Cambridge

Since I've nearly depleted my supply of undergarments, I did laundry for the first time yesterday at the laundrette on campus. It cost me a whopping 4 pounds (~ $6.40) for a wash and dry. Carzee expensive but totally necessary because clean underwear is a must!

Anyway, I visited Cambridge University this past Sunday. One word: GORGEOUS. Let's recap, shall we?

Before I start, I thought it might be nice to provide some background information: Cambridge is a renowned university, comprised of a whopping 31 smaller colleges. Similar to how it works at UCSD, the college one attends only determines his/her living quarters and general stomping grounds. However, a student may take classes that are located in different colleges. The campus is unique in that it is not centralized or secluded; the buildings are spread throughout the entire city, so it's normal to be taking a class in a building that's across the street from a liquor store. It's the fourth oldest university in the world, with the oldest college established in the 1200s and the youngest, in 1977.

So at 8AM on Sunday, we left campus and commenced the 2 1/2 hour drive to Cambridge. Upon arrival, we walked to Scudamore's Punting Company for a punt tour. For those of you who don't know, a punt is basically a gondola; the only difference is that a punt is not propelled by an oar, but rather by a very long pole. The punt moves forward when one uses the pole to push against the river bed. Six of us hopped into a punt, and off we went on the River Cam with our punter/guide named Guy to see the college backs. Looking at the backs of buildings sounds janky, but it was actually pretty epic. We passed numerous edifices which were palatial and jaw-droppingly beautiful. What's more amazing is the fact that these buildings were erected in a time with very limited technology and resources. Although Guy provided us with names, dates, and facts, I didn't pick up much because it was difficult for me to understand him at times -- he couldn't pronounce his R's correctly (i.e., "I'm hungwy"). On top of that, he spoke super fast. It didn't matter, though, because he was easy on the eyes, hehehehe. Anyway, we also passed under a number of famous bridges, constructed during various time periods. Again, names and dates elude me.


After our punt tour concluded, Tommy, Andrew, Little Luu, OG Mike, Brian, Kaitlyn, and I grabbed some hot dogs and checked out the Farmer's Market nearby. Hoped to find some cheap souvenirs there, but no luck.

Post-lunch break, we met up with the rest of the group for a walking tour of the campus grounds. Our guide, Andy, looked like a grown-up version of Randall from Disney's "Recess". Andy was really legit, though, and definitely not a snitch.


Anyway, the first place we visited was King's College Chapel, which was magnificent in every way. Upon entering the chapel, I was amazed at the inconceivably intricate carvings on the walls as well as the stained glass collages. It was mind-blowing to be in a chapel that took the efforts of three kings and the carzee mastery/skill of many men (and women?) to complete. Even the chapel's ceiling put me in awe! I was most excited when I saw an engraving of "HA" on one of the church's walls, which allegedly stands for "Henry (the VIII) & Anne." If you've seen The Other Boleyn Girl, you know whassup!





We also visited Trinity College, where famed physicist Isaac Newton studied. We didn't get to go inside, but they supposedly have a lock of his hair on display somewhere in the library. That's kind of bizarre, but maybe I'm not stoked about it because I'm not a science luvah. Another stop was Cavendish Labs where Watson and Crick studied DNA and eventually suggested its double helix structure. Tommy, my bio-major boyfrand, was totally jazzed about all the scholars who once resided in Cambridge. As a social science major, I didn't pee my pants but it was still enjoyable to learn about it.

One of our last stops was Pembroke College's courtyard. Just like the other colleges which preceded it, it was beautiful. We actually weren't allowed to walk on the grass because that is a privilege reserved for superiors of the college. Seriously.


Oh, check out student housing at Cambridge:



Cambridge kids pretty much live in castles!!!

Sorry for the overload of Kathleen-and-Tommy pictures. They were all taken on a frand's camera because Tommy unfortunately dropped and broke his camera a couple days ago :( A replacement camera is on the way, though!

