http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/ en Copyright 2009 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:09:38 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Like my fellow London-loving director blogger Mark, I admit to my horrible person-ness and simply will begin this new blog with Hello! I'm sure you all missed me very much, as I have missed you. I realized that I have now given out this blog information on several tours to prospective students, and they might actually listen to me, and then what will happen? They want news! The most significant thing that I can start out with talking about (and trust me, there are many significant things) is my upcoming GRADUATION. What an awe-some, intimidating word. I've spent three and half years at Trinity casually mentioning it with my friends- "when we graduate, we'll totally backpack around Europe", or "I can't wait for graduation, I'm so sick of Mabee food". But now it's happening. In t-minus 2 months, I'll be walking across that stage in a black cap and gown (a big step up from the high school maroon...even though Trinity is also maroon) and hopefully as much honors bling as I can manage. I'm not going to mention it all yet so as not to jinx anything, but you'll get the run-down when the big day arrives. I've always been a huge fan of the answer "*shrug* I don't know!" when asked what I will do. Back during happy, confident times in London, I'd answer, theatre artist! But there was a distinct change around mid-January here at school. When asked this, no one nicely replied, "Oh, you have time, you don't need to know!". Instead I just started getting looks and references to Career Services. I did not panic. I had my towel. I was fine. Until about two weeks ago. when I realized that my few options were not going to be enough for someone who holds themselves to the standards that I do. I was waiting for letters from two MFA in Acting programs I auditioned for- at the same URTA auditions Mark and Madi went to, plus working on an application for two jobs at MD Anderson in Houston. I am, as we speak, just about to complete the most important application, which is for an MA in Text and Performance at King's back in London, my dream. And that, my friends, was it. Lots of long shots. And I don't like those odds. A quick diversion, which happens to be completely related: As soon as I got off the plane from London over winter break (sheesh, ok, well, that will be another diversion LATER. Failure), I went straight to a program sponsored by Career Services and (I think) Alumni Relations called Making Connections ____ (insert your city name), so, Houston. Over winter breaks, all over the country, alumni host networking events at their homes, restaurants, and hotels. My freshman year suitemate's sister hosted one way out in Seattle. Dressed in my mom's business casual clothing (I didn't pack my own!) and with freshly printed business cards (I felt pretty cool). Houston was hosted at an alumni's home in a beautiful area of town, catered by Pappasitos (the best fajitas in Texas). We had name tags with stickers on them indicating our areas of interest. There was nothing for "arts", so I chose stickers for Communication and Non-Profits. To my great surprise, I actually met many people with alot of advice to share, including a woman who made card games based on movie trivia (my soul-mate) and an ex-English major who blogs, got a creative writing MFA and does technical writing. I walked around a bit and started talking to two men wearing communication dots, who both write, when I noticed the woman next me was named Jen Blake (name changed for this blog). I immediately asked her if she was in a sorority in college, and she just gave me a look and said "You're an Alpha Chi, aren't you". I recognized her name as a former president in 2001- in Alpha Chi we care about past leadership and anyone call tell you the names of former presidents, etc. I told her how I recognized her name, and we chatted for a bit before we were broken up for some announcements. I told her about my experience with grants and development, and she mentioned technical writing is huge and I should learn it. We didn't get to talk again, but I gave her my card. The next day, I got a phone call- from Jen- telling me that there were two openings in her department at MD Anderson in Scientific Writing, and she already told her boss about me- who wanted me to apply so she could interview me! My application has been submitted since and I am waiting to hear from them. And that, my friends, is why you go to Career Services events, carry around business cards, and always be friendly- you never know what connections you might make along the way. Several weeks ago, as I mentioned, I freaked out a little, and started searching for and applying to more jobs. There is a Duke TIP program held at Trinity this summer, so I applied for several month-long positions within that. I also applied for a year-long internship program at the Actor's Theatre of Louisville, the best regional theatre in the US (in my opinion). I've also sent in applications to several jobs with HBO and Warner Brothers- why not? As my title indicates, it is now Spring Break. I'm spending most of it here in my apartment in San Antonio, and a few days back home. My parents will be in Hawaii for my whole break and none of my friends have their breaks until the following week, so I'm spending time here relaxing, shopping for theatre, and finishing applications. Hopefully it will be both a productive and restful break. Lots of my friends are on cruises, in Mexico, or skiing. I hope they all have a great time, but this is really more my speed. On a side note, today is my one-year anniversary with Alex, my boyfriend I met in London. Study abroad just keeps giving back :) http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2009/03/breaking_free_on_spring_break.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2009/03/breaking_free_on_spring_break.html Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:09:38 -0600 How fitting to find a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of one of our greatest (and my favorite) president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. A man who came into a hard situation and turned this country around in a way no one thought possible. Times were hard, and they got even harder while he was in the office. But I believe that we would not be where we are today at a nation without the influence of this man. I also believe that with our new president-elect, Barack Hussein Obama, our country will face the challenges that lie ahead and once more become the most admired and respected powerful country in the world. I am not here to brag about Obama’s win, or put down John McCain. Like Obama, I want to talk about hope. Before this election season, I have never been able to utter the words, “I am proud to be an American.