I hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas, especially the Siscoe family. I'm sorry I'm missing the family celebration this year, but I hope this video will bring us together even though we're apart. Tell the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that I love them!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exf9eIp8xS4
Thursday 24 December 2009
Monday 21 December 2009
Christmas in Germany, and sort of in Belgium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW7_ERWI8e8
This video attempts to capture the better moments of my first week in continental Europe. The narrator is my lovely hostess Brittany Schick, who has gone out of her way several times to make me and Adam's Christmas breaqk phenomenal. Sorry about the slight interference with the audio-we'll do better next time. My favorite part so far is the time we spent in Germany at the Christmas markets. They do Christmas right, or perhaps they taught us Americans what Christmas should be like in the first place. The Belgians on the other hand seem slightly confused at best... Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
This video attempts to capture the better moments of my first week in continental Europe. The narrator is my lovely hostess Brittany Schick, who has gone out of her way several times to make me and Adam's Christmas breaqk phenomenal. Sorry about the slight interference with the audio-we'll do better next time. My favorite part so far is the time we spent in Germany at the Christmas markets. They do Christmas right, or perhaps they taught us Americans what Christmas should be like in the first place. The Belgians on the other hand seem slightly confused at best... Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Sunday 20 December 2009
London to Brussels has never been more difficult
After the long semester at Oxford, I expected a leisurely vacation of European tourism. Even though it will be quite relaxing, I got off to a child or stressful start. I had the worst airport experience I have ever had at London Heathrow. It all got off to a pretty innocent start, I arrived at Terminal 3 on a bus at around 2:15 for my 3:50 flight. My flight was from Brussels to Terminal 5 however, so I needed to use the Heathrow Express (their underground transportation between terminals) to hop over to Terminal 5. So I headed down the escalator to the train platform, little knowing what was about misfortune to befall me ....
I Boarded the Express just fine. There was a train headed to Terminal 5 waiting for me. Unfortunately, that train decided not to move for the next fifteen minutes. At that point, the conductor instructed everyone to get off and wait on the platform for further information. About fifteen minutes later, we were informed that it had indeed broken down, but they were still unable to pinpoint the problem. Another fifteen minutes passed and the now defunct trolley was still sitting exactly where it had been Forty-five minutes prior. Finally, another train arrived to Terminal 5 at a different platform and I made it to the check-in desk around 3:15. At that point it was obviously too late for me to check any bags, so I was sent over to the customer service desk. From there things went from bad to worse.
I was informed that, since I had booked my ticket with Orbitz, my plane ticket was non-transferable. The customer service rep said that I could get the cheapest flight to Brussels was 220 pounds (approximately $ 350 - $ 375). After my experience in the UK and one of the strongest currencies in the world, my bank account could not take another hit like that. The rep advised me that my best bet was to try and get ahold of Orbitz and see if they would transfer my flight. We'll classify this dilemma as number 1.
I used one of the few pounds I had left in my pocket to get on the internet at Café Nero and find the customer service number for Orbitz. I then tried to use the remainder of my phone card to call them. Unfortunately, I got put on hold until my phone card ran out. Bummer. The next attempt was financed by my credit card, which was successful. However, the voice of the agent Orbitz was so soft I could barely even hear them. Either the speaker phone was bad or the connection was poor, but in any case I could not hear them well enough to get any serious business done. Payphones I switched and tried another call credit. This time I got to a normal-volumed agent, who informed me that Orbitz was currently undergoing a network and update their internet access (including any access to my booking) was obstructed until it was finished. They told me I could call back in about an hour. We'll classify this dilemma as number 2.
At this point, dilemma number 1 plus 2 formed an impenetrable wall between me and a flight to Brussels. My only option was to chill out with my luggage trolley in the middle of Terminal 5, Heathrow airport, London, UK. That is exactly what I did from 5 to 6.
I then attempted my third call to Orbitz Precisely at 6pm. I did not actually reach them this time. Instead, I was patched through to an international operator who informed me that my card had been rejected. Fantastic. When I inquired why my card had been rejected, they informed me they did not possess that information. They said though that I had used it perhaps too frequently, and that my bank may have potentially blocked it. Later I discovered that I had used it on several small purchases throughout the day and that I had reached my daily limit of transactions. Unfortunately, I did not discover that until the next day, so that will have no bearing on my story. All I know is that my debit card was no longer working. Dilemma Number 3.
At this point, I went wondering around Heathrow looking for anyone willing to listen to my sad story. I found one flight attendant who attempted to find a manager I could talk with. After several minutes in the main office, she informed me that all the higher-ups were too busy to provide me with a phone to place an international call. However, she did suggest that if I looked, I Might Be Able to find a manager who would assist me. I was informed that manager's wear blue-and-silver ties. And so I was off again, looking for a blue-and-silver-tied manager in Terminal 5 at Heathrow in London.
