Boston!

17th & 18th September



My days seem to follow the same routine, I wake up at 8am, have a shower, do my hair, get ready and head to class for 9.30am. I finish my first class, come back to my room, check emails and then head to my next two classes. Once they’re done I head to the canteen with Padraic, have some lunch, complain about our rubbish lives and then I head by to my room, do my homework, have a dinner break and then I sit on Facebook until it’s time for bed. That is literally what I do everyday. Sometimes I mix it up by walking around campus but that takes five minutes and isn’t overly exciting, so Padraic and I decided to make a break for Boston this weekend.



Chicopee is about two hours from Boston but oh my life, it’s a completely different country. The people in the Boston bus station don’t look homeless of like they’re going to knife you, they’re regular people, using public transport just because they want to. It gets even better when you leave the station, there are buildings, real building and they’re tall, so very tall. It’s a real life city AND it smells like the sea - my two favourite things, civilisation and the sea, all in the one place!



But wait - it gets better! This place has history and I mean real life history! They have this thing called the Freedom Trail, depicted by red bricks in the ground and it leads to 16 historic sights. We didn’t have time to see all the sights and we kept going in the wrong direction but it was nice to walk through Boston and to see the Italian district which was full of yummy looking restaurants and nicey shops.



Boston seems to be a mix of old and new - there’s a massive skyscraper beside an old church and across the road there’s a park full of protestors and students busking. Everything is within walking distance and there’s character everywhere you go - even the dodgy alleyways are nicer than the main streets of Springfield.





Obviously Boston isn’t perfect and I think that coming here every weekend wouldn’t make the decision to stay in Chicopee worthwhile but it was a brilliant weekend. It would be impossible to see all the sights in one day, so it’s a good thing that I went back the next day.



On Sunday I went on a whale watching trip with Elms. We drove from Chicopee to Boston, had a look around Qunicy Market, ate some niceys and then went out on the boat.



A few years ago I went on a whale watching trip in New Zealand. It was one of the most horrible experiences of my life. We were on the boat for hours, it was unbelievable rough and I was surrounded by vomiting tourists. No word of a lie it scarred me for life, so I have no idea why I thought I’d sign up for this. Well, I do actually. I imagined that my most recent whale watching experience would be similar to the ending scene of Free Willy where the whale (which is actually a dolphin) jumps out of the water and effortlessly glides to freedom while the young boy (in this situation, me) fist pumps and jumps for joy. Instead we drove (or is it sailed?) for over two hours and then proceeded to chase the one humpback whale around for a good hour, seeing it about three times when it came up for air. It didn’t do anything exciting either. I know they’re wild animals and all that but he could have tried to be interesting, all I saw was a bit of his back and let’s be honest, it could have been a seal.



It was nice to get out of Chicopee, to see tall buildings, to go on a boat and to feel free, even if it was for a short period of time. I’d definitely come back to Boston, I’d even consider living here… I wonder if I could make the two hour commute to college?

Book smarts, street smarts, I have it all...

14th September 2011

We’re well and truly in to our classes and I’m enjoying them - they have huge potential but I find that some professors are easily distracted and don’t cover the core material, instead they spend time asking how everyone is or showing you how to read news articles online. These are important things but they’re not really supposed to be done during class time - if I can’t figure out how to Google the news then I shouldn’t be in college.

