Run Among The Clouds

I learned today that my friends horse passed on. My condolences to the Duncraven family.

Run among the clouds, and rest in peaceful pastures Vermeer.

Picnik Freak

I've lately become a raging addict of Picnik, a website that lets you alter pictures with quirky effects and such.

Here is my Picnik-made Valentine :)

Of Quindecim Reactions and Food Poisoning

As Valentine's Day approaches, a holiday I've never really ever able to get into... I pick up a copy of the Quindecim and reach for the opinion column. To much dumbstruck suprise, a different sort of article appears. Where on the front page an article applauded the new dining hall, a different tone was met on the last. 

Food poisoned by Taqueria. 

No really! Incidentally, I had experienced a similar experience.  I just thought I was getting my pre-period kick to the gut (apologies to anyone male reading this), but as it turns out I am not the only one who cannot handle the mutant mexican food served there.

As a freshman, a serving of tofu at Stimson was bad enough to send me to the hospital with two of my teammates helping me able into the waiting area. The trip resulted in many needle-jabbings and horrified faces from my team captains.

Upon arriving back at Goucher, I got the usual Goucher mini-plague of coughing that I always get, but was unpleasantly turned off by the food: the Taque...no... 'Fauxpotle' food made me want to throw up what I had just ate, Stimson's putrid stench slung to my clothes long after meals of poorly-heated not-well-made-at-all pasta, and Heubeck was all but a crapshoot...much of the food that I probably COULD eat was loaded with nuts. Oh and they don't tell you if there are nuts in it, you sort of have to guess...a fun new game for those of us that cannot eat tree nuts (though peanuts aren't nuts, and are therefore fine). It seems EVERY salad and its mom has walnuts. The granola is packed with nuts. I'm going nuts just typing this in fact.

Similarly, Alice's which held so much promise as the 'hipkidfairtradenotStarbucksStarbucks' has managed to retain its 'ok' status,....although sadly the tuna was messed around with, and the need to know your servers has reached new heights: This is crucial if you get the person that keeps putting hazelnut in the mocha smoothie even though it should NEVER be in a Mocha Breakfast unless asked for. 

So overall,  I LOVE my classes, I LOVE my school....but I, and a number of other students are highly considering dropping our mealplans altogether.

Get to work Goucher.

Food and Vomit

Food should never be vomit-inducing. It shouldn't. But after seeing the changes Goucher has made to our dining hall....sadly that's my only review.

The pasta line is gone, we have a...taco...thing, and the sandwich bar is gone.

College

In the heat of moving in, starting classes, and being horrified at Goucher's new taco-cafeteria (yes, you read that correctly), I had very nearly forgotten to write up a little blog. So here is said "little blog" :

So to summarize, in the past few weeks we have had classes postponed, cancelled, or generally messed around with in the name of snow, had an underground manhole fire, and have had to ask all Mary Fisher residents to vacate their rooms as of this pending thursday; on which classes are also cancelled due to power outages at school.

In the heat of all this excitement, its difficult to bear in mind that I attend a school and not a de-railed train, but with any luck things will shortly return to normal.

In other news, the riding team has been fun to come back to: some new faces and horses that are quite pleasant to be around. And I am considering trying Goucher Idol. No one knows why. Thats a lie, I'll sing for anything, and its a singing competition. Therefore, must do.

At any rate, I'm off to support the GoHo. And be a good student and stuff.

Public Service Announcement

I'm sorry I have to do this, honestly, its incredibly embarrassing.



In Germany, some USAC students noticed that you could eat horse meat, because there were several butchers in the area that served it. I, being a horse person, was not about to be a big jerk and tell everyone not to eat horse; just because I don't want to doesn't mean I should go all PETA on you.



However, I do not condone directing this craze of eating 'tasty animals' being applied to my horse AT ALL. Leaving comments about eating, trying to eat, or wishing to eat my partner of nearly 8 years is incredibly disrespectful. He has always been there for me; he is my rock. Why am I so offended?

