Wednesday, April 19, 1989

Pretty Much a Hermit ...

I spent today mostly on my own. No class today (and I've not been all week), so I went on some errands. Picked up my food grant at the Cottingham Road site, then deposited all of my money into the bank (including the £120 that came from home yesterday). After all was said and done, I ended up with slightly less than £1 more in my account than I had before I deposited these checks... except that now I have no more outstanding bills!

Anyway, I walked into town, stopping to buy a Viz and an ALF comic book, as well as a book and a Batman comic in another shop. Also bought some food for Shannon (should last the term), tapes for Liz, dropped off my film from Spain for processing, and ate a 99p lunch at McDonald's.

Also bought batteries for my Walkman, took some photos of Hull, then headed to the movie theater to see "Dangerous Liaisons" on my own. Fabulous movie! I quite enjoyed it. It probably would have won Second Best Picture of the year.

After the film, I caught the bus back to The Grange, ate dinner, then began to make some tapes for Liz that she had requested, stopping by the TV room to watch "Thirtysomething." I was pretty much a hermit today.

Saturday, April 8, 1989

A Detour Through The Twilight Zone (The Journey from Madrid to Hull, Part One) ...

I didn't think I'd have a more bizarre traveling experience then the one I had when J.P. and I were trapped in Perth back on Dec. 30. I was wrong.

Oh, it started out fine... very sad, but fine. And then it got frustrating. Viv and I woke up a little before noon. Late, true, but long before everyone else in the flat. I packed my bags while Viv made us some food.

At a little before one, I said farewell to Liz (the only other person who woke up before I left). She was very sweet - gave me a hug and tearfully said "Aw, you're my friend, Rick." Very touching. Then Viv and I caught the Metro for my last trip. After that stop, we walked to the area where we caught the bus to the airport, and our timing was quite good.

We got off the bus, found my terminal, and checked in without any problems. I bought a newspaper and sat with Viv awhile, until the last moment when I couldn't stay there any longer.

Viv and I said our tearful goodbye. I hope to God she is able to come to America this summer.

That's when things started going a little... funny.

While in the terminal at Madrid Airport (right), waiting to take the same flight as me were most of the European Business Students (like Viv, only in reverse) from Spain where were actually heading back to Humberside College in Hull. What are the odds on that occurring?

Nothing too thrilling to report about the flight, though I should say something, considering how much I had to pay out of my budget for the trip. It was pleasant, and the food was pretty good as well.

My plan was to meet up with J.P. after our flight arrived at Gatwick Airport south of London. J.P. was staying with his girlfriend Sid in Kent, outside London, and I was going to be staying at her house overnight, since my bus ticket is for Sunday. I had sent J.P. a postcard with my flight time, number, terminal, so he knew where to meet me.

That was the plan, anyway.

Well I arrived at Gatwick (right) and checked through with no problems. However, no sign of J.P. No worries at this point, though. After awhile, I decided to grab the Gatwick Express train back up to Victoria Station. Once I arrived there, I struggled to put my bag into a locker there, and at that point called Sid's house. No one was in. Hmm, that's odd. But no worries, I can try again later.

I went and grabbed some dinner at the nearby McDonald's, then came back to the public phone booth and called Sid's house again. Still not in.

Then I made what turned out to be a mistake. I decided to take a chance and go out to Sid's house on my own. So I purchased a one-way ticket to Longfield, and took the train out with the hopes that they were just out for a little while, and that I would catch them by the time I got there.

So when I arrived at the stop after a 45-minute train ride, I made the walk to Sid's house (click on the map to see where her house is in relation to the train station). No luck. The house was dark, and no one was home. Still, it wasn't terribly late, so I decided to wait a little while to see if they came back home.

But after waiting around for awhile, it started to seem more and more likely like they weren't coming back. Perhaps they forgot, or perhaps J.P. never got the post card. So I had two choices, continue waiting and risk being stuck outside in the country all night, or catch the late train back to London and take my chances there, where I could at least go inside some places if it got too cold.

I wrote a note to J.P. and Sid telling them that I had been there, but that I decided to take the train back into London. So I trekked back to the station, where I waited just under an hour for the 11.18 train to London. During this time I was annoyed by three pestering kids hanging about, who fortunately left fairly soon after. There was one other girl there at the station who for some reason found it difficult to believe that I was telling her the truth that this train goes to London.

By now, as I rode on that train back to Victoria Station, I was starting to feel more and more like Griffin Dunne in "After Hours," wondering where Sid and J.P. were, and where exactly was I going to stay, and what I was going to eat, since I had very little money on me. As I thought more and more about my situation, I resigned myself to realizing that this was going to be a long, long night.

The saga continues tomorrow.

(Editor's note: This was the last time I saw Liz, although we did send letters periodically to one-another for a few years afterward. I have since lost contact with her. The same is true of all of the other students I knew and lived with while I stayed in Spain... except, of course,Viv.)

Friday, April 7, 1989

My Last Full Day in Madrid ...

Today is going to be my last full day here in Spain. It started out with not much to do during the day except sleep in, clean, draw a bit and read. But then Viv skipped class to spend more time with me on our final day here, so we decided to walk down to El Prado (top, with me in front of the statue) and check out more of the paintings that we missed the first time we were there a few weeks ago.

