Blog Post Number 3

My emotions have varied from extreme excitement or sunken into a lowly despair (I became very irritable on many of our site visits because I was tired due to the fact that I couldn't shut my big fat mouth and go to sleep). Our first trip to Haworth was the first time my inside's were bursting with pride and jubilation because I walked to the top of the moors and was able to look upon "Top Withens". I was overwhelmed with joy because I pushed my self physically as well as mentally further than I thought I could have ever achieved. I was able to walk in Emily and Charlotte Bronte's footsteps which to me ( and my mother) was a dream coming true. I now have a souvenir that no one can ever take from me because it is a feeling/emotion locked inside of my mind and in times of deep thought I can recall this memory and smile. I recognize Charlotte/ Emily's need for solitude which perpetuated the idea of strong female heroines in both of their literary writings. I observed that Josie, Katie, Christi, and Melissa all felt very accomplished after the long and treacherous hike through mud, rain, heat, sheep poo. We all celebrated together and congratulated one another on such a huge achievement. This, then, created a bond between us all for being courageous enough to conquer the unknown and proved that 21st century women are just as capable as Victorian writers to scale rocky hill sides!!

I feel differently at each site visit because my emotions at Haworth & Sherwood Forest are Incorporated with positive child hood memories of movies (Jane Eyre, Wuethering Heights, and Robin Hood) that I have enjoyed to watch over and over. Visiting these particular sites are comparatively my hajj because the "sublime" was invoked through my inner being and through out all of my senses because fantasy became a reality. The stories are real because I believe them to be. I cannot definitely say that the others in the group have the same emotional attachment as I share for these particular sites but I can say without hesitation that everyone has come to appreciate the writers of all of the literary pieces we have read so far, and through are site visits many were able to embrace the text and authors more competently.

Newstead is a new place to me because I have only been introduced to Lord Byron's poetry very recently. Honestly, I was intrigued by the beautiful landscape and the monastery but I was unable to connect with his home no deeper than for "cosmetic appeal". It will take time for me to appreciate Lord Byron as a literary master and I plan on reading more of his poetry and biographical depictions of his life to fully appreciate the wonderful gift I was given to visit his home. (I just need a little more time!!).

If I was to surmise any conclusions about emotions I could only say that, everyone in our group is unique and special in their own way. Some are able to comprehend big theories and other are very specific detail orientated individuals who contribute insightful interpretations of our readings. Our groups ability to speak freely is based on a mutual trust and comfort Professor Benander has allowed the group to form (or maybe it just evolved naturally). I can honestly say that in public our group is much louder than other groups (but the English have obviously mastered the skill of whispering at an early age!!). We are all strangers in a foreign country and I believe this has made us latch on closely with one another, so in a way, our common ground is that we are all Americans who share the same incapability of talking quietly in public!!

Blog Post Number 1

Now that I have lived in England over two weeks I can honestly assert that the English speak more softly than Americans do. I have been on a crowded train/platform several times and was unable to hear the conversation's of the people around me. (I am not an "ease dropper" but when you are standing only a few feet from someone I would expect to hear a few words, but in England you only see lips moving!!!) .
I also enjoy hearing the English speak and I have been engaging in short conversations with a few strangers (here and there). The way in which, they pronounce their words makes the conversation very interesting. I remember our cab driver Tom and the young lady Iseara pronounced Nottingham as Nott-in-ham. I believe in the States (depending upon where your from) our accents differentiate us from one another. My friends from Akron, Ohio would call me "country" because they said I say "warsh" instead of wash. I never considered my self country because everybody in Cincinnati considers all Kentuckians country!!!
The people in Grantham move about the shopping centers, library and train station just like we do in the states. I really don't see much of a difference because everyone goes to the store to shop and libraries to read and train stations to travel. Therefore, Americans and the British every day activities such as meeting with friends and taking family members to the store is just the same as it is back home. The most notable difference is the prices and selection in the stores. Everything that I have taken for granted to be dollar or two (thanks to Walmart) is double the price in England. I feel oppressed because my money doesn't equate.
In conclusion, I believe that the English culture emphasis privacy. Many people keep to themselves and communicate softly not to disturb the others around them. They also maintain their privacy because many grow large shrubbery around their homes which also isolates themselves from the world. I admire their awareness of themselves and the respect they show for their fellow country men. I can only hope that I can take what I have learned about personal space (physical and verbal) and incorporate it into my life effectively.

Blog Post Number 6

Reflecting back on my trip to Dublin, I have to say that it is a very rough city. In the early morning it smells like a landfill because of all the tourist drink, vomit and trash city. The buildings look alike because they are all grey (oddly, many don't have windows because at the time of construction the country could't afford to pay the glass tax for windows).This city is fast paced because of all the locals and tourist are going in different directions. You can be swept away in the crowd if the walk light turns green, because everyone pushes forward regardless if you want to go or not. (I was caught in a situation where I was being pushed by the crowd to cross the street and I just wanted cut through the crowd and go the other direction).

I would describe the attitudes I observed in Dublin as very "forth right". While in Dublin Tasha, Melissa and myself were basically yelled at by the bus drivers because we were unfamiliar with how to use the bus passes (it was our first time and we didn't know what direction to swipe the cards in order to pay for the ride). The second embarrassing moment with a snippy bus driver who yelled, "You don't know where you are going" when a traveling companion of ours (Patti from California) was confused and just asked for some directions therfore, she was unable to pay the correct bus fare.

Its hard for me to describe the nonverbal attitudes but many pedestrians and fellow bus riders would bump into me and no one would say "excuse me". I'm not complaining about a small nudge or stepping on your feet by accident. No, these were almost shoves or if the bus would turn or make an abrupt stop then their body would physically thrust into me and again the other person wouldn't say nothing. It was really becoming a bit irritating but I just accepted "Excuse Me" is just not in the dictionary and I had better get over it.

I learned that Dublin is big city and any visitor must bring allot of money and have clear plan in regards to where they are going and what you want to do. I always envisioned Ireland to have beautiful country side with sheep. I thought of the story of Angela's Ashes and I believe my brain was warped into thinking I was going to see 1940's Ireland vs 21st century Ireland. I assumed that there were going to be friendly people everywhere who would tell us Irish folktales in the pubs. I was very ignorant in the sense, I thought I could rent a bike and ride to the ocean. There is just no way to do that because the ocean is miles and miles away. Overall, I thought Dublin was going to be smaller, friendlier and greener. I have admit that prior to the trip to Dublin I hadn't prior background of the country and its people. I was very ignorant of their history with Great Brittan and all of the oppression this country has had to suffer through. I learned that before I travel to a foreign land I must thoroughly research the history in order to have a basic understanding of the culture. All of my assumptions about Dublin turned out to be false and I am the one to be blamed for my ignorance!!!

I believe I played the part of "dumb tourist" perfectly. Not that this was my intention at all. Again , I didn't know what to ask ( because I had no clear plan) and when the bus drivers were unpleasant I was just in a state of shock. The culture in the big city is always more faced pace than in the country and that is to be expected. I had the feeling that the bus drivers were all indoctrinated with the same philosophy "Time is money" and when we were asking questions we were annoying them immensely. In the future , I have to behave more of an experienced confidant traveller who can roll with all the punches (and verbal tongue lashings) in order to navigate an enjoyable trip!!