I finally found one, and he willingly let me use his cell phone to place an international call. If it seemed this was a solution, do not get too excited. It turns out that his cell phone was unable to make international calls. Next, he took me to the same office the flight attendant to see if there was a phone there. Regrettably, his answer was also negative. The managerial offices at Terminal 5 has no phone for making international calls. Period.
By this time I am thoroughly discouraged. Dilemma 1, 2, and 3 had rendered me completely helpless. It was 6:30, and if I was going to catch the 8 o'clock flight to Belgium something drastic was going to have to happen. I was pretty sure that I was going to have to spend the night at Heathrow with a grand total of two pounds, which might have bought me a cereal bar. And beyond that, I was not exactly sure if things would be any better in the morning.
I trudged to customer service one more time to see if anything else could be done. I told them my predicament, and said that if they could not help me I would understand. I finally got a bit of luck. Sally Dreyphus said that they had confirmed the delay Heathrow Express (I do not know why it took three hours) and now that I could transfer my ticket for the small fee of sixty pounds. That was better than 220, but I wish I had known that before I went and put my credit card out of commission. But fortunately, the one in favor someone did me all day, Mrs.. Dreyphus decided to let the slide fee. She realized that I had a return flight on January 6, and said that she could apply for the charge when I checked in for that flight.
Against all odds, I made it to Belgium. Unfortunately, I had to have the worst airport experience of my life first.
I Boarded the Express just fine. There was a train headed to Terminal 5 waiting for me. Unfortunately, that train decided not to move for the next fifteen minutes. At that point, the conductor instructed everyone to get off and wait on the platform for further information. About fifteen minutes later, we were informed that it had indeed broken down, but they were still unable to pinpoint the problem. Another fifteen minutes passed and the now defunct trolley was still sitting exactly where it had been Forty-five minutes prior. Finally, another train arrived to Terminal 5 at a different platform and I made it to the check-in desk around 3:15. At that point it was obviously too late for me to check any bags, so I was sent over to the customer service desk. From there things went from bad to worse.
I was informed that, since I had booked my ticket with Orbitz, my plane ticket was non-transferable. The customer service rep said that I could get the cheapest flight to Brussels was 220 pounds (approximately $ 350 - $ 375). After my experience in the UK and one of the strongest currencies in the world, my bank account could not take another hit like that. The rep advised me that my best bet was to try and get ahold of Orbitz and see if they would transfer my flight. We'll classify this dilemma as number 1.
I used one of the few pounds I had left in my pocket to get on the internet at Café Nero and find the customer service number for Orbitz. I then tried to use the remainder of my phone card to call them. Unfortunately, I got put on hold until my phone card ran out. Bummer. The next attempt was financed by my credit card, which was successful. However, the voice of the agent Orbitz was so soft I could barely even hear them. Either the speaker phone was bad or the connection was poor, but in any case I could not hear them well enough to get any serious business done. Payphones I switched and tried another call credit. This time I got to a normal-volumed agent, who informed me that Orbitz was currently undergoing a network and update their internet access (including any access to my booking) was obstructed until it was finished. They told me I could call back in about an hour. We'll classify this dilemma as number 2.
At this point, dilemma number 1 plus 2 formed an impenetrable wall between me and a flight to Brussels. My only option was to chill out with my luggage trolley in the middle of Terminal 5, Heathrow airport, London, UK. That is exactly what I did from 5 to 6.
I then attempted my third call to Orbitz Precisely at 6pm. I did not actually reach them this time. Instead, I was patched through to an international operator who informed me that my card had been rejected. Fantastic. When I inquired why my card had been rejected, they informed me they did not possess that information. They said though that I had used it perhaps too frequently, and that my bank may have potentially blocked it. Later I discovered that I had used it on several small purchases throughout the day and that I had reached my daily limit of transactions. Unfortunately, I did not discover that until the next day, so that will have no bearing on my story. All I know is that my debit card was no longer working. Dilemma Number 3.
At this point, I went wondering around Heathrow looking for anyone willing to listen to my sad story. I found one flight attendant who attempted to find a manager I could talk with. After several minutes in the main office, she informed me that all the higher-ups were too busy to provide me with a phone to place an international call. However, she did suggest that if I looked, I Might Be Able to find a manager who would assist me. I was informed that manager's wear blue-and-silver ties. And so I was off again, looking for a blue-and-silver-tied manager in Terminal 5 at Heathrow in London.
I finally found one, and he willingly let me use his cell phone to place an international call. If it seemed this was a solution, do not get too excited. It turns out that his cell phone was unable to make international calls. Next, he took me to the same office the flight attendant to see if there was a phone there. Regrettably, his answer was also negative. The managerial offices at Terminal 5 has no phone for making international calls. Period.
By this time I am thoroughly discouraged. Dilemma 1, 2, and 3 had rendered me completely helpless. It was 6:30, and if I was going to catch the 8 o'clock flight to Belgium something drastic was going to have to happen. I was pretty sure that I was going to have to spend the night at Heathrow with a grand total of two pounds, which might have bought me a cereal bar. And beyond that, I was not exactly sure if things would be any better in the morning.
