Hank Update

Hank has learned to tap dance. No, you didn't read that wrong. And if you doubt it, then I shake my head in disbelief at you. I know he's just a bird, but he's in that cage all day long. He has to come up with some way to pass the time, right? 


Well, while I was in the UK a couple of months ago, Hank crashed (no pun intended) at my parents' house and hung out with their cockatiel Byrd. They spent most of their time in the spare room singing and chirping at each other; or, in reality, Hank drove Byrd nuts because Byrd is elderly, and Hank is loud. For most of the visit, Byrd's cage was sitting on a small side table, and Hank's was on the floor below it. In order to sufficiently chat with his friend, Hank had to climb up on top of his extra water dish; this made him level with the bottom of Byrd's cage. 


While he was on this water dish, his claws (or should I say "talons" to make him sound more masculine and imposing?) tap-tap-tap on the water dish shield. He seemed to like this, and even though I thought he would stop when I brought him home, he still does it. When Hank needs extra attention, he just hops up there and gives a few taps. 


Makes me wonder what he does when I'm not home....

(His foot is poised to move)

(Fred Astaire might be proud)

Maybe I could put him on one of those Star Search for pets programs....I think Hank craves the limelight.

Quoile Castle

No matter how many castles I see, I always love to see more. Is this a symptom of being born in America? On my recent trip to N. Ireland, my cousins took me to Quoile Castle. They've recently started restoring it, and soon you'll be able to actually go inside the tower. This thought really excited my 13 year old cousin Aaron who dreams of being a castle tour guide.

So maybe it's not my Americanness that makes me long for a good castle. Perhaps it's just something that runs in the family. We love us a good castle. Even half a castle:

(Quoile Castle, Downpatrick, County Down)

(My cousin Leah inspecting the garden) 

A lovely thing about this wee castle-ette is that they've dedicated the visitor center to teaching wee ones about the local wildlife and insect-life. It's done really well and is super interactive. You can watch the local fish in a wee tank, and there's a camera on a nest of birds (complete with a log of how they have grown). They even keep bees and have stuffed versions of the larger, potentially dangerous animals that live in the area. It was sweet to see the kids learning in such a hands on way.

(Looking out upon the gardens)

(In the river Quoile nearby...sadly there was no moat)

And I have to add a gratuitous photo of my wee cousin Lucas because he is adorable:

(Lucas!)

Scotland

Glasgow was my first trip to Scotland. And I really enjoyed it. Actually, I was bummed that I didn't schedule another day there as I found out more and more things to do once I got settled. It is always such a tricky thing to decide how long is long enough in a place you've never visited before. 

I was also confronted with some funny moments. I always think that a country's stereotypes (both good and bad) are blown out of proportion by those of us who are foreigners. Example one: haggis. I expected it to be around, but I honestly was shocked at how prevalent it was! My first night there, I ate at the restaurant across from my guesthouse, and they had at least two haggis dishes on the menu...not to mention this sign out front:

Example two: bagpipers. I know they exist and are probably more common in Scotland, but I was surprised when I could hear bagpipe music as I walked down the street. The bagpipers in the photo below were practicing in Kelvingrove Park, and I was pleasantly surprised to find them. They sounded amazing!

(bagpipers in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow)

Example three: you can't understand what people are saying. For the most part, people in the service industry are fine, but I really had to pay attention to my bus tour guide. Don't get me wrong: I thought the accent was fantastic! But there were  definitely times when I didn't get what he was saying at first. However, it did make it easier to understand some of my cousins in N. Ireland!

(Glasgow Bus Tour: The Grand Old Lady)

(Myself on the bus tour)

(steep stairs to my room in the guesthouse)

(Kelvingrove art gallery and museum)

All in all, I really want to go back to Glasgow. People told me it was dirty and gross and not to be surprised if I saw sewage in the streets. But I enjoyed myself (and didn't see any sewage, thank God!).

Oxford Town

The other week, I was in Oxford for work. Though I'd lived in Cheltenham for 6 months during uni, I never got to Oxford. But I have to say that it was kind of nice going now instead; mainly because I never could have afforded to stay at the posh Randolph Hotel on a student's budget (or on my current budget, for that matter). We were even there at the same time as a big delegation from the Malaysian government. At first I thought it was a celebrity....sorry but politics isn't as exciting to me as the possibility of sharing a hotel with the Queen or Julia Roberts.

(High Street)

(side street in the early evening)

I loved how everyone cycled around the town. Bikes were chained up along every available fence space, light post, and gate.It was so bike friendly, and I think if I was going to stay longer, I would've rented a bike and explored the parks and more of the wee side roads. Next time, right?

(some people weren't too enthusiastic about the cycles, tho)

(cycles)

On our second night there, all of us Americans walked to Loch Fyne Seafood Restaurant in the posh neighbourhood called Jericho. In addition to the fab seafood, I was able to try sticky toffee pudding--Kate Middleton's favourite dessert! I had tried to have it before in the States, but the waiter came out after I ordered it and said they'd actually discontinued it because too many people said it was gross. Clearly something must've been lost in translation because when I had it in England, it was beyond amazing. I don't eat many sweets, but I could've had seconds of this one!!


Still more proof that Princess Catherine has good taste in just about everything.

(Sticky Toffee Pudding!)

(Thanks for the suggestion, Kate!)

I love England.

Deserving of a Clean and Lovely Hotel Room

In planning where to stay in London and Scotland during my upcoming trip across the pond, I've been scouring travel blogs and TripAdvisor for recommendations. So far, I have found a mixed bag of scary airport-adjacent hotels and a few B&Bs to mull over (non-smoking is a must!).

As a friend of mine pointed out, TripAdvisor can be tricky as there are some people who will complain about anything and everything-even if those things are really not so bad (example: you can live without a hairdryer. I promise.). But there was one thing I did notice that bothered me a bit. Many of the negative reviews claimed that even though the tea kettle was filthy, there weren't any sheets on the bed, and the towels were threadbare it was still recommended for single travelers. If you have a family or are on your honeymoon, according to several reviewers, such a room is completely unacceptable. But lone travelers? Oh it's fine for that lot!

Why should such a distinction be made at all? Obviously, places that are family friendly should be promoted as such (especially if you need cribs or kid-friendly food), but a crappy hotel is a crappy hotel no matter who you are or aren't traveling with. It all seems so odd to me; I would never recommend that a couple shouldn't stay in a specific hotel because the bathroom is immaculate, and having two people use it would mess things up too much.

So if you're a lone traveler because you're on a work trip, your significant other couldn't come along, you enjoy traveling alone, or you simply prefer to have some privacy when visiting friends, I feel you are fully entitled to a lovely place to stay. Ignore the charlatans who believe that solo travelers are less deserving of clean sheets and fluffy towels. They are just jealous because you don't have to share.

Viva la Postcard!

A dear friend of mine is currently traveling round Europe and the UK for a few months. Before she left we were talking about postcards and how it's such a shame that people don't really send them as often as in years past. So we made a deal. It's quite simple, really. We're just going to send each other postcards from wherever we are (even if that doesn't happen to be a vacation spot). After all postcards are cheap, postcard stamps are even cheaper and can be bought in mass quantities, you don't really have to say much, and they range in design from something you can send your kid sister or grandmother to something you should probably be embarrassed not to be putting into an envelope.

True that they usually arrive at their intended destination a week or so after the person who sent them has returned from their trip, but who cares? In this age of "all mail is either a bill or junk" isn't it nice to get something that's nothing but fun?

My answer to this question is yes.

Album Currently on Repeat: Kings of Leon, Aha Shake Heartbreak