Chelsea 1, Reading 0

Tonight was my first "football" match here in the Old World, and suffice to say I came away thoroughly impressed. Mind you, I love playing soccer; I've played from the first grade through high school and during summers I play in a pick up league with my friends from my town. Those are some of my fondest sports memories and achievements. But for one reason or another I just couldn't bring myself to get excited about Premiership soccer. I guess I kind've cheered for Liverpool, stemming from my entirely unhealthy obsession with The Beatles, but to call myself a fan would be dishonest. The World Cup in 2006 really rekindled my interest in the sport as a whole, but never to the level I would have liked.
Still, actually being in the UK, I figured I wouldn't be able to live with myself had I passed up an opportunity to see the world's biggest sport played by the world's best athletes. The asking price was cheap, 65 pounds for an upper deck seat, but it was just something I had to do. Plus I don't have class tomorrow, so even though I'm battling off sickness I could always sleep in and catch up on my rest.
When my friends and I got to their stadium, Stamford Bridge, the place was mobbed. Bobbies (police) were in full force making sure everything stayed on the straight and narrow but the atmosphere was still fantastic. Upon some smothering peer pressure, I even caved for a pretty sick Chelsea kit (the neon yellow kind... yeahhhh). The match itself was marked by a goal off a header by German legend Michael Ballack and then a contentious back-and-forth effort after that. Luckily for the local mobs, Reading's threats came just short. I recognized Reading winger Bobby Convey from America's World Cup squad and cheered for him a bit, albeit quietly, when he was in position to make a play. But overall the experience was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Now here's to hoping this damned cough will go away!

Introducing "A Connecticut Yankee In:"

My blog with the Connecticut Post is up and running. The title is "A Connecticut Yankee In:" with an emphasis on my travels stemming from Connecticut but flowing to my college in California, and my semesters abroad in Washington, D.C. and London respectively. This is kinda a big deal for me so I hope you all check it out and enjoy!

