No uploaded pictures yet, but this was pretty much our view the entire weekend:
Monday, July 12, 2010
Not a good blogger
I always forget to update my blog for the 1-2 loyal readers I do have :) Been a busy few weeks, amidst starting both my internships, driving to the valley for my cousin's wedding, moving apartments, lakehouse for 4th of July, and am currently in Montana with Ramsey for his work conference. We spent the weekend driving around the area and in Yellowstone, which was GORGEOUS. Only downside was that we both got pretty sick (so no real hiking or too much outdoorsy stuff) and I DID NOT see a bear or moose! We did see a lot of bison in Yellowstone though, and some elk/deer and a wolf! I'm waiting to go to the airport and fly back to Houston so that I can go back to work tomorrow.
No uploaded pictures yet, but this was pretty much our view the entire weekend:
No uploaded pictures yet, but this was pretty much our view the entire weekend:
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Ghanafest and my Jellyfish Debacle
So I've been a bad blogger and haven't really updated about my trip in Malta. While everything I've done has been an experience in itself, this weekend involved Maltese folksinging, Tunisian and Egyptian rock bands, Maltese rappers, tasting rabbit, getting stung by a jellyfish, trying the old wives' tale of having someone pee on my sting, and sightseeing around the island.
First off, on Friday night I went with some people from our group to Ghanafest, a festival that Malta has every year that is meant to revolve around the music of "ghana" (pronounced 'ana'), which is an old cultural type of Maltese folksinging. HOWEVER, it might be the worst type of music I have ever experienced in my life. There are 2-4 men on stage typically, with 3 guitarists, and the men are involved in this "duel" sometimes in lyrics or sometimes are just wailing away out of key and uncaring. It was quite an experience in itself. However, the festival was fun, there was good Maltese food and little shops set up all around the music where people were selling jams, soaps, art, and all kinds of yummy food! The highlight of the evening was definitely the Tunisian band that came on later. They might have been the best band I've ever seen live, and were so entertaining.
My internet is super slow here, so pictures will have to wait to be uploaded. Anyway, on Saturday I went with Kelly on a sightseeing tour of south Malta which was really fun - we saw Megalithic temples, a cave, the Blue Grotto, and a fishing village. It was pretty cool, we were on a hop-on hop-off bus so we got to get off wherever we wanted to for an hour.
Went back to Ghanafest that night to see a Bosnian band and the great Maltese singers once again - I swear they got worse over time. That noise that they produce is unhuman.
Anyway, on Sunday we all went to Comino, which is a tiny island on the west side of Malta. It took forever to get there because we had to go by bus which altogether probably took 2 hours including waiting for the bus. The bus driver leaves us on the side of the road with this sketchy guy "Joseph from Gozo" who is going to take us to the Comino ferries. Fortunately, everything was fine with that, and we get to Comino relatively safely, although I thought I would fly out of his little boat. Comino was the site of several scenes in Troy, and you can tell the minute you get there how beautiful the island is. You are able to see through most of the water and it sparkles on the surface. So gorgeous. Anyway, we put our stuff down next to some Canadians and swim across to another side of the island. We find a cave on this other part that goes straight through until the Mediterranean on the other side. It was so cool to swim in a cave, despite the tremendous amounts of seaweed and algae on the bottom. We hung out by some rocks for a while on the other side, and then went back to rejoin the rest of the group.
It was at that point, when I was aaaalmost to the comfort of the sand that I heard Jeremy say something about tentacles and then the most shocking/stinging/painful sensation I ever felt leeched onto both my legs. I don't think I directly realized it was a jellyfish, but I sure screamed loud enough so that everyone knew that it was. I was dragged to shore and my leg was spasming because of all the pain. I admit I am the biggest baby when it comes to pain, but this was a deeply rooted pain that was flashing up and down my leg, swelling it up. Since I was hysterically crying, everyone thought we should do the best thing we could do at that time: collect pee from someone. Mike was the only one who volunteered his, so he got a water bottle from other tourists and went off to do his business. After making fun of the bright yellow color of his pee, it had to go directly on my leg, lots of fun for everyone around me, but at that point I no longer cared since it was so painful.
After a few more minutes, my leg stopped spasming, although still hurt to walk. Managed to half swim across to the other side again and get back on the bus after getting a beer to calm me down. My little escapade was the highlight of almost everyone's trip to Comino, although I still have a pretty ugly scar and don't feel entirely back up to par yet. I still went back to Ghanafest that night though, and saw a really good Egyptian band! I love Ghanafest - it was a good way to experience both Maltese culture and music from a variety of other cultures. I'm trying to take it easy the rest of the week since it still hurts to walk and I still feel sick from the sting, but today was our last day of classes! Only have a review tomorrow night (plus my project presentation) and then finals on Friday night!