� I didn’t understand hanging flags in my yard or on my car. I sang our national anthem at every single high school football game, but never got the meaning behind it. In London, people would find out I’m from Texas and give me judgmental looks. I was always quick to distance myself from that ideology. But on November 4th, 2008, my life changed profoundly. A week earlier, I voted for the first time ever, right here in here in Bexar county. I felt my vote would count more and I wanted the experience of voting with a machine, really getting in there. It was wonderful; the line was worth it. The night of the election my friends and I gathered in my apartment with a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge. We tried not to think about a victory toast too soon- you never know. The first time I cried that night was when it became clear the balance in Texas may very well shift- could Texas turn blue? It did not, but the fact that it was so very close overwhelmed me. Bexar county was blue. My vote counted! I mean something! All of the times I told people to go out and vote- vote for whoever, just VOTE- it actually means something! I looked at my friends and told them, “I never thought I would say this, but I am proud to be a Texan. I am proud of this state.� And then, at 10:01, the screens in the abc newsroom changed, flashing “OBAMA WINS!!!� We were in shock. It all happened so quickly, and there it was. A win for democracy, a win for the people of the United States. Your voice and your vote was heard. You can make a difference if you believe in something. The people of the United States of American believed in the hope that Obama provided, and we elected him. It is a beautiful, beautiful thing for democracy. I am proud, for the first time in my life, and hopefully for the rest of my life, to be an American citizen. However, despite all of the joy that came with that day, there were several crushing blows for equality for minority groups. How can it be that on the day an African American president, who has faced all he has, became the President, that another minority group was stripped of their rights as Human Beings? Only several months after gay marriage was allowed in California, it was taken away. Gay men and women are exactly that- Men and Women. Human Beings. To take away the right to commit oneself to another is abhorrent. Every man and woman has the right to love, has the right to publically declare their life-long commitment to their partner. Love is for everyone, and quite honestly, the world needs more love, not repression. Marriage is hard. Today’s statistics state that only 50% of marriages will survive. Doesn’t everyone deserve that chance of happiness or unhappiness? If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t. But don’t tell all of the men and men and women and women who have been together for twenty years, forty years, as lovers and partners, that they do not deserve every right that that male-female marriages get. With one huge step for civil liberties, comes another huge step back. This is not progress, this is repression. American will continue to fight for love and hope. I know some of you may disagree with me, and that’s fine. But this is a blog about a college student, and there is nothing that a college student loves more than to talk about the issues. And this is an issue that affects everyone. If you consider yourself a human being, it affects you. “Our stories are singular but our destiny is shared.� Peace and love, Mandy http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/11/the_future_belongs_to_those_wh_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/11/the_future_belongs_to_those_wh_1.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 00:16:43 -0600 Sometimes, life gets in the way of college. And there's no way around it. This might sound redundant- isn't college a part of life? Yes, of course it is. But often times, you forget about “real life�- the things that happen outside of the lovely, contained bubble of happiness that is Trinity. So many times I brush off the question, “so what are you going to do when you graduate� with a smile, some sly non-committal answer, and leave it at that. But it’s coming up. Fast. Suddenly, “oh, we’ll see, I’ll have options� or “move to a big city� or “space ranger� doesn’t seem to cut it. Then there are the days that words can barely express. In the middle of September, my friend Carrie’s grandfather fell very ill. We took her to the airport so she could visit him. A few day later, our friend (and Carrie’s housemate) Melanie’s grandfather died. We went dress shopping for the funeral. That weekend, Carrie’s grandfather passed. The next week, my grandfather in California passed unexpectedly as well. Three very loved and important men gone in three weeks. The randomness of life hit my group of friends in full. Here we are, enjoying life to its fullest, trying our best to get good grades, maybe get some sleep, and then things like this. What do you do? We coped the best way we knew how- receiving the love and support our friends selfless gave, and moving on. LSAT and GRE testing came and went as well, all at the beginning of October when the above was happening. A entirely new form of stress. I didn’t take either of these tests, because of the little I know of my future path, these will not be required. But other friends did, dealing with the big looming questions- what if I do not do well? What then? Plans can only be made up to a point, and after that, you must trust in your abilities. Relationships: The people you love the most are the ones you can hurt and who can hurt you the most. Senior year is a very weird time. You look back at the time you have spent here, panic and wish for more, and begin to try and take hold of your life. Often you do this by lashing out at your friends and significant others. I’ve been on both ends of these situations. It is not fun, but it’s part of growing up and coming into your own- claiming what you want and what you deserve. In the end, I like to think the relationship is stronger because of it. Leadership. You know what you are in for when you take on job, but that doesn’t stop it from being damn hard. I’ve taken on leadership roles all my life, and I wouldn’t change that about myself at all. But sometimes (a lot of the time), I find myself thinking about London. No clubs, no responsibilities. It was pretty nice. It’s difficult to govern your friends and make the best choices. No one likes being the bad guy. But again, you have to believe in your abilities and good judgment and hope all turns out for the best. This has not been an easy semester for anyone I know, myself absolutely included. But during a *brief* lull in things due (I had my 2 papers, 2 presentations in one day on Monday), I will try and catch you all up on the good things that have happened too. I know this was a bit of a downer post, but I think it is important to here that college is not all rainbows and sunshine. I know I talk about how hectic my schedule could be, how hard writing an insane paper is, but this is the real deal. These are the things we don’t talk about, that make this whole experience at Trinity real. In five years, I won’t remember that one sorority mixer with that random theme- I’ll remember the day my grandpa died, or the day my friend got engaged to the love of her life, or the day I became proud to be an American and a Texan and our country changed history. This is what is real. This is what college is about. Peace and Love, Mandy http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/11/college_is_hard.