Heart of the Country

First I'd like to apologize for not getting to my trip about Ireland sooner. We were on the move so much that I got pretty run down and am currently fighting off sickness. The DayQuill/NyQuill diet is always a drag as I have to cut back on my trips out at night and I'm relatively certain my roommates are going to smother me with a pillow from my congested snoring. Hopefully I'll be better in time for this weekend's day trip to Canterbury and the cliffs of Dover, which should be amazing. I've already accepted the fact I'm going to be sick as a dog for my first soccer, er, football match here in the UK tomorrow in Chelsea.
As for Ireland, the trip was incredible, frustrating, and rewarding all rolled into a weekend. The plan was for me to meet my friends from Pepperdine's Florence program in the airport, despite the fact my flight got in four hours early. Luckily there was a pub there and I lounged in a booth with my book and some of the local fares until their flight landed. I haven't seen my friends since last April, so the feeling upon embracing them for the first time was that of sheer jubilation. My dorm last year had some fantastic guys that really bonded together and had an amazing atmosphere. In fact we became notorious for always rolling to different places together and for being so tight-knit. Seeing two of these dorm mates and spending the weekend with them in the Emerald Isle was terrific. Also there were four girls, two of which I was friendly with all the way back to freshman orientation, and another two I met for the first time (though after four hours in the pub they were welcomed to the same hug given to my closest friends).
We proceeded to Dublin and after getting dropped off in Parnell Square located our hostel a few blocks away. Boy, what a dump. We were in a ten person mixed room with three other really odd kids there but all of our beds appearing to have been slept in previously. After going back to the front desk, we were instructed to flip the mattress over if it was that big of a deal to us. Yikes. After stripping our belongings of everything valuable, we dropped off our bags and headed over to Temple Bar, the section of Dublin notorious for it's nightlife. Unfortunately, many of the most active pubs and bars were limited to those 23 and over (for the record, its 18+ to drink, so this goes well beyond anything I would consider "reasonable." Is 21 not considered responsible enough?). Eventually we found a few places we got to enjoy and had a merry time. The exception being of course the litany of folks hitting on the four girls in our group - all asking bluntly to begin "Do ye have a boyfriend?" And doing the math, us guys couldn't always cover for every girl.
After that we went back to our hostel where the lights weren't shut off until 3:30 by the guys who controlled all the lights at the front desk. Then there were the rowdy mobs who went door to door knocking and yelling and just being flat out obnoxious. After they ended there reign of misery, and just as it looked like we could get some sleep, someone pulled the damn fire alarm. I mean really, who does that? Suffice to stay, I don't have fond memories of Mt. Eccles Court.
After we woke and showered (which I'm relatively certain made me dirtier) we went to, where else, the Guinness Factory for some nice pre-noon drinks. Oy. It was one of those things you have to do in Dublin and we did it, though I suppose I was still reeling from the night before to enjoy it fully. Afterwards we went to Christ Church, built in the 11th century and the oldest church -I believe- in Ireland. From there it was off to the bus station to catch our bus to the country side where our next night was to be spent. Here's where it got "frustrating."
Our hostel was in a tiny village called Glendalough (pronounced Glen-da-lock) though our sales person at the bus station advised us to go to Wicklow, leading us to believe Glendalough was just a part of Wicklow. Well, technically that was correct, except Wicklow was a town as well as a county in which Glendalough was located. The town of Wicklow itself, where the agent sent us, was a good 40 minutes from our desired destination. And lo and behold, the buses stopped running to Glendalough from Wicklow a half hour before we got there. Ugh. At least our initial bus ride was amazing as we got a sunset view of the gorgeous countryside. The only problem now was that it was getting dark and we were gradually getting marooned from our desired location. We tried to catch buses that would at least get us closer, but even then we could only get as close as 20 minutes away.
We got as far as a tiny village called Killmakaneic before we ran out of options. We could either try and find a reasonably priced mini-bus/taxi or take a bus back to the only place where they were running to that late on a weekend: Dublin. We literally went door to door at the handful of establishments that populated the small village, and upon getting to the last gas station nearly gave up. Literally the last person we approached before we were about to leave, a Garda, an Irish policeman, turned out to be our saving grace. He just so happened to have a neighbor whose brother ran a one man mini-bus company and offered to take us to Glendalough for 50 Euro, reasonable considering there were seven of us. After four hours we finally got to our hostel a half hour before the front desk closed and we would have been without a room. Our driver was pushing 90 on some twisting mountain roads, and I happened to be one of the poor souls facing backwards on the bench seating of the Ford Transit. I almost booted on everybody and everything, but made it to solid ground and the comforting embrace of one of my friends just in time.
The hostel there might as well have been Versailles compared to the night before. We had our own room in a quiet enclave nestled in the Irish country side. For weary travelers it was perfect. We went to bed relatively early but after some good banter about old times. We were exhausted and relatively broke, affording us little opportunity on the pub-front. However, it did mean we could get up extra early for a sunrise hike around our hostel, which was absolutely divine. Seriously, the Irish countryside is gorgeous. We would have stayed longer except only two buses leave Glendalough for Dublin all day, a 9:45 AM bus and a 5:00 PM bus. We had to take the former since our flights left in the mid afternoon. Still, the ride back to Dublin was amazing in it's own right as well. Definitely well worth checking out for anyone in Europe.
Back in Dublin, we walked around some of the swankier shopping districts (whose names allude me at the moment) before ending our journey at St. Patrick's Cathedral. -Begin rant- What upset me the most was the 5 Euro fee to get into the church they required. Had they asked for a donation, I would gladly have paid to keep one of the most revered and stately institutions in good stead. But I just have a problem with a priest riding a cash register at the head of a queue to get into a place of worship. Wasn't Jesus against this kind of practice in the church? Did Christians not learn anything from the Reformation? -End rant-
St. Patrick's green beside the church was lovely and remarkably vibrant for a January afternoon. the grass was as green as any New England lawn in the summer and flowers were even in bloom. And to think that was the spot where St. Patrick converted a great many of the native inhabitants of Ireland centuries before our journey. The whole spot was just so serene and inviting. Unfortunately, though, that was the spot of our departure as my flight left a few hours before there's. After navigating my way back to the airport, I made it back to my flight and eventually back here with some incredible memories and one wicked cough.
Overall, it was a great learning experience. Much of the traveling I did was on my own and while the native language was always English, it was still very foreign. I learned a great deal about hostels, courtesy with the locals, and how not to panic when plans seem to unravel. But best of all, I got to have some fantastic moments with my friends, something that can never be taken for granted.

