Imagine a world without flowers.






Then imagine it without family.





And then...without pointy bushes.


yah.

What Is Your Learning Style? Quiz for Adults


You are a Visual Learner. You like to see things for yourself, read the directions, and study the diagrams. You learn well through reading, and seeing pictures, models, and visual demonstrations. You notice minute details and are fascinated by the intricacies of the world around you. Visit my Blog: Guilt-Free Homeschooling
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{For Sarah et al.}

Hayley Taylor
L-2A-05
Runnymede Hall
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham
Surrey TW20 0EX
UK

htaylor2@washcoll.edu

*miss you

{St. John's}

Well, I've really had the most encouraging morning. I went to St. John's church in Egham, an Anglican church. I had been attracted there by their web site off of the Egham site and thought that I would give it a whirl. It was wonderful, very fresh and welcoming. It is an old church building but inside is all bright and new. A nice older man (always the first to greet people at church, I've noticed) told me I could sit anywhere when I'd asked him. I wasn't sure what the protocol was and if I'd be stealing someone's spot.

I ended up sitting next to a wonderful woman named Julie who has three teenage children. She later introduced me to many other people including two American families who go to St. John's. One of the women, Liz, has a daughter named Hayley who just went off to go to school in America!

The sermon coincided with what I've been studying myself, which is of course that amazing ordination by God. We sang praise songs, of which I knew all but one, and hymns! Afterwards there was coffee and biscuits (cookies). I learned that I take my coffee white, or with milk.

There, Julie introduced me to the student leader. It turns out that St. John's has quite a large student body and that many of them are leaders in the evangelical Christian group on campus. They meet every week and it sounds just lovely. All the students went out to lunch (just like at our church : ) to a place called the Hungry Horse. There were free packets of ketchup there, shocking.

Everyone I met was kind and interested. That is one of the huge differences that I notice, Christian kids care so much for you.
There was this bubbly, outgoing girl named Lonnia who’s been to America doing some "gigs" with her sister and she's having people over tonight to watch DVDs. I love the peculiarities in our speech. Another one is, "I am going to use the toilet." HA HA, that one cracks me up, it's so...uncouth.

Cheers.

"A word aptly spoken
is like apples of gold in settings of
silver." proverbs

{Tea in a bowl}



My mom told me to take a mug. But in the hub-bub and delirium of packing I never got around to it. Now, wishing to buy a meaningful mug, I put off buying the plain cream one at the grocery store. This turned out to be a problem this evening when I wanted a cup of tea. Thus, the bowl. I think there was some kind of growth inside the electric kettle but, hey, boiling.

I've been having porridge for breakfast. Made by Quaker. It's pretty much oatmeal but...not. It's a smaller oat and you're supposed to make it with milk. "Just pop it into the microwave and try to keep from tucking in too early, let it cool for about 2 minutes first," read the instructions. I also have some crumpets and "lovely orangey marmalade." There are Indian restaurants all over the place in England, about three in Egham alone. I had real Chicken Curry for dinner and it was delicious. Indian cusine is my favorite. As far as traditional food goes, I think I'll be passing by the Blood pudding though I may try the reportedly delicious Marmite, a yeast extract eaten on sandwiches and toast. Yum.

Homesick

Egham, Surrey

Well, the Queen is lovely. She's never been better and neither have I.

Ahh, England!

To begin this embarkation, I woke up at my travel buddy Laura's house at 2am on the day of departure. My alarm was set for the more reasonable hour of three but I was nervous and excited. At 2:58am I popped into the shower, gathered my things, downed a yogurt (bad choice) and hopped into the back seat of Laura's mom's mini SUV. I spent the whole way to the airport with my head hanging over my lap fervently praying that I would not vomit in the back of the vehicle. That would have been a tragic beginning. Fortunately, the only tragedy was that it was still dark out and our plane didn't leave until 8:05am.

Safely secure in my THREE seats (apparently not a lot of people take the 8:05), I prepared again for the most miraculous occurrence I have ever witnessed -- take-off. Who could invent such a thing? I love flying. Taking off reminds me of the most popular themes in all my dreams. I'll be running away from someone when suddenly I remember I can fly because it's a dream and off I go, soaring. The flight went by fairly quickly.

London at night from the air must be seen. The lights were a deep orange instead of yellow or white bringing to mind the old London of oil lamps and toasty fires. All the roads looked like streams of peach sand. One long road reminded me of what the rambling Wall of China must look like. As we entered the circular holding pattern over London, tilting this way and that, I was just in awe. Our pilot sounded quite young, too, making me think of my favorite older brother. Though, he did wait until after we landed to inform the populace that we had just experienced an autopilot landing. He knew the meaning of mass riot. He said they do them occasionally for the benefit of the aircraft and the pilot, he didn't mention the passengers.

Guessing what to do the whole way, Laura and I made it outside into the refreshing English air, with our entire luggage, to wait for our cab. Our cabbie, Ray (what we deduced after the second, "Sorry, what was that?"), was actually from Egham so he was able to give us a lot of useful tidbits.

The Dorm

"Oh, yes," I said to Laura. "We have definitely moved up in the world." I have a whole, lovely, spacious, new room to myself with a bathroom. This is too much for a girl from Washington College or, goodness, from Tyaskin. This was one case where the brochures weren't fibbing. We also have a fab kitchen with a kettle and toaster, of course.








Why can't the British blend water? Is it that difficult? Even with one spout sinks you can feel the hot side and the cold side.


Now, while the first three meals of our stay were cheerios and milk, Laura and I have discovered Tesco's, one of the local grocery stores. The only problem is that only two or three bags of goods can be lugged the 10-15 minute hike from town. Yes, the walking. There's a completely different story altogether. After panicking that we were having heart attacks or strokes, Laura and I surmised that our extremely high body tempatures, huffing from a few steps and general out-of-shape syndromes must be do to jet lag. They must be! I know the flight was long but we couldn't have lost so much training in so little time! And, yes, confirmed by Laura's mom, exhaustion and stress can lead to these symptoms. Whew!

Well, that's all for now. Cheers!

*Going to England is like coming home*

I'm BACK! Bursting with pumpkin flavors and scents, craving new notebooks and certainly not a Blondee --

I am here to bring you the 2006-2007 school year. Live and in NEW Techna color!

After a grueling summer of desk clerk-ing and Gap-ing (two new Webster's verbs), I am slowly recuperating and ready to enjoy my spoils. Spoils? Ehem, excuse me, I mispoke, I am ready to see my lovely earnings bullied by the Hefty English POUND into nearly Half their worth! The regal pound sterling is currently worth an Outrageous $1.90. *Sigh* Alas, as my French professor would say after each class, after listing our assignments, "Courage (pron. core-rah-j), mes étudiants!"

BUT Fall is here and that is wonderful. I want to be Full of Fall. **NB For instant fall go to Bath and Body Works and inhale the lucious pumpkin spice candles.

Machi, who usually cuddles best in the morning or when you first come home, is starting to want to snuggle up at all times of the day. Brrrrrr.