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/11/college_is_hard.html Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:38:33 -0600 Ok, so I promised an Ode to Senior year. But I'll be honest with ya'll. Being a senior English major, I can't just write a poem and call it an ode. That would just be wrong. So I will amend my previous comment (of course, I could just go edit the last entry...), and say- here it is! Mandy's haiku to Senior Year: Running up the hill Something I will not miss Post graduation How about it? Good? Hmm, how about this: Caps tossed in the air I can't believe it's over I will miss this place Ok, that is my haiku for May, 9 months early. Remember it! Now that I'm done with that bit of silliness, how about an update on life? I moved in to my first apartment off-campus, which is pretty darn cool. Living off-campus is cheaper (not by alot, but still cheaper), and after 3 years on campus (ok, well, 2.5 for me), it seemed like time for a change, especially after coming back from living in a flat abroad. I live with my suitemate of the past year and half, Mikaela, in a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment not too far from school. So far I'm loving getting to cook for myself, escape to my own bedroom for some Mandy-time, and decorating the place to look like a bonafide adult apartment (sorry Captain Jack Sparrow poster, it is time to say goodbye). Classes started a little slowly for me this year, as it took a few weeks for me to finally attend every single class I am in. For those of you who would like to know, I am in Women and Modernism, Turn of the 19th century American Literature, Fiction Writing, Play Structure and Analysis, Directing, and University Theatre Company. Sixteen hours for the fall of senior year? Boo! some say. I disagree. Next semester I only have to take four classes-12 hours- and I am beyond excited. Of course, knowing me, I'll want to take ballroom dance and photography and playwriting and then end up in course overload of fun things. But all in good time. For now, I'm handling these classes pretty well. I'm loving Directing especially. My dad used to direct alot in California, and I've inherited the love of bossing people around and making things look exactly like I want them to. Speaking of theatre, I auditioned for our two fall shows, Dog Sees God and Booth. I went into two callbacks for Booth, but ultimately did not get a part. However, if she hasn't told you already, my fellow blogger and once stage-daughter Madi Goff is in Dog Sees God! It's going to be a great show, so if you are on-campus or in the community, be sure to check it out. The play is about the Peanuts gang in 10 years, facing the toughest challenge of their young lives- high school. What will happen? In short, everything and anything. Make sure you get your tickets to see all of your sweet childhood icons shatter your images of them forever. I also recently auditioned for a student film about vampires who take over a fraternity. There are so many talented and creative people on campus, and Trinity always supports its students in their artistic endeavors. I am also now the vice president of Alpha Chi Lambda sorority, as well as the Education chair of Jewish Student Association. This week is Cultural Awareness Week, hosted by Trinity Multicultural Network and their clubs. JSA is hosting Israeli Dancing, which is sure to hysterical and educational. We always have a blast dancing in the Tiger’s Den. Greek rush is also starting up at the end of the month, and of course I have to quickly plug it- Go Greek! Even if you don’t think you want to, even if you were like me, and scoff at the idea of being one of “those girls�- do it. You will be completely surprised at how different Trinity greek life is. I promise, you will be glad you tried, even if you don’t find a club you like. I thought I would give you a quick rundown of everything that I have to do this week, so you can get a typical taste of an involved Trinity student: *Reading that is due this week/next week: Gertrude Stein, “The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas� and “Lifting Belly�, J.M. Barrie, “The Admirable Chrichton�, Djuna Barnes, “Nightwood�, “The Art of Fiction�, Henry James “The American�, plus one 5 page paper, a presentation on Djuna Barnes, presenting a directing scene and test of the fundamentals of play structure *Activities: Meetings of AX and JSA, Israeli Dancing, work an evening shift, attend a performance of “Talking Heads� by Alan Bennet, mixer with a fraternity, other CAW events, walk supporting Phi Delta Kappa sorority, Night of Color semi-formal for the end of CAW. *at some point, eat, sleep and bath I wish I could tell you that this is an a-typical week…but it’s not. And honestly? I probably wouldn’t have it any other way. http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/09/where_are_all_of_the_trinity_c_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/09/where_are_all_of_the_trinity_c_1.html Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:44:17 -0600 ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/08/once_upon_a_summer_time_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/08/once_upon_a_summer_time_1.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:42:47 -0600 A final cheers from London to you all! This will be my last update from the greatest city in the world. Let me put a list of expected statements out right now so I can get them out of the way: I’m leaving my heart in London; I can’t believe the time has passed so quickly; this experience has changed me; study abroad is amazing; I’m going to miss every person I have met so much; and I do not want to leave. Of course, every single above statement is very, very true. I’ve had the best possible time I could have imagined. I’ve made life-long friends with my international flatmates and my fellow American students. I traveled to eight different countries and met people from all over Europe. I took long walks around London and Athens by myself and learned so much about myself from being alone. I’m dating the sweetest, kindest English guy who has made my time in this country the best semester of my life. To put it easily, study abroad and London get an A+ and two thumbs up. To put it eloquently, I return to Trinity not only knowing more about literature, but about how independent I can be, how hard and deeply rewarding doing something new and scary can be, and how to love a city (and everyone and everything in it), with all my heart. I know that was probably over-sentimental and sappy, but I mean every single word of it. I really can’t imagine how my life would have proceeded had I not chosen to come to London. It would have been fine, I suppose, but I know that everything that happened here was for the best and will influence just about every major decision I make for the future. I just feel wiser in all ways. Silly, yes, but true. I’m writing this on breaks from packing up my room. Alex took two days off of work so we can be together during my last minute London sightseeing (Tate Modern and St. Paul’s tomorrow, and then I go home the next day). I think we’re going for a pub dinner (aka...Thai food) tonight as a send-off to the grand institution of The Pub. I just returned a few days