Monday, February 21, 2005
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Tate Modern
Visited the Tate Modern Museum today to attend two more of their free tours. So I have now seen all four. I like Modern Art because of how the artists are trying to come up with new ways to communicate ideas. And I have a growing interest in communication.
On the way to the museum, someone asked me if I knew how to speak English. Kind of a strange question to ask someone in the middle of London. But anyway, he wanted to know what the word 'decoy' meant. I said 'a wooden duck'. I am sure there is a more witty answer to this question.
Anyway from the tours I learned some trivia.
A painting called 'Lilith' was done by Anselm Keifer to show the overgrowth and decay of San Paolo of Brazil. Does anyone know who Lilith is? We have the Lilith Fair concerts at home...
Turns out Lilith is, in ancient mythology, Adam's first wife who refused to be subjugated by Adam and was therefore forced to cavort with the devil and give birth to 100 babies a day who died each night. I did a brief search on the internet and found more on this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith .
I also learned that Monet is said to be the inspiration to both the modernist movement and Rodin's sculptures. True? Is it just name dropping? Does it matter?
On the way to the museum, someone asked me if I knew how to speak English. Kind of a strange question to ask someone in the middle of London. But anyway, he wanted to know what the word 'decoy' meant. I said 'a wooden duck'. I am sure there is a more witty answer to this question.
Anyway from the tours I learned some trivia.
A painting called 'Lilith' was done by Anselm Keifer to show the overgrowth and decay of San Paolo of Brazil. Does anyone know who Lilith is? We have the Lilith Fair concerts at home...
Turns out Lilith is, in ancient mythology, Adam's first wife who refused to be subjugated by Adam and was therefore forced to cavort with the devil and give birth to 100 babies a day who died each night. I did a brief search on the internet and found more on this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith .
I also learned that Monet is said to be the inspiration to both the modernist movement and Rodin's sculptures. True? Is it just name dropping? Does it matter?
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Back in London - Grey skies
Just got back into London. Skies are grey again. I forgot, but remembered again as travelling on the train - I could not tell if it was morning,noon, or evening... no sun!
I am staying in a big, but fairly quiet and very cheap hostel outside of London. Because it is a pretty good deal there are many people here who are looking for work. People looking for work are from the U.K., Brazil, Sweden, Denmark etc. Alot are hoping to improve their English skills. This was also the case in Ireland.
Anyway there are also quite a few older people as well. When I got into my room today I met a guy with an English accent in his 50s who was going for a nap. He had spent the day trying to find a 'fng' job. Going to lots of 'fng' places, but you cannot get an 'fng' job when you get to my age.
He said there were lots of jobs on construction sites, but he was too old for that.
He was going to the office tomorrow to see if he can get on the Dole and register for some IT training.
The best job idea he has right now is to sign up for medical experiments. This is what he was saying. He was keen on the idea as he did one for 4 weeks before and made alot of money in a medical trial taking anti-depressants and then reporting on side effects. Here room and board was also included in the hospital or university where he did it.
I am staying in a big, but fairly quiet and very cheap hostel outside of London. Because it is a pretty good deal there are many people here who are looking for work. People looking for work are from the U.K., Brazil, Sweden, Denmark etc. Alot are hoping to improve their English skills. This was also the case in Ireland.
Anyway there are also quite a few older people as well. When I got into my room today I met a guy with an English accent in his 50s who was going for a nap. He had spent the day trying to find a 'fng' job. Going to lots of 'fng' places, but you cannot get an 'fng' job when you get to my age.
He said there were lots of jobs on construction sites, but he was too old for that.
He was going to the office tomorrow to see if he can get on the Dole and register for some IT training.
The best job idea he has right now is to sign up for medical experiments. This is what he was saying. He was keen on the idea as he did one for 4 weeks before and made alot of money in a medical trial taking anti-depressants and then reporting on side effects. Here room and board was also included in the hospital or university where he did it.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Guinness Storehouse Visit
The main reason for me coming to Dublin was of course to visit the brewery. They don't really have brewery tours but they do have a sort of museum called the Storehouse.
