Thanksgiving Cheer(s)

So, I guess I forgot to add the very important addendum at the end of my last post: even with all the idiocy I managed to produce, I still got here to London, and I'm learning all kinds of things and meeting great people and seeing lots of theatre (yes, I am now consistently spelling that word British-ly, and feeling just slightly pretentious every time I do. Phoo).

Obviously, the fact that I'm here is a miracle, so yay for miracles!

Thanksgiving in London was a blast - the Brits in my program made a point of wishing every American student in the group a "Happy Thanksgiving!" as we came in to class Thursday morning. (Yes, it was weird having class on Thanksgiving.) They were just as, if not more than, excited about this "extra" holiday than we were! A guy in my program was hosting a Thanksgiving dinner and everyone was invited - we ended up with about 35 people from two different theatre programs (which is a word I just cannot bring myself to use the British spelling for) crammed into a nice/tiny little house with all different kinds of foods, both "traditional American" and British contributions. We laughed, ate, climbed all over each other, stuffed ourselves with turkey, mashed potatoes, candied yams, and mush (mashed-up vegetables - much tastier than it sounds). Just like your family dinner! I even made an apple pie from scratch (mainly because you can't get canned pie filling over here) and it worked out much better than it had any right to. (Also, you can become the party hero by bringing the extra apple slices - because naturally, you'll end up with about double the amount you need - and caramel sauce/dip. It was like the second coming of chocolate.)

While we were eating, I got everyone to experience the "tradition" of naming one thing they were grateful for. There were lots of people who were thankful for friends, for the chance to experience the holiday, just for being together and having fun. That really summed up the whole night, and was wonderful.

Nearly as wonderful was the other "tradition" I got everyone to participate in: at my family's Thanksgiving gatherings, we always sing a special song after the meal. We've done it for as long as I can remember, and it brings a warm glow to the heart. Everyone jumped in enthusiastically on the chorus, which goes like this:

Oh, Mister, Mister Johnny Brubeck

How could you be so mean?

I told you you'd be sorry for inventing that machine.

Now all the neighbors' cats and dogs will never more be seen,

They'll all be ground to sausages

In Johnny Brubeck's machine!

Touching, right?

* * * * *

And other reasons to be thankful: the new Josh Groban CD came in the mail this morning, it's sunny in London today, I have a couple of appointments lined up to look at rooms (I'm going to be moving again - also a good thing), and I'm seeing Jersey Boys (the Musical) tonight!

Thanks to all of you for reading and caring and occasionally commenting and supporting me in this craziness! Loves!

Christmas Present (For Me)

How Not to Move Out of the Country

1) Apply to a school in a foreign country (or, England). Accidentally apply to the wrong program, interview anyway. When they accept you for the wrong program, politely turn them down and apply to a different school. When the second school accepts you, ignore as much of the paperwork and email information as you possibly can. Decide not to look for housing until you arrive in the country. Three weeks before you leave, decide to finally read the schedules they have sent, and realize that they have you enrolled in the wrong program. Contact the local bishop and the accomodations office, and discover there is NO AVAILABLE HOUSING IN THE ENTIRE TOWN. Decide not to attend the second school after all (losing your deposit AND your overseas plane ticket) since it wasn't actually exactly the right program anyway. Re-apply for the following year to the original school, since you're fairly sure they have the right program for you. Make sure you have been telling people for months previously that you were leaving the country, so you can spend the next year hearing "Oh, she's moving to England - FOR REAL this time!"
2) Once accepted into your program, procrastinate dealing with all that "student loan" stuff.
3) Put off looking for housing until two months before you leave, since "no one will know when they're moving yet anyway" and "students will be moving out the same time you get there, so it should be easy" and "the senior missionaries told me not to rent anything until I get there".
4) Feel comforted by the fact that someone in England was impressed that you were looking for housing "so early" and go back to procrastinating.
5) Avoid opening any correspondence from your school or carefully reading any email. There will be time for that next week.
6) Hear a rumor that student aid and visa applications will be changing just a few months before you leave, and wait to look into it until "things have settled".
7) Wait until the last minute to book your flight, and then "work the system" by buying two separate, cheaper flights. Those 12 hours sitting on the floor of the JFK airport after the red-eye flight will be totally worth it.
8) Go into a panic a month and a half before your flight leaves, and read all your paperwork and emails. Decide that it is now too late to apply for your student visa and nonchalantly figure that you can take care of it once you arrive.
9) Make some tentative housing enquiries, but be reassured that the right place will fall into your lap once you arrive. You wanted to experience local B&B's for a couple of days, anyway.
10) Find out after you have hauled yourself to the new country that no, you may not apply for a student visa now that you are here NO EXCEPTIONS NO ADJUSTMENTS DO NOT PASS GO (LITERALLY). Schedule a flight back to New York, since it's closer and a shorter flight and you can apply for the visa from there.
11) Don't bother to check the calendar in case of holidays or get specific details of hours and policies from your visa-expediting company.
12) Spend a week in New York after the five-minute appointment for which you crossed the ocean, waiting for your visa to go into processing since you missed the Friday cutoff by two hours and Monday is a national holiday.
13) Change your return flight to London (having now spent probably double what you spent on your original "saver" flights) and pay the very large change fee.
14) Fly back with your visa and spend the next week trying to catch up on all the things you missed in the actual first week of the term.
15) Quickly discover that the school's program(me) is not anything like what you imagined from the course descriptions, interview, and website.
16) Stick it out anyway, and look into starting it all over again with a different school next year.
17) Find yourself a good therapist and financial advisor.
18) Blog.