I thought I’d really struggle with the classes as I’m not from a business background but everything we have done has been complete common sense and I’ve found it really interesting. I really like when you learn something you already know, if that makes any sense? I’m also really excited about my human oppression class. It’s meant to be a class exploring the nature of hate and evil in the world but again we seem to get distracted and talk about issues that aren’t really relevant to the course. I know it sounds depressing but I’d really like to explore genocide in detail - it’s a terrible thing but it’s so fascinating. Why does genocide happen? Hitler didn’t kill every single Jew personally, he had people, normal people, working in his party, working as soldiers, loading the trains and running the concentration camps. Why didn’t they refuse to kill their neighbours? I find it fascinating that an idea, the idea that certain types of people are undesirable or “subhuman” can become a part of “civilised” society and be used to justify mass murder. I’d heard of the Rwandan genocide, I have the movie and I know that a whole bunch of people killed a whole bunch of people but if you actually think about it it’s baffling. My understanding is crude and you can’t ever do the history of a country or a people or a nation justice in a few lines but basically the Hutu population killed a vast majority of the Tutsi population (about 800,000 people were killed in 100 days). That’s all I’ve ever really thought about when someone mentions Rwanda - but if you go a bit deeper you realise that in the aftermath there were literally thousands of murders in Rwanda and the vast majority of these people aren’t locked up. Now they live beside Tutsi families. You could pass someone in the street and that person could have killed your entire family. It’s surreal and horrific and something that I’ll probably write a big thought provoking Blog about at a later date, but for now all you need to know is that I go to class, hear about genocide throughout the world and then spend the rest of the day wondering why it still happens, in modern times, in our “civilised“, “tolerant” world. But don't be sad, here's a picture of a penguin.



It hasn’t been all work - I’ve managed, with my only friend Padraic, to escape from Elms. I don’t know if I’ve really touched on the location of my college, but basically it’s in the middle of nowhere. There’s nothing surrounding it and you can’t go anywhere or do anything unless you have a car. Padraic and I plucked up the courage to take the bus into Springfield, our nearest city… I don’t think I’ll do the experience justice but I’ll try. We went to the bus stop which was located in a very dodgy area of Chicopee and attracted some very dodgy people. We got on the bus, took our seats and enjoyed the not so scenic drive to Springfield. I kid you not, it was like something from the movies. We drove through genuine ghettos. There were people on BMX bikes, cycling round in circles with baggy pants and baseball caps, not to mention the men and women having domestics on the front steps of run down apartment blocks. I knew I wasn’t going to be spending a year in Ballyholme but I had no idea that I’d be in a Jay-Z video. It wasn’t much better when we arrived in Springfield; the ghetto theme continued. I was also surprised to discover that there are actually no shops in the city. There is literally nothing, not even a wee rubbish clothes shop. There weren’t even any people on the street, something I have come to expect in a country where they drive everywhere, but seriously, no people, not even in a city! Maybe there’s been some sort of natural disaster in the area? Maybe they’ll have to evacuate Elms and they’ll send me home, to civilisation!



Look, a person!

One week down… a million more to go…

2nd - 7th September 2011

O.K, so there aren’t a million more weeks to go. In fact, I probably won’t live that long and when I say probably I mean definitely. If I lived for a million more weeks I’d be 19,235 years old and that’s slightly longer than the average life expectancy. But I digress… My first week was eventful to say the least. International Orientation began on Friday the 2nd, the day after I arrived and we covered a lot in one day. We had a campus tour, which didn’t take all that long, the campus is really small which is nice when you’re late for class but not so nice when you have nowhere else to go. After our tour we had the usual briefings about ID cards, security, safety and then we went shopping! Yeah. My favourite. Not really but it was at this massive mall and we hit up Target, a classier version of Wal-Mart. This was meant to be an exciting outing but instead I found myself having a small scale mental breakdown in the bedding section - why don’t Americans just have normal names for bedding? Why does a pillow case have to be a sham? Why do I need a flat sheet as well as a fitted sheet and why isn’t the duvet and duvet cover separate? Why do I have to buy a “comforter” which is really just a glorified quilt, disguised as a duvet! Getting cosy in bed is a simple pleasure, I wish I could say the same about the bedding selection process! My stress was relieved when we had dinner - the menu was huge but I made my decision with relative ease, I ate with relative ease and was then rolled back to the car and in to bed with relative ease.



The second day, Saturday the 3rd of September began with a technology lesson - learning how to log in and out of the computer, some not so scary meetings, a walk around the town of Chicopee which definitely isn’t a town. It’s just this place where four roads. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I always thought Bangor was crap and that there was nothing to do but I was so wrong. I imagine that it doesn’t bother most Americans because they can hop in their car and drive to the mall but I’m a lowly international student and that’s just not possible for me. I have to hop on a bus, something that I won’t ever be doing alone, but my encounter with American public transport will come at a later date.



