My experience at Uni as a postgrad

Two years of my life have passed, full of stress, hard work and incomplete achievements. I have just failed an important bit of a masters and I will only get a diploma. Yes, that is something, but what makes me feel more frustrated is the fact that I will not even receive it in a ceremony, I will get it by post. Two years of hard work wasted and at the end I leave University by the back door, two years in which my efforts didn't lead me to the goal, as my health, soul, spirit are absolutelly ill. At the end, no matter if you have mitigating circunstances, University only ask for the money you can pay to get a degree ( or a diploma, in my case).

Too much dissapointment for a piece of paper to be hung on my wall, as I doubt I will get any job with it.

London

What can I say about London? Oh well, Londond is a dream for a lot of people, for many different reasons. The two most visited places in the UK by me have been London and Liverpool, then Coventry, Nuneaton, Birmingham and Birkenhead follow.

Today I have been talking about Windsor Castle, as I visited it first. London was my destination at the end of that week, and it was fabulous the first time, and is fabulous anytime I go there. What a big city!

My friend Jill picked me up from paddington train station and we went to her place first. She and her husband Neil took me on tour on saturday and sunday. They planned a good tour, so I could see the most famous places in such a short time.

We went to Harrods, been to Piccadilli Circus, St Paul's Cathedral, The Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Tate Gallery, Abbey Road, Baker Street, Trafalgar Square, China Town, Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, Notting Hill, etc......

Some information about London:

London (pronunciation (help·info); IPA: /ˈlʌndən/) is the largest urban area and capital of England and the United Kingdom. At its core, the ancient City of London, to which the name historically belongs, still retains its limited mediaeval boundaries; but since at least the 19th century the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis which has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London region of England and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected mayor and assembly.
An important settlement for two millennia, London's history goes back to its founding by the Romans. Since its settlement, London has been the centre of many important movements and phenomena throughout history such as the English Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the Gothic Revival. In light of this, the city has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world which has increased over the years due to the city's economic growth. London boasts four World Heritage Sites; these are Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, the historic settlement of Greenwich, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city.
London has an official population of 7,512,400 (as of mid-2006) within the boundaries of Greater London and is the most populous municipality in the European Union. The urban area of London extends beyond the limits of Greater London and has a population of 8,278,251 (as of 2001). The metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of between 12 and 14 million.London's diverse population draws from a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and over 300 different languages are spoken within the city. It is an international transport hub, with five major international airports serving the area and a large port. It serves as the largest aviation hub in the world, and the multi-terminal Heathrow Airport carries more international passengers than any other airport in the world.

Source: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London)

Windsor Castle

On my 3rd week in England, I went to visit my friend Anne in Maidenhead. She took me to Windsor Castle, and I had not just a great time but also an inspiration: Doll Houses.

Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, United Kingdom, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation. It may be the most famous castle in the world. The castle's floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet (about 45,000 square metres).

Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, it is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining. Her other two residences, Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle, are the Royal Family's private homes.
Most of the Kings and Queens of England have had a direct influence on the construction and evolution of the castle, which has been their garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison. The castle's history and that of the British monarchy are inextricably linked. Chronologically the history of the castle can be traced through the reigns of the monarchs who have occupied it. When the country has been at peace, the castle has been expanded by the additions of large and grand apartments; when the country has been at war, the castle has been more heavily fortified. This pattern has continued to the present day.(1)

This English tour of mine has taken me to many places, and I will carry on talking about them and describing them.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Castle)

Stratford upon Avon and Christmas 2005

Before my trip to Germany to spend Christmas, as I explained in my last blog, I visited Stratford upon Avon. I call this a magic experience because I am a romantic lover of winter and yule.

Stratford-upon-Avon (IPA: /ˌstrætfɚd əpɒn ˈɛɪvən/) is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, 22 miles (35 km) south east of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) south west of the county town, Warwick. It is the main town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers a much larger area than the town itself. In 2001, the town's population was 23,676.
The town is a popular tourist destination owing to its status as birthplace of the playwright and poet William Shakespeare, receiving about three million visitors a year from all over the world. The administrative body for the town is the Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council, which is based at the Civic Hall in Rother Street (not to be confused with the Stratford-on-Avon District Council, which is based at Elizabeth House, Church Street). The Town Council is responsible for crime prevention, cemeteries, public conveniences, litter, river moorings, parks,and grants via the Town Trust, plus the selection of the town's mayor. Locally, the town is known simply as Stratford, and as such can be confused with the Stratford in the London Borough of Newham.

I visited the city centre and bought two books, one about Christmas Carols in England, which contained a cd with all the most traditional Carols. My favourite one is Good King Wenceslas.

"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol about a king who goes out to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (the second day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by the heat miraculously emanating from the king's footprints in the snow. The legend is based on life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia (907-935), known in the Czech language as Svatý Václav.

Here the lyrics:

Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even;
Brightly shone the moon that night, tho' the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gath'ring winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain;
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me flesh, and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither:
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together;
Through the rude wind's wild lament and the bitter weather. (or "...winter weather.")

