Whale Roads & Railroads

My Smeg Retro Icon is Paul Newman

2012-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Paul Newman

He was a man who could make taking a cold one out of the fridge look like pure sex. He made the idea of eating 50 eggs seem hardcore. He may have played a scoundrel on screen but loved his wife for 50 years. He lost his son to addiction and then decided to make a multi-million dollar charity to save others from that experience by turning salad dressing into pure gold. He came in second at Le Mans. He was a man who could do almost anything.

"Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?"Paul Newman

“A man with no enemies is a man with no character.”Paul Newman

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Vixen Vintage

Making Macaroons

2012-01-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I made the journey to London in order to enjoy a cooking class at Patisserie Flowerie. Our friend Simon brought us all together to learn how to make a French delicacy:

The Macaroon.

My dear friend Min and I partnered up to whip egg whites and sift almond flour. We made three batches and each one was of a different colour and had something correct about them. Their true characteristics combined would have made one perfect macaroon. At the end of the afternoon we decided the confection really did live up to its reputation for being temperamental. But at least we had a most splendid time experimenting!

Simon, our fearless leader.

Min adding some colour, "Poppy" I believe.

fini

Grand Granary

2012-01-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

Daniel and I received a very special gift from his grandma (Nanny Win) this Christmas: An annual membership to the National Trust. On a very cold winter's day we decided to use our gift to visit the: Winchester
City Mill

Us with our new sack of flour, milled before our very eyes!

Daniel exploring the milling technique.

A working model of the mill.

Wailin' Wassailing

2011-12-23T04:04:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about moving to Bournemouth has been joining the Christchurch & Highcliffe Community Band. I knocked another thing off my bucket list this year by playing carols at ASDA (Walmart) four nights over the past two weeks.
I like to follow the advice of Buddy the elf this time of year when he said, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear." I just replaced singing with playing.
Daniel kindly chauffeured me and took some pictures:

Feelin' pretty proud of my new uniform.

Creating Christmas

2011-12-21T04:58:00.000-08:00

Merriest of Christmases from the Hackleman Thompsons!
Most of this season has been spent doing churchy things for Daniel and I. Some of it has also been filled going door-to-door looking for work for me. I've also been doing some decorating and playing cornet in the Christchurch and Highcliffe community brass band http://www.christchurchandhighcliffeband.org.uk . We even have uniforms! Pictures to come.

Bulbs in tins waiting to bloom, courtesy of Min.

View from our window.

Our beach in early December.

Residency Relief

2011-11-28T08:04:00.001-08:00

After waiting two and a half months to hear from Her Majesty as to whether or not I would be allowed to remain in the UK here it is, my new visa. Permission to work: Granted

Auspicious Autumn

2011-11-26T06:51:00.001-08:00

In the UK tinned pumpkin doesn't seem to exist. So every year I have to sacrifice a pumpkin in order to have the American staple of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. I guess for a vegetarian it's kind of like murdering and plucking your own turkey. This year I had one success and one failure (or successful pumpkin pudding--however you want to look at it).

Earlier in the month I hosted a prayer meeting at our house and made cupcakes that were autumnal...not Halloween themed. But a belated Happy Samhain to all my fellow heathens out there!

Daniel used part of his equipment allowance this week and got himself a brand new shiny Sony something or other.

New Quays and New Keys

2011-10-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

After three years in the countryside we decided to follow Robert Louis Stevenson again. This time to Bournemouth (the first being Napa, CA).

The short journey from flat to seaside

Five minutes later

Our new digs

Methods of Memory

2008-08-08T03:59:00.000-07:00

In psych 101 every college student learns (if awake) that one of the least reliable sources for any event is an eye witness. When witnesses are questioned after viewing a robbery, often they present many different observations than their fellow witnesses. The gunman had red hair, the gunman was blonde, the gunman had a scar on his left cheek, the gunman had a thick beard—he wore a mask…If four people view the same event, four very different things will be seen.