The museum was a bit weird in that it was set like a post-modern-Yaletown dream house with dark lighting, steel, projection displays, glass, exposed infrastructure and waterfalls.
Here are some interesting facts:
* Guiness uses 90K tonnes of Irish Barley a year.
* 18th century beer drinkers used to order beer mixed to their taste. This was called 'three-threads'. Presumably you would go and ask for three different beers mixed together!
* The word beer comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'baere'
* The tour had a big kettle and vat you could walk into
* Fermentation generates alot of heat. I have made alot of beer. I knew this, but forgot. I wonder if you could use it to heat your house.
* They had a display about Cooperage - making the barrels. At first I thought it was a bit much - I just wanted my beer at this point. Who care about the barrels!!!
But the Cooperage film was pretty interesting and something I had not seen on other brewery tours. It showed how the master coopers carved the wooden barrels mostly by sight and very quickly.
* Coopers used a steam bell and wire rope to shape the barrels
* The wood use to make the barrels was much thicker than I expected - looked like 2x4s
* Barrels lasted a long time - some over 10 years.#
* Coopers would smell the barrels to see if they needed repair
* Irish pubs need to get a license from Guinness. I don't know the details - but I suppose it makes sense. You cannot open an 'Irish bar' and not serve Guinness can you? (Actually the Irish Bar in Luxor does not serve anything but the state beers!)
* Guinness does brew different beers for different countries. Called FES - Foreign Extra Stout they are brewed at higher percentages (7.5%) and are brewed in 40 different countries and available in 85.
* One of the last sections before getting to the free beer was a video display called it is your choice. It was a series of films talking about the pros and cons of drinking. I saw two. In the first film the guy was talking about how it reduced his inhibitions and how it really let him connect with this girl he met. In the second film it was about a drinking driving accident involving a motorcycle.
* Finally I got my free beer. It was very fresh, cold and very good. I was surprised how cold the beer was - but now I think that maybe they are serving their new 'Extra Cold' product they are marketing.
* I also had lunch in their restaurant and had a very nice seafood chowder. The people next to me had a nice looking salmon salad.
So in summary... I have seen better brewery tours. But I enjoyed the cooperage film, the Guinness at the top and their restaurant.
The museum was a bit weird in that it was set like a post-modern-Yaletown dream house with dark lighting, steel, projection displays, glass, exposed infrastructure and waterfalls.
Here are some interesting facts:
* Guiness uses 90K tonnes of Irish Barley a year.
* 18th century beer drinkers used to order beer mixed to their taste. This was called 'three-threads'. Presumably you would go and ask for three different beers mixed together!
* The word beer comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'baere'
* The tour had a big kettle and vat you could walk into
* Fermentation generates alot of heat. I have made alot of beer. I knew this, but forgot. I wonder if you could use it to heat your house.
* They had a display about Cooperage - making the barrels. At first I thought it was a bit much - I just wanted my beer at this point. Who care about the barrels!!!
But the Cooperage film was pretty interesting and something I had not seen on other brewery tours. It showed how the master coopers carved the wooden barrels mostly by sight and very quickly.
* Coopers used a steam bell and wire rope to shape the barrels
* The wood use to make the barrels was much thicker than I expected - looked like 2x4s
* Barrels lasted a long time - some over 10 years.#
* Coopers would smell the barrels to see if they needed repair
* Irish pubs need to get a license from Guinness. I don't know the details - but I suppose it makes sense. You cannot open an 'Irish bar' and not serve Guinness can you? (Actually the Irish Bar in Luxor does not serve anything but the state beers!)
* Guinness does brew different beers for different countries. Called FES - Foreign Extra Stout they are brewed at higher percentages (7.5%) and are brewed in 40 different countries and available in 85.
* One of the last sections before getting to the free beer was a video display called it is your choice. It was a series of films talking about the pros and cons of drinking. I saw two. In the first film the guy was talking about how it reduced his inhibitions and how it really let him connect with this girl he met. In the second film it was about a drinking driving accident involving a motorcycle.