As much as Malta has been a fun trip away from home, I'm anxious to get back to my daily routines, sleep in my own bed, see my furbabies, and Ramsey!
First off, on Friday night I went with some people from our group to Ghanafest, a festival that Malta has every year that is meant to revolve around the music of "ghana" (pronounced 'ana'), which is an old cultural type of Maltese folksinging. HOWEVER, it might be the worst type of music I have ever experienced in my life. There are 2-4 men on stage typically, with 3 guitarists, and the men are involved in this "duel" sometimes in lyrics or sometimes are just wailing away out of key and uncaring. It was quite an experience in itself. However, the festival was fun, there was good Maltese food and little shops set up all around the music where people were selling jams, soaps, art, and all kinds of yummy food! The highlight of the evening was definitely the Tunisian band that came on later. They might have been the best band I've ever seen live, and were so entertaining.
My internet is super slow here, so pictures will have to wait to be uploaded. Anyway, on Saturday I went with Kelly on a sightseeing tour of south Malta which was really fun - we saw Megalithic temples, a cave, the Blue Grotto, and a fishing village. It was pretty cool, we were on a hop-on hop-off bus so we got to get off wherever we wanted to for an hour.
Went back to Ghanafest that night to see a Bosnian band and the great Maltese singers once again - I swear they got worse over time. That noise that they produce is unhuman.
Anyway, on Sunday we all went to Comino, which is a tiny island on the west side of Malta. It took forever to get there because we had to go by bus which altogether probably took 2 hours including waiting for the bus. The bus driver leaves us on the side of the road with this sketchy guy "Joseph from Gozo" who is going to take us to the Comino ferries. Fortunately, everything was fine with that, and we get to Comino relatively safely, although I thought I would fly out of his little boat. Comino was the site of several scenes in Troy, and you can tell the minute you get there how beautiful the island is. You are able to see through most of the water and it sparkles on the surface. So gorgeous. Anyway, we put our stuff down next to some Canadians and swim across to another side of the island. We find a cave on this other part that goes straight through until the Mediterranean on the other side. It was so cool to swim in a cave, despite the tremendous amounts of seaweed and algae on the bottom. We hung out by some rocks for a while on the other side, and then went back to rejoin the rest of the group.
It was at that point, when I was aaaalmost to the comfort of the sand that I heard Jeremy say something about tentacles and then the most shocking/stinging/painful sensation I ever felt leeched onto both my legs. I don't think I directly realized it was a jellyfish, but I sure screamed loud enough so that everyone knew that it was. I was dragged to shore and my leg was spasming because of all the pain. I admit I am the biggest baby when it comes to pain, but this was a deeply rooted pain that was flashing up and down my leg, swelling it up. Since I was hysterically crying, everyone thought we should do the best thing we could do at that time: collect pee from someone. Mike was the only one who volunteered his, so he got a water bottle from other tourists and went off to do his business. After making fun of the bright yellow color of his pee, it had to go directly on my leg, lots of fun for everyone around me, but at that point I no longer cared since it was so painful.
After a few more minutes, my leg stopped spasming, although still hurt to walk. Managed to half swim across to the other side again and get back on the bus after getting a beer to calm me down. My little escapade was the highlight of almost everyone's trip to Comino, although I still have a pretty ugly scar and don't feel entirely back up to par yet. I still went back to Ghanafest that night though, and saw a really good Egyptian band! I love Ghanafest - it was a good way to experience both Maltese culture and music from a variety of other cultures. I'm trying to take it easy the rest of the week since it still hurts to walk and I still feel sick from the sting, but today was our last day of classes! Only have a review tomorrow night (plus my project presentation) and then finals on Friday night!
As much as Malta has been a fun trip away from home, I'm anxious to get back to my daily routines, sleep in my own bed, see my furbabies, and Ramsey!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Malta and Sicily
So I've been in Europe for about 10 days now and it's been a great experience so far. I was nervous about getting on all the flights by myself, especially since I hadn't flown in so long, but the whole international flight experience was alright (except for my 12 hour layover in the Rome airport which was almost unbearable). The first weekend we did an orientation for school that showed us a lot of the nearby attractions in Malta, including this beautiful Cathedral, and lots of views of the Mediterranean. We then went to a nearby island with my roommate's mom which had the most beautiful viewpoint I have ever seen:
I've since been to a couple of beaches around the area, and we went to Sicily this weekend! It was one of the longest day trips of my life (5AM - midnight) but it was well worth it. We took a ferry ride across the Mediterranean and visited a couple of towns in the southern side of Sicily and hiked up Mt. Etna (a volcano)! This week is going to be pretty busy with activities and school, but we still have this weekend to finish up our tour of Malta before we have to go home next weekend!