Orientation for first year students began on Sunday and I will admit, they did put on a pretty cool fire show - how exactly you get into that profession baffles me. Everyone knows you just don’t play with fire. Ever. Think of Francis the Firefly, she played with matches and wrecked everythaaang! On Monday the 6th we went on bus trips and I headed to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. Just in case you’re wondering, it isn’t forty minutes from campus, it’s two hours away and it’s no Sea World. I’ll be fair, it’s much better than our “Aquarium” at home which is really just a paddling pool with a few manky seals, In Mystic they have Beluga Whales, Penguins and some other cool things, so if you’re in the area pop in but don’t go out of your way, you’re not missing much.



On Tuesday we had this thing called Elms Night - basically all the students go inside the main building and each year sings a song and the seniors stand on the balcony and throw gifts at the freshman. It’s an interesting tradition - in Belfast students throw bricks and riot, here they throw massive foam fingers and little presents. Oh America, I don’t think I’ll ever understand you! Elms Night marked the end of orientation and classes started the next day!



I’m studying marketing, management, international business, gender/diversity in business and human oppression - heavy stuff I know! I have class everyday which will take some getting used to, especially as they start at 9.30am; you wouldn’t have that kind of nonsense at Queen’s! I’m actually really excited about class, it looks like we’ll be covering some interesting subjects, plus when I carry all the books around campus I feel really smart - they’re hardback!



That's a picture of an American pavement. No wonder they don't walk anywhere.

L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N

1st September 2011

Or at least that’s what I’ve been told, mainly by Noah and the Whale but a few others have thrown this phrase about. Now that I’m a real life grown up I agree. Time passes and it passes very quickly, so quickly that I often don’t get the chance to write about its passage. I haven’t written on this Blog in over seven months, which is probably a good thing but it’s something that bothers me. I’ve been having all these brilliant adventures with brilliant people but I’m too lazy to write them down and I’m already starting to forget, another thing that happens when you’re a real life grown up.

I’d love to go back over the past seven months and write it all down but that’d bore you to death and I think I’d follow soon after. Instead I’ll start from now. Right now to be precise. Right now I’m sitting on flight US725, in seat 8C flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Why? Because for some strange reason I thought it’d be a good idea to go and get myself a scholarship to study business in America. It was the perfect plan really, everything is paid for, the flight (which, not to be a moan, is a bit rubbish, I feel like I’m easy-jetting it all the way to America) my accommodation, all my food, books and then the ridiculously expensive tuition fee. It’s a great opportunity and if I can stick it out I’ll get lots of fancy pieces of paper to say how great I am but that’s all if I can endure to the end. The old, not so grown up Gina loved travelling, being alone and independent and all that jazz but I think I’ve become a bit of a home bird. I think I’ve just been in Baylands for too long. I’ve grown accustomed to Esther’s excellent cooking and snuggles with Kelso, so The College of the Lady of the Elms will be a bit of a change.



So how did I get this scholarship? I applied for it. I also kept it secret because I thought I’d never get it so it was a nice surprise for all my nearest and dearest! When my application had been accepted I attended an interview to say how wonderful I am and then I attended another interview to again say how wonderful I was and where I wanted to go. I didn’t get any of my choices but instead I got Massachusetts, which while difficult to spell, is meant to be pretty great and not in the “I’m so great I just lied about how sporty I am” way but rather in the “one of the most beautiful and cultural places in America” way. I obviously have to study business, which will be an absolute disaster, especially if it involves maths (I still count with my fingers) but hopefully it’ll make people want to give me a job. I have to do a few presentations/reports and I take four classes a semester. But that’s enough of the boring stuff…