* Finally I got my free beer. It was very fresh, cold and very good. I was surprised how cold the beer was - but now I think that maybe they are serving their new 'Extra Cold' product they are marketing.
* I also had lunch in their restaurant and had a very nice seafood chowder. The people next to me had a nice looking salmon salad.
So in summary... I have seen better brewery tours. But I enjoyed the cooperage film, the Guinness at the top and their restaurant.
Monday, February 14, 2005
What is Dublin like
Well Dublin is cleaner than I expected. According to travel books it is a growing city with very successfull IT exports (I only know of Iona that are here... but I have not done much research in this area).
There is a big university in the centre of town. There are alot of pubs. There are alot of bookstores. I think actually that there might be the most bookstores per square measure than I have encountered yet.
I think Dublin is a great place to start a drinking-writing or drinking-singing career. Use Guinness, Baileys or Irish Whisky to fuel your intellectual courage...
On another topic, I love the Irish accent. Half the time - or more - I don't know what they are saying. This is silly, but it gives me a rush to hear it. It was funny to hear the radio announcer also using the accent.
Back onto drinking and pubs. Men sing in the pubs. Loud. Last night there were two brothers standing on opposite sides of a woman facing her and really singing loud and deep with the band. (with a deep voice I mean).
There is a big university in the centre of town. There are alot of pubs. There are alot of bookstores. I think actually that there might be the most bookstores per square measure than I have encountered yet.
I think Dublin is a great place to start a drinking-writing or drinking-singing career. Use Guinness, Baileys or Irish Whisky to fuel your intellectual courage...
On another topic, I love the Irish accent. Half the time - or more - I don't know what they are saying. This is silly, but it gives me a rush to hear it. It was funny to hear the radio announcer also using the accent.
Back onto drinking and pubs. Men sing in the pubs. Loud. Last night there were two brothers standing on opposite sides of a woman facing her and really singing loud and deep with the band. (with a deep voice I mean).
Dublin Quiz
Quiz!
1. Does Ireland use the Euro or the Pound?
2. What colour are the Postboxes in Ireland?
3. What is the Celtic word for 'fiction' (in a bookstore, say)
4. Why is the central pub district called 'Temple Bar'?
1. Does Ireland use the Euro or the Pound?
2. What colour are the Postboxes in Ireland?
3. What is the Celtic word for 'fiction' (in a bookstore, say)
4. Why is the central pub district called 'Temple Bar'?
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Yay Ireland
Just got into Dublin today. I am temporarily changing my favourite colour to Green. There is alot of Green here.
Also had my first Irish Guiness - of course. And yes it does taste different. You can taste more of the malt - ie the taste is of the malted barley - how it tastes before you ferment it. People say that it tastes different depending on the distance from Ireland... Which I guess I agree with. Guiness in England tastes more bitter to me. Guiness in Ireland tastes more malty to me. Guiness in Canada tastes more smooth to me. Tomorrow I should be going to the brewery/museum to have one there.
Going to have a Guiness at the brewery is my only real goal for Ireland/Dublin. I bought a book though so I will see a couple other things before flying back to London on Wednesday.
BTW, I missed my flight this morning to Ireland. I am getting good at moving through the underground - but made a couple mistakes and did not leave early enough... doh! I got there 30 minutes before - but they had closed the checkin. Cost me an extra 40 pounds to fly this afternoon.
So far I have had one guiness.
It cost 4.50 euro. About 7.00 CDN
Plane cost 120 pounds (return) about 240 CDN
So my beer cost $247 dollars...I will need to do some 'averaging down' over the next couple days :)
Also had my first Irish Guiness - of course. And yes it does taste different. You can taste more of the malt - ie the taste is of the malted barley - how it tastes before you ferment it. People say that it tastes different depending on the distance from Ireland... Which I guess I agree with. Guiness in England tastes more bitter to me. Guiness in Ireland tastes more malty to me. Guiness in Canada tastes more smooth to me. Tomorrow I should be going to the brewery/museum to have one there.