ago from a two week London and Italy trip with my family, and can’t wait to tell you all about it. Trust me, when I start up my internship (two days after I get back) and spend the rest of the summer in Katy, I will have plenty of time to tell you more tales from abroad (like Scotland and Barcelona). I will also be closer to my technically-inclined brother, who may be able to help me update past blogs with pictures I tried to load. All in all, don’t worry, you will be hearing plenty from me. It’s just about dinner time here, so I should probably finish packing a suitcase and head out. But, I will leave you with that story about a celebrity encounter that I have been promising for ages. See, I’m very reliable! I hope you all enjoy it and I didn’t build it up too much. It was a great experience from my perspective, and I hope you can all imagine me just about losing it when this happened. I will try and get a picture of my face from my friend who witnessed the insanity. Cheers, and love from London! The encounter: My friends and I were walking back along the south bank from our first class at The Globe. The iTV studios are next to the National Theatre, and we noticed a small, grungy-looking crowd gathered at the back gates amongst the trees. Of course I go up to them and ask who they are waiting for, and they ignore me at first, but then I notice the glossy pictures everyone is clutching- of MARTIN SHEEN. So I tell my friends who it is and push my way back through the crowd to wait, chatting up a paparazzi guy while I wait. We wait about twenty minutes (and these fans are completely hardcore), when he finally comes out. There is so much pushing and shoving and downright violence to thrust a photo at Martin that I admit defeat and move away from this crowd. Suddenly, a young guy sees my dejected face and says, “Oi, do you want to talk to Martin?�. Ummm…YES. So he yells down to Martin, “Hey, Martin! We’ve got an American up here!� and Martin shouts, “Oh really? Where, I want to meet her!� and the crowd begrudgingly parts as I move to the fence to speak to Mr. Martin freaking Sheen. The conversation goes as follows (Martin is M, I’m A): M- Hi! How are you? Where are you from? A- Hi! I'm great, I'm from Texas! M- Texas? What are you doing all the way over here? A- Oh I'm a student, I'm going to school M- OH, excellent, what are you studying? A- (hmm famous actors wants to know what you study...), Drama! M- Oh great! Where? At...RADA?? A- Oh no, at King's College M- Oh is that a good school, I bet so A- Yes, I really love it there M- Great. Oh wait, I forgot to ask you sweetie, what's your name? A- Mandy M- M-a-n-d-y? A- Yes that’s it M- And where do you live in Texas? A- Houston, have you been there? M- Right right, it’s nice I like it. So having any luck with drama? A- Oh it’s going alright I suppose M- well Mandy, best of luck to you, keep on going. Are you having a good day? A- It's great now that I've met you. Thank you so much, have a good day! M- You too Mandy! He signs my folder, “To Mandy, Best of Luck and Peace, Martin Sheen, London, 4/23/08�. And that is how I met Martin Sheen and nearly had a heart attack. http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/06/i_leave_my_heart_in_london_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/06/i_leave_my_heart_in_london_1.html Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:19:38 -0600 Hello all! Here is a quick entry to tide you over until I return from my last round of traveling. My parents and brother arrived yesterday for a few days in London, followed by an Italy tour starting tomorrow! We will be going to Rome, Florence, Pisa, Pompeii, Venice and Marostica. The last city, Marostica, is where my family (mom's side) comes from. Everyone in the family has always wanted to go to the town where my great-grandparents came from. It's sure to be a great experience. Last night we went to the midnight premiere of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in Leicester Square. We paid 19 pounds each for the tickets, in the most amazingly huge tiered theatre I've ever seen. It was an awesome experience in itself, and especially getting to see Indy back in action. It was also the Championship game between Manchester United and Chelsea (Man U won). That's always really cool to see all the enraged and overjoyed fans battle it out. Today we went to the British Museum to see the Elgin marbles and the mummies (although I must say, I am totally on the Greek side of the debate- the Parthenon needs its pieces back). We tried for the London Eye, but of course it was the only time it has been closed since I have been here. We had a really nice dinner with my boyfriend Alex, and took a nice stroll along the Thames. All in all it was a really lovely day in good ole London. Last week, Alex and I went on holiday in Seville, Spain, getting to put that Spanish minor to good use once again! We had a great great time, leisurely wandering around the city, which is clean, calm, quiet and very relaxing. We saw El Torre del Oro, El Alcazar and the giant Cathedral. The city is full of vegetation, with lush trees and parks everywhere. It was absolutely beautiful. Tapas are fantastic. The real way to do tapas is you go out around 9 pm to a bar, probably with a big tapas menu. You order a few dishes to split between yourselves, which come out to you very quickly- and I'm talking about cheeses, lamb, chorizo- basically anything. Then you can order a few more, or mosey on to the next bar. Everything is very casual and relaxed. It's all about enjoying your food, your drinks and your company. We loved it. Spain is definitely the country I would live in after the United Kingdom. And yes, I know that I still haven't posted my amazing celebrity story. But patience, my friends. It will come. In the meantime, I have another one!!! The other day I went out to Greenwich for lunch with Alex, and decided that, even though I didn't feel well, I should go to the National Portrait Gallery to see a great exhibition by Vanity Fair. When I was done, I wanted to take the tube back, but told myself "No Mandy. Do not be lazy. It's a beautiful day and a 15 minute walk. Do it". So I walked through Embankment Station, crossed the bridge and walked along the bank to get to my turn at the National Theatre. And that's when I noticed the area was all blocked off, because they were filming a movie. So naturally I got right up to the rope and asked who everyone was looking for- Dustin Hoffman. I called Alex to imdb the film- turns out it's "Last Chance Harvey", which also stars Emma Thompson (LOVE her). Clearly no one was thinking about the best possible Dustin viewing vantage points, so I went into the theatre bookshop, looked out the windows and was staring at the back of Dustin hanging out, waiting to film. Several times he turned and looked directly at me......in which case I waved and grinned like an idiot and then ducked behind the bookshelf out of embarrassment. Man, what a loser. Then Emma came onto the set. I was in heaven. The next day, when I was showing my parents around, they were still filming, and we got to see them again. I got an even better view of them taking a stroll together. I know I've said it so so many times....but I love this country. Ok ya'll, another