It all kicked off when I got off the plane, which was eight hours of my life that I’ll never get back and which I’d rather not repeat. It wasn’t a bad flight I just don’t have the patience to sit for hours on end, eating crap food in a tiny seat without anyone fun to talk to! When I arrived at the airport I was met by the Elms College International Club and we drove back to the college. I was given the key to my room, unpacked my bags and then took a quick tour of the campus - my personal highlight was the canteen, a magical place that you’ll be hearing a lot more about. Basically it’s all you can eat, all day, every day. They have different stations, a salad station, a hot food station, a grill station where they cook whatever you want, an entire wall of drinks machines where you can get everything and I literally mean everything - one day I’ll pluck up the courage to take a picture so that you can appreciate the wonder of American college dining! After dinner we had a movie/pizza night and then I came back to my room, climbed (and yes, I do mean climbed, my bed is ridiculously high) in to bed and fell asleep. It was a super long day, hence the super long post, but I’m finally here and hopefully my real adventures will start soon!



P.S, that is my super high bed...

Honey, I'm Home.

Thursday 27th January 2011

Well, it's Thursday, our last day in Geneva. We woke up early, headed to the airport, got on a plane and flew back to Belfast. It's not really that exciting and there isn't much to write about. While I love going away, I also love coming home. I love flying in to Belfast and seeing all the fields. Every time I come home it's sunny which is probably why I like coming home so much. There is nothing that I love more than this country on a sunny day. I also love that I'm coming home to my family. They're my favourite. In fact, they're so great that when I got home they had tidied my room, bought me a new lamp and hung my mirror. This might seem silly to you but I love getting back to my nice family, my nice room, my nice dog and most importantly, my nice bed.

This week was so great I wanted to write about it. I have the worst memory and if I don't have pictures to look at or Blog entries to read, then I totally forget what I've done. Sorry if I've bored you, hopefully it wasn't to death... On a brighter note, I reckon I'm all Blogged out! So you won't have to hear from me for a very long time!

xx

Bruises. Everywhere.

Wednesday 26th January 2011

Today we left Chamonix. We all left in one piece without any broken bones but with a fair few bruises. No, really. I was covered in bruised. My knees were swollen, my back side was purple and while I wore a helmet all week, I managed to get a massive bruise on my head. How? I bent over to pick up my hairbrush and whacked my head off the sink.

This time the bus driver actually managed to find the right house and with his hectic driving skills, managed to get us back to Geneva before lunch. We didn't have any internet in Chamonix, so my first stop was obviously Facebook. It's sad to admit but I love Facebook. I hadn't checked since before my birthday so my wall was full of lovely comments from my lovely friends. I don't care how sad I sounds, this made me very happy!

We had a few hours to kill before dinner, so we obviously got stuck in to some Prison Break. After a few excellent episodes we had to stop for dinner and I'm very glad we did. Clearly Emma isn't the only Wood that can cook – her dad whipped up an amazing roast chicken! Men in the kitchen – what a remarkable idea! This is a concept that I'll definitely be introducing the future Mr Gina McCune to!

We finished the night with some more Prison Break and eventually went to sleep at 5 in the am. In hindsight this probably wasn't the best idea as we needed to be at the airport for 10 in the am... Oh well, when in Geneva!

xx

Have that Snowboarding!

Tuesday 25th January 2011

After my day of rest/complaining I was ready to hit the slopes. We went to a different resort today so that was pretty nice - it had two really great beginner slopes, one was narrow with sharper turns and steeper slopes and the other was wide and perfect for practising carving. Disclaimer; I don't actually know anythaaang about snowboarding and I'm pretty sure I've made up half of these terms but it sounds better than saying “I went flying down some hill and tried not to fall by going to the left and then to the right and then back to the left.”



The day started out really well and I didn't really have any fear, so I wasn't afraid to fall after going a little bit too fast. I actually think I got worse as the day went on – rather than admit I'm rubbish, I'll just blame this on the fact that the slopes were getting icier and my body was getting sorer from all the falls. The thing about snowboarding and I suppose anything, is that when you can see yourself improving it feels amazing. I knew that I wasn't really that good but I kept thinking of how much I had improved. When I started I just wanted to stand up, so when I managed to do that, I felt pretty pleased with myself.