Going to have a Guiness at the brewery is my only real goal for Ireland/Dublin. I bought a book though so I will see a couple other things before flying back to London on Wednesday.
BTW, I missed my flight this morning to Ireland. I am getting good at moving through the underground - but made a couple mistakes and did not leave early enough... doh! I got there 30 minutes before - but they had closed the checkin. Cost me an extra 40 pounds to fly this afternoon.
So far I have had one guiness.
It cost 4.50 euro. About 7.00 CDN
Plane cost 120 pounds (return) about 240 CDN
So my beer cost $247 dollars...I will need to do some 'averaging down' over the next couple days :)
London is cool - Dangers of Champagne
But I am enjoying London alot. Alot more than I thought. For some reason I had thought London was small. London was boring. London was stuffy.
But it is not. The fact that museums are free makes visiting them and the city a pretty cool place to be. I like to go down to Tate Modern and see some of their exhibits. I have also been to the Natural History museum twice and the the gift shop of the Design Museum twice. The design museum charges - so I have only been going to the gift shop.
However, Kevin got into town yesterday and we went to the Design Museum. I figured that on my third visit to the gift shop, maybe I should actually go see the museum part. It was pretty interesting. The museum had alot of displays and identified the role of the designer as someone who builds visual representations of problems - or something like that. Anyway I think design is really cool (Doesn't everyone??). But me - I am now interested in taking a design course.
Kev and I also went to a pub and then went and saw the Spongebob Square Pants movie. The movie cost 12 pounds each. I am used to spending alot in London - so when Kev pointed out it was 25 dollars Canadian to see SpongeBob - it was a lot of money - I initially thought nothing of it. But after thinking about it... Actually 25 dollars is alot to see a movie. Anyway - London is expensive - I don't really need to say that because everyone else says London is expensive. But it doesn't really matter - it was a nice thing to do together.
A funny crazy thing happened when we got back to the hotel. Because Valentines day is on Monday there is a special promotion for couples where they get free champagne.
Well you might be thinking because Kevin and I are sharing a room that we would be able to get the Valentine's special. And that would be a funny story. But that did not happen.
What is funny/crazy is that there was this very very drunk girl on champagne telling everyone on Saturday to cheer up and party because it is Valentines. We were trying to get into the elevator. It was full and we were all telling the guy closest to the panel to 'PRESS THE BUTTON!!! PRESS THE BUTTON!!' before she could get into the elevator. It is not that the idea of being happy and celebrating isn't a bad one. It is just that when you are stone cold sober - you don't really want to interact with loud mouth drunkards.
Anyway she got into the elevator. Somehow figured out that we were not holding the door for her. But did give us a celebration lecture. Fortunately we were only on the fifth floor.
But that is just background. After we watched Spongebob SquarePants we came back to the hotel to have a couple pints to discuss character development, story telling dynamics and art direction in modern film. That and girls.
Anyway between our first and second round. The girl we had met earlier in the elevator was in a sunken area about 30 or 50ft away started yelling at her boyfriend. She then took the champagne bottle and threw it at him with all her might!
It missed the boyfriend,but hit someone in the arm behind him!
Undeterred: She then took her drink glass and threw that too! It shattered and sprayed glass all over the bar. Up the sunken area, over the banister and the table next to it - leaving glass in Kevin's hair!
The bouncers eventually got rid of her (She walked away, head up, putting her arm into the bouncer's arm). There were police involved. No one was hurt - but someone could have seriously been (glass in eye, maybe).
Clearly this should serve as a warning about serving champagne on Valentines.
But it is not. The fact that museums are free makes visiting them and the city a pretty cool place to be. I like to go down to Tate Modern and see some of their exhibits. I have also been to the Natural History museum twice and the the gift shop of the Design Museum twice. The design museum charges - so I have only been going to the gift shop.