Of course, it was great. Saw the Bosch painting again (that's our favorite), as well as another favorite of mine, "The Triumph of the Dead" (middle). I bought postcards of both of these paintings, as well as one by Goya (bottom). It is simply a spectacular art museum, unlike any I've ever seen before. Granted, I've only seen a few thus far...

So then we left the museum, only to be greeted by a downpour, and after a wait to see if it would stop, we decided to dash through the rain and go to a nearby gift shop. Eventually we realized the rain was not about to stop in the near future, so we scratched our plan to visit the Templo de la Egypt and made it to the Metro for the return trip back to the flat on Calle de Pelayo.

Tonight was to be the flat mates' housewarming party, so Viv and I bought some rum and coke for the evening. After umpteen more games of Gin Rummy, we joined the party of international students. I met another American student, Todd, from Minnesota, who is braving it out over at the Residencia with The Old Man.

I mingled with the gang until Puri, Liz, Viv and I took a late night excursion to McDonald's, had Big Macs, then returned. We saw a scuffle take place out in the street (it is a bit of a rough neighborhood), though we never figured out exactly what had transpired. After that excitement died down, several people went to a disco, but Viv and I stayed behind.

The flat was a wreck, but it was a modestly fun last evening in Madrid. This will be the last time I see Viv until she (hopefully) makes the trip over to visit me in the United States this summer. I'm going to miss Viv so much.

Wednesday, April 5, 1989

'Un Pez Llamado Wanda', y 'Groonan' Uno ...

Another day of not-much-to-do, so I did more things around the flat, like clean up the kitchen. I read the paper and The Satanic Verses a bit, worked on my Social-Political Structures report a bit (time to start working my way back to reality!), and I added my first bit of artistic flair to the graffiti wall here in the flat... The Monkees guitar logo (hey hey!).

Shortly before everyone returned from class, I began to cook Viv and my dinner, chicken, rice and chips. And once again, when Viv returned, she helped me prepare the meal. This meal was an overwhelming success, unlike last night's fare.

Following the meal, rest and cleaning up from the meal, we went out shopping. Bought tickets to see "Un Pez Llamado Wanda," a.k.a. "A Fish Called Wanda." At Madrid Comics I found a copy of issue #1 of Sergio Aragones' comic book "Groo the Wanderer" (called "Groonan: El Vagabundo" here in Spain), and it was selling for face value! That will be a nice addition to my complete "Groo" collection back home.

We also bought a pillow, black paper, tape and Spanish earrings at El Corte Ingles for my sister. We found a 100 peseta coin on the ground, and Viv gave me 50 to buy another International Herald Tribune. Mariners lost their opening game of the season, 3-2, to the A's. Michigan beat Seton Hall by one point in overtime to win the NCAA College Basketball Tournament.

Well, next we picked up Liz (not literally) and the three of us went to see the film. It's a great movie, and now I've seen it three times, in three different countries, once dubbed in Spanish. Oh, and nothing bad happened to me after this viewing, so my "Wanda" curse has been lifted. Great!

Came back to the room, read a bit, then went to bed.

I only have 3 days remaining in Spain before I head back to Great Britain.

Pictured top is the cover of the Spanish "Groo" comic book, and below, a street shot of Calle de Pelayo, outside the flat.

Sunday, April 2, 1989

Another Cash Poor Day in Madrid ...

Since we are poor until Monday (OK, we're always poor... but cash poor until Monday), little was done today. Woke up late, had a bowl of Chocapics for breakfast, then worked on fixing up Viv's room some more. We switched beds with Isabelle, then went to the store room to get out what was supposed to be a wardrobe, but after we pulled it out, we determined that it was something for the kitchen, so Viv didn't want it.

We took one of the chairs that was in the room, but later in the day one of our chairs was "stolen" from us, leaving us with one.

Isabelle the frog managed to get on everyone's nerves at one point or another.

After eating sandwiches for lunch, Viv and I took a walk down Gran Via to El Retiro, where we just sat on a bench for a while, relaxing and talking. It was nice. Then we got up and gradually made our way to the Television Tower, which we found out too late that that visitors weren't permitted. So much for an unrivalled view of Madrid.

From there we caught the Metro at O'Donnell Station (good Spanish name!) back to Chueca station. It looked like it might be closer to the flat then Gran Via, and it was. It turned out to be only about 500 yards away, but immensely seedy. Apparently, the leather-clad teddies liked to hang out in this area. Not exactly my scene.

The flat is located at 19 Calle de Pelayo. It's not exactly the greatest neighborhood. But the price is right, and the door is secure.

We rested in the room until Liz returned, when we made pizza and chips. Liz semi-whined about getting a smaller portion, so later Viv decided that she was not going to share meals with anyone if they act like that.

Viv and I sat chatting in our room, and at around midnight, the cheeky frog next door told us to shut up (in her outrrrageous Fronch axscent), not too unlike how The Old Man did it just a few nights earlier. So Viv and I decided to stay up even later than planned and continued talking and playing Gin Rummy. We finally went to bed a bit past 1 a.m.

Pictured to the right is a street photo of the flat that Viv and the other seven international students that abandoned the Residencia were now living. And where I was now living until my departure from Madrid back to Hull. The heavy black door was the entrance, andthe window above was to the room that Viv had claimed as her own. I didn't actually take any photos of the place, but found this photo on Google Map, actually. Never thought I'd find it... but there it is. Looks pretty much the same as I remembered.

