A Time for Thanks...

Hello again! Hope everything is going great for all of you, wherever you may be. This past week was one of the most unusual for me, definitely had its highs and lows.

It started with back to work at PRI, an internship that I love a lot. I am meeting a lot of great people and doing some very interesting work. The other day, I was typing up notes that a manager took at a conference in Paris. The speaker was discussing prisons in America, and as I was typing, I came across her reference of the Supermax prison in Boscobel, WI. For those of you who don't know my little neck of the woods in WI, Boscobel is literally a town of about 1,000 people about 20 minutes away from my house. It was soooo weird that a speaker in Paris spoke of that prison, and to one of my supervisors from London, and then I read about it! So weird! Anyway, it discussed the positives of that prison, such as removing all mentally ill prisoners from there and putting them in hospitals where they can be helped, instead of adding to their mental illness. However, this speaker warned of the mental health of the prison guards, which I could name several people who work there. So family and friends at home, talk to these guards that we know and warn them of mental health issues! :) It proved for a very interesting conversation with my supervisor for most of the afternoon, needless to say.

This past weekend, I was visited by more of my friends. Dave came to visit from Germany, while Jenn and Autumn came to visit from Spain. It was such a great weekend, as I definitely missed all three of them! I had a blast, and I think they all had a great time. As most of you know, I have played tour guide countless times this semester, but this time we got out of the normal routine and went and saw Wimbledon as Dave is, um, obsessed?, with tennis. It was really cool to see though. We didn't get to see Centre Court as it was under renovation, but the museum was really fascinating. All too soon, however, they departed back to Germany and Spain respectively.

Before they came to visit, however, I had booked a trip to Barcelona with my roommates. I held out for awhile, as I would have rather gone to see Germany, as I am predominately German. But I finally gave in and booked a trip to Barcelona, sacrificing my chance to see Germany. I felt neutral about Barcelona, figuring it would be a cool place to see. Well after Dave came to visit, and talking about Germany, I decided that this experience abroad should be about what I want to do and it may be my only chance to see Germany. So I booked a trip to Germany, even though it was quite pricey, and decided to cancel my trip to Barcelona, basically eating over $100 for a plane ticket. But I think it is going to be totally worth it. Already, I am more excited about Germany than I ever was about Barcelona. It kinda stinks though that I can't have one last travel experience with my roommates here, but it will still be worth it!

I had a real rough time this Sunday. After my friends had left, I got extremely homesick (and physically sick as well). It hit me like a bus that I wanted to be home and back at school to have all of us back together again. I felt that my 3 months here was enough and I was ready to go home. That didn't mean that I am not happy here in London at all, I just felt it was time to get back to "normal" life in WI I suppose. But, I soon realized that this once in a lifetime experience that I am so fortunate to have must be lived out to the fullest. I mustn't go around being saddened about something that will happen soon enough. It's literally less than one month that I will be home. How weird. But through that little homesick period, it made me value the importance of my family and my great group of friends. I miss all of you and think of you all often! I am very thankful for all of you!

Finally, Thanksgiving is this Thursday. While it is obviously not celebrated outside of the US, my roommates and I are having our own Thanksgiving dinner that I am preparing after work on Thursday. I am really excited about it, and I can officially kick off Christmas celebrations. I'll let you know how it goes, cooking my first Thanksgiving dinner. Cross your fingers! :)

Have a great holiday! Eat lots of turkey for me!
Cheers!

Justin

Ya Gotta Load the Hump When You Can Load The Hump!

Greetings again from London!! Hope everyone is doing well back home and abroad. It's been quite an interesting past week or so. Starting with family and ending with an excursion to Oxford.

Friday, November 7, my Mom and Aunt Chris came to visit me in London for a week! I was very excited to see them. It is always nice to see familiar faces, but also, I got spoiled, too!! (Hence this blog title: meaning take a free meal any chance you can get, ask for extra groceries, and anything else when your family is in town visiting lol.) Thanks for that!! It was really appreciated, albeit unnecessary.

Anywho, after picking them up at the airport, we took a stroll (read: speedwalk) through Kensington Gardens. (Londoners walk fast, something that caught my mom and Chris off guard, so we had to "saunter" the rest of the week. We then went and saw Big Ben and Westminster, and rode the London Eye (the giant ferris wheel, observation thing). It was a bust. Definitely not worth it, but it was one of those things you can say you did. We went out for some delicious Indian food that night too. This trip was all about trying new things, and I don't think they were disappointed. The Indian food was well-received.


