My London Love Affair

Hello All,

Some of you who read my blog know that I've always wanted to go to Europe. It's been something I've wanted to do since I first knew about it in grade school. My eyes would always grow big when teachers spoke of foreign places, and I always wanted to see the places spoken of with my own eyes. Well, just after my 25th birthday (eek!) I was fortunate enough to go on the trip of a lifetime. I planned it myself, without the help of a travel agent, and had no regrets. My money was saved up, my route was planned and directions were printed, research was completed. By the time the day came when I was due to board the plane to London, my first city of a few that I would visit during my 18 day trip, I was so excited to go that it didn't really hit me..I was getting on a plane and going to a place where I didn't know anyone.

I never told my mother, but about midway through the flight, it hit me. "What if I get sick? What if I get lost? What if I get robbed or attacked, or worse? Who would be there for me?" The closer I got to London, the more these thoughts seemed to disappear from my mind and more practical things filled it instead, such as "How the hell am I going to lug this bag around? What am I going to eat? What should I see first?" I stepped off the longest flight I'd ever taken on the Atlantic and faced the unknown with the optimism of a newborn. I breathed the air, looked around me and threw my arms up in absolute joy. This gesture, along with my American accent and naivete, was greeted with laughs and grins. I didn't care, though...for 18 days, the overseas world of Europe was mine, and I intended to do all I could to conquer it.

The trip started in London, actually Heathrow Airport. I remember stepping off the plane and not knowing what to expect, if people in the Queen's Guard uniforms would be standing there or if I'd be immediately offered tea and crumpets. I certainly did not expect to be interviewed for at least 5 minutes by the UK Customs Officials, while I saw plenty of other Americans bounce past the officials in seconds. However, I took it with a grain of salt, and carried on. After getting my luggage to the train, or 'the tube', lugging it up stairs, getting lost twice and then finding my way, and finally finding my hostel....I was beginning to relax. After bumbling around until I was able to get into my room, taking a hot shower and then going out, I did not feel like a tourist, but instead like I was home.

I walked throughout the streets, the well known ones and the 'dodgy' ones and felt as if I'd lived there for years, without a map, without a compass, without a guide. I found myself in supermarkets, coffee shops, burger joints, pubs, bars and nightclubs... shoulder to shoulder with the Brits. I drank potent apple cider for the first time, and also drank absinthe. I was asked by men to sit with them and entertain them with my "cute American accent". I did not receive any rude treatment, and when I did try on a Brit accent to buy a paper and some cigarettes for a roommate, the owner of the shop asked me what part of London I was from. "Brixton", I said, as I handed the exact amount to him, darting out of the shop before more questions ensued. I also made sure to do the "typically tourist" things, like walking through Hyde Park, stopping at the Marble Arch and the Wellington Arch (which is pictured with moi to the left) and at least see the inside of the Sherlock Holmes Pub. (They serve phenomenal fish and chips there, FYI)

I found out about the history of Big Ben, rode the London Eye and walked along the Thames River. I ate fish and chips, skipped the bangers and mash and indulged in a pint of ale. I drove past Wimbledon, tried Ethopian food and learned some Brit slang. I began to count my money in terms of quid, half-quid, quarter-quid and so on. I did not mind the intermittent rain, the cool breeze that whipped through my hair, and the awkwardness in dialing 13 numbers instead of 10, and how being a "vegetarian" was not as commonplace as it is in the States. I went without coffee. I woke up in the early mornings and walked, took the tube to random places, and saw the splendor of Harrod's. I was on a bus that drove on the London Bridge, stood in a spot where people were executed, and I learned the difference between crisps, chips and fries.

I walked through Piccadilly Circus, saw Madame Tussauds and stood at the site of the 02 Theatre where a Michael Jackson sign was being erected. I was hit on by men from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Netherlands, Poland and Italy. I was able to find my way through a crowd of jubilant men and women, celebrating the arrival of an upcoming weekend by dancing the night away. I took a black taxi through a ghetto and saw their version of public housing. I saw the docks where the Titanic was built. I ate one of the best meal I've ever had in my life at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant and, if I did nothing else, I danced.

I was without a care in the world, happy and the world was my oyster. Simply, because I was in love. And I had made friends there too, who embraced my bumbling American way and made sure I was given a true tour of the city. Not something you get on a double-decker bus, or from a booth in front of the Ridley's Believe It or Not Museum. The way in which I was welcomed and embraced by the city and its people, wholeheartedly and without reservation, was priceless. It couldn't be bottled or mass distributed. As I reflect, I know that there is no price for what I experienced when I was in London. During those days, I fell in love with a city blessed with a history longer than the States. I look at my pictures from those days and I realize something, that my love affair with London is ongoing.

Thoughts?

Ashley Robin

Next Post: Roman Sentiments

The New Goal

Hey,

Just wanted to say hi, and give a few updates on stuff. Nothing too elaborate today, my head is pounding, I think my cat is sick and I've gotta get up in the morning.

1- My male BFF Kevin is so much better now. Against all odds, he's still here, and he managed to walk out of the hospice they'd put him in after he was basically in a drug-induced coma to reduce his pain. The hospice stay was 3 weeks, he woke up after the first week and immediately wanted to leave. He worked towards it and made that a goal, and he did it. Immediately after leaving, he went to a holistic doctor, and fasted for 3 weeks to get all the toxins out of his body, eating only small organic dishes on the weekends, and drinking only organic juice and water during the week. I haven't seen him, he's still in California, but from the phone I know his voice sounds stronger and he sounds more rested. He has yet to go see a doctor, but when he does, I am hoping the prognosis is good. For all purposes, it is a miracle.