Living in the Mediterranean for 3 weeks is wonderful, by the way :)
I've since been to a couple of beaches around the area, and we went to Sicily this weekend! It was one of the longest day trips of my life (5AM - midnight) but it was well worth it. We took a ferry ride across the Mediterranean and visited a couple of towns in the southern side of Sicily and hiked up Mt. Etna (a volcano)! This week is going to be pretty busy with activities and school, but we still have this weekend to finish up our tour of Malta before we have to go home next weekend!
Living in the Mediterranean for 3 weeks is wonderful, by the way :)
Friday, May 14, 2010
End of School and Malta
My first year is finally over after many breakdowns, panic attacks, caffeine overdoses (it seems like), and hours of studying. I'm now a 2L (pending my grades)! My first day off was seemingly boring, but it was nice to have time to actually do all the chores I've needed to do over the past few weeks, and I was able to cook again (made a tasty dish - baked rigatoni with mini meatballs). If you don't know about it already, a blog at smittenkitchen.com has a great selection of recipes, many baked goods, and everything my boyfriend and I have tried has come out great!
I leave for Malta in 5 days, and I'm finally getting over my fear of flying. I don't think I technically have a fear of flying, but I've just never flown across the ocean, so doing that by myself is a little unnerving. I'm starting to get excited about being on a Mediterranean island for 3 weeks though:
There is so much to do on the island that I hope I have time to experience everything! I'm going to try and arrange trips to Italy and maybe Tunisia, but as of now, I'm not sure if I'll be able to (my school is NOT giving us any long weekends to travel). My next few days will mostly consist of getting packed and ready to go, before I leave my cozy little apartment for an EXTREMELY cozy little dorm room in Malta.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Media's Warped Views on What's Important
Time for a serious post. I'm pretty upset with the national media and our government right now -- most major news networks have not shown much footage at all of the floodings in Tennessee. 29 people have been killed as a result and many homes are destroyed. Looking at pictures brings to mind images of New Orleans after Katrina. Most of the historic downtown area of Nashville remains underwater, including the Grand Ole Opry! Not sure why the nation is choosing to ignore the country capitol of the world, but whatever the cause, it is clearly misguided.
Some news stations are slowly beginning to display coverage and stories about the disaster....nearly a week after the flooding occurred. More of use need to be aware that a major natural disaster just occurred (the most catastrophic damage we've seen from flooding not associated with a hurricane), which is going to cost the city close to $1 billion.
I understand that there are important things happening right now, including the oil spill in the Gulf (which has affected many Houstonians already), the tornadoes in the South, and the potential terrorist attack in New York, but just don't forget about the people in Nashville. Many are still attempting to piece their lives back together, returning to find all their belongings completely destroyed by something many of us just considered to be "a little rain".
CNN's story
Some news stations are slowly beginning to display coverage and stories about the disaster....nearly a week after the flooding occurred. More of use need to be aware that a major natural disaster just occurred (the most catastrophic damage we've seen from flooding not associated with a hurricane), which is going to cost the city close to $1 billion.
I understand that there are important things happening right now, including the oil spill in the Gulf (which has affected many Houstonians already), the tornadoes in the South, and the potential terrorist attack in New York, but just don't forget about the people in Nashville. Many are still attempting to piece their lives back together, returning to find all their belongings completely destroyed by something many of us just considered to be "a little rain".
CNN's story
Friday, April 30, 2010
Ann Taylor 30 % Sale for Students! And Foodie Recommendation
Go to that link, print out the 30% off coupon and make sure to bring your student ID! I know I need to stock up on my law school/internship wardrobe, so I might be making my way over there -- it ends May 2nd so try to make it out this weekend!
Good luck studying Kate and Jackie, I'm stuck on Property :( But we can celebrate in 10 days when we'll be officially done with our 1L year!!!