Sussex Countryside Tour

The heat wave in Brighton has passed and the weather is much, much cooler now. In fact, it has been really unpredictable, and I sometimes experience all four seasons within a single day. True story! Also, it's quite shocking how much it rains here. This past Saturday, I literally stayed in bed the entire day and gazed outside my window as sheets of rain came down for hours and hours. Rainy days always put me in the mood for hot tea/chocolate, movie marathons, and cuddling.

Anyway, onto the good stuff! On July 5th, I toured the Sussex Countryside. Since the day was packed with activity, I'll try to keep my summary short and concise.

I woke up bright and early and met up with the group at 7:45 AM. After leaving campus, it took only a few minutes for our coach to enter the countryside, which was breathtaking with it's rolling hills and green pastures. I wish I could better describe it with words, but the scenery was gorgeous. We drove through quaint, little towns with cobblestone streets and little cottages, including New Haven, Peace Haven, Seaford and Rottingdean (I even saw Rudyard Kipling's house!). Unfortunately, we weren't able to walk around because these towns are too small to accommodate a coach bus.

The very first stop of the tour was The Seven Sisters in The South Downs. The Seven Sisters is a series of chalk cliffs that overlook the sea. I hiked up to the top of a lookout point, and the panoramic view from there was magnificent! The juxtaposition of the bright blue ocean, the blindingly white cliffs, and the vast green landscapes was unlike anything I'd ever seen before.




Afterwards, the coach made its way to Beachy Head, home to Belle Toute Lighthouse. Apparently, it is very famous and its image has been used time and again in numerous commercial advertisements. The tour guide led us on a short walk to a place where we could catch a glimpse of it. I was jazzed about the lighthouse and told Tommy to whip out his camera so he could snap a photo of me standing next to it. When we arrived, what I saw did not meet my expectations because 1) the lighthouse was partially obscured by cliffs and 2)we were so far away that it appeared as small as a salt shaker! I'm not going to lie, it was pretty anticlimactic.


Next, the coach took us to Eastbourne which is basically a facsimile of Brighton but not as posh or trendy. Like Brighton, it is adjacent to the beach and has many hotels, restaurants, and shops; however, it had a more upscale feel to it. In Eastbourne, Tommy, Michael, Dee Dee, Andrew, and I went to The Terminus pub and had a legit English lunch. I had roast beef with veggies and a side of Yorkshire pudding. When it came out, I asked the waiter where the pudding was because there wasn't anything on my plate that looked remotely creamy, gooey, or pudding-y. It turns out that Yorkshire pudding refers to a fried biscuit of sorts made from flour batter. Vair interesting! Although my dish was edible and I appreciated the fact that I was getting veggies into my system, it wasn't very flavorful. After our meal, we spent a little bit of time walking around the shopping center and then left for our next destination.


After a 15 minute drive, the coach dropped us off at Pevensey Castle. It wasn't as grand as I had initially imagined because it was ruined and crumbling. Although I didn't hear much about the history, I recall the tour guide mentioning that it was built by the Romans. When World War II came around, Americans and Canadians used it as a military camp.


Our last stop was Alfriston, yet another little town. There, we visited Badger's for afternoon tea. They seated us in the garden, which was adorable. We had hot tea served in dainty china complete with warm and flaky scones smothered in strawberry jam and clotted cream. Although I wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion, I felt so fancy and frou frou (in a good way). 'Twas dope and srsly the perfect way to conclude the tour.



El fin!

Pub Crawl!

Last Thursday's pub crawl can be summarized as follows: three pubs, four drinks, and one nightclub. I won't bore you with the details, but we did the damn thang. I must note that over here, the nightlife isn't poppin' until very late into the evening. In fact, most bars and clubs stay open until 5 AM, which is so wild to me.

Boo looking sharp.

Homeguhs Amy & Mary.

Taking a shot of apple sambucca with Dee Dee & Elaine at The Buddha Lounge. It tasted like spicy licowice.

Getting my jig on at Honey Club.

Although I initially had a lot of fun, the novelty wore off quickly. I don't know why, but I've never been the clubbing type. Deep down, I'm really a 80 year old grandma who likes to watch Jeopardy and sleep early. Forreal!

Time for bed, luvahs.