post when I return from beautiful Italy! http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/05/its_the_end_of_may_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/05/its_the_end_of_may_1.html Thu, 22 May 2008 18:03:03 -0600 May 7th. How did it get to be May 7th? Anyone? And no wise cracks about, “well, that’s just how the calendar works Mandy�. I leave in one month to today. And to be quite honest, I’m not very happy about it. I miss my family and my friends so much (yes, all of you who are reading this, you have no idea how much I’d love a real hug right now). But, I’ve fallen in love with London, with everything about this city and with everyone who defines this city for me. It’s going to be incredibly hard, but the entire experience will be the best thing that has ever happened to me. Ah, well now, enough with the crazy sentiment. How about a little story time? Perhaps one that takes place in the far-away, distant and exotic lands of the Czech Republic, Germany and Greece? As I mentioned before, everyone else I knew went off on month-long trips to places as varied as Sweden, Poland and Syria. I was perfectly happy staying behind and working on my papers (Alex was there to distract me, so don’t worry everyone, I was not as perfectly studious as it seems) and going on my smaller trip when I had time. I left for Prague on April 4th. Getting to airports here is a lot different than if I were back in Houston. First you take the tube to the right stop with a train station, then the train to the airport shuttle, then the shuttle to the airport. There are some really great airlines over here, like Easyjet and Ryanair that have insanely cheap flights, so I hopped one of those to Prague. I sat amidst a giant stag party of 14, which was entertaining to say the least. I dutifully read my Prague guidebook, re-checked the maps I had printed and was ready for the city when I landed. When I stepped off the plane, I was not greeted by a weird foreign place. In fact, most signs were half in English. The first challenge was figuring out the bus. After I got on, I got off at the appropriate stop, navigated their Metro (underground) system, and ended up at the stop the hostel said to get off at. And that is where maps and printed advice fails you, when you are surrounded by only Czech-speakers in a city you don’t know with zero idea as to where in the world to turn. I called Bryan, who was already at the hostel (I was meeting him and his UCL friends for this leg), who helped me. After turning down some twisty side-streets, there I was, in front of the hostel. I went up to the room and knocked on the door, only to be opened by one of my best friends. You know, in PRAGUE. That was a very trippy and cool feeling. The next few days we navigated the city, stopping at markets, going to the old Jewish quarter and all of the old synagogues and cemeteries (a beautiful and moving experience), checking out the castle and strolling the Charles Bridge. Bryan’s birthday arrived, and we went to a classical concert at the Spanish Synagogue, an amazing dinner with a beautiful view over-looking the Charles Bridge, a great club and topped the night off with fried cheese sandwiches. You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten one of those. We left for Berlin the following day via a 5 hour train. We had originally planned to be there one night, but chose to go for an extra, which turned out to be a great idea. Our hostel was incredibly nice (it even had a movie room downstairs with 100 movies to choose from), as were the guys who ran it (including Debbie- a Hungarian guy whose name we misheard, so decided to call him Deb...which evolved into Debbie….poor guy). Berlin was WAY cooler than I thought it would be. I actually liked it more than Prague. It is so full of history, the people are vibrant and the city itself has re-built into something great. We went on a comprehensive free walking tour that showed all of the best sights, including multiple memorials that are the most moving things I have ever seen. I would highly recommend a trip there to anyone. I left the crew at the Jewish Museum to go back to the hostel and hop a plane from Berlin to Athens all by myself the following day. After getting thoroughly searched by a very brisk German woman, I was on my way on my first solo adventure. I arrived in Athens with no problems and even met an Irish guy on the Metro headed for my hostel (Athens Backpackers- great). I went to bed early, and the next day headed nice and early for the Acropolis, which was right next to the hostel. The day was clear and beautiful, and it was quite serene wandering around the Theatre of Dionysus, where the plays of Sophocles and Aeschylus were first performed (for a theatre person like me, that was such a thrill). The Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, all of that was just mind-blowing. I’ve wanted to see these sites my whole life, and here I am, on top of the freaking Acropolis! Such a wonderful feeling. What is not such a great feeling is pointing your camera at the Parthenon, only for it to tell you that the card cannot be read (exactly what happened to me in Antwerp). But I shrugged it off and found a camera place once I descended the hill and bought even more new cards. I then wandered around the Plaka district, weaving through narrow streets, vendors, crazy tacky shops and eventually ended up at the Greek Agora (with delicious chicken gyro in hand). Later I tried I wandered around more, found out ferry ticket prices, and went back to the hostel to chill for a bit and call my friends Anna, Becca and Jesse, who were arriving the next day. Anna picked up the phone, and upon my inquiry of “hey, when are ya’ll getting here�, replied, “oh in about 5 minutes� and proceeded to stroll through the hostel door in 5 minutes. It was a very happy surprise indeed. We went to the very best Greek dinner I have ever had, followed by a pub crawl with some new friends (we picked up a guy, West, from Massachusetts). The next day we basically repeated my day, plus a museum and the Temple of Zeus, and then the following morning hopped a 7:30 am speedy (5 hour) ferry to Santorini! Our hostel was more like a hotel, incredibly cheap, good rooms and right on Perissa Beach, a basically deserted (at least at that time) black sand beach. We spent a lot of time lying out on the beach, playing in the freezing surf and generally relaxing. We rented a Fiat Panda (least threatening car name ever) for 20 euro a day- 4 euro each, what a HUGE steal- and spent a lot of time driving around the island and seeing how pretty it is. The first day we went into Fira, the closer town and walked around the white-washed alleyways and tourist shops, taking in the sun. Afterward, we went to a small winery and drank wine on a cliff overlooking the caldera. That night we drove to Ia (pronounced ‘ee-ah�) with the hopes of catching the sunset over the ocean from the city. We took a wrong turn and ended up taking the long way around the island, but it was for the best, since we got to see all the scenery. When you think of the quintessential Greek home/island, you think of white walls and blue domes, and that is Ia. It is also where they filmed Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I’ve