However, Kevin got into town yesterday and we went to the Design Museum. I figured that on my third visit to the gift shop, maybe I should actually go see the museum part. It was pretty interesting. The museum had alot of displays and identified the role of the designer as someone who builds visual representations of problems - or something like that. Anyway I think design is really cool (Doesn't everyone??). But me - I am now interested in taking a design course.
Kev and I also went to a pub and then went and saw the Spongebob Square Pants movie. The movie cost 12 pounds each. I am used to spending alot in London - so when Kev pointed out it was 25 dollars Canadian to see SpongeBob - it was a lot of money - I initially thought nothing of it. But after thinking about it... Actually 25 dollars is alot to see a movie. Anyway - London is expensive - I don't really need to say that because everyone else says London is expensive. But it doesn't really matter - it was a nice thing to do together.
A funny crazy thing happened when we got back to the hotel. Because Valentines day is on Monday there is a special promotion for couples where they get free champagne.
Well you might be thinking because Kevin and I are sharing a room that we would be able to get the Valentine's special. And that would be a funny story. But that did not happen.
What is funny/crazy is that there was this very very drunk girl on champagne telling everyone on Saturday to cheer up and party because it is Valentines. We were trying to get into the elevator. It was full and we were all telling the guy closest to the panel to 'PRESS THE BUTTON!!! PRESS THE BUTTON!!' before she could get into the elevator. It is not that the idea of being happy and celebrating isn't a bad one. It is just that when you are stone cold sober - you don't really want to interact with loud mouth drunkards.
Anyway she got into the elevator. Somehow figured out that we were not holding the door for her. But did give us a celebration lecture. Fortunately we were only on the fifth floor.
But that is just background. After we watched Spongebob SquarePants we came back to the hotel to have a couple pints to discuss character development, story telling dynamics and art direction in modern film. That and girls.
Anyway between our first and second round. The girl we had met earlier in the elevator was in a sunken area about 30 or 50ft away started yelling at her boyfriend. She then took the champagne bottle and threw it at him with all her might!
It missed the boyfriend,but hit someone in the arm behind him!
Undeterred: She then took her drink glass and threw that too! It shattered and sprayed glass all over the bar. Up the sunken area, over the banister and the table next to it - leaving glass in Kevin's hair!
The bouncers eventually got rid of her (She walked away, head up, putting her arm into the bouncer's arm). There were police involved. No one was hurt - but someone could have seriously been (glass in eye, maybe).
Clearly this should serve as a warning about serving champagne on Valentines.
Limbo in London
Ok. A few people probably have noticed. Actually I know they noticed because they have 'mentioned' that I have not been updating my blog. It used to be that people thought I was dead. I am not dead. I am lazy. There is a difference. Though that distinction is just relative.
Actually I am not lazy. More in limbo.
Alot of my time has been trying to decide what to do when I return. I only have one month left before I am scheduled to go back. One month used to sound like alot of time, but right now it feel pretty imminent. I know I feel really different now than I did during my travels.
But I have not figured out what that feeling is yet. So there is a bit of suspense and limbo right now.
Actually I am not lazy. More in limbo.
Alot of my time has been trying to decide what to do when I return. I only have one month left before I am scheduled to go back. One month used to sound like alot of time, but right now it feel pretty imminent. I know I feel really different now than I did during my travels.
But I have not figured out what that feeling is yet. So there is a bit of suspense and limbo right now.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Next week preview
Kevin might be in town!
SpongeBob SquarePants movie is opening in London!
I am going to Ireland to visit the Guinness Brewery! (Sunday)
SpongeBob SquarePants movie is opening in London!
I am going to Ireland to visit the Guinness Brewery! (Sunday)
Things I have actually done in London
Well today I was back in London.
I visited the Science Museum which was mostly closed, so I went to the V&A museum and the Nature museum. The Nature museum closed up before I could really look around, but it is really cool so I will definately go back. London museaums all (so far) free, so it is no big deal to go and revisit.
I saw 'Les Misreables' in Soho. It was ok. I like the funny parts, but some of the heart wrenching (misreable?) parts were a bit long.