Sunday Snippet

Today was Remembrance Sunday, always the Sunday after Nov. 11, and involved one more day of wearing the paper poppy and included two minutes of silence during Sacrament Meeting. I guess there were further ceremonies and public events around London, but I’ve been out of it with a cold and didn’t think to investigate further. It occurred to me that next year there will be a first and second 11:11 on 11/11/11. Should make a lot of computer programmers happy.

I visited the Hyde Park ward today – I’ve been attending in Peckham, but I wanted to try a ward further north up in London, both because I really want to move closer to my school and because I feel really out of sync with my ward. I loved the London ward, had some great moments that were a big help to me, and got a couple of numbers of people to call about possible housing. Perfect.

- There are not many things in this world that are cuter than Primary-aged children with British accents. And the one Sunbeam who bellowed “FOLLOW THE PROPHET!” completely off-key was awesome.

- In Sunday School we were in Jeremiah, and talked about internalizing the gospel, or “writing upon our hearts.” One sister talked about memorizing scriptures to have them there for instant access – her quote was “There is power in knowing from the back of your head.” The teacher made the point that there is a difference between writing on your mind and writing on your heart, and that we shouldn’t let the mechanics take precedence over an invitation to the Spirit. One sister gave a moving illustration by talking about her “perfect” family; they had scripture study and family prayer every day, FHE every week, regular and consistent temple attendance… and yet, her parents divorced (possibly in connection with some other family trauma involving two of her siblings) and the family fell apart in spite of their “crossing all the ‘t’s’ and dotting all the ‘i’s’.” She summed it up by saying that “zealousness is not righteousness” and that we are obedient so that the Lord may change our hearts as the truth of the gospel is written upon them. The teacher asked us to think about the words the brethren use in connection with the scriptures: study, feast, immerse – never “read”. If our time with the scriptures is changing us, than we’re using them correctly.

- Musical Moment: on the Underground, hearing “Everlasting Love” played on the accordion. Maybe not as elegant as it sounds. ;-)

Apropos of Nothing

This does not in any way make up for my total lack of posts lately. But it is funny. Thanks, Felicity!

http://nedroid.com/2009/06/dating-faux-pas/

Bonus Material: N&S and P&P

Two of my favorite costume dramas.

Two great stories, two dreamy leading men.

One overly-dramatic, emo clip video.

It's hilarious, in an intensely swoony "they might just be vampires" kind of way.

Enjoy. (I know I am.)

ETA: Heh. Also, niiiiice.

An Advanced Degree in Life (Or, Travel Planning)

I suspect that the lesson I'm supposed to be learning here is "Read everything. Research everything. Plan ahead (Really)."

- I moved to London. It took my mother and myself two full days to pack, and then my two brothers and various other family members jumped in and contributed to the final result, which was: two suitcases at 50 lbs, one smallish extra-bag fee (and not one big one I was expecting), and no overage charges. Sweet!

- Met the coolest future roomate EVER, found a place to live. Not so excited about the location, at least now have someplace to stay while searching for something closer to the school.

- Blind dumb optimism FAIL: you may not, in fact, get an international student visa while you are already in the country you're trying to legally move to. Doesn't matter how nonchalant or encouraging school staff are, either - it's still not going to work.

- Packing a suitcase less than a week after you've unpacked it bites.

- It's slightly depressing to meet lots of fabulous people who are official members of your MA and know you won't see them again for a week. You hope, pathetically, that they will remember you (and that you'll actually get back. Please please please!!!).

- Being squished into an inside seat on a chintzy airline that you did NOT sign up for with no room for your feet or carry-on under the seat also pretty much bites. The funny vegan neighbor who's impressed with your bladder control is at least a small plus.

- It's a mental and emotional blow to arrive at your destination knowing that the whole thing is riding on a wing and a prayer (shut up, I know) and discovering that an otherwise forgotten Federal Holiday is going to cost you a rather important day, knocking off half a wing and at least quadrupling the intensity of the prayer. A flight change and the attendant fee, plus the expense of loitering in New York for yet another useless day is likely. The credit card can't take much more of this.

- The late-night desk attendant at my old but perfectly acceptable hotel in a fairly scary area is a font of useful, though nearly unintelligble, information. I used to be good with accents.

- A PSA: LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS. FOOTLESS TIGHTS ARE NOT PANTS. MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE - WEAR PANTS.

My bed in the hotel room is nearly as big as the room - but I'm willing to bet just from sitting on it that it's going to be more comfortable than my bed back in London. So, there is that. I should have lots of down time in the next few days, and if I can get an Internet connection I might be able to get my journal entries from the last week or so posted. Plus pictures. And maybe get a T-shirt made: KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON. Just for fun.