Saturday, we went to two famous markets: Portabello Road Antiques Market and Camden Market. Two great markets where you can get virtually anything. Also one of my favorite places about the city. For lunch, we had some delicious West African food -- Goat Curry!!! Yum!! Then a relaxing nap mid-way through the day, and we go out for some Pub food. Fish and Chips, Shephard's Pie, and Burgers and Chips! Also a few pints.

It's sad to say, but the rest of the days are kind of a blur. Meaning that we did sooo many things in town, that its hard to remember exactly what happened each day. But I know that on Monday, Mom and Chris sampled some delicious Haggis! Yes, that fine cuisine I had in Scotland (aka: Sheep intestines). Chris enjoyed it, didn't love it, but would eat it again. Mom, well, she wasn't that fond of it, but decided it was better than what she thought it was going to be.

On Tuesday night, we went to the London Ice Bar. My roommates also came with. The Ice Bar is exactly that -- a bar made out of ice! Everything from the bar, the walls, the chairs, and your glass are made out of ice. It is kept at -5 degrees year round. You pay 12 pounds to get in, which includes a designer (ya right) parka, mittens, and your first drink. You get to stay for 40 minutes, and by then, you're fairly cold and need to leave. It was the biggest hit of the week. Everyone had a great time there! It was just one of those things that you just have to experience and laugh about, and have a good time.


Wednesday evening, we went and saw Les Miserables on stage. It was such a great show. Plus we were sitting in the 6th row from the front on the stage level. Great seats!!!! I think Mom and Chris really enjoyed it too.

Thursday, we went to another pub and had our last meal together. My roommates came along too. After a few pints, and some delicious fish and chips, we said goodbye. The next day, they departed back to the States, arriving safely in Chicago. All in all, it was a great time!! I am so glad that they got to come and had a good time too. They got to see first hand how great of a time I am having here and see the city I love so much and call home. I am very thankful as well for all of their generosity and, yes, even their winning attitudes!! :)

Mom and I in Harrods Dept. Store: Our very own "Kessler Christmas Card" attempt

Now onto this previous weekend. My roommates and I decided to go to Oxford for one night. It was just a short 2 hour bus ride, and we found our hostel. The hostel and round trip bus ticket was only 26 pounds, so very cheap!! The city was very small and quiet. But the architecture and atmosphere was really cool. We saw Oxford University which consists of about 30 different colleges focusing on different areas. The most famous is Christ Church which has a very famous church and dining hall (the one used in the Harry Potter movies). The lines were very long and it was closed for most of the day, so we didn't go in. We did however sneak into New College and climbed the mound and enjoyed their student common areas. I guess it pays off being a college student to somewhere. We also visited a very historic pub, one that is noted for its importance to literature, called The Eagle and Child. In this pub, the works of Lewis Carrol's "Alice in Wonderland," J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogies, and C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" were all written. It was a very neat place. Overrall, Oxford has a great atmosphere for a college student, but I don't see myself ever needing to visit there. We actually ran out of things to do and snuck on to an earlier bus home.

Well, sorry for this ridiculously long blog post. But one more thing: Chris, we think we found one more pound coin that was different. I know, I know, you hate the Queen!

Until next time,
Cheers!

Justin

Oxford Circus

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. And I'm afraid this will be a rather short post, as I leave for Oxford (home of the famous University) in 30 minutes! It is just a 1-night trip.

I'll tell you all about that and this past week when my Mom and Aunt Chris came to visit!!

Until tomorrow night(ish),
Cheers!
Justin

Ps. Grandma -- sorry you are having problems seeing some of the pictures. I'll work on it.

Finally...

You knew it was coming...a blog post about the Election. How could I not blog about something so important?!

First of all, I am so happy/thrilled/relieved/proud/excited/nervous right now. That is a lot of emotions. I am happy and thrilled because America got the election right. It took 8 years to do so, but finally, they got it right! I am also proud because the "ignorant masses" voted for a minority President (something that most people believed they would never see in their lifetime). I am so proud that I got to witness history in the making and be a part of that history. For some people, this is the defining moment for a generation. There was the Baby Boomer generation with JFK's assassination. There was the Vietnam War generation, with the counterculture, too. Gen X and Y, as well. We are defined by significant moments in our society (9/11, Vietnam, Pearl Harbor, Great Depression), and now, we face another one -- Barack Obama's presidency. I am excited for what is to come.

