So (American) Cool!

If you’re reading this and you’re roughly around my age, you remember playing Pokémon, right? Turning on the Game Boy (or Nintendo DS later on) and going on an adventure, playing for hours straight without stopping, the endurance test of training your team until they were strong enough, and making huge progress in one sitting. And inevitably, you would drop it and shake the cartridge loose or run out of battery, turn it off without saving or maybe the game would just crash and you’d have to start over again. It was the most demoralising feeling, if you were about to beat the Elite Four and become the champion, then your game would cut out and you’d go back to before Victory Road, with no Moltres to speak of and no motivation to push all those boulders around again.

I’m bringing up Pokémon for two reasons- one, when I got back in January I knew I’d have a lot of long Megabus journeys ahead of me so I dug out my old Advance SP and Pokémon Yellow and brought them along. To be fair, it did help get through a 14 hour bus ride to Toronto (For the record, aced the Elite Four with my Hypno/Articuno combo). Second, it’s the best analogy I can think of for when your laptop decides to just seriously crash while your mid-essay, and no amount of saves can protect your work. My epic assignment-writing weekend was basically three days indoors churning out 16 pages of work, and rewriting a chunk was not the ideal way to get through it. But after some very long nights I got through it and all my assignments are done! Next Monday and Tuesday bring my three exams, and then my studies at George Mason will be complete.

My dissertation research will carry on through the summer, and I’ve made a good start thanks to Mason and D.C.’s resources. Our studying took us to the Library of Congress, which along with the British Library is the biggest library in the world. I’d been here before with my brother but this time I was here for research, so with Georgia we navigated the underground tunnels, many protocols and got our library cards. We went into the iconic main reading room, looked up the available resources and I realised that actually, it wouldn’t be of much help to me. Georgia found some great primary sources but my dissertation is looking at debates around art, culture and society in America, so the American Art Archive was of much more use to me. It was worth going to explore the library though, and a card for the Library of Congress is a pretty good souvenir.

Afterwards we explored a little of the surrounding area which was a big surprise to me. I’d never been east of the Capitol, but past the government and tourist areas were really nice suburban areas and Eastern Market, which felt like it belonged in a completely different city. Even 9 months after arriving, D.C. can still surprise me.

 I went back to the American Art and National Portrait Gallery with Terry, which I’d seen a little of back in November but this time I discovered so much more fantastic artwork. The best pieces were ‘Electronic Superhighway’ by Nam June Paik, which is a neon map of the U.S filled with large and small televisions showing something relevant to the State- so Alabama shows civil rights footage, and the film ‘Oklahoma’ can be seen in- well, you can guess. I also saw some of my favourite ever paintings, Thomas Moran’s watercolours of Yellowstone. These huge pieces were crucial to the government establishing it as a national park and you can see why. The ‘American Cool’ exhibition was great too, a photographic history of the coolest figures since the term was coined the late 40s. Predictable people like Hendrix and Dylan made it in, along with some surprises like Susan Sontag. It got us wondering, in the face of these legendary figures, who from our current times would make it into a list of the 100 American Cool? I struggle to think of many who can live up to these guys.

Let’s talk burgers. The weather in North Virginia might change but the search for the best burger is constant. The Hard Rock Café, Shake Shack and Burger King were completely outclassed by the joy of Five Guys, the go-to place for a squashed roll of too much meat in a greasy brown paper bag and a mountain of Cajun fries… there’s one in London, for British people who need to experience this. I thought it couldn’t be topped, even by Ross’ home-cooked efforts… but then we found Freddie’s. More choice, onion rings, frozen custard, cheaper price, and the burger is amazing. It might just be the best one I’ve had yet- so if Jeremy or Samir read this, apologies. You’ll have to come back to the U.S and check this out!

With the weather finally back to form, we’ve had a farewell barbeque (thanks Josh!), a bit of volleyball (don’t get in Alexandre’s way, he’s deadly) and some more badminton showdowns. To which I have to concede, forget any British/French rivalry, Pauline beats us all easily. It’s probably not my sport if we’re honest! And I think the long study days leave us a bit odd by the late nights- our game of Time's Up was weird, the charades afterward more so. Yusuke acting out alligator wrestling is something special!

 The RA in charge

 Beach Volleyball got pretty serious

 I have no idea what Sukes is doing

Badminton showdown!

A long blog post, but I wanted to try and fit it all in. This time next week I’ll either be on a plane to or have landed in San Francisco, so there’s only one more post from George Mason to go!

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As Time Goes By

These are the hardest days of the Semester. The end is in sight, we have three weeks until our time here ends and I say goodbye to George Mason, a little over a month until I leave the States and my Year Abroad comes to an end. It would be wrong to say it’s gone quickly because those first few weeks in sunny Virginia feel like a lifetime ago. But time goes by quicker as you reach the end of the journey, and although all we’d like to do at this point is enjoy each other’s company and see more of D.C. before we depart, there’s the small matter of studying. The assignments and research that have been piling up and been put aside to sort out other issues are almost due, ad not long after they are done its exam time. I have two big papers due Monday and Tuesday, lots of research to complete to help me for my dissertation next year, and three exams in 2 days in my last week just before I fly out… and my schedule’s probably one of the lighter ones.