2-I've put up a "Donate" button on the right side of the blog. It's for my trip to Europe after my graduation in May of 2009. I've always wanted to go, and I figure asking for donations, the worse thing that will happen is that no one will contribute. If you have a buck or two that you wouldn't mind sharing, hook me up. The money's going into an account that I'm setting up to save for the trip, and whatever you contribute will be greatly appreciated.

3- I'll be doing my radio show Saturday night, discussing one of my favorite topics, RELATIONSHIPS, (haha) from 7 to 9pm, and I'm going to try to blog as I do it. We'll see how well it works. If you are interested in listening, click here. Follow the prompts on the website, under the "Listen Live" area. If you have a question, you can ask it in the comments or email me here if you want your comment to be more private.

Take care and I, as always, want your thoughts...

*Ashley Robin*

Who is Joe Biden?

Hi All,

This post is a bit of a departure from my tales of misadventures. I am a supporter of Barack Obama and his run for president. So I am very excited to see that he has selected Joe Biden. There was some speculation that he'd pick Evan Bayh, former Governor and now junior senator from the state of Indiana, current Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, current Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, New Mexico Governor Tim Richardson and even Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, his main rival in the Democratic Presidential Primary.As somewhat of a political nerd, I'm known for reading up on people and translating political lingo to my friends and family, I thought I'd answer the question that I'm bound to get, and that question is 

Who is Joe Biden?

Joe Biden is currently serving as a sixth-term senator from the tiny state of Delaware. Senators have a term of six years, so yeah, he's been in the Senate longer than I've been alive. He has been in the Senate since Barack has been ELEVEN years old. The guy has more Foreign Relations experience than anyone in the Senate. And, as a coincidence, he is the current Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. This committee is mainly responsible for giving aid to foreign countries, oversees the selection of nominees to the office of the Secretary of State position in the Executive Office Cabinet, and works to create legislation that determines how the U.S. handles matters relating to foreign countries (also known as foreign policy). Just to give you an example, they were directly involved, if not the mastermind behind the purchase of the land that would become the state of Alaska in 1867, as well as the creation of the United Nations in 1945. This committee is one of the most influential in the Senate, and if selected to be a member of this committee, it pretty much means you are the ish. (Just a note: Barack Obama serves on this committee along with Biden, and the two have worked together on legislative matters related to the aims of the committee.) It is a well known 'rumor' that Hillary Clinton tried to get on this committee when she came into the Senate, but the seat went to Barack Obama. 

In addition to being Chairman (or Top Dawg) of the Foreign Relations Committee, he's also Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Crime and Drugs, and Co-Chairman of the Caucus on International Narcotics Control. See, what most people don't realize is that the Senate is not just 100 people in a room squabbling about issues. Most senators serve on at least two committees. These Committees often are so big that they have sub-committees that serves as branches of the large group. Senior Senators who have served longer than the other Senator from their state, ones like Biden, have a pick of which committees they serve on due to seniority, (as a way of showing respect, it is not a rule). Obviously committees like Foreign Relations, Judiciary (which helps confirm prospective Supreme Court judges) and Finance (which deal with money that the government gives to programs like Medicare, Social Security, as well as dealing with the National Debt) are the most glamorous because they get plenty of press, but also because they are the most influential. So because Biden serves on these committees, and others, he's a pretty busy guy. 

Junior Senators, ones that don't have much time served in the Senate as the other Senator from their state, are either appointed to a committee or selected by members of a committee based on their strengths, popularity and/or record. These committee members meet and deal with new bills or ideas that affect their committee and often will present their findings to the Senate when a vote arises. This is why people think Senators do nothing, but in fact, they are constantly meeting with one another, lobbyists for or against a bill and talking to industries affected by their committee ruling. 

Biden has strong opinions, is not without controversy, but is intelligent, honest and straight-forward. If he's posed a question that he does not know the answer to, which is rare, he will say, "I don't know." He's candid, open and friendly. I had the opportunity to hear him speak at a Senate hearing in my ventures in DC, and he was prepped so hard for that topic, it was ridiculous. He had notes, cards, and knew his subject backwards and forwards. He also had studied the topic so well that it was obvious he'd figured out what questions might be asked, and researched the ways to answer them. While that could be attributed to a good staff, it is a good sign that whomever McCain picks as his running mate will have to be on their toes in order to face off against Biden in a debate. 

He's run for President three times, in 1988, in 2004 and again in 2008. If you watched any of the Democratic debates earlier this year, you can remember him being the one pretty much acknowledged by all the other candidates, including Mike Gravel, for being the go-to guy on Foreign Relations matters. He was in the news recently for going abroad to Georgia, on President George Bush's insistence, to assist in coming up with a solution to the Russian/Georgian conflict that has been splattered all over headlines. He's 65 years old, so he's got the age and experience that the conservatives look for, but he's also unafraid to speak his mind and go against the grain, which is perfect for Obama's message of 'Change In Washington'. 

He's also a fighter. Biden lost his first wife and child in a car accident not too long after he won his Senate seat for the first time, in 1972. His other two sons were injured, but were able to recover, and Biden would travel over an hour from his home in Delaware to Washington D.C., something he continues to do, even today.  He also suffered from two brain aneurysms back in 1988 that almost killed him but after 7 months of recovery, he was back and serving in the Senate. 

I don't know about you, but I think this campaign has just gotten even more interesting. 

I can't wait to see what happens next.

*Ashley Robin*