When Hilary went to Newbold College in the fall of 2007 she saw a very different place than her sister, Deirdre. Hilary loved the place so much she returned this summer to stay, while Deirdre hoped to stay a poor student long enough to avoid another trip to Blighty.

Hilary’s decision to leave the land of hope and freedom and return to the imperial power of England was solely decided based on her desire to be with her fiancé and true love, Daniel Thompson. After some five months in the States, the Englishman determined he wanted to spend the rest of his life with his American lady. At Bodega Bay the two sat in between some dunes, safe from the harsh May breeze, enjoying some cucumber sandwiches and alcohol free wine. Hilary horrified with her recent academic performance, could not even calm her nerves with the seaside air and warm sand. Daniel gave her some roses which aided little in calming her nerves. After the meal, the two lazed on their blanket until Daniel was overcome with a desire to share some poetry with Hilary.

Only mildly surprised at this gesture, Daniel being such a natural romantic, Hilary began to sense the poem’s last line would be in the form of a question. Sitting face to face, Daniel reading the words and Hilary listening intently with both her hands on his knees, Daniel’s voice began to quiver a little and Hilary wrapped her arms around his chest. The poem did indeed finish in a question and Hilary answered in the positive. The newly affianced couple held each other and watched the sunset kiss the horizon through their dewy eyes. Hilary occasionally, sniffling, looked down at her ring made out of bricklayer’s string and smiled back at her fiancé with love and gratitude for being willing to share his life with her.

The diamond ring came a few weeks later, but not until Hilary was sure everyone saw her braided ring with a knot for a rock. Her new ring was just as special and countless times more durable.

Daniel stayed in America until Hilary, against all odds, marched at graduation in June. Her family came for the graduation celebration. Their tireless efforts to make the day memorable were deeply appreciated by the new graduate. While giving a brief thank you to the attendees of her graduation/engagement party, Hilary was moved to tears and wrapped up her speech prematurely to hide the emotions of genuine appreciation for all the faces staring at her. Each person in the room had contributed to her new success. Whether it was with money or just the kindness of a few home cooked meals, they had all been unconditionally generous with their warmth, making her feel at home in Napa for the past three years.

There was so much craziness over the weekend that she had only gotten to look at her parents. Conversation was not a luxury allowed during a celebratory weekend. A few hours later that evening she bid them farewell, sadly, not to say hello to them again until Christmas.

The house felt empty with only Deirdre, Daniel, Yacoub and herself to fill the Crestmont Mansion after all the comings and goings over the past three days. The discomfort of loss and its imminence was palpable. Hilary and Daniel stayed up as long as they could with the knowledge that they would be saying farewell the following day at two pm.

The next morning Hilary had a summer school class which Daniel attended with her. After the four hours of Adventist Heritage concluded they rushed to San Francisco International and parted at the security check. The last few terrible moments of parting filled Hilary with a sadness she had never felt before. She did not even try to cheer herself up with their soon coming reunion; she just cued up an old sappy mix CD and let herself bathe in the tragedy of having to drive back alone and about the next interminable three and a half weeks.

Thankfully, Deirdre remained in Angwin to keep her sister’s heart merry. Although they had intended to spend their last week together watching Supernatural and B Sci-Fi, they ended up doing very little of either. Packing, studying, eating and friends seemed to crowd out any frivolity they had hoped for. Before they knew it Hilary’s summer school course had ended and she was on a plane to DC for ten days of class on the East Coast.

Deirdre’s one semester at PUC was not enough to endear the place to her for another three years. Hilary, however, was pretty sure after three years she could call it home. She knew all along that the only time she would comfortably afford to live in such luxury was while being a student and had appreciated every moment of it. Hilary wished her sister had wanted to stay just as badly, if only for the excuse to visit.

Alternate perceptions of the same experience had struck again, and would this time find Deirdre and Hilary on opposite sides of the West. Hilary in England and Deirdre in the North West of the United States of America.

