Ever since I have arrived back in the States, I have been seeing twins of all my English friends, acquaintances, and Ormskirkian town folk. It's not fair. I almost cried out the other day, "Simon! Hey! How are ya?!" Luckily, I held my tongue and saved myself from embarrassment and the boy from sheer fright from an apparent lunatic. These twins that God has placed in my original hometown seem to be hurting my heart in pangs of frustration and creating a longing for what I had to leave behind.
But, looking on the bright side of the situation, I'll lean on the hope that they are here in this town to remind me of the special friends and people I met along the way. These are people that often go unnoticed, but enriched my life in England with their kindness and thoughtfulness. The coffee guy at the library who was always ready with my 'regular' of a blueberry muffin and hot chocolate. I never learned his name, but we had an unspoken understanding that we were breakfast-time buddies at least four days out of the week. Also, the really nice guy at the Edge Hill library Blackwell's store--Mike?--I think that was his name. Once he said, "Oh, you're that really nice girl." He totally made my day by telling me this because I barely remembered talking to him before. And then the sweet cleaning lady for Eleanor Rathbone--Sue--I'm sure of her name. She took the time to have lengthy conversations with me about her life in England. It was so nice to get an adult's view of happenings in the news and to hear how an English family lives. Then the nice, always-smiling mail lady--Jane. She was always ready to help students and never rushed through helping each, one by one. She treated the students like people instead of customers. It's people like this who made the English uni experience all the more worthwhile and unforgettable.
Without the aforementioned, and many others', doubles here in Ohio, their impact on my life might fade away as the days pass and turn into months swept by. In fact, it has been one month and three days since I left. So what at first appears to be a curse--these twins that would be a Wrigley's double-mint gum advertiser's dream--actually turns out to be blessings. They remind me of all the great times I had at uni in the irresistibly charming town of Ormskirk.
Peace.
Friday, 23 January 2009
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
We're the Kids in America, Wo-ah!
Although this blog is entitled "Life in England," and I am now fully back in the United States, I will carry on with stories of my daily life that will probably be subtly more interesting to my English friends. There will not be an update weekly of a trip abroad, or even to the next town over, but this proves a nice way of keeping my friends overseas up-to-date on how things are going and what's new.
The trip home: I've discovered that flight attendants frighten me. They all seem to be stuck in the 1970s when billowing blue eyes were groovin' and cherry red lips were poppin'. Foxy ladies? Not anymore. When I wake up to a face gleaming with frosted happiness asking, "Chicken or beef?" I want to feel comforted, not anxious. And the taut hair pulled back to a never-ending point reminds me of every scary substitute teacher ever sketched into a children's book. Their hair and make-up combine to create this overwhelmingly unreal depiction of beauty that takes me by surprise everytime. I don't know why the idea that flight attendants have to look practically perfect ever came about. I'm sure they are all beautiful people without the made-up facade.
Also, after a total of four plane rides to get back into Ohio, I have come up with an idea to make riding high a little more fun. First, for families with young children, Disney should have an airline--if they don't already. On this airline, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty could serve the meals while the Jungle Book characters put on shows. How fun would that be? That's right, they've captured your hearts through video and song, illuminated your imagination with Disney World, and now Disney has brought you magic in the sky. And the nose of the plane could be painted to look like Mickey's head! How hilarious would that be?
Alright, idea number two applies to the adult crowd because it relates to the party cruise lines with glorious buffets and American Idol cast-offs performing karaoke hits--quite frankly, kids wouldn't be as entertained by these. This airline that should have been created by now would be like a party in the sky. Comfortable seats that have groups of four facing each other so you get to talk to people and make new friends. Semi-celebrity guests, like Sinbad and Ricky Lake, who would entertain the crowd and make time to visit with each table of new 'friends'. And really good food for everyone, not just the first class flyers. Sounds like a ball, right?
That's all I came up with whilst flying home. You would think after thirty-eight hours of traveling, I would have thought of more, but that's it.
Keep in touch, my English friends, and know that I miss you very much. Not a day goes by that I don't think about my times in Ormskirk and across the U.K.
Peace.
The trip home: I've discovered that flight attendants frighten me. They all seem to be stuck in the 1970s when billowing blue eyes were groovin' and cherry red lips were poppin'. Foxy ladies? Not anymore. When I wake up to a face gleaming with frosted happiness asking, "Chicken or beef?" I want to feel comforted, not anxious. And the taut hair pulled back to a never-ending point reminds me of every scary substitute teacher ever sketched into a children's book. Their hair and make-up combine to create this overwhelmingly unreal depiction of beauty that takes me by surprise everytime. I don't know why the idea that flight attendants have to look practically perfect ever came about. I'm sure they are all beautiful people without the made-up facade.
Also, after a total of four plane rides to get back into Ohio, I have come up with an idea to make riding high a little more fun. First, for families with young children, Disney should have an airline--if they don't already. On this airline, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty could serve the meals while the Jungle Book characters put on shows. How fun would that be? That's right, they've captured your hearts through video and song, illuminated your imagination with Disney World, and now Disney has brought you magic in the sky. And the nose of the plane could be painted to look like Mickey's head! How hilarious would that be?
Alright, idea number two applies to the adult crowd because it relates to the party cruise lines with glorious buffets and American Idol cast-offs performing karaoke hits--quite frankly, kids wouldn't be as entertained by these. This airline that should have been created by now would be like a party in the sky. Comfortable seats that have groups of four facing each other so you get to talk to people and make new friends. Semi-celebrity guests, like Sinbad and Ricky Lake, who would entertain the crowd and make time to visit with each table of new 'friends'. And really good food for everyone, not just the first class flyers. Sounds like a ball, right?
That's all I came up with whilst flying home. You would think after thirty-eight hours of traveling, I would have thought of more, but that's it.
Keep in touch, my English friends, and know that I miss you very much. Not a day goes by that I don't think about my times in Ormskirk and across the U.K.
Peace.
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