Cherry Blossom with Kazuki and Joo Hyun

Still, we’ve kept busy as the sun has well and truly come out and Spring is definitely here at last. For Washington D.C. that means the Cherry Blossom festival, when the trees around and near the Tidal Basin bloom into a beautiful sight that has to be witnessed. If you ever consider visiting D.C. this time of the year is the right moment. We’d been waiting to go for a while, as snowstorms and rain kept postponing the peak bloom, but when it finally came it was worth the wait. Spring is the best season for the capital by far, even if there are tourists everywhere!

Through our Global Crossings class and with other International groups on campus, a decades party was held to celebrate the 90s around the world. I wasn't involved with this and didn't see much of it, but I was there long enough to see what a great job everyone did and making a great night. I also now know that Alexandre is the dancing king, and Yusuke makes a great Kate Winslet!

 Representing Europe!

The never-ending dancer

"Nothing on earth could come between them..."

We’re also fitting in our last few nights out while we can, and a 21^st birthday celebration is a definite reason to head to D.C. (and not pay the crazy prices for drinks, I thought London was bad!) and practice our beer pong skills. Happy Birthday Emily (and Vanessa!).

Benjamin's mad skills

In my freshers year at Leicester they didn’t organise many events but one they did was to Alton Towers, and 2 years since my last theme park trip I went to Kings Dominion as Mason organised a cheap trip there. I don’t care how old you get, these rides and kind of places will always be fun- I saw an older couple with some serious road rage on the bumper cars. There were some intense rides which left a headache, although that might have been Joe elbowing me in the face as he put his hands up on the rollercoaster… and if we thought the rapids wouldn’t get us too wet, we were wrong on that front! The rest of the day in wet jeans was not comfortable, but otherwise it was a nice break away from campus.

"Are you anxious?"

Then here at Mason they put on probably their best event of its kind since being here, a ‘Wizarding World of Aquia’ Harry Potter themed thing where you could make a wand, drink ‘butterbeer’, get a t-shirt and play Quidditch with the Mason Quidditch team (it’s really a thing!). The poor guy acting as the snitch notwithstanding, it was a fun break which we need at this point.

 I get that people play it as a proper sport, but really?

Loving that butterbeer

There’s a lot of study-related stress going round at the moment and coupled with the fact we have so little time left here and nobody wants to leave just yet, it’s tough going sometimes. But then I remember how lucky I am to be here and to meet these people, and you realise that it isn’t so bad, and I’m still enjoying my time here at Mason and will through to its end.

If I can just get past these assignments…

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21 in Toronto!

Last semester we had a few days off for the very American celebration of Thanksgiving, so obviously we ignored it and went up to Canada to visit Montreal. This weekend I finally reached my 21st birthday, which is pretty significant here as its the legal drinking age. I would at last be able to go to a pub or bar and buy my own drink. So with this legal freedom returned to me, what did we do?

Went back to Canada where you can drink at 19. I'm not sure we planned this the best way! It didn't really matter because our trip, via a 14 hour bus ride each way (Megabus was as uncomfortable as ever) took us to the city of Toronto. We turned up in the rain and cold, but once that had cleared we realized what a stunning city it is. 

Our first stop was the Hockey Hall of Fame, which was for Terry's benefit because me and Joe had no clue what any of it was about. I've watched a bit of Ice Hockey and went to a game earlier this year but have no appreciation for the history beyond the Miracle on Ice in the 1980 Winter Olympics. There was some fun stuff there like the old kits and equipment, a guide to the game's evolution, and the Stanley Cup. The highlight had to be a practice space for taking shots against a goalie- Terry did pretty well, I got a few on target (and scored, don't care what the computer says) and we both got schooled by the kids who it was really aimed at and showed how its done. This really isn't the sport for me!

We've been using airbnb to find places to stay on our travels which has turned out well- people rent out a room or their whole home for people to stay, so you can be in a lovely house without paying too much. Our house was fantastic, beautiful living room with a fireplace, huge bathroom and bedrooms, it was a great change from campus accommodation (and sleeping on a bus!). It also meant we could cook our own meals and sit round a table to eat it. It sounds silly but actually it was such a nice thing to be able to do. University life in America is good, but eating on a meal plan at on campus venues is frustrating and I miss the home cooked meals of second year. So this was a huge bonus to have a pasta bake and even better, bacon sandwiches on Saturday. Later we went to one of the many British themed bars in Toronto where I saw in my 21st birthday. And for some reason, watched a bit of World's Strongest Man on T.V. We really do have some strange moments!