If I go to Soho tonight, I might go see Mama Mia or We Will Rock You (a queen tribute).
I visited the Science Museum which was mostly closed, so I went to the V&A museum and the Nature museum. The Nature museum closed up before I could really look around, but it is really cool so I will definately go back. London museaums all (so far) free, so it is no big deal to go and revisit.
I saw 'Les Misreables' in Soho. It was ok. I like the funny parts, but some of the heart wrenching (misreable?) parts were a bit long.
If I go to Soho tonight, I might go see Mama Mia or We Will Rock You (a queen tribute).
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Stuff to do in London
London is bigger than I expected.
I have not done anything there yet. Well except for buy a book which described the five neighbourhoods and gave ideas about what to do...
Ideas for me to do are:
* See the Mama Mia play (playing in all big European cities)
* See a football game (Arsenal?)
* Visit Picadilly circus (Did that already - looks like Times Square)
* See St. Pauls Cathedral
* Visit Tate Modern
* West Minster Abbey
* The Thames
* Visit the London Aquarium
* Vinopolis (some sort of wine tasting museum)
* Science Museum
* National History Museaum
* Victoria and Albert Museum
* SOHO (Did that - lots of theatres, shopping)
* Kings Cross (Did that - nothing really. A big train station, tho)
* British Museum
* British Library
* The Tea House <-> convent (Not sure what that is)
Also I need to find a nicer place to stay. The hostel I stayed at the first couple of nights was the biggest and loudest places I have stayed in Europe. Called 'the generator', they can hold up to 1000 people. Not a good place to meet people.
I have not done anything there yet. Well except for buy a book which described the five neighbourhoods and gave ideas about what to do...
Ideas for me to do are:
* See the Mama Mia play (playing in all big European cities)
* See a football game (Arsenal?)
* Visit Picadilly circus (Did that already - looks like Times Square)
* See St. Pauls Cathedral
* Visit Tate Modern
* West Minster Abbey
* The Thames
* Visit the London Aquarium
* Vinopolis (some sort of wine tasting museum)
* Science Museum
* National History Museaum
* Victoria and Albert Museum
* SOHO (Did that - lots of theatres, shopping)
* Kings Cross (Did that - nothing really. A big train station, tho)
* British Museum
* British Library
* The Tea House <-> convent (Not sure what that is)
Also I need to find a nicer place to stay. The hostel I stayed at the first couple of nights was the biggest and loudest places I have stayed in Europe. Called 'the generator', they can hold up to 1000 people. Not a good place to meet people.
London
So London is happening.
I was surprised to see so many men running around in the rain in their expensive looking suits without coats. London is a place to dress up apparently (be 'posh' perhaps). Yes, people riding the tube are in fact wearing cuff links. (CUFF LINKS!)
There are people running around just for exercise too. I haven't seen that for awhile and it was strange to see it in one of the most urban places I have been.
When I first arrived and was travelling throught the underground during rush hour, you get the sense that people are not just trying to catch trains, but are part of some sort of large scale evacuation.
I was surprised to see so many men running around in the rain in their expensive looking suits without coats. London is a place to dress up apparently (be 'posh' perhaps). Yes, people riding the tube are in fact wearing cuff links. (CUFF LINKS!)
There are people running around just for exercise too. I haven't seen that for awhile and it was strange to see it in one of the most urban places I have been.
When I first arrived and was travelling throught the underground during rush hour, you get the sense that people are not just trying to catch trains, but are part of some sort of large scale evacuation.
Friday, February 04, 2005
not dead - visiting relatives
I have been in London and then visiting my uncle, aunt and cousin up in Kenilworth and then my Grandma in Kent.
London is far bigger than I imagined. For some reason, I took London for granted, but it is far bigger and more interesting than I thought it was. It was a bit overwhelming for the first couple days that I was there and I will be going back later.
London is far bigger than I imagined. For some reason, I took London for granted, but it is far bigger and more interesting than I thought it was. It was a bit overwhelming for the first couple days that I was there and I will be going back later.
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