05 February, 2011

It ended... but it's never over

Well this should be my last post on this blog. I doubt I will even go back and edit the last few texts. There really isn't much I can say. I mostly can't remember all the details. I had a blast and everything worked out. These last few photos were sent to me. They are of my host family in Lithuania and they will just have to be my last on my time abroad. I actually have a few others but at the moment they are frozen in my computer and I don't have access to them.

However, I almost feel guilty that these last posts were only about Lithuania. This all was supposed to be about my time in Scotland. I might even ruined my experiences in Scotland by ended my time abroad in Lithuania. I don't know if I have gotten what I meant through. What I'm trying to say that I wanted that movie picture or story perfect ending where the girl says goodbye to her friends at the bus stop where tears are shed and then has the perfect exit. I think I might have gotten it better this time even though I've said before I'm absolutely crummy at saying goodbyes.

Well it might be one of the backward crazy thoughts to why I had such a crazy schedule on my way back. I mean I did have one more day in Scotland before I was back in Marquette.

Just going to say seeing my mother push my best friend aside as they both try to get to me first was one of the best moments of my life.
the three sisters and I

mociute and I

24 December, 2010

Travels Update

As this blog has nearly run it's course I thought to finally comment on the fact that I am in Lithuania now. I will post more on the actual goings on or update everything later.

I've been here since Monday and it has been great. I missed everyone. I missed the language, the food, the culture, and etc. I don't know what it was that I missed the most because I really can't put my finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that I am in this country that is so special to me. Anyways it's Christmas Eve and Rima is making the famous dinner for tonight. It should be amazing. Yesterday I had a TV interview for the local news. That was scary. I was allowed to speak in English which is what I did. Then they had me talking to my host brother for a little bit. Don't know what they are going to use. I don't want to see what I looked like. I also forgot to mention the Rotary club. The lady asked though what I found different between Lithuania and America. May I ask this question in response, why does everyone make a big deal about being American or being some other country? People are people. They have their ups, downs, and sideways moods and behaviors. That is what I said basically. That is what I have found. I can say that people are less friendly in the stores or on the street to strangers or I can say people in the states feel like they are always happy. It's not true! People in the states are cruel to strangers in the store and there are Lithuanians who are always happy. The idea that people are different because of where they live is a load of s@#!. (though I am guilty of saying that when I talk about Scottish people)

Well Merry Christmas or Linkimu Kaledu. I'll talk more when I get back to the states. Fingers crossed that the snow will let up enough for this to happen according to plans.

18 December, 2010

:(

I'm not a happy camper. I was to be on my Lithuania trip by now but the snow has put everything on hold again. This should mean now that I won't be going to Lithuania till Monday now. I'm off to catch a few Z's. I got one hour of sleep and then I was standing in a queue for five hours. To say the least I am tired. Check out the recent news in the attached link.

http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=155576213

17 December, 2010

17/12/2010 Busy Times and the last days



four good friends out on the town

Like I said before, It doesn't look like I am going to be able to update anything. This week has been packed. It has been fun. I said goodbye to friends today. Tomorrow I head back to Lithuania for nine days. Most likely I will get the chance to update all this during that time. It will be good to be back and I will be able to relax with my host family for Christmas. At least my host brother is excited to see me as he posted on my facebook. I'm mega happy! I'm also super sad. I really don't want to leave. I have felt like this is home. I have felt like I am comfortable. Of course it would have been better to have a job while over here but that's water under the bridge. I still have to pack everything and tonight I'm not going to sleep because really I leave at 3 in the morning so there is no point. I will sleep on the plane...

Love everyone! I miss everyone and now I have more friends to miss here in Aberdeen and around the world... I really hate saying goodbyes! I think I'm off to have a good cry because I don't want to leave.

There will be photos of last night (I hope) pretty soon. That was a wild night I had. I wore my heeled boots and today my legs are jelly from a night dancing in them. At least my feet are good.
doesn't she look innocent

13 December, 2010

Edinburgh!

What a trip! I'm absolutely happy that I got to go before I leave for good from Scotland. I don'thave all the time right now to post what I did but I do have a little time to post a few pics. I apologize for that... I guess it just means I'm following the same vein that I've done for all my trips... I've written everything down though so do not worry about me missing something. You will just have to wait for the full update is all.


Frankenstein Club




From Edinburgh Castle









10 December, 2010

The snow is melting!

To all those who are still reading my blog. The Christmas season is coming, or it could be here. There is only two weeks left before I will be back home on the 27th. Before that happens my time here in Aberdeen and then in Lithuania is going to be packed. It's going to be very busy so I hope that I will be able to come back on this blog to tell you everything but it is going to be hard. This weekend I'm going to Edinburgh (hopefully). If I don't go I will update you but at the moment that is the plan. Monday I'm going to a pantomime of Peter Pan. Tuesday I have coerced my friends to go to a Ceilidh. Wednesday will have me at the last whiskey tasting of the year... Thursday we are going out to dinner at the Brig O' Don, going to the Bobbin for the last Acoustic Night, and then a club (hopefully). I only have a essay that I have to finish sometime during that and a last oral exam in French on Wednesday. I'm sure there will be enough time.