Sadly the day did have to end and my dream of being a pro snowboarder is another ski season away but I reckon it'll happen. I really do think that if I was out on the slopes everyday I would improve. It would be pretty hard not to... But as I live in Sunny Bangor I don't think I'll get much practising done. So, snowboarding, I guess I'll see you next year!



I know I've spoken a lot about food and niceys but it really has to be done – Emma is an amazing cook and tonight she whipped up a Raclette.



It's a traditional Swiss dish and basically you melt cheese and pour it over potatoes, bacon, onion and whatever else you fancy.



It was a lot of fun to make and a lot of fun to eat. After our lovely dinner we watched some lovely Prison Break – it's fast becoming my favourite activity but I'm sure you've noticed that as I talk about it in every post...

xx

Ibuprofen me Baby!

Monday 24th 2011

When I went to bed last night I was feeling a little bit sore from all the snowboarding but it wasn't that bad. When I woke up this morning, I couldn't move. No, really. I was lying on my back in bed and I couldn't even roll over on to my tummy. I expected to be a bit sore, especially in my legs because they do all the work but for some reason it was my back and shoulders that were killing me... I could actually go on and on about how sore I was but hearing people whine is really, really boring.



Because I was so decrepit I couldn't go snowboarding with the others but R Kelly, being a true gent, stayed behind to keep me company. I wasn't really much fun, after a while I crawled out of bed and had a bath. The hot water tap didn't work so I ended up filling the bath with hot water from the shower and kettle but it was so worth it – I came out with wrinkly fingers! After that we went to the shop, stocked up on niceys and came back to the Chalet to watch a movie. We chose “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and it was pretty good. At some point in my life I would like to write about the implications and message of this movie, but I can't really be bothered – long story short, don't try and forget your past, even if it hurts.



It wasn't too long before our little skiiers/snowboarder came back and our French Chef got started on dinner. I don't know how she did it, but Emma managed to make beef burgers taste nice. Well done Frenchy, well done! Can you guess what we did after dinner? We all talked about our feelings... Ha! As if... we watched Prison Break :)

xx

P.S I know that those pictures have nothing to do with this post, but they're pretty so I included them.

Heel Side. Toe Side. Back Side.

Sunday 23rd 2011

I think that the title of this Blog sums up my entire day... If you haven’t already guessed it, today I was learning how to snowboard! I’ve always wanted to give it a try, mainly because snowboarders look really bad ass! Emma is a pro so she kitted me out with some gear and gave me a few pointers.



It’s a strange feeling, being strapped onto a board, you can’t move your feet independently but I got used to it after a while. What I couldn’t quite master was the art of getting up. No really, I just couldn’t do it so I sat on the flo and waited for Emma to pull me up. Eventually I discovered that I could roll over onto my tummy and push myself up. This saved Emma a lot of effort but I’m pretty sure I looked like a beached whale, rolling around in the middle of the run, but hey, everyone has to learn sometime! When I had mastered that we moved on to “the button lift” – a ski lift that was designed for skiers, probably by the devil. It’s sort of like putting a rope swing between your legs and letting it drag you up a mountain. After a few tumbles I managed to get on the lift and I got to the top of the run without falling, which is quite good for a beginner, or so I’m told...



The hardest part of the day was getting from the first run to the second run – I can’t even begin to explain how difficult this was. The run had several flat areas which is terrible if you’re a snowboarder because you haven’t got poles to help you shuffle along, instead you have to unstrap a foot and push yourself along like you’re on a skateboard, which is much easier said than done. When the run wasn’t flat it was steep and icy which again, if you’re a snowboarder, is pretty difficult, especially if you’ve been learning for an hour... At this point I was ready to give up. I’m not used to failing, in fact, I’m used to doing well and being the best – if I know I’m not going to be the best at something then I don’t even try but I was trying snowboarding and still not doing well. This is the most demoralising feeling in the world.