"Sire, the night is darker now, and the winds blow stronger; (or "...wind blows...")
Fails my heart, I know not how, I can go no longer." (or "...can not go longer.")
"Mark my footsteps, my good page. Treadst thou in them boldly: (or "Tread now...")
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly." (or "Thou should find...")

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.

Christmas in Germany 2005

As part of my UK-Europe Tour 2005, after visiting many of the Beatles places in England, I went to Germany to spend Christmas with my friend Michael and his family. They live near Hamburg, and this was the perfect ocassion to complete part of the Beatles places tour: The Kaisserkeller was waiting for me!





To be my first Christmas on my own, away from my family, it was a lovely time surrounded by snow, having lots of good food and wine, enjoying a great holiday as I never did in my entire life!





Here some photos with Snowman, at the Kaisserkeller, in Altenau, playing my guitar in Ahrensburg, having one of those pastries with cream and raspberries ( it was very bitter!).

I still have many places to visit in Europe, but I have my entire life to do so!

See ya in my next blogg and feel free to make comments...

Mi first visit to Liverpool

On November 4th 2005 I travelled from Birmingham to Liverpool by a National Express coach, with a funfare ticket that cost £4. It was a real bargain! My friend Owen went to pick me up at Liverpool coach station and from there we drove to his home in Great Sutton. Owen and I met in Venezuela a year before, and we celebrated our birthdays together in 2004.

In 2005 we celebrated together again but this time in England. His family received me with a lovely family dinner, and we talked a lot. Then on saturday Viv, his mum took me to the cinema with Sarah and Milly to see Nanny McPhee. It was a good laugh! That night was the Guy Fawkes night or Bonfire night, celebrated on November 5th.

Guy Fawkes Night (more commonly known as Bonfire Night, Cracker Night and sometimes Fireworks Night) is an annual celebration on the evening of the 5th of November. It celebrates the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of the 5th of November 1605 in which a number of Roman Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, England. Later, Pablo, Owen and I went to Chester clubbing.

On November 6th, Stuart, Pablo ( a friend form Argentina) and I went to a pub walk around a place named Burnbury, near Chester. It took us about 4 hours to do all the walk to the Canal, and it was absolutely fantastic.

On November 7th, was Owen's Birthday and we went to Chester Zoo. It is a very good zoo and it has diverse animals well, preserved. We had tea and cake later at his. Later we went for Thai food.

November 8th 2005 was a very special date in my life. For the very first time I visited Liverpool and, one of my greatest dreams ever came true. I went to the Albert Dock with sarah, we visited the Beatles Story Museum, had a meal at HaHa! and visited Tate Gallery. Then we tried to find Mathew Street to go to the Caven Club, but the rain made it impossible to find it.

At night, the family made me a lovely birthday dinner, and Paul phoned me to wish me happy birthday. My family sent me e-mails from Venezuela, and I have to say I was sooooooo happy, that everytime I remember the old days in England I cry. Those have been the most beautiful days I've ever had in my life, I think I have never been so happy, but I wish I experience this kind of happiness from time to time....

On weekend, November 10th, I travelled on my own to Manchester to meet my friend Michael, who travelled from Hamburg just to see me.

We had a lovely time and then I went back to Nuneaton on the 12th. Paul had my birthday presents waiting for me at home. Oh Glorious days when everything was new and all my memories were happy.! But no worries, now that I belong in Liverpool, my life is getting better all the time!

English tour 2005-2006

I arrived here in October 31ts, 2005, just to celebrate Samhain. My first week was spent travelling from London to Nuneaton, but before I visited Maidenhead to see my friend Anne, then I arrived to the one that was my very first home in England, with a friend who made possible to make some dreams come true.

the first place visited after along trip to London and then from London to Midenhead and then Nuneaton, was Coventry.

Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. With a population of 303,475 at the 2001 Census (306,000 est. 2007), Coventry is the ninth largest city in England and the eleventh largest in the United Kingdom.[1] It is also the second largest city after Birmingham in the English Midlands by population. Coventry is situated 95 miles (153 km) northwest of London and 19 miles (30 km) east of Birmingham, and is notable for being further from the coast than any other city in Britain. Although harbouring a population of almost a third of a million inhabitants, Coventry is not amongst the English Core Cities Group due to its proximity to Birmingham. as you may read in Wikipedia.

Coventry Cathedral is notable by way of it being amongst the most modern cathedrals in the world, having been built following the World War II bombing of the old cathedral by the Luftwaffe. Coventry has since developed an international reputation as one of Europe's major cities of peace and reconciliation, centred around its Cathedral, and holds an annual Peace Month.Coventry is also notable because Coventry motor companies have contributed significantly to the British motor industry, and also because it has two universities, the city centre-based Coventry University and the University of Warwick on the southern outskirts. Coventry is also famous for the legendary 11th century exploits of Lady Godiva. Their football team is Coventry City F.C who are in the Coca-Cola Championship and were founded in 1883.

This is the Cathedral, which was preserved as a memorial of WW II, and next to it the new Cathedral was built.

This is November 1st, 2005, one day after I arrived. Everything was new and exciting for me here, and that is something I hope I can keep in my memory as a treasure.