always always dreamed of going to Santorini, to Ia, and just being surrounded by the city. It lived up to its expectations. While we didn’t get the sunset (too hazy), we stepped on the cool, smooth stone paths and slowing walked through the streets, taking in the beauty of the place. We got gyros for dinner and sat on a wall overlooking the caldera and watching the pinpricks of light appear in the little towns on the island. I’ll never forget it. The next day, Becca’s birthday, we went back to Fira and climbed down this crazy side-winder donkey path to reach the old port. We took a boat out to the volcano and climbed all around. It was like being on Mars. Then the boat took us to a hot spring, which you access by jumping into the freezing water and swimming to it. Incredibly and ridiculously fun. We went back to Ia that night for the sunset and Fira for dinner and dancing. The next day Jesse and I took a 9 hour slow ferry back to Athens- yes, 9 never-ending hours- and spent the night to leave the next day. Now that I look back and read all of that, I’m not sure if it is boring or not. I mean, I lived it, so it was pretty damn cool. But maybe to others, it isn’t. We were warned before we left that people would not find our stories as cool as we do. I’m sure that will happen- and as I am particularly loquacious- I know I will get told to shut up multiple times. But that trip was an incredibly important part of my life, and I want to share it with all of you. I hope you can read my excitement, joy, fears and general life-changing time in between the lines of text. This was an incredibly long post, so the promised celebrity story will be in the next one. Yesterday I went to Greenwich to visit Alex on his lunch break and wander around. They filmed The Golden Compass (one of my favorites) at the Old Royal Naval College, so I of course crashed the place (they were filming a Charles Dickens movie there at the time) and had a great time pretending I was Nicole Kidman. Today our program is taking us for afternoon tea at the Dorchester Hotel, where apparently Madonna and Kate Moss take their tea, and then I am going to the National Portrait Gallery for a little more culture. I’m trying to make the most of my time here, so I know that I am hard to reach, and for all of you that are in contact with me, sending me love from home, I appreciate you so much. Thank you for being such great friends, especially Carrie. I know I don’t do personal shout-outs often, but when someone is so kind, they deserve it. Ta-ta for now darlings, I’m off to tea! http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/05/where_in_the_world_is_carmen_s_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/05/where_in_the_world_is_carmen_s_1.html Wed, 07 May 2008 06:20:51 -0600 The sun is sparkling off the Thames, glittering on the buildings and blinding tourists as they gaze across the water. The sky is a brilliant blue, with so few clouds that I fervently wish hundreds of red balloons would fly up and dot the sky in a patriotic celestial celebration. Ice cream men have appeared along the bank side to sell cones with Flake to children in bright-colored clothing. Birds are fluttering about and singing cheerful Disney songs. In fact, every person on Waterloo Bridge has just burst out into an elaborate song-and-dance number, fairly reminiscent of I Will Survive. Is this just my imagination? Am I dreaming? Or, have I just turned in 4 4,000 word essays thus completing my major coursework for the rest of my semester? The correct answer is a little bit of everything. The only thing that did not happen in real life is the birds and the song-and-dance number (but don’t you think for one second that I wasn’t going all Fosse in my head). Give me a little artistic license on this joyous occasion- I am finished with my Junior year of college. (*edit- Ok. Ok. I wrote this last week. And didn’t post it, because I am an awful and terrible person. So I decided to add more to the end to make up for my lack of posting skills. I also sincerely- truly and deeply- apologize for not updating sooner. I know that I should more, and I can only offer the excuse of being without a computer for over two weeks and dealing with final essays for not updating. I have recently realized that people do read this blog- I know who you are, my dear dear friends, and I thank you so much for it. I will be more vigilant from now on.) After I returned from my holiday (see the next post for my memoirs), I went to work immediately on the rest of my coursework. I told you in the last post about the essays, so I won’t bother you with those fun details. But I still had one whole essay, and most of another to do when I got back. I am not condoning this type of work ethic, but lets all be honest with ourselves. Who is, at this moment, writing an essay due tomorrow, and instead reading my blog? Yes, yes, I know exactly who you are. Don’t wag a finger at me my friends! Anyways, it was a whirlwind 5 days, full of lots of sleep deprivation, cups of tea and digestives, and learning more about the portraiture of Elizabeth I than you could possibly realize. Did you know that she really liked her hands and they are featured in every portrait? Now you know! (*cue the Bill Nye music*). The day I turned them in was utterly brilliant- it really was as beautiful as I describe, or maybe only more so because I wasn’t hauling twelve library books twenty minutes away to the library (never again will I curse you Coates). The English department had free drinks and nibbles, so my friends from Penn and I went to have a drink, and then sat in our favorite local pub for about four hours toasting our collective brilliance. Alex, my lovely boyfriend, came by with champagne, but sadly, after not sleeping for about five days, 1 pint of cider each was enough to do me, and all of my friends, in for the night. So what have I been doing since I turned in my finals? Oh, you know, nothing big, just hanging out at Shakespeare’s The Globe! Ok. Yes that came off as rather braggy. But well…I don’t really care. It was an amazing experience. For two weeks, 10 of us from Jacobean Shakespeare met at the Globe for workshops, lectures and seminars from Globe practitioners to learn about costumes, music, movement, vocals, original practices and much more. Our leaders were top professionals who have worked with the Globe for many years, some the experts in their fields. We learned about what instruments in the Elizabethan era were considered lower-class and upper-class, and how no one in the audience probably knows or cares when they make everything accurate. The Globe used to stick a policy of “original practices�, following the tradition the theatre itself was rebuilt with (as close to what was available in the 16th century). Costumes, music, lighting, sound effects, seating, audience roles, and speech- everything was done with as close accuracy as possible. Costumes- which were referred to as clothes, because that’s what they were- could cost up to 20,000 pounds a piece when completely constructed accurately. Incredible! We viewed the current show- King Lear- twice; once from the Upper Gallery, where the nobles sat, and once from the yard, where the groundlings were. Both had their own sets of problems. It is very