I don't have any desire to eat dog, but seeing as many people have dog, I'm going to roll with it. If I were to say, feel compelled to eat dog and like it, I might jokingly mention that on your facebook wall, or in passing conversation. However lets say you had a dog, a dog like this:

Now, if I posted something like "Mmm tasty dead puppy!" That would be INCREDIBLY insensitive, no? I'd bet you'd be enraged. Who the hell walks up to a person and says, "Hi, your dog looks delicious, I want to eat it" ? NO ONE. Because its RUDE.

I again, apologize profusely for this, the fact I even have to say this is an insult to my true friends, it really is: the fact a friend of mine would even have the nerve to REPEATEDLY do it is worse.

This is officially a warning to all facebook/youtube/twitter/etc. members I am friends with: IF YOU DARE TO BE SO RUDE AND INSENSITIVE AS TO POST INSULTING COMMENTS ABOUT WANTING TO/PARTAKING IN/PLANNING TO PARTAKE IN CONSUMING MY HORSE, YOU WILL BE REPORTED ANS BLOCKED IMMEDIATELY.

Leave as many rediculous "yum horses" as you want, but if you dare you my horse's name or picture ANYWHERE in it, I will have NO tolerance AT ALL.

Thank you.

New Year, new school?

Just before I hit campus, I like to do what I have started to call "shopping around" campus opinion.

This is to say, I decide just for the heck of it, to google goucher college.

Now I don't do this to read what Goucher College itself has put up recently, but rather what the student populace has offered up....and by student, I don't mean Goucher student specifically.

In the same way I sometimes google my full name to see if anything unpleasant has reared its head from my facebook account, I curiously see what has spawned from Goucher.

Welcome Back!

Back home in NJ now, and enjoying being around my horse and friends.

(the above horse is not my horse, its a horse a la Google Images)

Goucher is just over the horizon, and still down a computer and unaware where I will be living, its going to be a LONG year. 

I did finally write a review of my study abroad experience. 

Now its not glam, or "oh my god how AMaaaaaaZING"

But its real, and exactly how I felt.

You can read it here. xoxo

I called it "No Grammar Left Behind", and its important to know that I studied in Track 4.

Some might find it brash, but...honest isn't always pretty.

That being said, take it with a generous helping of salt.

At any rate, I'll be trying to make this more regular as school gets back on track :)

Christmas Then Utah then everything else: Update

So Christmas was super fun!

Got presents I wasn't expecting, and had a great time with my family and my cousins!

Now we are in Utah, where the snow is HUGE, so much powder!

Yesterday we skiied at Park City, and today we hit up Deer Valley resort, where snowboarders aren't allowed!

The powder today was massive, and basically although I love my boarding friends...it was so nice to still have intact moguls!!

Confessions Before Christmas

As Christmas is just around the corner, I think its fair for anyone receiving a gift from me to know: I cannot wrap.

Whether its nature or nurture (though I'm sure my mom has show me many times how, so perhaps just nature), I cannot wrap a single present in a particularly attractive manner whatsoeveratall.

Most attempt resemble this:

Or this:

and admittedly, at very low point in life, this:

So on everyone's big special holiday, may your presents not be wrapped by me. 

Merry Christmas!

(all photos are taken from google)

Home again, Home again

Back home finally, and rode my horse Crackerjack (FINALLY, I missed him so badly!)

I finally saw Chris and Brian as well, it has really been such a while!

I am happy to be back with everyone I missed in Jersey (yes that means I am still sad that I haven't seen my other lovely americans quite yet).

In the holiday spirit, however, I did stumble upon a most curious holiday oddity:

Before you ask, yes these baubles of...coke, are in fact filled with coke soda.

But I really have no idea what exactly you are supposed to use them for...

is one meant to drink then hang one?

Neither Brian nor I knew : /

well at any rate happy holidays!

Countdown

As sad as it is to think of leaving Lüneburg while its all snowy and magical-looking as it is now, I can say I am very excited to go home and see family, friends, and horses.

