two people in the theatre) both sound really good as well. Oh and Alice in Wonderland...I can't believe it's taken them this long to decide to remake the film.

*Guitar lessons are going well. Jimmy Eat World 'The Middle' is finished and I'm moving onto 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' by Green Day as my next assignment. Rock on. *flashes rock fingers and attempts crap version of Gene Simons impression*

*MK Half Marathon in one month exactly. Status: No where NEAR ready for it. Then again, I think I was this bad this time last year so I should be okay...fingers crossed.

'So this is the new year...'

The past week or so the UK has been in a complete state of frenzy; SNOW! Much like the southern part of the US, the UK is not equipped with the proper equipment to deal with anything over 1/2 an inch of the white stuff. Now, as amusing as this is for me to sit back and watch, it still makes life incredibly difficult, not only for those in cars, but those of us who do most of our traveling by foot. For those in vehicles, reckless driving, poorly salted and plowed (if you even want to call it that) side roads, lack of snow tires and Anti-lock breaks leaves for very dangerous traveling. And for those of us who find other means to move from point A to point B, a serious lack of salting on the RedWays (what they call sidewalks here in the land of Milton Keynes) leaves room for falling on our bums, backs, wrists, and/or sides. What should be an easy 5 minute walk to school took me 10 minutes today as I went slipping and sliding up (or in this case, back down as it seemed to be two steps forward one slide back) the hill that leads to school from my apartment. Schools have also closed last Wednesday and Thursday. It's amazing how teachers revert back to days of being in school; we were looking forward to a snow day as much as the students (if not to simply play out in the snow, then to certainly catch up on any work we may have fallen behind/not accomplished over the holiday the week prior). I can only imagine the incredible material British Comedians are getting from these past two weeks! To be honest, looking at last year and comparing it this year, it seems as though it's getting worse. One can only hope that the country will decide to be a bit more prepared for this come the 2010/2011 snow season.

Okay rant about snow is over...

...Oxford application is complete, with the exception of my Towson transcript (which is currently in transit); this is all too exciting!

Next month is Adam's and my one year! I can't believe how quickly the past year has flown by. How wonderful it truly has been these past 12 (almost) months. I believe we're heading to a resort type place that his parents got for us as a Christmas/Channukah present (how nice!). Should be a good way to start my February break (though, to be honest, the amount of work I have to do before that is unbelievable--to the point I want to cry a bit...).

Alright, I've been procrastinating on marking my three year 10 books that I took home with me this evening (I just find it difficult to actually do work outside of school--after a full teaching day--these days...).

'A disco ball is just hanging by a thread'

*Today was a Murphy's Law day; what ever COULD happen, DID happen. To begin my day, I found myself half way through a shower only to find that my hot water stopped working. Being my 'green' self, I try to save energy by only turning on the heat when I need it; with this said, I was not in need of it this morning, which left me frantically, and freezing, attempting to figure out why in God's name I could not get the hot water heater to work all the while trying to rinse the conditioner out of my hair with the tea kettle (I assure you, it was quite a sight). After semi-fixing the situation, I managed to get myself to school (still with semi conditioned hair and a dry face from not being able to properly wash my soap off--needless to say, I felt gross for most of the day...). I managed to reach my property manager who assured me that someone would be by in the afternoon. Much to my surprise, he was (the system isn't entirely flawed after all). Moments later, we figured out that it was partially due to the boiler switch having gone off in the circuit breaker box; I felt rather foolish as I had forgotten WHERE the box was in the first place, and second, hadn't thought about doing that to begin with. The guy then figured out that, while my heater was working properly, my pipe under my tub, the one that heats up my water in my electric shower, had frozen solid due to leaving my heater off the entire time I was in the US. Once again, attempting to save money and be green only made more problems for me. Fine. That was, more or less, fixed (I'm taking baths until the pipe de-thaws). I then ran off, back to school, to get a bit more work done and take my first guitar lesson (yes, I'm actually taking proper guitar lessons, which was actually quite informative. Only problem was that the guy looked like he was younger than me, which was a bit odd. Other than that, he really knew what he was doing!). Upon leaving the school, I rummaged through my purse to find my keys, only to find I had left them in my house. Without a spare to let me into my apartment. After almost having a complete breakdown in the hallway of my school, I pulled myself together and asked the people behind the desk what to do. We decided to look up emergency locksmiths; they only charged 80 pounds...). Seeing as it's -3 C, I had no choice but to cough up the money and pay for a locksmith.

Now, still feeling rather gross, 80 pounds shorter, and rather stressed, I'm looking out my window, fingers crossed, as the snow falls steadily on the Milton Keynes area. It seems as though the salt shortage we have here in the UK may pay off for those of us who do not wish to head to work tomorrow; I don't believe teachers ever fully grow out of that 'excitement' they felt, while in school, about a potential snow day.

*Sigh* I didn't even get to go to indoor this evening to relieve stress and irritation at what has happened over the course of 15 hours. Not to mention Adam is 30 minutes away by train and the snow is headed his way. The idea of not being able to see him this weekend is just not something I want to think about right now. As I said in my last post, not seeing him for two and a half weeks was far too much; another two weeks will not, in short, make me very happy.

In better news, my application is all but one reference before I send it off for review. I'm beyond excited at the thought of even having a shot at this program.

2010 = Notting Hill, Oxford and true happiness

First and foremost, happy 2010 to all!

Another trip back home has once again come and gone in the blink of an eye. It's funny how much of a set schedule I have put in place during my visits: Airport. Philly. NJ/NY. Maryland. Philly. Airport. Repeat. Travel this time around wasn't too bad, especially seeing as I was traveling during the holiday season (with an added terrorist attack or two thrown in there for some extra fun security measures).

It was wonderful to see family; the older I get, the more I appreciate the time spent with them.

My trip to Maryland seemed different this time around. Come to think of it, my trip to Maryland is never the same seeing as we're all in that stage of life where we're making drastic changes. Engagements, moving into new apartments, starting new jobs, looking to start families, it's all rather exciting! I was able to help out a bit more with the Rosenfelder/Schapiro wedding; running around Bed Bath and Beyond with that scanner machine was awesome. Spending time with Anny and Chris, as always, was a blast. I feel like going there is a vacation within itself; even if Anny and I do attract characters every time we go out in public. A special thanks to Anny for letting me use her bridesmaids dress for October; it's simply beautiful! Sarah and I, as always, were able to find something to get up to (even if our adventures this time around weren't as extended as they normally are). New Years was fun, seeing Rebecca and DJ as well, and playing Kings and Moose for the first time since graduating from Towson (I really felt old writing that statement). There were shorter visits thrown in there as well. Mickey, Rella, and Autumn: It was fabulous seeing you all! I hope, next time around, we can spend a bit more time together.

And while I will miss everyone terribly (as I always do when ever I return), I'm even more excited to head back to the UK; not seeing Adam, for over two weeks, has been more difficult than I thought it would be (I never thought I could miss a person so much in such a short period of time). Even though we only get to see one another on the weekends, not being in the same country makes time apart seem much longer.

My battery just informed me that it's about to die so I must head off and make this short. Thanks for a great visit to both family and friends; I'll put pictures up on facebook in a day or so.