***

• Number One Song in Britain This Week: "Like a Prayer" - Madonna
• Number One Song in America This Week: "The Look" - Roxette

Saturday, April 1, 1989

Not Much of a "Fooling Around" Day ...

I didn't waste any time, and actually started off with some April Fools' Day Jokes around midnight, but this wasn't much of a day for fooling around. Today, all but two of the students moved out of the Residencia.

This day was a bit of a mess. Viv and I packed our things in the hostel, took some of our bags and headed for the agent's office, where we were to meet everyone at 11.00 a.m. We got a late start, and didn't get there until 11.30 a.m. - but, of course, we were still the first ones to arrive. It was then that Sanchez, the agent, told Viv that he couldn't accept the check she had written out, and that we would have to go and cash it. So we left to cash it, but Viv only had two checks left, and wrote out the first one for an amount that was more than was allowed, so that check was void. She wrote out the second and final check for 30,000 pesetas, the maximum allowed, which gave her just enough money to pay for everything.

After a bit more running around, I went back and paid for the room at Villa Garcia. It started with me having a difficult solo attempt at talking to the hotel manager, trying to explain to him what was going on, that I was waiting for Viv to arrive. He had no idea what I was saying, but we managed to keep things afloat until Viv arrived to translate for me... and rescue me. Following that we paid for that.

It was after all of that confusion that we finally got all of our bags in the new flat, located just off Gran Via. We then made our way to Gran Via to find a place to eat (after borrowing some from Angie, since we had no money once again.) While out we found a shop that sold everything, so we went in to price things that Viv would need. While there we saw a little restaurant in it, so we ate chorizo sandwiches, walked around the store a bit more, and then headed out to Gran Via, casually walking up and down looking at the many shops and movie theaters.

Next we caught the Metro down there and took it to the Residencia to pick up Viv's remaining items. While there we learned that Kurt was supposed to arrive by 2 p.m. However, it was now 3 p.m., and he still wasn't there yet to get the rest of his stuff and to help some of the others with their bags. Liz, Viv and I went out so that Liz could get something to eat, and when we returned, Kurt still hadn't arrived. He finally got to the Residencia at 5 p.m. - punctual as usual!

Soon, everyone was at the flat and the next question was, who will get what room? It went surprisingly well, actually, and when it was done, everyone was happy. Kurt and Angie, as expected, got the back room. Liz and Raquel both got the single rooms, Rowan and Claire got the open room located next to the cheeky frog Isabelle's room, and Viv got the big room with the balcony at the front of the flat. It's the room that is intended to be the sitting or living room. The only problem with it is that it doesn't have a wardrobe.

After we got the rooms sorted, Viv, Liz and I caught the Metro to Madrid 2, a huge shopping mall on the outskirts of the city. We spent most of our time in one store, Alcampo, buying various provisions for the flat. This was followed by a brief search for McDonald's for some dinner.

After eating, we returned to the flat to find our room had to be reworked. The TV that was there went into the storage room, as did the single bed frame. We pulled out the two single mattresses and a double bed frame, but the mattresses were too large for the frame. (Isabelle had the double mattress, but wouldn't trade with Viv until the morning. Cheeky frog.)

So we plopped the two mattresses on the floor, made the bed as best we could, ate some sandwiches as a late night snack, and shortly afterward, went to sleep.

Not much in the way of April Fools' jokes today.

Pictured top is the Fuente de Neptuno in the Plaza Canovas del Castillo. It is located in the center of a roundabout outside the Ritz Hotel. We were not staying in anything resembling the Ritz Hotel, of course. The second photo is of Alcampo at Madrid 2.

Friday, March 31, 1989

If They Put Me in the Zoo ...

Viv woke early for class, but I couldn't be bothered, so I slept until 11.30 a.m., at which time I got up, read the paper and waited for Viv to return. When she did, I got ready and we went out to get a sandwich at good ol' Don Jamon's, across the Calle.

After lunch we caught the Metro to Batan, where we proceeded to walk to the Madrid Zoo. It cost about 800 pesetas each to get in, but with our International Student ID cards, we got 20% off. It was a nice zoo and I really enjoyed it.

Even though it wasn't the best zoo I've ever visited, I think it's the on I enjoyed visiting the most. We saw, among the many animals, elephants, tigers, lions, kangaroos, strange and colorful birds, monkeys, hippos, rhinos and eagles. Of course, photos were taken of the flamingos (my favorite bird), as well as the Giant Pandas, the playful red pandas, large pelican-like birds that Viv was able to stand right next to, and the highlight of the day: the baboons.

They were very playful and eager to put on a show for the tourists in the hopes of scoring a treat. One baboon would do back flips, while the other jumped up and down to get our attention, and when a peanut was thrown, he would usually catch it.

Following that, we were able to catch the first part of the dolphin show, but after taking two pictures we had to leave, because it was getting close to the time where we had to meet with the agent to sign the contract for the new flat. We were to meet at 4.20, and it was 10 past already. We arrived at Gran Via at 4.50 and what do you know, we were the first to arrive.

After we got everyone assembled (and I bought another copy of the International Herald Tribune), the five flatmates (Viv, Liz, Kurt, Angie and Raquel) sat and mitigated the circumstances while I sat off to the side and read my paper next to Mark, Raquel's boyfriend from back in Germany, who just arrived for a visit today (ah, the plot thickens).