difficult to hear or see from the Upper Gallery, but the view of the crowd in the yard is quite interesting. The copulating pigeons on the roof took away from the tragedy on stage. The yard was also fun…or rather…as fun as it can be to watch a 3+ hour show whilst standing in the rain and cold. The best part of the whole experience was performing a scene under the direction of a professional director/actor. My director has several notable film credits and numerous other theatre credits. He is on the audition panel at RADA, apparently has frequent conversations with Alan Rickman and is best friends with Tim McInnerny. On the last day, I worked up the courage to ask him if I could meet with him for coffee and discuss his professional career and how I can do what he does (he said yes!). We performed scenes from King Lear- I was Edgar, in the cliffs of Dover scene. It was great fun and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Today was sadly our last day, but I’m comforted in knowing that it is not the end of my experience in acting in London. I know that for a fact. As always, I will end my post with a celebrity sighting. I have two great ones to tell you, but I will wait until the next post with the best story yet. The day before I left for Prague, I was walking down The Cut (a street next to mine that holds the Old Vic Theatre). I was thinking about how I was jealous my friend saw Kevin Spacey walking down the street, and how I wish I could see him or Jeff Goldblum (both actors were starring in Speed the Plow at the Old Vic). I stopped to mess with my ipod, when I looked up, and realized that I was standing directly before- you guessed it- Jeff Goldblum. He was looking into the coffee shop next to us and sort of chuckling to himself. He is so bloody tall that I was completely out of his line of sight, which is good, because he just would have seen a girl staring at him with a mouth wide enough to fit in a Frisbee. Then he just sort of shrugged and ambled on toward the theatre. I was just so shocked that I didn’t have time to say anything or scream “Scott Wooley!!!� (points to whoever gets that reference) or hug him, but oh well. I got to see his awesome face, so I was happy. I really love this city. http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/05/im_not_dead_yet_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/05/im_not_dead_yet_1.html Fri, 02 May 2008 11:54:32 -0600 Me being silly Crews filming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince!!!!!! ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/03/it_is_currently_raining_outsid_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/03/it_is_currently_raining_outsid_1.html Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:12:17 -0600 First of all, I will admit that directly in front of my keyboard is a collection of essays about Shakespeare adaptations. It is open to an essay written by my seminar lecturer, and I stopped reading half-way through because I decided I would rather write a post. Best idea? Who cares, this is much more fun. I just read Sebastian’s great entry and started laughing, because I just got back from a trip to Brussels myself! Brussels….what shall I say about you? The city itself was not terribly interesting to me. I liked the EU parliament building, and really, the best parts of the trip were hanging out with my friends and relaxing. My goals for the trip (sponsored by my travel program) were thus: eat chocolate, waffles, fries, drink a beer (I really don’t like beer in the least), and sleep. Mazel tov to me, I did it all! We stayed at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, which was the nicest hotel I’ve ever been to, and had the comfiest beds I could imagine- way way better than the beds in my flat. I whole-heartedly concur with Sebastian- there is nothing better than Belgian chocolate. I have a bag full of truffles, pralines (chocolate eggs filled with different chocolates/flavors) and a bar of mint-leaf infused dark chocolate calling to me from my bed. I must have spent about 20 euro on chocolate. Obscene and absurd, yes, but completely and totally worth it. I also had some sort of religious experience with my waffle on Sunday; it’s hard to describe the sheer joy I felt when eating it. A fresh, toasty waffle, topped with 2 huge scoops of homemade Belgian chocolate ice cream, covered with caramel sauce. I only had eyes for that waffle. It’s almost like food porn with all the sweets. Loved it! We went on a day trip to Antwerp and wandered around the fashionable city people watching and shopping. However, the best part occurred at once, and was two-fold. Outside of the cathedral, there is a square with lots of little restaurants and benches. We went to the chip shop (french fries) to get a cone of chips with curry ketchup (you cannot go back to regular ketchup after that). When we were in line, I heard a familiar voice, and saw the three trip leaders from our program. Here my friends and I are, in Antwerp on a day trip from Brussels, in one little chip shop in a particular square at a random time, and there are people we know. I suppose it seems silly, but I really love small-world coincidence things like that. It’s so bizarre that things are happening so quickly. Time flies when you’re having fun- I really hate that phrase, but it’s so very true. In three weeks, most of my friends are packing up and heading out on month-long holiday excursions around Europe. I’m staying here to write my 4 essays for two weeks, and then heading out to join various groups of friends. It’s just so strange how close you get to people when you are all thrown into a new situation together. I’m going to miss them all very much when I’m the only one moping about the library, writing essays on Elizabeth I and experimental theatre. However, we still have a lot of time as it is to hang out and have fun. We’re going to a pretty famous club, Fabric, next week for this insanely crazy sounding party that involves everything from face painting to dancing, drink specials and moonwalks to a human petting zoo (do not ask me what that is, I don’t even want to know). This week is also my school’s most famous party they throw at the union club, the Truffle Shuffle. Everyone wears 80s clothing, dances to 80s jams, and gets drinks at 80s prices! Major points to anyone who can identify what Truffle Shuffle is in reference to- I’ll even give you a shout-out in my next entry! I’ll be sure to tell you all how that goes. As for right now, I should be getting back to my Shakespeare, or maybe go to the gym and work off all of that chocolate. Or, I can eat another praline and research airline tickets. Let’s hope I make the right choice! On a final note, please keep checking back to see if I have added pictures- technology hates me too. http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/03/eggo_has_nothing_on_brussels.