Ring in the New

We went to the mall in Crawley today where I spent a mere £15 on 2 tops and a pair of jeans! That translates just over $20 for all of you who are wondering. It's nearly impossible to find a pair of jeans alone for that price, let along 2 shirts plus!

Watch for this post to be edited "tomorrow" with pictures from the party with Cassie's little brother's schoolmates' parents. If it wasn't *the* best time of my life, it was quite close. It's nearly 5 AM here........beyond time for bed.

Happy 10-minutes-til the new year to all of you in the states!

Day 1

(click on the pictures to enlarge them)
I wasn't going to post again today, but then I realized that I had left out one of the more important bits at the airport. I think it's immigration officers' job to give me a hard time. I must be in their system with a footnote *heckle this one. I made sure to get an official copy of my flight itinerary and have all of the information for Cassie's dad's address etc. While waiting in line, I saw a girl I thought looked like she wouldn't give me a hard time. Ended up I was wrong. She proceeded to interrogate me in extreme detail as to why I am here, who it is I'm visiting, why I decided to visit them, how I know them, how long I've known them, how much money I have, how much more I have access to, what I would do if I run out, what my job is, why am I a student, and who is paying for my college education. I was waiting for her to ask me to share my hobbies and pet's name, as well. Immigration officers alllllmost make traveling not fun. But then I get over it.

While I'm at it, I might as well tell you about the rest of the day. Cassie's dad drove us around their town, their old town, and places between. We visited an 800-year-old church in which he and his wife were married. The churchyard is complete with an old (looking) cemetery. Most of the stones I saw read 1950s-70s. One read 2006, although it looked a good 100 years old, at least. We then headed to a windmill that was sold for £900,000 (including the attached house) not long ago. On the way back, we drove down Dame Judy Dench's road. They aren't sure which house is hers, but know she has a lime green car. They run into her at the grocery every once-in-a-while.

Oh...I must include a story Cassie's dad told me. He was at a conference in Portugal that allowed wives to join their husbands a few days into the conference. When his wife flew to meet him, she was on the same flight as Prince William! He helped her with her bags! When they flew back the next week, he was on their flight, again! The Prince was the last passenger to leave the plane, waiting in the front row with his buddies. When he saw them walk past, he said hello to her and asked her how she was doing. I am beyond jealous.

Tomorrow= going to a nearby city to shop, then back here to get ready for the New Year's Eve party. I prepared for it today by watching the Christmas episode of Strictly Come Dancing (the party theme). It's so much more entertaining than Dancing with the Stars. I also watched about 30 of the top 40 Funniest Moments in the Vicar of Dibley, most of a long Wallace and Gromit film and all of a short one. An exciting moment today that doesn't really fit anywhere in this post: while wandering around Horley with Cassie and her dad, we saw a couple kids walking suspicously away from a shop. Moments later, one of the workers came out and asked where they headed. They had stolen something, as indicated by their suspicousness.

And So It Begins

I was going to post something from the Detroit Airport, but one wireless source cost and the other wasn't working. So here is the summary for the entirety of my flight:

No problem checking in. Petra, the Dutch worker was very nice. We're off to a great start. Security check: I went off. It wasn't my watch, so I had to be searched. The woman was nice and I knew I'd go off (My bracelet cannot be removed), so I wasn't too worried. The flight was incredibly smooth, the food was FANTASTIC, my neighbors were fun, and the entertainment was ridiculous. I watched Jeremy Irons in Eragon, listened to part of a Bach partita and the entirety of the LSO Live recording of Mahler 7 (on the in-flight music channel!), took a 1.5 hour nap, then woke up and watched Little Miss Sunshine. I can't get over the tastiness of the manicotti and how the entertainment system!

Breakfast was horrible.

I sat on the aisle in the 4-seat middle section of the plane. The couple next to me was from Sheffield. They had been in Daytona Beach for a week. The guy on the other end was from New Zealand. The British man was venting to the NZ man about how he didn't get to find out why in the world Americans eat "Chicken 'n Biscuits" at Popeye's. For those of you who aren't hip to the Britspeak, buscuit=cookie. He thought it was so hilarious that he took a picture to show all his friends back home. His wife had seen my US passport, so she said, "Perhaps you can explain it to him?"

I'm currently sitting on Cassie's dad's couch in Horley. I love being in a HOUSE and not a hostel.

Not sure what all we'll be doing, but it sounds like there are many many many possibilities. All I know is that we're leaving at 2 pm tomorrow to go somewhere for a New Year's party. The theme is the UK version of Dancing With The Stars.

I just ate my first mince pie. Second breakfast>first breakfast.