Raquel (right, photo courtesy of Vivienne King) was being quite annoying, and left early with Mark for her own personal benefit, and the contract was not signed. However, money exchanged hands and things moved otherwise smoothly. Viv was extremely upset with how Raquel behaved there.

Afterwards, we went to McDonald's for some grub followed by another tour of the flat. This time, it had been cleaned and was actually quite appealling. Although the graffiti was still prominently displayed down the hallway, I offered to help paint over it if they wished. The consensus, however, was that the graffiti was pretty cool and should stay (and be added to as well). That's fine with me.

Viv picked out the room she wanted in the flat, but feared that Raquel would want it, and since she usually gets her way, she would end up getting it. I told Viv she should stand firm if she really wants it and not back down. She has no more or less claim to it than you, and you didn't ditch the group at the contract signing.

Everything was in pleasant order, so we left, and those four went to the Chueca Metro Station while I returned to my room at the Villa Garcia. I read the paper a bit more, then went for a walk to find out the showtimes for "Rain Man." Viv didn't get back until 10.15, though, so we didn't get to go see the movie tonight.

Pictured is Viv at a fountain in Madrid. This photo is not from the zoo. As you can see, there are no photos from the zoo here (you can click on the zoo link above to see the animals).

Editor's Note: OK, so here's what happened. Back in Barcelona, when I finished the roll of film, I rewound it, took it out and replaced it with a new roll. Unfortunately, the new roll did not catch on the camera, so I proceeded to think I was taking photos, when in fact, I was not. It was only when I thought I was finished with the roll that I rewound it and discovered the mistake. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed at this discovery. And this is why there are no photos actually taken from the second half of my trip to Madrid. Ah, if only digital photography had been invented about 10 years earlier...

Monday, March 27, 1989

Flat Decisions ...

Easter Monday is another "big day" here in Spain, which means that the banks were shut today as well. I awoke this morning to the sight of ants crawling all around Dave's room (obviously, they are friends with last night's cockroach).

It was late morning by the time I woke up, and it was soon time for lunch. I grabbed a shower after leaving "the zoo," which was followed by an adequate meal. During an afternoon plagued by loafing, reading, and playing cards while everyone else was studying, Liz and a few others returned from whence they came.

With Liz here, we were prepared to finally take a look at that flat the students are interested in letting. Unfortunately, Liz disappeared before we left, so we had to make the trip without her. We took the Metro to Gran Via, saw the agent, who gave us the key, and we then walked to the flat.

It was a dive.

The flat was messy, with junk all over the place. It even had graffiti painted all over the walls in the hallway. It needed a lot of work, but it was huge and cheap - about the same for five to stay here as it would cost for one to stay at the Residencia.

Initially, the answer was a unanimous "No." But further consideration on the way back left it again up in the air as a possibility.

The lecture from The Old Man back at the Residencia during a repulsive dinner (fish cake thingies) sealed its fate. He talked of a student's duty to study and not fool around, and offered to give the students Statistics lessons for £25 a month. (Viv translated for me.) He said all of this while everyone basically ignored him and showed him no respect whatsoever, simply continuing to carry on their own conversations while he talked.

Granted, the way he runs this place, he deserves little respect. Still, I felt a little bit sorry for him when he was being completely disregarded by the students. Hopefully he will learn a valuable lesson from his errors. These students really got ripped off by these people here.

Well, as talk among The Five (Kurt, Angie, Viv, Liz and Raquel) leaned towards taking the flat (Viv was still very skeptical and unsure), the evening continued. Later, many of the students went out, but Viv and I stayed behind, again because we have no money until the banks open tomorrow.

So instead we played two games of checkers (draughts), which I won, and then a first-to-five series of Gin Rummy (I won again, 5-4). Then when that was finished, we parted our separate ways for the evening. I had trouble getting to sleep at first, but managed.

Pictured is the cover of the Metro map I used during my stay in Madrid. It didn't take too long before I didn't really need it to get around. I would show you pictures of the flat but, well, more on that later.

Tuesday, March 14, 1989

Exploring a Little Bit of Madrid ...

This is my first full day in Madrid. Since Viv and everyone had classes today, I was restricted somewhat for things to do.

Anyway, Viv came to my hotel room at about 9 a.m. and shortly after we went to the little bakery across the road for some breakfast croissants, which were cheap, tasty and filling. From there we came to the Residence where Viv is staying - but not for long. (Pictured right is the Residencia. Photo courtesy of Vivienne King)

After they left for class, I stayed in Viv's room to work on various projects. She shares a room with Angie and a girl named Raquel, and the room is about the size of my single room back in Hull... just to give you an idea of how small it is. Basically, everyone here is disgusted with the Residence, and are actively looking for other places to live. (That would work for me, if they found a place where I could stay for free!)

So through the course of the day, I wrote an article for The Snapper on the Channel Tunnel, or the Chunnel, that they recently started building to connect Britain with France, and I also wrote a letter updating my recent article on the IRA. Everyone came back for lunch at 1 p.m., and we ate at about 1.30 p.m. At 3, everyone went back to class, and I continued with my writing until about 5 p.m.

When everyone returned from class, Viv and I went out on a walking tour of the area. It was a mild day and I only had to wear a sweatshirt. I brought my camera along and we explored the vicinity. She showed me where her lessons are, and then we walked past the stadium where the Real Madrid Futbol Team plays, the Ministry of Defense (heavily fortified with guards armed with machine guns), a shopping center, large buildings, and other sites. We stopped at McDonald's for cheeseburgers and a bookstore for post cards. Pictured is one of the photos I took during the walk.

