We have put our house up on a house exchange site this week, and got our international driver's licenses, just in case we get a chance to drive in England or in Europe whjile we're there. (Also, it's another good international ID for us!) We are really hoping to be able to exchange homes, because that will ease our financial burden considerably. Hopefully, we won't have to pitch that tent in Hyde Park...!
Looking forward to a web chat on Wednesday with Bill Leahy, the head of the School of the Arts at Brunel University and my lead professor for the Shakespeare Authorship Studies Program this fall. I already have a project to work on, and I'm looking forward throwing myself into the program and the research.
Grandkids Mollie and Gwen are here for the Summer Workshop, so we'll be pretty busy with "other stuff" for a few weeks here! If any news breaks, we'll post it here! Thanks for reading! Cheers!!!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Less Than 3 Months To Go!
Today passes the three-month mark for the date on which we arrive in London. I feel so unprepared, both practically and academically.
I am reacquainting myself with the Shakespeare Canon (too slowly for me), working on my project in fits and starts, and trying to sell enough of our excess "stuff" to feel comfortable about leaving home. There's a great big "to do" list before we take off on September 11. But with both of us working together, we'll get it done.
We're now applying for a student visa for me and working on a work permit for Maria. We have to jump through some hoops for both, but hopefully the paperwork will be taken care of before we leave. Unless we have a house exchange arrangement worked out, the plan is to seek temporary lodging with friends when we arrive and to start looking for a place that we can actually see the flat and the area it's in. Trying to rent long-distance is just insane, and the horror stories we hear about deposits and rip-offs make the decision easy. Something a short walk away from the Tube, preferably the Victoria Line, and a good neighborhood, and at a reasonable price. Doesn't sound like it should be so hard, does it? I have a feeling it will be tougher than it sounds....
In the meantime, the Shakespeare Authorship Controversy is beginning to heat up. The new movie Anonymous is getting a lot of buzz, and while it takes a part of the story to a realm of fantasy that I'm not altogether sure I ascribe to, I think they may have gotten the gist of the theory right. But who knows? I'm looking forward to being part of the scholarship and perhaps part of the solution. Here's the latest from the British press:
http://www.essexcountystandard.co.uk/news/9078306.Was_Shakespeare_really_Essex_earl_/
More later! Cheers to all!
I am reacquainting myself with the Shakespeare Canon (too slowly for me), working on my project in fits and starts, and trying to sell enough of our excess "stuff" to feel comfortable about leaving home. There's a great big "to do" list before we take off on September 11. But with both of us working together, we'll get it done.
We're now applying for a student visa for me and working on a work permit for Maria. We have to jump through some hoops for both, but hopefully the paperwork will be taken care of before we leave. Unless we have a house exchange arrangement worked out, the plan is to seek temporary lodging with friends when we arrive and to start looking for a place that we can actually see the flat and the area it's in. Trying to rent long-distance is just insane, and the horror stories we hear about deposits and rip-offs make the decision easy. Something a short walk away from the Tube, preferably the Victoria Line, and a good neighborhood, and at a reasonable price. Doesn't sound like it should be so hard, does it? I have a feeling it will be tougher than it sounds....
In the meantime, the Shakespeare Authorship Controversy is beginning to heat up. The new movie Anonymous is getting a lot of buzz, and while it takes a part of the story to a realm of fantasy that I'm not altogether sure I ascribe to, I think they may have gotten the gist of the theory right. But who knows? I'm looking forward to being part of the scholarship and perhaps part of the solution. Here's the latest from the British press:
http://www.essexcountystandard.co.uk/news/9078306.Was_Shakespeare_really_Essex_earl_/
More later! Cheers to all!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Big Week
Hello, All!
We got our annual physicals and tests this week, and our prescriptions renewed for a year, too, so we can stay on track while we're in London this fall. We will certainly be walking a great deal, so we plan on being pretty fit by the time we return!
Last spring, while we were there, during the day we noticed that there appeared to be very, very few overweight people on the streets of London -- disproportionately so, we thought. Then we realized everybody walks everywhere they go, and it shows.
And when we went to the theatre at night, "they came out"...! Wow, the things we learn from close observation...
We also got our plane tickets! We leave on Sunday, September 11 and fly through Boston on our way across the pond, landing at 6:30 AM at Heathrow on September 12. Delta Airline had a very sweet deal, and we're paying less than $1400 for both of us for the round trip tickets. (Most every other airline's minimum price was $1100 round trip for each of us.)
We're flying on September 11, because 1) it is more convenient for whoever takes us to the airport, and 2) because it's the 10th anniversary of the attacks, and we need to be defiant of those who wish us harm. We can't let the bastards win, in other words. I urge all of you to travel somewhere on September 11, just to show them that they have not stopped us or crushed our spirit or our resolve. (Just for you cynics out there, it was the same price for all the days on either side of September 11, too.)
Off my soapbox now. If I had two brain cells that actually talked to each other, I would have asked everybody with SkyMiles from Delta to contribute a few towards our flights, but they're already bought and paid for now, so we're going! Anybody with frequent flyer miles who wants to contribute some, though, let us know, because we might be able to get away during a weekend somewhere in Europe while we're there.
Thanks agin for reading along. I hope I'll be able to devote enough time to keep these interesting once we get there!
We got our annual physicals and tests this week, and our prescriptions renewed for a year, too, so we can stay on track while we're in London this fall. We will certainly be walking a great deal, so we plan on being pretty fit by the time we return!
Last spring, while we were there, during the day we noticed that there appeared to be very, very few overweight people on the streets of London -- disproportionately so, we thought. Then we realized everybody walks everywhere they go, and it shows.
And when we went to the theatre at night, "they came out"...! Wow, the things we learn from close observation...
We also got our plane tickets! We leave on Sunday, September 11 and fly through Boston on our way across the pond, landing at 6:30 AM at Heathrow on September 12. Delta Airline had a very sweet deal, and we're paying less than $1400 for both of us for the round trip tickets. (Most every other airline's minimum price was $1100 round trip for each of us.)
We're flying on September 11, because 1) it is more convenient for whoever takes us to the airport, and 2) because it's the 10th anniversary of the attacks, and we need to be defiant of those who wish us harm. We can't let the bastards win, in other words. I urge all of you to travel somewhere on September 11, just to show them that they have not stopped us or crushed our spirit or our resolve. (Just for you cynics out there, it was the same price for all the days on either side of September 11, too.)
Off my soapbox now. If I had two brain cells that actually talked to each other, I would have asked everybody with SkyMiles from Delta to contribute a few towards our flights, but they're already bought and paid for now, so we're going! Anybody with frequent flyer miles who wants to contribute some, though, let us know, because we might be able to get away during a weekend somewhere in Europe while we're there.
Thanks agin for reading along. I hope I'll be able to devote enough time to keep these interesting once we get there!
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