Ann Arbor

Nancy and I spent (I'm guessing here) about 7 hours playing guitar and singing on the streets at the Ann Arbor art fair on Friday and Saturday. I will provide you with the highlights of the adventure that brought about nasty nasty blisterycalluses on the fingertips of my right hand, making it very painful to type, play trumpet and piano, and anything else that involves pressure there.

We started Friday out with a little photoshoot in a graffiti-bedecked alley. 'Twas fun. The cop who walked by was probably really confused. Nancy jumped higher than I did. I blame my choice of footwear.

In location number 2 (sitting on a curb) on Day 1 of our experiment, a mother, father, and young daughter stood and listened for a while. Eventually, the mother came up to us with her arm around her daughter. "She has a request....you'll never guess what it is." "Whatever it is, we most likely can't play it." "Hannah Montana." Nancy: "No...but I've seen her brother in concert!" Mother: "She doesn't like boys, she's 6!" So we told her we'd just play a happy song for her. Mama stood there smiling a huge smile, bouncing and singing along with the chords.

In Location 3, which proved to be the hot spot, a guy and his daughter stood and listened for a while as we played a Bob Dylan song. "You know who wrote that?" "Bob Dylan..." "You know what her name is?" "....Dylan?" Then he said yes, stood there for a second, and walked away without giving us a tip. Jerk. While playing the same song in the same spot at a different time, an old guy informed us that "That song was played in that very spot in the 60s to protest the war."

On Day 2, an email forward rolled up in front of us in his motor scooter to listen for a while. Then he smiled and pulled a laminated sheet with the alphabet and some words on it (no, yes, thank you, etc). He gave that to Nancy to hold, then pulled out another with his life story on it. He was a Vietnam vet who had a bunch of lousy things happen to him, eventually causing him to not be able to speak. He told us (by pointing to letters on the sheet) that he could hear our singing. I think he was trying to convert us to Christianity or something, as he made us read a big long prayer, too.

Also on Day 2, a creepy blues musician guy sat down on the other end of the step thing as Nancy and I played behind her mom's booth in our own little amphitheater. He listed to several songs, then told us how great we were- that we sounded like the Everly Brothers with our great harmonies. "But can I give you a quick free lesson?" Then told us to be loud. When he finally left, he shouted at us to keep being good or something. Creeper. Another toothless creeper gave us a couple dollars. I told Nancy perhaps he should keep it to buy teeth.

A friend of mine from BG was wandering around town playing in a New Orleansy jazz band. I happened to see another BG friend between 2 tents, causing me to throw my guitar and Nancy and go running before he disappeared. A professor walked by and listened, as well.

I bought art for the first time, ever, yesterday! It was a wonderful way to start out the day. I felt like I had really contributed to my past choice of future profession. It's super super super nerdy. It's a little etching of a wooden boat alone on water. Words above and below read, "A Picture of a Dory in Gray." The title is "Literary Punishment." Emphasis on the PUNishment. I'd have gotten a different one had I not just finished reading the book 2 days before.

I helped 3 people take down and load up their tents yesterday. I'm STILL exhausted, even though I slept for 11 hours. I'm sure I'm missing something in this story, but you get the picture. It was a great weekend!

Last Day in NYC.

The Rutter concert was unbelievable. Carnegie Hall is ridiculous, especially with one choir of 175 and a second of at least 250. For once I had NO PROBLEMS getting backstage! The ushers were friendly in pointing me in the right direction and the house manager walked me to the elevator, called it for me, and told me how to get to his suite. When he saw me still standing there a bit later, he realized the elevator had been locked before as they were taking Rutter up, so he called it again and told the worker inside that I was to meet with the conductor. She knocked for me and waited around to see that all was well. When the door finally opened, a little old woman had wandered to the door. Mr. Rutter made a *hold on* face at me and talked with the woman for a while in the suite.

As I waited outside, a boy from one of the choirs came up and asked the stagehands if he was allowed to ask for an autograph. I told him he could go ahead of me. "Do you know Mr. Rutter personally?" Ugh. Little boy had to run off, though, so I resumed my 2nd in line position.

The door eventually opened again. A transcription of the conversation as I remember it will follow. I was going to ask to record it, as I want to remember the advice he gave me, but he was so easy to talk to I didn't find a moment to turn my camera on!