After that we returned to the Residence and listened to my Steven Wright tape until dinner (fish), then finished listening to the tape after dinner. It was then that Angie, Liz and Raquel said that they had found an apartment that was ideal, but didn't know for sure if they could get it until tomorrow. Everyone was happy with that new, and later a "party" was held downstairs in the common area of the residence.

Viv and I left a little while after the party began, because I had to get to my room while the Metro was still running. Got off at Gran Via, the stop closest to my hotel, then went in and relaxed for the remainder of the evening.

Monday, March 13, 1989

From Hull to London to Madrid - the Adventure Begins ...

Whew! What a day! It all started at 7 a.m. when I woke and gathered my wares for a full day's journey to Madrid, Espana. At 10 to 8, I caught a local bus into town, but of course I caught one that was not going directly to the station (first time for that, of course.) So I got off the bus at the closest stop and walked about 200 yards with my large duffel bag to the bus station.

At first I had trouble finding the right bus, but I was able to figure it out in time, and climbed aboard for the journey to London. I got my first opportunity to cross the Humber Bridge... the largest suspension bridge in the world, and it felt like the bus was going to be blown over the edge, the wind was that strong.

During the ride I ate a sandwich, read some more of "The Satanic Verses," and enjoyed the scenery of the journey. The bus arrived in London, on schedule at 1.05 p.m. It was such a nice day I wished I had allowed myself a few hours - heck, a few days - here in London. But I couldn't, so I hopped on a shuttle that took me to Victoria Station, where I caught the Gatwick Express train down to Gatwick Airport. During this ride we passed by the site of the rail disaster at Purley - the crash that nine days ago killed 9 people. (Seems like lately I happen to pass by every British disaster site within a few weeks of the incidents.)

At Gatwick I checked in, had my baggage searched, and bought a sandwich before waiting an hour for my flight. At 3.55 p.m. the gate opened and a short while after I were on board the British Airways 737 bound for Madrid. It was a nice flight, and since the plane never really went too high in the sky, I was able to get a panoramic view of the South Coast of England, the English Channel, Northern France and Brittany, the Bay of Biscay and the Northern Spain landscape.

The flight arrived on time at 7.30 p.m. - a 1.45 flight (Spain is an hour ahead of Britain). After breezing through customs and getting my luggage without having to utter a word of Spanish, I met Viv, who was waiting for me at the gate. It was the first time I had seen her in three weeks. It was also comforting to know that I wouldn't have to worry about the fact that I speak practically zero Spanish.

After relaxing and chatting for a few minutes, Viv and I caught a bus back into the city, and I was able to catch my first glimpses of Madrid. The traffic was terrible, but at first glance it looked similar to many big cities I have visited before.

When we got off the bus, we were immediately challenged by the aggressive Madrid drivers as we made our way to the Metro station. We caught this train back to Viv's residence, which is located right next door to the Iraqi Embassy (and me with my copy of the evil "Satanic Verses" in my backpack. Oh no!)

When we got into the residence, I said my hellos (excuse me, holas) to my friends from back in Hull. They included Liz Ortega (Viv's old roommate), Kurt Dross, and Kurt's girlfriend Angie. Afterward we ate some dinner, then Kurt, Viv and I caught the Metro to try and find a cheap hostel where I could stay. Kurt said he knew of a cheap one, so we went there... the Hotel Garcia. It was cheap, and it looked a bit dodgy on the outside, but it was a nice room, and it was quiet.

After I settled in, Kurt and Viv left and I played some solitaire, listening to Neil Young, relaxing in a country that no hablo ingles. Following a busy day like this, I had no problem whatsoever getting to sleep.

Thursday, February 16, 1989

Spanish Trip Remains Up in the Air ...

Viv and I made our way up to the Cottingham Road site to see her final results and whether or not she passed, which would determine whether or not she was going to continue her studies in Spain. When we got there, the results weren't posted yet. So we ran a few odd errands and then returned home.

Classes today were canceled due to the Stupid Union's (excuse me, the Student Union's) decision that all students should boycott classes in support of their opposition of the government's Student Loan plan. Since I support the loan plan, I was furious that classes were just canceled outright and that I did not have an opportunity to show my lack of support for the boycott. But alas, I was helpless.

Later, I joined Liz and Viv en route once again to check on their grades for the Spanish Business program. Viv found out that she had failed two of the tests and was awaiting a third result. If she failed this test, then she wouldn't be going to Spain (and neither would I).

While awaiting that third result, we checked out information on traveling to Spain. It would cost me £104 to fly, £100 to travel by train. I still don't know, though it seems worth it to pay the extra 4 quid to fly and bypass France.

That night Viv and I went to see "Arthur 2: On the Rocks," which to my surprise was a pretty funny movie. A short while after we returned from the theatre, my friend Greg called me at the halls, so I talked to him for awhile on a range of a whole bunch of topics. Some of the topics appeared to have annoyed Viv, because she left the phone room before the end of my conversation.

After I returned to my room, she expressed her displeasure with my characterization of the British by using the popularity of the band Bros. as an example. She was quite mad at me. I guess I went a bit too far. We eventually made up, though.

Tuesday, January 3, 1989

An Unrivaled View of the Lake District ...