I trudged to customer service one more time to see if anything else could be done. I told them my predicament, and said that if they could not help me I would understand. I finally got a bit of luck. Sally Dreyphus said that they had confirmed the delay Heathrow Express (I do not know why it took three hours) and now that I could transfer my ticket for the small fee of sixty pounds. That was better than 220, but I wish I had known that before I went and put my credit card out of commission. But fortunately, the one in favor someone did me all day, Mrs.. Dreyphus decided to let the slide fee. She realized that I had a return flight on January 6, and said that she could apply for the charge when I checked in for that flight.
Against all odds, I made it to Belgium. Unfortunately, I had to have the worst airport experience of my life first.
Friday 20 November 2009
Life is a Library
Apologies to everyone who has been anxiously awaiting to here from me. The good news is that I survived swine flu and am no worse for wear-perhaps even better because now I am immune to the pandemic. The bad news is that it set me behind so that I've been playing catch up for the past month. As we move towards Christmas, there will be much more time for me to work on the videos I've been taking, so hopefully that will make up for my month of going AWOL.
HD version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMbjRukrDrY
HD version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMbjRukrDrY
Friday 23 October 2009
Swine Flu
So things had started to get pretty busy as of late-one of the reasons that I haven't had time to post any videos. That was not the only result of my stress unfortunately. Swine flu also took it upon its self, seeing that my defenses were low, to infect me for a whole week. That effectively ended my hurrying.
Instead, my house was in a hurry to send me out to the Lodge, a two-bedroom holding cell for those with infectious diseases. I spent the next five days coughing, sleeping, and attempting to read. It wasn't nearly as bad as I would of thought, but it doesn't go away quickly-which was probably the worst thing. The air has become quite stagnant in here and I'm ready to get out. Today is a good day though because I finally get to come out of solitary confinement today.
Thanks to all who were praying for me. I appreciate every bit of it. Now I am better.
Instead, my house was in a hurry to send me out to the Lodge, a two-bedroom holding cell for those with infectious diseases. I spent the next five days coughing, sleeping, and attempting to read. It wasn't nearly as bad as I would of thought, but it doesn't go away quickly-which was probably the worst thing. The air has become quite stagnant in here and I'm ready to get out. Today is a good day though because I finally get to come out of solitary confinement today.
Thanks to all who were praying for me. I appreciate every bit of it. Now I am better.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
High Quality Punting
HD version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBqVSuVxaBo
This week, my roommates and I went punting, a genuinely English experience. It is a type of boating, not too dissimilar from a gondola experience in Venice. In this case however, the navigator does not use an oar, but a long, metal pole. This makes it unique and quite unforgettable. At Oxford, punting is apparently very commonplace, but also very touristy. It is no longer a serious form of transportation, but is more like a horse-drawn carriage type of experience. As with any water sport, there are required skills that take a few attempts to acquire.We only crashed into the bank 5 times, lost the pole in the water one time, and got lost one time. And this all within the first hour... I hope you enjoy watching our fun and mishaps (which were not mutually exclusive).
In other news, I have finally solved the low-quality video problem. The blog only allows me to upload videos of 100mb, which severely compromises both the quality and length of the videos. With the purchase of such a nice camcorder, this is clearly a waste of resources. Thus, I will also post them on Youtube, which allows 2GB (2,000mb) videos. In every blog, I will include to the sharper, larger version of all the posts in the video blog. Don't forget to click on HD!
Saturday 19 September 2009
Salisbury Cathedral
HD version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBXMXSiP_DY
We journeyed from Oxford to Salisbury, about 75 miles to the southwest, for a little sight-seeing. I apologize up front for the poor video quality; I might need to look into a site that will allow me to upload more than 100mb.
Salisbury Cathedral was built from 1220 to 1258, with a spire added to that in 1320. We got to tour the cathedral and take the "Tower Tour" as part of our British History course (we take a lot of field trips). The background music in this video makes the serious tone almost laughable, with the midday tour becoming much more dramatic than it originally was. Originally, the church was of course Catholic, but then became high-church Anglican after the Reformation. At that time, the church became a lot more plain than it is now, with many more stained glass windows and elaborate murals Parts of what that may have been can still be glimpsed through some of the ceiling art. At one point, I zoom in on the ceiling and it looks like there is the division lines of brick construction, but those were simply painted on to give it a multiple stone appearance. Also, the writing on the windows was from the 1990s when money was being raised for repairs on the Spire. For a couple pounds people could etch a drawing or phrase into the glass. My favorite is the, "Good Luck Spire". We were lucky enough to get to the spire just in time for its noon chiming, which was so powerful, especially being inside. Even thought the spire has held for almost 700 years now, I still wasn't sure if I trusted it... In the view from the top of the spire, the cross formation of the cathedral can be clearly seen with double transepts on either side (I'm sure Dr. Smith is proud of my medieval architecture knowledge). From the tower, we were able to see one side of the cathedral at a time, as its positioned in the very center.
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