R: That was Virginia, the orchestra's director.
A: I'm Ashley Donaldson. I met Nick in Chicago, but for some reason he's not speaking to me now.
R: I'm sure Nick will speak to you again. He's just very busy right now. He's thinking about starting college in October. And he's going on an orchestra tour this summer in Greece. *sits at table and picks up a pen, so I get my drawing out. He stands up and takes it to look at it* Oh, you drew a picture of Nick! Is this me?
A: Yes; could you please sign it for me?
R: *sits back down*
A: I've never been to a concert here, before. The hall is amazing!
R: Oh, I'll write where we are. It's the 29th, right? So do you go to school?
A: Yes, I actually want to be a conductor.
R: Is that so? I find it to be very time consuming. Not nearly as much as composing, but I don't do too much of it. *by this time, he's wandering around the room packing*
A: Do you have any advice?
R: Study the music to get it just how you want it.
A: That's just what Colin Davis said.
R: You met Colin Davis? At school or a masterclass?
A: No, I actually went backstage at the Barbican. I was in London in December.
R: (something like:) He's a definitive conductor.
A: Nick and I both went backstage at the Chicago Symphony.
R: Oh, yes. Nick mentioned that. You met John Eliot Gardiner. He's a very temperamental man. But I guess you can be that way when you have your own group. He has the Monteverdi Choir.
A: Actually, he was with the Chicago Symphony that night.
R: Oh, then I'm sure that he was on his best behavior....which is still bad. He's been known to make sopranos cry, which I don't recommend. So, are you interested in choir or...
A: Orchestra.
R: What instruments do you play:
A: Trumpet and piano.
R: I recommend a string instrument. After all, they are the largest group in the orchestra. You have to know enough about each instrument to understand how to get them to play what you want. I'd also recommend singing with a choir. Well, I wouldn't be too worried about Nick.
A: Could I please get a quick picture?
R: Oh, yes! *walks towards door, stops suddenly* Actually, I'm not allowed picture back here. *pulls out phone* I'll have to find someone who's not official.
A: I can take it myself.
R: That would be wonderful. *walks to corner of the room in which there was a piano at one side and a bust in the corner* This'll be fun. That's Toscanini! 1, 2, 3...

I thanked him, asked him to at least say hi to his son for me, and left in the rain, only to walk by Radio City to see that Eddie Izzard was sold out for the night. Back to Kier's to shower, eat, and get my things. And that was that. In short, the trip I dreaded beyond all others was a success.

Deja vu?

While sitting at this computer, a tall blonde British guy (named Jan, I later learned) asked me to watch his things for him. My first contact with Nick Rutter was when he asked me to watch his things in the hostel for him. In London, the only person I wandered around with was a girl named Shelly from Australia. Today I ended up wandering around with Jan and a girl named Sally from Australia. Strange, no?

The 3 of us hunted all over the place for "Central Perk" cafe from Friends, but to no avail. It was quite enjoyable to watch Jan ask virtually every type of person to help us on our journey. Sally eventually went off to meet a friend, so Jan and I headed towards Liberty Island. The line was far too long, so we continued on to Little Italy via Chinatown. From there, we walked to Times Square to get "cheap" tickets to Curtains. Boo for (still) expensive tickets, but yay for seeing David Hyde Pierce (Niles from Fraiser)!

I need to leave here pretty soon to head down to the West Village to drop my bag off at Kier's. Time is going to be tight. I'm supposed to meet him at 7 and the show starts at 8. I'm supposed to be meeting Jan back here at the hostel soon, but if he's not here before 6:30, I'm going to have to just meet him at the theatre.

I don't expect internet time again until I get home. The Rutter concert is tomorrow at 2 at Carnegie. A very interesting conversation will surely follow the music...I'll let you in on it ASAP.

sittin'.

Kier had to be in to work 2 hours earlier than he thought, so I'm sitting back in the lounge of the hostel, again. I don't really want to wander around too much as my feet still hurt quite a lot. I'm probably just going to sit around in here where it's cool for a while. I had the most amazing plain bagel with cream cheese this morning.

Yup. Going to surf the web for 9 minutes and 24 seconds now.

Come and Meet...

those aching feet. I walked about 120 blocks today, which is about 12 miles. 110th to 103rd to Central Park, through part of the park up to the south end of it, where I walked over to 5th Ave, all the way to 45th, up Times Square to the 50th St. Subway which I took to 86th St., walked across the park on 81st St., walked around in the Met., met Kier at 91st St., walked to 70somethingth to eat, to the subway, to the hostel. Then I stood in line to check in for 40 minutes. You do the math.

As for the bus ride....it left 40 minutes late, arrived at Cleveland in time for us to run directly to the next bus when we got there, left Pittsburgh an hour late, and the bus driver was 20 minutes late on another stop. Still, we *somehow* managed to make it to NYC only 10 minutes past the scheduled time of 8:50 AM. Oh, how I wish I'd have gotten an earlier train back (11:15 PM Sunday night...ugh).