Woke up for an 8.30 a.m. breakfast (a good, hearty English one!), paid our £10 bill to the kind folks at the Lynwood Bed and Breakfast, then J.P. and I were off. Money is getting scarce, and a cashpoint machine was nowhere to be found in the Lake District, which could prove troublesome.

So after buying a deck of "Lake District" playing cards as a souvenir and scurrying around town, J.P. was able to get £10 out of a Barclay's cashpoint machine... although it cost him a ridiculous £1.50 to do so. Then we were finally off for some sightseeing.

We first followed a footpath that, according to the sign at the start, promised us an "unrivaled view of the Lake District." Well if it's unrivaled, then it's the view we want.

Indeed, it did provide us with quite a picturesque image of the Lake District. There was a light fog that misted through the valley and provided us with an interesting atmosphere to enhance our "unrivaled view." (For awhile, J.P. and I used "unrivaled" to describe nearly everything we encountered.) Good pictures here.

We continued to explore for awhile, looking at sheep and pretty landscapes (waterfalls, sheep, trees, more sheep). (Photo left is of sheep doing sheep things.)

We also had a most interesting encounter with a mule, and when we strayed from the trail for a minute, I caught a glimpse of what I thought was a deer. Turns out it was actually 3 deer. Unfortunately, they ran off before I could snap a photo of them. It still made my day.

We walked back to Windermere where we grabbed some pub grub, then made an unsuccessful attempt to visit Grasmere, where William Wordsworth lived and where my class trip visited the previous year. When that didn't work out, we walked around some more, saw more sheep, then found something labeled a "Public Trail."

But was it? All we found was mud, horse manure (or some kind of manure, anyway), and a fence enclosing a private farm. So we snuck out with manure on our shoes and snapped a picture of the "trail of no return."

At this point, it was time for us to depart and prepare for the next leg of our journey. So we headed to the train station, unloaded our luggage from the locker, and caught the train to Oxenholme, satisfied with our journey to the Lake District. Our next stop, Manchester, where we were planning to stay with Liz Ortega.

But our plan hit a snag when I called Liz from the Oxenholme train station. It seems she was having a bit of a row with her parents, and she didn't think that we'd be able to stay at her place. That could definitely pose a problem for us.

Well we caught the next train to Preston, where we sat in the "cattle car" once again, and then from Preston caught our last train that took us to Manchester. Once we got to the station, I called Liz again, and she had some good news for us. She said we were allowed to stay in her brother's apartment, since he was in Holland at the moment. Good break!

So we hopped onto a very crowded bus and made our way to Ashton-Under-Tyne, where Liz met us at the bus station, after which we all went to McDonald's for some dinner. Then we caught another bus that took us to her brother's flat, then unloaded our gear when we arrived. Since the heat had been shut off, the flat was rather chilly inside.

The three of us sat inside and talked for a bit, during which time we opened up one of our bottles of wine. When Liz left, J.P. and I played some cards... "Blackjack," of course (not the "21" variety most commonly attributed to this name; the British version.) It's a game we played a lot back at The Grange Halls.

We played for awhile in a bit of a giggly mood (partially because of the cold room, partially because of the wine), and midway through we decided to mix it up a bit and play some Gin Rummy instead of Blackjack. However, after the cards were dealt, we both apparently forgot and just started playing Blackjack again. We both had a good laugh when we realized what we had done.

Finally went to sleep around midnight.

Sunday, December 4, 1988

To Quote the Immortal ALF ...

I did it! I got through the weekend on only 1 pence! And I have 1 pence to spare!

I was going to work on my research paper today, but, well, you know how that goes sometime. I only got a little bit of the work done. I spent the day quite lazily. Eating a typical lunch. That wasn't a complete sentence. But on a lazy day, you just can't expect every sentence to be complete.

Anyway, I spent most of the day hanging out with Viv (and Liz as well), writing some more letters back home, watching ALF at 2.30 p.m. Man, it was great to see an episode of ALF again. Liz said she thought it was crap, but she was laughing the whole way through. She won't admit it, but she's hooked.) I watched the episode after that one with Viv.

The second episode was a particularly good one, with ALF running for president against Kate. I had seen it twice before, but the first time I saw it here in England. The episode has two great ALF quotes:

• "If I may quote Joe Biden, 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
• "To balance the budget is simple. You just spend less than you make."

I did just that this weekend. I only had 1p, and I spent less!

Boredom and a lack of cash resources can sometimes lead to interesting endeavors. While Kurt was taking an afternoon nap in his room, J.P. decided it would be fun to "bog roll" Kurt's door while he was snoozing. So he took a roll from the loo, tore off strips, stretched them across the door and taped them until Kurt's door was completely covered. He included a "Police Line: Do Not Cross" sign at the top of the door.

It looked great and I got a few photos of J.P.'s handiwork (OK, a few of us helped, but he was the mastermind.) Then we waited in anticipation for Kurt to awake. It wasn't long before he opened his door, then ripped through the bog roll barrier. He was actually none-too-pleased by the prank (a most unusual reaction), but most likely due to his lingering grogginess. We cleaned up the mess, and in a short time, all was right again. (Pictured: The Artist and His Masterpiece)

I started to read "Earnest" again, but no more progress on the paper. At midnight I called home to say hello and see how things were going. I told my parents about Shannon the Hamster. They were obviously surprised, but they seemed to like it.