Saturday I fly to Vilnius to see my host family for Christmas. I miss them so much and I can't wait. I keep dreaming about them.

I just thought I would mention the media in Scotland or the UK. First off, who heard of Prince William's engagement with Kate? I know this is old news. I mention it now because of how much they made a big deal of him giving her Di's ring. I think it sweet that he wants his mother to be apart of the whole thing. I mean they were really making him out as a bad person and that this ring should be forever memorized for his mum. Oh please. It gets worse though. There are books out about the Royal wedding and I swear I saw souvenirs already out. Perhaps it's the American in me but do you not think this is just a tad early? I really hope the Royals are getting money from the press and books. Apparently they need it.

One other aspect that has been in the papers... a lot, is that of x-factor. It's x-factor this or x-factor that. I had to watch a few episodes online to just see what it was all about. I mean really!? It's reality TV, there is so much drama it has to be staged, and some of these singers are just awful. However, I can't stop watching. Every time I go on YouTube I'm faced with the x-factor clips and I just click on them. Also, just because I've fallen into the black-hole of x-factor does not mean that others in Scotland has done the same thing. Other can resist the horrible-ness that is this creation of Simon Cowell's.

04 December, 2010

30 seconds to MARS!!!

So it turns out my friend couldn't make it. Her train was cancelled. Stupid snow! I really did want to see her one more time before I leave for the states. Its going to be some more time before I will be able to come to Scotland or the UK any time soon so that sucks.
  The entire morning and most of the afternoon I was freaking over the point that I paid for these two tickets and now I didn't know if I would be able to get in without them. I tried calling, e-mailing, and reading all the different FAQs that the website had. No luck. Finally I gave up and I thought I'll just go with the confirmation that I paid for them. At the last second I realized that I bought two tickets and if it works that I get in then I would have paid for one for nothing. I then invited my friend Iveta to come along. She had been saying she really wanted to see Jared Leto so I thought she would appreciate this. She jumped at the chance to come with me. I had already agreed to go with another girl and we set out for the concert. the buses in Aberdeen are working really slow. It turns out that these few girls were waiting for the number 2 (the number bus we wanted) to take them wherever for thirty minutes. We actually walked part of the way before we actually caught the number 1 which is the same direction of the number 2. Actually had no idea what the Aberdeen Exhibition Conference Center looked like but we just followed the crowd till we did find it.
  I love Scotland hospitality more than ever now. I don't know if this statement is true but I bet if your tickets were stuck four hours away because of bad weather in the states you were SOL. It took five minutes for the clerk behind the desk to check with his superiors and then print out a new copy of tickets. I bet there were a lot of people though who couldn't come because of everything getting stopped (I don't even understand why everything is being stopped. It's not that bad!) Even the band had some problems getting to Aberdeen.
  I was so worried about being able to go that I had psyched myself out. I really thought I wouldn't get in. Guess what I did then? I forgot my camera. Good thing the other girl brought her camera and we used hers.

 The opening acts started on time! I was surprised by that. There were only two opening acts which were really good. I didn't listen to their music before but I will change that now. I just have to remember what their names were. Shakira (I think) and something to do with Funeral Party. We actually got pretty close for Shakira. Big mistake. It's a rock concert. Need I say more? Mosh pits were going on and we had the bad luck to keep being near one. We finally fought our way to the back or middle back. I was surprised by the amount of older people but I think they were there for the kids less then fourteen... yeah less then fourteen (like ten or twelve). At the back were the more mature (or mellower) people with drinks in their hands. That was preferable.
  The music was great. The lead singer got the audience involved. His singing was incredible! Granted he can't do the all the screaming parts in the concert because then he would loose his voice or he might not be able to hit the other notes right. That was fine. Like I said he got the audience involved and had them sing most parts. He even had people on stage with the band. Now I wish I was in the front.
  Iveta, the other girl, and I have a debate on weather he had blue hair or green. I say blue. They say green.

 I was intending that Iveta would pay for her ticket but she seems so happy that she got to see 30 seconds to Mars for free and I'm now her new religion (her words) that I really can't bust her bubble. Besides it's not that big of a deal. I am just so happy that I got to go and that she appreciates being able to go as well.
  We walked back instead of trying for a bus. They weren't late. They were just packed!
We split up from the other girl (I'm trying not to use names anymore but with people I have already given names for). Iveta and I then grabbed Lisa and then went to the Christmas party at the watering hole. Not so much fun but it had highlights. Good songs were played, I was finally able to get a drink, and we met up with other friends.

Check out their songs. I don't want to be advertising but I just want to give you the atmosphere of the concert.