I am so very proud of my country for voting the way they did. Some people are really divided on this issue right now, and think they are living under a socialist government or are thinking of moving to another country. My first thought is, "The feelings that you have now, are the ones that myself and the majority of American's thought the past 8 years, only this is much less extreme." But honestly, I want to thank those who voted for John McCain or a third party candidate, because you took the time to do what you thought was best for your country. You participated in our democracy the way it was set up by our Founders. Your voice was heard, too. You absolutely have the right to be upset about the results not going in your favor; but then, one must move on and work together with whoever is President and continue making our country great. The threat of moving to another country in protest is in no way a protest. It is escaping your problems and taking the easy way out. If you truly love your country and believe in what it stands for; then you work within the system of democracy, by: grassroots efforts to raise awareness of issues and candidates, discussing politics and issues with friends and family, hold peaceful assembly or protests. Our Constitution allows you to do that and make your voice be heard. So stand up for what you believe in and don't run away because you are upset with the result. Now is the best time to be an effective opposition (something you cannot do in Canada). The past 8 years, plenty of Liberals and Democrats and even Republicans claim they will leave the country under Bush, and they too need to understand this fundamental issue.

So please, stand up for what you believe in. Take the higher ground and work within the system of democracy so that next time these vital elections end up how you want them to. The next one is in 2 years. I will see you there.

Busy Week

After returning from Italy and having a great time, Amy and Caitlin came with me back to London, along with John and Billy. I did the tour guide thing, showed them around London and what not. It was nice to see both of them, especially in my city! They all really loved London and I am glad they had a good time. On Monday night, we even went to see The Phantom of the Opera on stage in London's West End. It was really cool to see it!

On Tuesday, my British Life and Cultures class went to Brick Lane and ate at a traditional Pakistani restaurant. Yep, that's right. My class went out to eat and the school paid for it. What a great learning experience! The food was so fantastic. They just kept bringing out some of the more traditional meals one right after the other. It was amazing! I ate so much. I said that it was like a spicy Thanksgiving meal, it was that good!

On Wednesday, I started my internship with Penal Reform International (PRI). It is a Non-Governmental Organization that works with foreign governments to reform the prisons in their countries. They push for things like health and safety in the prison, stopping overcrowding, finding alternatives to prison, trying to rehabilitate prisoners too. I really enjoy working there. The staff is very friendly, and very very passionate which is so exciting to see! I really look forward to going to my internship all the time. Plus, who can beat working 5 hour days, with a paid lunch? That's right, I got a great deal!

Also, the Election is this Tuesday!! I am sooooooo ready for this. I have been anticipating this for some time now, following it for close to 2 years diligently. Hopefully, America, you do the right thing and VOTE! I would like to tell you who to vote for, but I won't. I just want everyone to vote if they are eligible. If I can vote from London, you can vote from home!

I plan on staying up all night here to watch the live coverage. Remember, there is a 6 hour time difference from home, so I will be up until the wee hours of the morning (5-6am) to see what is going on. There are also huge parties all over London where you can go to watch the coverage. Most serve food and drinks, and you can win prizes and play games, all while celebrating the election. It is so fascinating to see a different country get so into another country's election. But that just shows how much the world looks to us for things, whether they like it or not. I already told my supervisor that I won't be in the next day after the election as I will be passed out for the entire day catching up on my sleep! So I will just go in on Monday to make it up.

Finally, this is the big time for guests. Besides Amy and Caitlin coming to visit last weekend, my mom and aunt are hopping the pond to visit next weekend for 6 days I believe. That will be exciting. Then, the next weekend after my family leaves, Jenn and Autumn are visiting from Toledo, Spain. Also visiting that weekend, is my roommate Dave! He is studying in Marburg, Germany (just outside Frankfurt I believe). So it will be great to see some fantastic people in the next few weeks!

Side note: If you didn't notice, quick links to all of my pictures abroad are posted on the right hand side of this page, just scroll down. Enjoy!

That's about it for now! Cheers!
Justin