We were back on the bus the next day for a trip to a place I never thought I would have the chance to visit, Niagara Falls. I know plenty of people have visited here before, but for me part of the appeal of doing a Year Abroad was to see places I never thought I could go. If you told me a few years ago I would stand by the Lincoln Memorial and look out across the Mall, or cross the Brooklyn Bridge at night and see Manhattan lit up I wouldn't believe you- and Niagara Falls was one of these kind of chances. It is stunning, a true wonder to see- even if you get absolutely soaked and freezing just standing next to it! When I come back to America in any future travels, I'd like to see more natural sights like this, its different to just exploring a city, and was well worth the trip.

Unless you're Terry, then it was just water. And Joe, who compared it to Scarborough!

The BrainTrust

Even I took a selfie. that's how good it was!

Back in Toronto we found a free club for students with good music and finished celebrating my birthday in style, and some quality photobombing!

 Seriously, this woman on the right...

 Lurking as always Joe

We spent our last day in Toronto in fantastic weather and blue skies, and explored the city.We ticked off our Canadian requirements- Poutine and Harbours- and saw landmarks like the CN Tower and Rogers Stadium. We also made a stop at the Steam Whistle Brewery, where we could sit in the sun and just relax- how many times have we been able to do that this semester? 

Toronto was brilliant to us this weekend just gone, and I think it was my favourite trip of my year in America. Canada seems to be always good to us, and my travel plans for the year come to an end in Vancouver for one final Canadian adventure. I'm looking forward to it. Thank you to everyone with me there who made it a great birthday and well-wishers from Mason and home, it was brilliant.

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From Philly to Holi

The workload is piling up and these blogs are getting further apart, but there's still plenty to talk about. For starters, the weather is still mad- since my last blog where I said winter was done and spring was here, we've had sunshine pushing the high teens, and snow storms lasting day and night cancelling classes. I know the weather is predictably unpredictable at home but North Virginia is all over the place too. I don't even know what season we're in anymore, even though Spring Break has come and gone and there's still snow forecast for next week!

I spent most of our Spring Break relaxing on campus, trying (and not doing very well) to get ahead on my studies. We did visit one of the places I'd been wanting to see for a long time though, which was a 2 day trip to Philadelphia. 3 1/2 hours away from D.C., Philly is the original capital of the nation before Washington was built and is home to a lot of American history. The central part of the city was very nice and everything was within walking distance, although to be fair there was a lot of walking- I pretty much slept the entire next day back on campus.

The main sights to see were those commemorating the history of the Revolution. I'm taking a class on the subject right now, so I have to say it was interesting to visit Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and to also see the Liberty Bell and Benjamin Franklin's grave. From my time in Philadelphia combined with seeing the memorials in D.C., it feels like America makes more of a conscious effort to look back to their history and link back to it. We do it to an extent in Britain- our defining historical story today is probably looking back to the Blitz, the Battle of Britain and Churchill- but I think that doesn't match the legacy still being felt today of the Revolution and the Civil War in America. Then again, I might just be a history student who's over thinking it all!

The most iconic part of Philadelphia for me has to be the Rocky Steps, where all the tourists come to recreate that run up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and then recreate that pose by the statue. I know I've been living here for quite a while now but I'm still allowed to be an embarrassing tourist every now and then! Still bitterly disappointed at losing the race up the steps to Yusuke though.

Since Philly we've all been trying to keep up with the work, with the odd snow day being very valuable. A little surprise Birthday party for GG was fun, especially as she was actually surprised (unlike Josh, who managed to see us all before we could surprise him... so weak!). I've seen a few more things in D.C- the Old Post Office Tower has a okay but not great view, and the Smithsonian Castle turned out to be a glorified information centre. The Air and Space museum was also a bit disappointing with not much to see and do. It still has some interesting stuff in there about Amelia Earhart and aerial warfare, and some artifacts like the Spirit of St Louis plane and a piece of moon rock you can touch. I finally got a much needed haircut 8 months after my last one and it was a bit weird. In the barbers I went to you sat in the chair looking against the wall with the mirror behind you, so you can't see what you look like until the end, which doesn't seem like the best way of doing things! Thankfully it turned out alright, although I'm feeling the cold a bit more now! We also went out for a night in D.C., which was fun until it hit 3am and we realized we'd missed the last metro back to Fairfax... its moments like this when I really miss Leicester!

Roommates for 6 months and still getting along!

Yesterday at Mason we celebrated Holi, a festival originating from India which marks Spring, although I don't know much else about it and would like to know more. It basically meant lots of people throwing colours at each other from little bags of powder until our white t-shirts weren't so white anymore, and everyone looked like a walking Jackson Pollock painting. At the start people were in their own groups, sprinkling a little on each other and not really sure what to do. A minute later you're running through the crowd in a haze of orange and pink, throwing colour at strangers and emerging like you've survived a great battle. A battle with great music and dancing though. In terms of Mason events this has been the best one with everyone getting involved and having fun.

Except for Mahmud, because is he going to ruin his t-shirt? Of course not, he's Mahmud!

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