Here are some examples of what I mean by snowy and magical:

Heidlburg!

This weekend I spent the weekend with Nina W's parents in Heidelburg, a very gorgeous city in Baden-Wurttemburg 

Robisms: Things I Feel the Need to Share Part 1

Anyone who does not have class with Rob, will have no idea what I am talking about when I say I am really going to miss the plethora of 'Robisms' I encounter day to day. Some will call it 'Denglish' some will call it 'madness': I call it a fine mix of both. This section will be adorned with hilarity and pictures from google. Enjoy:

Lüneburger Christmas

If you've been paying attention to the picture used as the background of this blog, this little canal might look a bit familiar!

Of dead computers and snow!

Two things happened this week. One was magnificent. One was...well one was a big bummer.

Lets start with the awesome one!

So today it started snowing, and in fact is still coming down pretty fast. There may in fact be enough for a Schneemann...who knows.

Also, less awesome was that my macbookpro died. I talked to Karstadt's apple store. They are just as confused as I am. It was despite some minor dings, and a major crack...workably fine. I may need to re-write my list to santa this year. A bit.

Anyways, its FREEZING here, but gorgeous. Our teacher Steffi told us that it rarely snows like this here, so we are pretty excited.

For your entertainment, I have decided to share a few hilarious quotes from soccer players in Germany.

"When you look at our programme for the next few weeks, you do not fancy a trip to Oktoberfest." Oliver Kahn

"If we perform as a unit and if every single player gives his best, everything can happen." Oliver Kahn

"A Germany team should not be afraid going into a tournement. History shows that we can raise the level of our game when it matters." Oliver Kahn

"We are Bayern munich and English teams always have trouble as soon as they leave the island." Oliver Kahn

"After a decade in a club it's quite normal and necessary that you seek and take a new challenge." Oliver Kahn

"This match is about sport and I seperate that completely from politics." Oliver Kahn

"Big matches on the big stage are often decided at the back."Oliver Kahn

some are funny, some are odd, some...well are really odd.

also, new in soccer news that might strike a few FC Bayern fans as new and different, Mario Gomez came out as gay. To read more about it, I have tagged the link here for all interested.

till next time, ciao!

Family in Germany Continued!

 Here I am in front of my apartment on Salzbrücker and my messy window haha

 Us at dinner being mildly rediculous and trying to find turkey for thanksgiving (our waitress thought it was pretty funny)

Decorated Kurfursterdamm

no one lets me navigate :( even though I've been here 3 times before

A Berlin Bear

Here we are!

ENTRANCE!

 Click to embiggen and read!

All of us in front of the market

Christmas Pyramid :)

in front of Schloss Charlottenburg

Boys

End of Day 1

Family in Germany

So my family is visiting me this week! Mom and Brian flew in on Tuesday, and my father joined us on Wednesday. We enjoyed the little Lüneburg Weinachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) then all went to karaoke and sang a few songs together.

Untrust Us; Crystal Castles live in Hamburg

Last night Nina and I suited up and went to see Crystal Castles at "Übel & Gefährlich"(evil and dangerous), a club in Hamburg. After a successful trip out, a few beers, and SO much bright neon makeup, we were ready to party.

suited up in neon rainbow and hot hot pink

a fair going on nearby

you see what we mean

The venue was MASSIVE, and we passed it the first time thinking it was a prison! Which would sound silly, except that it was dark and the orangy light made it ominous. However, we found our way back, and soon enough were inside and waiting for the first band to go on.

Rotterdam, in Summary

  So this Friday, I decided to go visit my friend Dan, who I've known for a while and took an ICE to Rotterdam, Netherlands. The way up was pretty smooth, and despite some police presence in Lüneburg (terror threats you know), the ride went smooth til about Amersfoort...at which point I was delayed for 3 hours because my train was halted....and we found out later that there had been a fire on the Ultrecht tracks. Eek.