After a while I realised that sitting on my ass, feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to get me anywhere, so I manned up and decided to keep trying until I got the hang of it, even if it meant having to fall over and jump up every five seconds. We eventually got to a decent beginner slope and I managed to do the whole thing without falling! This probably isn't a big deal for most people but I was chuffed – it's like seeing all your hard work pay off, something I've never really experienced because I've never really worked hard! Eventually the slopes closed and we headed back to the Chalet, had a massive dinner and of course, watched some Prison Break.



Xx

Happy Birthday to Meee!

January 22nd 2011

Today is my birthday. I have been alive for twenty one years and I’m very happy about that. Some people worry about getting older but in my mother’s words “if you aren’t getting older, you’re dead”

I’ve always liked that and I like being twenty one. I don’t feel any older and I’m definitely not wiser but I suppose growing up is a process, so watch this space! I wasn’t really expecting any birthday celebrations as I’m away from my family and they’re the only ones obligated to celebrate my birth but I was pleasantly surprised. We started the day by going out for breakfast at a little boulangerie at the end of Emma’s street and when I had chowed down on a few chocolate croissants, we stocked up on niceys and caught a bus to Chamonix, France.



The bus was an absolute bargain at 25euros each, however, there was one slight problem – they dropped us off at the wrong place. We ended up having to make a 30 minute trek through the town with all our bags and snowboards but it was worth it – the Chalet is amazing! It’s beautiful inside and the views are amazing; it’s literally just chillin’ on Mont Blanc! When we were settled and cosy Emma whipped up my birthday tarte de flete... It might sound like a desert but it really isn’t – it involves potatoes, wine, cheese and probably some other stuff, I’m not really sure but it tastes amazing!



Now that I’m old and responsible (haaa) I was more than happy to stay in, get cosy on the sofa and watch a few episodes of Prison Break. I’ve never seen it before and I always thought it sounded a bit stupid – the title seemed to give away the entire plot but good people of the internet, I was so very wrong. It’s amazing and provided the perfect end to a perfect day!

Xx

Bonjour Babes!

21 January 2011

I haven’t Blogged recently, not because I haven’t been having adventures but because Queen’s University Belfast has been destroying my life. I’ve been knee deep in essays, exams and university related stress which is really quite annoying, but fear not; exams are over and I’m going to stop being a Captain No Craic!

I’ve also decided to bust out a few Blogs... Why? Because I’m literally in Geneva. It’s no Burma but I’m rather fond of it. This is my second trip to Geneva, the land of chocolate, attractive men and Emma Joanne Wood. Emma may not be as exciting as chocolate and attractive men but she’s a good a friend of mine and the reason I’m back in this glorious country.



The adventure began at 6.30 in the a.m... That’s right, I got out of my bed BEFORE lunch. Despite my best efforts, I was slightly late but JR McCune managed to get all four of us to the airport in good time, which was lucky as our plane left 30 minutes early – they even did a last call for “McCune” which was surprisingly nice if a little bit embarrassing.

When we arrived in Geneva we dropped off our luggage/my massive bag at Emma’s house and went into the city for a look around, stopping off in the old town and the Saint Pierre Cathedral. I’ve already visited these places but they’re so nice that I was more than happy to go back. If you’re ever in Geneva you should climb up the north tower in the cathedral; there are a ridiculous amount of stairs and if it’s windy you might actually be blown over the edge but the view is definitely worth it!



If you know me then you’ll know that I’m a little bit in love with food. Like Surf Club and Kelso McCune, it is my very favourite. The last time I was in Geneva we went to an Eritrian restaurant for food – I’ve already Blogged about that experience, but it’s so good I’m going to do it all over again. I’m not big into the whole “sharing” movement but I can make an exception for this meal – you get a massive plate, covered in a sticky/moist bread with lettuce, lentils, sour cream and spinach around the edge and a massive helping of meat in the centre. The idea is that you tear the bread, scoop up the meat/salad and try not to get it all over your face. It’s hard to explain but hopefully the picture will do it justice. In other news, I’m not a vegetarian anymore.



My first day in Geneva was freezing but lovely. I think I could live here but only if they all learn how to speak English. I’m not down with learning French. It’s just not how I roll. So Switzerland, get on it. We’d have so much fun!

Xx