***

• Number One Song in Britain This Week: "The First Time" - Robin Beck
• Number One Song in America This Week: "Look Away" - Chicago
  

Friday, December 2, 1988

Winning Over Roz Billington? ...

Went to my Social/Political Structures Seminar and discovered that there was only one other member of my group at the class. So I pretty much went on my own to discuss the American Class System with good ol' Roz Billington. I thought it went quite well, with Roz (naturally) pointing out two flaws in my presentation.

On one point, she was correct (I actually realized it after I read it), but on the other point, she misunderstood what I was saying. Once I explained what I meant, she agreed and everything was alright. A success! I left that class rather happy. Anyway, I still haven't been able to get a hold of the previous essay I wrote for that class. I'm curious to see her reaction.

After class I went home, took a shower, and after lunch J.P. and I went to town. I took £10 out of the bank and did my rounds. I got my photos back (very nice), bought a new photo album, a hamster playball, a dish, some reprint photos, and a root beer and french fries at McDonald's.

While at Mickey D's, I saw Viv and Liz out, so I stopped and talked to them a bit, until they went their own shopping way. At the end of our excursion, when I stepped off the bus in front of The Grange Halls, I had exactly 1p on me. I made a vow that I would get through the weekend with it. It'll be tough, but I need to save money now.

After dinner, I arranged my photos in my photo book, then showed them to some people. Viv and I then got out the hamster ball and let Shannon take it out for a test drive. Boy that was fun to watch! She was going all around the room knocking into things (Shannon, not Viv.) It reminded me of the good old days when I was 6 and I had my hamster, Ernie.

Anyway, the day continued with little action. I stayed with Viv and visited others for the duration of the evening.

Friday, November 18, 1988

Liz's New Boyfriend

Woke up for breakfast and then tried to keep it down during my Roz seminar. It was nothing exciting, but I guess it was somewhat interesting. I'm able to tolerate her a bit more, though I still don't like her very much. Returned to my room with the whole day still ahead of me, so I rested, read, ate some lunch, and didn't take a shower.

After dinner, almost everyone went out, but Doug and I stayed in and watched some telly. We caught some old shows like "Sgt. Bilko," then watched some modern British sitcom that wasn't too bad. After that Doug and I trotted down to Double Happiness for some Chinese, then brought it back to his room, where we chatted for a couple of hours, including the planning out of the sequel to "Harry Luger and the Case of the Dead Husband," a little video movie I made in 1986 with my cousins. I was Harry Luger, a dimwitted private investigator on the trail of a killer, but who couldn't spot a clue to save his life. I'm going to miss our conversations when he goes back home in December.

Shortly after I left the gaggle of St. Hilda's Pissheads returns (most of them, anyway), from the Student Union. Later that evening, Viv came to my room and took me back to her room, where Liz and her friends, Angie and Puree, were hanging out with Liz's new boyfriend, a guy named John, who was waiting for a pizza delivery. We sat and talked, listening to a horrible Tom Jones tape. John turned out to be pretty cool, and a Conservative, which provided for more compelling conversation about the politics of the day and my take on the recent American presidential election. I told Liz that she did very well.

Well finally, at 3 a.m., the pizza arrived (I did not have any), and soon afterwards Viv and I left to return to my room, where she stayed so that Puree could stay in Viv's room with Liz that night. I was happy to oblige.

Tuesday, November 15, 1988

Doug Makes a Big Decision

So I woke up today around 8 a.m. and went to grab some breakfast. Then I took a shower and went to my classes. While there, I was informed by Doug that after talking to his parents last night, he has decided that instead of finishing the year at Humberside College, he's going home at the end of the term, which would likely be right around Christmas.

Rats.

Well that wasn't the news I wanted to hear, but hopefully he'll be able to stick around until the Duran Duran concert we have tickets for in London on December 23. It'd be a shame if he missed it since he has been so pumped to see them here in England.

Anyway, I still had other matters to resolve, that being Viv being upset at me for the row we had last night. So after Geography and Soc/Pol Structures classes, I went back to make amends to Viv. We talked it out and realized it was a misunderstanding, so we're cool again. Then I went back to work on the map I'm creating on large poster board. (It's loads of fun, but I don't know why.), then Liz visited my room for awhile. Went to dinner, and then Viv and I returned to my room to make amends even more.

When she returned to her room, I completed my map (the country of "Flamenoria") and hung the finished product on the wall. I must say that I am quite pleased with the final results.

Later on I went over to St. Hilda's, where I found Doug had gotten quite drunk, I guess in celebration of his decision to leave early... though I don't know if celebrate is quite the term to use. I hung around there for awhile, and then came back to catch some sleep.

Thursday, November 10, 1988

Sack Edgar Page, Part 2

He did it! Bush won Pennsylvania! And California! Also, I was happy to see that Sen. John Heinz won re-election in Pennsylvania by a comfortable 2-1 margin. The final score: George Bush - 426 electoral votes (54.5% of the popular vote), Michael Dukakis - 112 electoral votes (45.5%).

Anyway, I woke up early for no apparent reason. (Viv woke me up and told me that she had missed her first class.) So I just took it easy until 10 a.m., when we took the bus into town to do some shopping. I only bought a newspaper. Then, instead of taking the bus back to The Grange, we walked back, hitting several shops along the way (record, book, music, etc.) I bought another James Bond paperback ("You Only Live Twice") for 20p, and some water balloons (gotta be prepared for the next water battle.) We then returned and rested.