Give Ireland Back to the Irish

Almost as if on cue, my British History class has been discussing the role of the Irish with he story of England and the United Kingdom. What makes this discussion so timely is the fact I am going to the Emerald Isle this weekend to make my first appearance there. I'll be joined with some of my friends from Pepperdine's Florence program who are making the trek up via one of Europe's notoriously cheap airlines, Ryan Air (with whom I also have a booking). We plan on staying in Dublin the first night and moving out to the country on Saturday before returning to Dublin Sunday and making our way back to our respective programs. It should be a great time and I'll be sure to snap some pictures and share some stories. I'll be most interested in trying to glean any emotions the Irish have about Northern Ireland, whom I was always brought up to believe should be restored to Ireland proper. While I won't be heading up there, I'll be sure to ask around in any pubs where I feel confident I won't be run out of for mentioning my enthusiasm for London. Ah well, wish me luck and I'll be back soon!

Cultured... or Something

Perhaps the best part about the area of London we are in is the proximity to museums and the like which are largely available for free. The Victorian & Albert is literally a block away and so much history is involved there, from the bomb-scarred exterior dating back to WWII to the priceless pieces of antiquity on display inside. Make no mistake about it, the exhibits in the V&A are nothing like the British Museum or The National Gallery; our humanities professor called it "history's attic." Meaning a place to put the stuff that isn't quite good enough for the primetime, but nothing you want to get rid of or throw out. And there's something to be said for pieces like that to be fully appreciated.
We're also located only a couple blocks from Royal Albert Hall, home to many incredible musicians and artists alike. Royal Albert Hall itself is a remarkable and distinctive building that stands out in the already incredible landscape of London. Notably, the National Science Museum is quite literally across the street from our apartment. The furthest I have explored it was to go to the ATM (which ate my card) so I'm a bit bitter, but I'm assured the exhibits themselves are fascinating. Perhaps if I ever overcome my grudge I'll visit.
And then there are the heavy hitters: the British Museum and the National Gallery. Simply put, they are as good if not better than any museum you will go to in my opinion. And yes, that includes the Louvre. You can find all the big names, many of the most incredible works, and stuff you hear about in the history books. It blows my mind, really. Like this past weekend I saw the Rosetta Stone. Like on a whim, I just went and saw it. You can do that here, it's incredible. And today for part of my humanities class at the National Gallery, I got to hear our professor expound on Renaissance painters da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Awesome.
Suffice to say, art history majors in our program are in 7th heaven and even casual observers like myself can stand in awe and at least try and appreciate how remarkable this city is in so many respects. And you know what the best part is? I've barely scratched the surface of what this place has to offer. Meaning I'll be very very busy for a very long time. And whats not to like about that?

Romney Wins Michigan, Nevada

Apologies for being behind on the primary comments, but things have been busy busy busy here. Over the past week, Tavern Banter endorsed candidate, Mitt Romney, won Michigan's primary and Nevada's caucuses with South Carolina left to vote today. The wins, to go along with Wyoming, put Romney in the lead of states won thus far as well as delegates earned for the state's convention. Although Romney is not expected to win in South Carolina, the string of successes should be good for a bump in the polls, both nationally and in Florida, the last state to go before February 5th's "Super Tuesday" in which a ton of states are holding their primaries.
It's interesting watching the primaries from abroad as surprisingly they make the headlines even here in London. The Democratic race gets most of the attention and from what I can tell Hillary Clinton garners the most attention. Britioners I have spoken with at pubs and tourist attractions ask who I think is going to win and who I am supporting, though none think the GOP has a shot ("Bush's party?" they ask almost incredulously). Republicans need to work on this if we are to think a leader of our party can earn the respect of the citizenry abroad. While perhaps misinformed in some cases, the general consensus is Bush=bad thus a member of his party isn't one to be trusted. Unfortunate, I know, but interesting nonetheless.
Anyways, I'll try and give some more updates soon about my day to day activities like yesterday's visit to the British Museum (Rosetta Stone) and today's visit to the Globe Theater (Shakespeare).

Walberg Quits!

Pepperdine's head basketball coach, Vance Walberg, just resigned today amid a growing controversy about illegal actions taken by him for our program. I want to see Pepperdine succeed as much as anybody, but when it crosses into the realm of the unethical and illegal, it is simply not fair. Obviously some acts of contrition are necessary for the program to get back on track. A program cannot succeed with a tarnished image and Pepperdine deserves better. Here's to hoping the new coach comes through.