Foodie tip:
Ramsey and I met for lunch at Wesleyan Cafe, a cute little Sandwich place that's right next to where I'll be interning in the fall -- delicious food and great atmosphere! Highly recommended :) Not crowded at all during lunch time...unlike Luling Cafe where we tried to have lunch. If you manage to get out to Luling (on Richmond, just inside the Loop), it's amazing BBQ, and much cheaper than Goode Company (which explains the crowds!). Wednesday, April 28, 2010
New South Park On, Survey, and Boutique Closing on West Alabama!
For those of you who don't know, South Park is one of my favorite shows EVER...pretty sure I've seen about 95% of the episodes, and I own several seasons. Today's is no exception....combining TWO of my favorite shows - Intervention AND South Park. Genius. I love Towelie. Hahah. Anyway, I decided to fill out the survey from Jackie's blog:
B. BED SIZE: Queen
C. CHORE YOU HATE: Scrubbing the bathroom, picking up Cal hair, or cleaning wine glasses
D. DOG'S NAME: No dogs, just cats!
E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: Cranapple or Coffee.
F. FAVORITE COLOR: Purple.
G. GOLD OR SILVER: Silver.
H. HEIGHT: 5'1
I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: Violin, Guitar, and most in the string family...hoping to be in the Houston Civil Orchestra in the fall!
J. JOB: Law student, contract writer, and more recently, "housewife" ;)
K. KIDS: I have two furbabies! Cal and Apple! And my niece and nephew are also my children as well :)
L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Living in sin with the BF
M. MOM'S NAME: Beatrice.
N. NICKNAME: SB, Sarah, Sarita, etc.
O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: Never.
P. PET PEEVE: Almost everyone in the road in Houston. ESPECIALLY those who do not yield when they are supposed to!
C. CHORE YOU HATE: Scrubbing the bathroom, picking up Cal hair, or cleaning wine glasses
D. DOG'S NAME: No dogs, just cats!
E. ESSENTIAL "START THE DAY!" ITEM: Cranapple or Coffee.
F. FAVORITE COLOR: Purple.
G. GOLD OR SILVER: Silver.
H. HEIGHT: 5'1
I. INSTRUMENTS YOU PLAY: Violin, Guitar, and most in the string family...hoping to be in the Houston Civil Orchestra in the fall!
J. JOB: Law student, contract writer, and more recently, "housewife" ;)
K. KIDS: I have two furbabies! Cal and Apple! And my niece and nephew are also my children as well :)
L. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Living in sin with the BF
M. MOM'S NAME: Beatrice.
N. NICKNAME: SB, Sarah, Sarita, etc.
O. OVERNIGHT HOSPITAL STAY: Never.
P. PET PEEVE: Almost everyone in the road in Houston. ESPECIALLY those who do not yield when they are supposed to!
Q. QUOTE: "In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different." - Chanel
R. RIGHTY OR LEFTY?: Righty.
S. SIBLINGS: Just my sister.
T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: Depends on the day. I <3 my sleep.
U. UNDERWEAR: Hanky Pankys!
S. SIBLINGS: Just my sister.
T. TIME YOU WAKE UP: Depends on the day. I <3 my sleep.
U. UNDERWEAR: Hanky Pankys!
V. VEGGIE YOU DISLIKE: Uncooked onions
W. WAYS/REASONS YOU ARE LATE: I don't know, lately I'm always late to places when I used to ALWAYS be early! Being early never paid off well anyway.
X. XRAYS YOU'VE HAD: Dentist ones, and when I was little I broke my baby toe!
Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: Salmon and Chicken Cordon Bleu :) Enchiladas too, but the BF makes them better than I do now.
Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE:RED PANDA!!!!!! It's super cute! I can't wait to go back!
Y. YUMMY FOOD YOU MAKE: Salmon and Chicken Cordon Bleu :) Enchiladas too, but the BF makes them better than I do now.
Z. ZOO ANIMALS YOU LIKE:RED PANDA!!!!!! It's super cute! I can't wait to go back!
Anyway, I found out through CultureMap (one of my favorite sites) that the boutique Etui is closing within the next few months, which means most of its merchandise is 30% off or more! I'm excited to go check it out soon after finals are over -- it's really close to Lamar, just off of West Alabama and Edloe. You guys should check it out too!
Okay, time to watch the last few minutes of South Park and continue some Property studying/cuddling with Apple:
Okay, time to watch the last few minutes of South Park and continue some Property studying/cuddling with Apple:
And just for fun, here's another picture of Cal when he was a baby:
Maybe one day I'll actually have something interesting to post about! Malta in 3 weeks, so there will be pictures of pretty beaches to come!
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