Now for the happier side of things. I took some nice pictures in Central Park. There were rose petals in the shape of a peace sign on the mosaic at Strawberry Fields. Exciting.

I walked down a street of piano shops where I played a pretty nifty Steinway. Got my picture taken with the Naked Cowboy! "You're alone? Well, that changes things!" Then I walked up to the Hello, Deli and gave Rupert a drawing. I told him I'd send him one when I had him sign one for me in March of 2007. He wasn't in there when I first went in, but the co-owner woman cooed all over it (but pointed out things that were slightly different in him from when the pic was taken and had me change them).

Before going into the Met, I sat outside and drew for a while. It was nice to get off my feet. Kier just happened to be at a museum a few blocks away from me when I called him from the Met, so I walked down and met him. The National Design Museum (they had a big Rococo exhibit). It's pride weekend...and I'm staying with Kier in the West Village...this will be interesting!

I feel like I'm forgetting important things. I guess I'll just have to mention them in my next post.

New Year's

I have tickets to London for New Year's. Leaving Detroit on December 29, arriving at Heathrow on the 30th. Returning on the 8th. Thanks to Ophelie, I have a free place to stay for most of the trip. The LSO won't be playing while I'm there, so I'm partially depressed. But since I won't be living in the Barbican this time, I'll be able to wander around town and do all the things I didn't/forgot about before. Hopefully I'll get to see Emma (coming down from Manchester) for the first time! Nick will hopefully come down from Cambridge at some point, too. I have a job now, so I'll even have spending money.

Chicago

It's not Europe, but it's also not Ohio, so no complaints. The complaint would be that spring break is over before spring even starts.

The bus left Toledo at 1:50 AM. Including the driver the total number of people on the double decker bus came to a whopping 6. We arrived in Chicago an hour less than it should have taken. The driver spent the ride boogieing to Bob Marley. Nancy's aunt let us crash at her downtown apartment at 5 AM.

Upon our eventual awakening, we hit Water Tower Place, then met back up with Nancy's aunt at Puck's in the Museum of Contemporary Art for lunch (thank you, Nancy's aunt!). Wander wander, checked into hostel. Room 1n for Nancy and myself= full of French girls who never checked out. Room 2= full of little kids. Room 3= 2 bunk beds, a "normal" bed, and a tiny TV. Yay for mistakes. But then we had to move again the next day back into the first room they gave us (with room for us, this time).

Wednesday night, while we were sitting in the lobby of the hostel, I joined a British boy in a game of pool. We eventually introduced ourselves, leading to his informing me of the fact that he is an English composer's son. We played what felt like 50 games of pool until the clock struck midnight, when I was presented with a little birthday postcard. More pool and 'foosball', doubles against other British people.

The next day, Nancy, Ryan, Nick (said Brit), and I went to the Field Museum, Art Institute, and Chicago Symphony. After the symphony, Nick and I managed to get backstage after some slight difficulties (I was on the list, but the guard was given the wrong list. A guy eventually came and told her we were all allowed). A man standing outside John Eliot Gardiner's closed reception room door jokingly gave me an unfunnily hard time. I finally made it inside, got a picture, got my picture signed, and was told "good girl, good girl." Nick said, "Hello, I'm Nick Rutter." "Should I know you?" "No, but you probably know my father." etc etc, "You should sing for me sometime." So we both left the backstage area with amusing little comments from John Eliot. A homeless man followed us down the sidewalk, but gave up in confusion after Nick started rattling off German at him.

Another quick game of pool, a goodbye to Nick as he had to leave the hostel (there wasn't a single free bed) for another, bed, wake up, check out, 12 block walk to the bus stop, waiting in the cold, packed ride home. I'd post pictures, but I think I left my memory card converter at school.

I am now sitting in my kitchen with no signs of being able to leave. There is a level 3 snow emergency and a foot of snow. Driving back to BG tomorrow will be exciting.

Testing, testing.

I bet no one will see this until my next trip, but I just wanted to say that I miss keeping up with my travel journal. Any takers on donating to the fund for my next adventure? If you pay for your own ticket, you can come, too!

In case someone does happen to stumble upon this random post, and you haven't had the opportunity to see my scrapbook or pictures, I have included two of my favorites with this post. The first is from the first day in London. It had just stormed seconds before. I love the way the subjects in the photo are the only things highlighted by the sun, just peeking out from behind the dispersing clouds. The other could get a certain member of the Horse Guards fired...dun dun dun! Nonetheless, it's a sweet photo.

Perhaps France is next? Or Austria if I do the summer program in Austria with the German department?