The Magical Mystery Tour

If one thing is understood from my semester here in the UK, let it be this: living in a foreign country, no matter how similar it is to America, is still very different. And as someone who was whining to friends and family about giving up the US for a span, I can say with complete confidence that this is an experience of a lifetime, one that I would never pass up. And thats after my Bank of America debit card was eaten up at a Barclay's ATM, or cash machine as they say here (and no, not rejected, like eaten up and shredded). And sure, I've had a few lost in translation moments, but even that gives one pause to think about our own perspectives and what's on the other side of the bubble we created for ourselves in America.
Classes should be interesting. Apparently British professors don't believe in giving A's to American students or something, so the 4.0 from last semester will be a tough act to follow here. Especially with the traveling I have planned. Maybe that's why Bank of America ate my card... for my own good. I'm confident every cent (or pence) I made over the summer and had saved from past summers will be spent, mostly in this coming week as I book trips. Already I am going to Dublin, Ireland, Nice and Paris in France, and am looking to travel to Amsterdam and Croatia. All with groups of kids from the program here and other Pepperdine International Programs. All should be tremendously fun.
Anyways, off to group dinner then a night class. Cheerio!


Just kidding. Somethings I won't pick up. Cheerio is one of them.

1st Day of Class

Sorry to be absent recently. These past few days have been busy for an assortment of reasons but I'm glad to have a breather now. Today was the first day of classes and I must say having the city of London at one's disposal is incredible. For British history and humanities, both which met today, the art and reference points provided by this incredible place are beyond helpful for adding depth to my studies. I can tell the semester is going to be special when our professor takes us to the National Gallery to look at a painting in person with the help of a curator and understand how it describes the period in which it was fashioned in person as opposed to on a projector or in a power point presentation as often happens on college campuses. There is just a wealth of knowledge and opportunities here, I'm almost overwhelmed.
Kids in my program have also been in a flurry to book flights and trains to places in Europe they want to visit. Students returning from last semester have passed along some helpful hints about areas they visited and Web sites to use to expediently and frugally book transportation and lodging to and from these locales. As of now, I'm going to be going to Ireland the weekend of January 25th and the south of France the weekend of February 15th. Both places were on the list of areas I wanted to travel to going into the semester so knowing for sure that I'm going is itself an accomplishment. And one can get to these places on the cheap, too. Although the British pound is over double the dollar, flights to mainland Europe from here are incredibly inexpensive. So much so that it wouldn't make sense not to travel and see what else is out there. After all, thats why we're here, right? To see what we can and learn about as many cultures as we can possible fit into our limited time here. This semester just seems surreal to me at the moment so its hard to describe the duty I feel to myself to just going all out while I can. I will say this though: anyone who has the opportunity to go abroad should without a doubt. It's incredible.
Believe me. Even for a soul as American-centric as myself, its good to get out there and see what else the world has to offer. You won't be disappointed.

Orientation

Today marks Day 1 of Orientation, and as I suspected there is a lot to orient myself to in this city. First impressions: I love London. The people here are surprisingly friendly, even towards us Americans (though this is only after Day 1, so I'm not saying I won't run into a rough crowd at some point). And I don't think I'll ever get over the accent. The city itself is beautiful in its Victorian charm, despite the dreary weather. There is so much history going back all the way to primitive times here in London that it really gives one pause to think just to think how long the Brits have been around (though not necessarily as we know them now). Our flat is right near Hyde Park and Royal Albert Hall in Knightsbridge which is by all accounts a swanky place to be here in the city. I just got my international cell phone and Oyster Card (for the Tube system) and realized the high value of the British Pound. That's going to be something I have to get more used to and learn to properly value... nothing comes cheap here.
Overall there is still much much more to do, but I'm loving it so much. I'll keep updating as Orientation progresses and then afterwards... once the fun begins!

Arrived!

I'm here in my flat in London, alive and in one piece thank goodness. Only had to deal with a few plane delays and an irritated cabby. Other than that, things are going smoothly. I'll be sure to update after I unpack and unwind...

And I'm Off!

With this being the 100th post of Tavern Banter, what better way to signify the start of a new era then my last post in the United States of America for a few months. In a few hours, I'll be departing for London, England to begin my semester abroad. My emotions are mixed, but I know this is too big of an opportunity to pass up. I promise to update as regularly as I can, but in the interim, stay well America. I have no doubt I shall miss thee.

Packing Sucks

As I sit here knee deep in converters and passport documents, I can't help but get ahead of myself and look forward to the awesomeness Europe has to offer. I keep thinking how amazing of an opportunity this is... and how I better not blow it. I consider myself so lucky to be able to study abroad, I'm kind of putting some undue pressure on myself to enjoy it. Like I better have the time of my life, or else. Though I don't think that'll be much of a problem at all.