There was another march by the Save Edgar Page lefties that we were tempted to water bomb... but we didn't. They canvassed Humberside College quite extensively to get marchers... but only two from our college went. Ha ha! There would've been more, however, the secretary of the Humberside College Labour Club (a guy named Martin, who seems to be intimidated by me for some reason), got his group lost and never made it to the march. I should laugh, and yet I do.

That evening a group of us (Viv, Kenny, Liz, Little Johnny, Andy, two of Viv and Liz's friends and I) went to see the movie "Buster" starring Phil Collins. Others (Big Jon, Sid and Neil) went to the other theater to see "A Fish Called Wanda." I thought "Buster was a pretty good movie, with an interesting plot (based on the true story of a guy who led the biggest train heist in British history, then went on the lam for years before getting caught.) I thought Phil Collins was impressive in his cinematic debut as a leading man.

Afterwards, most of us went to McDonald's for chocolate shakes, and then it was back to The Grange. Viv came over to my room for awhile, and stayed until I got too tired and fell asleep.

(Pictured is a close-up of my room door after the election. I had posted updated results as they rolled in. For fun I put a curly-wigged photo of myself as "Gern Blanston" on the ballot as well. A few people wondered what was up with that. I still wonder that myself)

Monday, October 31, 1988

The Report on Francisco Franco is Still Dead

Happy Halloween! This was my first Halloween in seven years where I didn’t dress in a costume. Oh well, I’ll just have to make next year’s a doozie.

I did some more reading today of “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (I’m really into that book!), as well as practicing my guitar, as usual. Then, because it was necessary and the reason why I am in England, I went to class... an interesting Poetry and Drama lecture.

After dinner, I picked up my mail from the mail table outside the refactory, which included a post from Dr. Morrison and Fiona, who were currently on vacation in Greece. I traversed down the hall back to my room, where Liz and Viv later visited.

Then Liz left, as Viv and I remained to talk about the day’s events. We decided that we would go see the Tom Hanks movie “Big” tomorrow. I then let her (told her, actually), to go back to her room to continue working on her Francisco Franco report. (She's an international business studies major, so in addition to her business classes, she's studying Spanish language and Spanish history.)

After hanging about, I joined several others and we walked down to the Gardner’s Arms pub on Cottingham Road for a pint. A bit later, Doug and I left and headed over to Double Happiness, where I got some chips ‘n gravy.

Then, as we approached the offie (or "Off-License") we ran into Sid, Liz and Viv (who wasn’t working on her Franco report), heading for the Gardner’s Arms. We went into the offie, where I purchased a German wine for future consumption, went back to Doug’s room and ate.

Doug then went to wait for a call from his parents, and I went back to my room to do some reading. A bit later, Liz came and got me to come up to their room for a bit. Then Liz and I came back to my room, where we talked for a bit while Viv worked on her report. After Liz left, I did a bit more reading, then went to bed.

(Pictured: Marvell Hall at the entrance of the Cottingham Road Campus, Humberside College of Higher Education.)

Saturday, October 29, 1988

Spurning Spurn Head

Woke up around 10 a.m. I took a shower and then met up with Viv and Liz for lunch after we got Liz off to her home in Manchester (her brothers were supposed to pick her up at 11 a.m., but they didn’t arrive until after noon.)

After lunch, we walked to the surgery, but the doctors weren’t on duty at the time. So we left and went to the store for more Lockets and medicine for Viv. When we returned to The Grange, she went back to her room to rest while I went to mine to read.

Doug, J.P. Big Jon and others went to Spurn Head today, but I opted not to go because I wanted to take care of Viv, but also because it was quite cold outside. Oh, and I only had 9p to my name on me. Can’t get too far on that. When they returned, they were all generally disappointed, so I was glad that I couldn’t go.

We ate dinner, and since Viv was still ill, we stayed in again. Viv rested for a good bit of the evening while I stayed downstairs watching TV and hanging out at St. Hilda’s. I went up to check on her and she was awake, so I stayed to try and cheer her up and make her feel better.

(Pictured: A map of the Cottingham Road campus. Building D is the Student Union, a bar/disco where many an evening was spent.)

Thursday, October 27, 1988

I Bought a Guitar!

I bought a guitar! I bought a guitar! Woke up at around 8:30 a.m., had some breakfast, then got ready for my excursion into town. I decided to go it alone, because I could then go in, look for what I wanted, then come back to my room.

So that’s what I did, and found a really nice new Hohner steel string guitar at Gough & Davy’s music store, for only 60 quid. I also bought Yes and Eric Clapton songbooks.

I made my way back home, guitar in hand, and then walked up to the Student Union to meet with Viv and Liz for lunch. After that I went to Lloyd’s Bank to pick up my cashpoint card, and then returned to my room to try out my new toy before class.

When I got to class a few minutes late, however, nobody was there. Appearently it had been moved, and I had no idea where it was being held. Rather than go back to my room, I decided to be constructive and head over to the library and read a bit from the book we were reading for class.

Well, as it turned out, the room where class was now being held was in the library, and they watched a film based upon the book we were reading. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this until after the class had ended. Oh well.

Afterwards, I ate dinner, visited Viv, and practiced my guitar a bit. Spent the rest of the evening hanging out with Viv.

(Pictured: The chair in my room, with my new guitar leaning on it. Note the James Bond novel and the "Sack Edgar Page" poster.)