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/03/eggo_has_nothing_on_brussels.html Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:32:18 -0600 Hello all- I now write to you as a full-fledged 21 year old adult! My birthday was Wednesday- how the heck did that happen? You have no idea how fast time flies in college. I remember my freshman year surprise birthday party like it was yesterday- complete with chocolate Aramark cake in the Beze underground. I was admittedly a bit wary of spending my birthday far from home and all of my great friends and sorority sisters (and a country that actually cares when you turn 21!) but it was pretty great. The day started out regularly enough- Theatre Capital class from 10-12, which was actually nice, since my professor told me he really liked my idea and work I’ve done toward my final essay (did I mention yet that for all of my English classes, they are all assessed by 1 essay worth 100% of my grade? No? Gooood times). I went shopping on Oxford Street, bought myself a birthday purse, and then my friends and I went to Wagamama’s, a sort of Pei Wei/Thai place, and had some delicious noodles. My flatmates surprised me with a gorgeous lemon cake, but the restaurant wouldn’t let us eat it, since it had dairy in it. This actually isn’t too surprising, as London is incredibly conscious of making note of allergies and vegan and vegetarian dishes on all of its menus, and since the cake was not from the restaurant, they probably did not want to be liable for any allergic reactions. Weird, but makes sense. Bryan had a surprise for me after dinner, so after a tube ride, we arrived at our destination- Wicked!!!! I’ve been wanting to see the show for ages (all of my friends are HUGE fans), and it lived up to my expectations- now I want to defy gravity! Afterwards, we met my other friends at a place called Loop Bar, and had a blast dancing and being merry. I told the bartender that I was 21 and he literally shrugged. A major difference from a birthday in Texas, let me tell you. I honestly had the best birthday I could imagine, and I’m really grateful to all of my old and new friends for how nice they were. I don’t have too many pictures from the night at the moment, but when I get some, I’ll update this post with them! Two other pieces of exciting times (and I still have stories from trips to Scotland and Barcelona to regale you with- all in good time my friends). The first would be on the 19th, The Other Boleyn Girl premiered in Leicester Square, and Bryan and I went to go watch the stars arrive. This is something I’ve always wanted to see, being a ridiculous movie/celeb-o-holic, and it was pretty darn cool. When we arrived, I elbowed my way toward the metal barrier surrounding the entrance area around the cinema. We were pretty far away, near the end where the guests enter, but we didn’t feel the need to queue (line) up in the morning to actually meet the stars. Screams of SCARLETT heralded the arrival of Scarlett Johansson, and then Natalie Portman and Eric Bana. We could see them all from a distance, but none left the carpet to head our way. Eric Bana totally waved at me/us whilst I was waving like a maniac. After they had all gone in, we went to the closest thing I’ve had to Mexican food in 2 months. There is no such thing as queso here, but I did order a huge bowl of refried beans, just because I love them so much. In even cooler news, last Friday night I went to a play. Not just any play, but Othello- my favorite Shakespeare tragedy, and starring one of my favorite actors, Ewan McGregor (as well as Chiwetel Ejiofor). But one does not simply waltz up to the box office and order tickets to Othello. Those sold out in November, and now go for about 500 pounds a pop. Seeing as I’d like to be able to buy food and clothing for the duration of my stay, that wasn’t going to happen. But it is possible to get these tickets- if you are willing to work for it. The theatre reserves 10 seated and 20 standing tickets for every performance that are bought at the box office the day of the show. So my friend Nick and I headed over to the Donmar Warehouse Theatre at 4:30 am to queue up for tickets. Crazy you say? Nope! When we got there at 5 am, there were 6 other people in front of us. The first three women arrived at 11:30 pm and 1 am. The next two women got there at 2 am, and the other at 3 am. A man arrived 15 minutes after us. After a freezing cold 5 and half hours of waiting, we managed to snag the last 2 standing tickets (one was returned). We returned to the theatre that night for a fantastic performance- Chiwetel as Othello and Ewan as Iago were just fantastic. The interpretation of the show, the staging, the subtle effects, all of it was just so great. I’ll admit to breaking into a huge grin and hitting Nick the moment Ewan appeared. After the show, we met up with some of our line buddies at the staircase to the theatre in the lobby, waiting for Ewan and the other actors. I got the autographs of Cassio and Emilia- both fantastic- and also noticed a brunette woman coming down the stairs, trying to avoid notice- it was Anne Hathaway trying to sneak out! But no one can escape my all-seeing eye! Then Ewan came down the stairs- yes my heart stopped and my knees shaked- and he stopped right in front of my program, pen and camera clutching self. He was really nice and tired, signed my program and took a picture with me. It was one of the best nights EVER. Poor Nick had to deal with my crazy fan-girl self, but then again, he also put up with me at 5 am in the freezing cold. Ok everyone, I have more updates on other trips that I will post very very soon! *edit* Madi is helping me with my pictures- I wanted to get this up soon, so check back to see when I have the pictures up! http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/02/turning_21_in_londonpretty_dar.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/02/turning_21_in_londonpretty_dar.html Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:08:16 -0600 The Kappas welcoming new members With new baby sunflower Carrie on Bid Day 2007. Doors are completely decorated in welcome signs One more for good measure, from my Bid Day in 2006 ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/02/greek_christmas.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/02/greek_christmas.html Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:01:21 -0600 This is the most mythical view of Warwick Castle I could possibly imagine. All that is missing is some mist, knights on horses, and me as the princess in one of those turrets! A view from inside the castle, on top of the Mound, built in 1068. The house Shakespeare was born in! (it cost 8 pounds to get in...) Standing on the south bank of the Thames, next to the London Eye, with Parliament, Westminster and Big Ben behind me! ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/01/london_is_a_roost_for_every_bi.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/01/london_is_a_roost_for_every_bi.html Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:33:13 -0600 St. James' Park, with the London Eye in the Background That's all I can honestly manage on the photos right now. I'm having trouble with proportions- bloggers, can you help me out please? I have loads more stories and photos to share, and I've only been here for 3 weeks. Keep checking for updates of my wild and crazy adventures! Mandy ]]> http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/01/nothing_is_certain_in_london_b_1.html http://blogs.targetx.com/trinity/Mandy/2008/01/nothing_is_certain_in_london_b_1.html Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:46:31 -0600