But in the meantime, let me reiterate my disdain for packing. It really, really, really sucks.

Mitt Romney Wins Wyoming Caucus

Tavern Banter's endorsed candidate, Mitt Romney, won today's Wyoming caucus decisively with over 60% of the vote, blowing out his toughest competition, Fred Thompson. What's interesting is that despite having the same number of delegates as New Hampshire, Wyoming gets no love from the national media. None. I mean honestly, you have to pursue the results online as opposed to having it shoved down your throat by any news outlet. Instead, everyone is focused on New Hampshire and that's just how it is. But let the record show, right now Mike Huckabee has as many wins as Mitt Romney, and both have more than anyone else.

Just don't expect anyone else to remind you of that fact.

Dual Blogs

The Connecticut Post has offered to host me on their web site as part of their blogging network. Blogs on ConnPost.com already include movie, sports, and high school related themes. Mine is supposed to be college related, but I've been told I have a pretty liberal leash on where I can take it. So expect more of a Tavern Banter-esque accent on my simulcast blog. The only thing is I have to think of a cleaver name for the new section (I'm not sure "Tavern Banter" is the name they would like to describe vibe they are looking to add to their forum, though the off the cuff, casual conversation is very much welcomed). I'll be in deep contemplation regarding such an important step to a blog. Also, I have to drop my "Hal" moniker (not that anonymity was practiced here anyways). So there will be some cosmetic changes, but I'm hoping to keep the direction the same. Regardless, I'm looking forward to more hits and getting across my message in an accessible format. I hope you enjoy the results.

Huckabee, Obama Win in Iowa

All major outlets declaring Mike Huckabee a winner over my guy, Mitt Romney, with the two of them garnering the most votes (by a lot). Thompson, McCain, and Ron Paul following in suit bunched together. Rudy put forth a single digits effort (which I guess is "according to his plan"). Meanwhile on the Democratic side, a verrrrrrrrry tight race. Obama squeaks one out over Edwards and Clinton, who finished in that order.

Now on to New Hampshire where we see how the race unfolds from there. Not good initial news for my folks in the Romney camp. Luckily, New Hampshire is somewhat of a home game for Romney, but it'll be make or break. There, it'll be McCain who is the toughest competition. McCain didn't get the valued third place finish in Iowa, nor will he pick up his bread and butter "independent" votes who are now going for Obama. Still, Romney is limping into New Hampshire... albeit with a huge bankroll and a significant organization. Of course that didn't work in Iowa, but the dynamics are different. Or something.

Caucus Day

Greetings and Happy Caucus Day!

Today is the Iowa Caucus and the beginning of the end of the presidential nomination process for Republicans and Democrats. Of course, the candidates have been campaigning for this moment today for what seems like forever (except Rudy Giuliani, who is hoping to be able to survive being beaten up like a rented mule in the first few weeks of the primary season before big states like Florida, California, and New York).

On the Democratic side, Hillary has recently shown vulnerability and given way to the likes of John Edwards and Barack Obama. A win for Clinton would virtually wrap up the nomination for her, while a win for either Edwards or Obama throws uncertainty into the the race on a scale that would match their GOP counterparts.
And how about the Party of Lincoln? Republicans have long been reported dissatisfied with their candidate, but someone has to win. For the record, Tavern Banter has endorsed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for president. Mike Huckabee and Romney have been trading leads in the polls in Iowa, while Romney and John McCain have been duking it out in New Hampshire.

The importance of Iowa, however justified one feels, should not be underestimated. This is the first contest in the country that means something and campaign season has been dragging on forever. The media is licking their chops to anoint a winner, especially an underdog or surprise candidate (hence why John McCain, who like Giuliani has been relatively absent from Iowa, could make waves by merely coming in third). A win in Iowa is something tangible and can be latched onto by candidate and media alike. Sure New Hampshire, Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida (the other "early states" outside of Super Tuesday on February 5th, when a large majority have their primaries) have their polling and likely winners at the moment. But a win in Iowa reshapes everything. Same goes for New Hampshire and South Carolina to a lesser extent.

As for today's caucus, expect more to be settled on the Democratic side than the Republican. There are only three likely Democratic contenders: Clinton, Edwards, and Obama. On the Republican ticket, the race is more jumbled: Romney, McCain, Huckabee, Giuliani, and Fred Thompson. And the future of the free world rests on the shoulders of the folks of Iowa to be able to decide which one of these politicians best suits our country.

No pressure.

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and loving new year!