Inviting Vikings

2007-12-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

Rugby Ranting

2007-10-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

After weeks of anticipation Hilary's place of employment, The Royal Standard, was bursting at its seams with ladies and gentlemen sporting the red rose of Lancashire and the Georgian flag. South Africa was the favored team--England the underdog--but Yossar encouraged everyone in attendance to, "Keep the faith." He insisted England was at their best when, "Our backs are against the wall." With his glass raised high and wearing his flag like royal robes, Yoss held the appearance of a monarch ready to leap off his steed and join the battle with sword in hand.

Hilary had looked forward to the event, but lost a touch of her enthusiasm due to shortness of sleep. Despite fatigue, she painted red crosses on her fingernails, tied a knot in the back of the over sized rugby shirt Yossar loaned her, rolled up her sleeves and started pouring the brews.

Deirdre sat in attendance with friends Maria, Mark, Eric and Daniel. The group drank two rounds of J2O's (curteousy of Daniel and Mark) which pleased the owners, Mic and Jess. Eric attempted to explain the workings of rugby to Deirdre. Vocabulary and rules were taught. Deirdre remembered the word "ruck" most vividly. The effect caused after a player is in posession of the ball: a blood-thirsty, violent attack by more than a few players on the opposing team. When not watching the brutal game on the screens, Deirdre took pictures of her sister, friends and strangers in the crowd.

Despite a few drunken renditions of, "Swing Low" encouraging the England team to take the win, they refused. Yoss held his head high and congratulated the three South Africans, who had the audacity to break out champagne in the middle of The Standard. He looked cheery enough, but the regulars could see his now solemn mood. Leaning against a wall, Yossar rang a friend and related the fact that he, "Needed a hug."

Hilary's patience was on trial and had to coolly use her edge on a few indiscreet customers before the night was over. Five minutes before twelve Hilary's feet and heart were filled with relief to see her ride home walk through the door. She stopped everything she was doing, grabbed her coat, purse and Daniel's arm, hollered back her farewells to the pub and hurried out the door.

Windsor Wandering

2007-10-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

Parks, Parishes and Pubs

2007-10-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

October break finally came giving Hilary and Daniel (the gentleman vaguely eluded to in previous posts) the opportunity to go on a proper date. The couple, both ridiculously involved in school and church activities, finally found the time on a Friday afternoon.

Daniel devoted the entire day to Hilary, perfectly tailored to her taste. The weather showed them favor. The sun was bright and the air crisp, giving them a deliciously autumn day. He took her to his hometown for a picnic, followed by an appropriate outing to the Roman ruins at Veralumium.

As the sun began to laze on the horizon they sauntered, arm in arm, from the ruins to St. Alban's Cathedral. Hilary was unceasingly tickled by the cobblestone streets, houses, trees and especially the flint stone walls. After reverently exploring the cathedral they stopped to hear the end of a service where a girl's choir was singing. While the girls filed out, two by two, Hilary shared her sadness in the fact that the SDA churches do not celebrate the art and grandeur supported by the Anglican and Catholic churches. The opulence of these churches, so often reproached by protestants, was not seen as an outlet for artistic voice but misdirected funds. Artisans had employment because of the augustness of cathedrals; whereas strict protestant churches neglected the arts and often discouraged them. A sense of sanctity was also something Hilary wished could be attained by Adventist churches. The reverence observed when entering a church or cathedral--the holiness--was something Hilary truly desired in worship.

When they had enjoyed enough reverence and Anglican architecture they moseyed out the church doors and began the journey back to the car. On their way, passing what Daniel said was the oldest pub in England, Hilary's historical curiosity got the better of her and insisted they at least take a peek inside. Stepping through the door, they were taken in by the complete contrast in size between the building they had just left and the one they now entered. The ceiling was so low that Daniel had to duck the beams. Feeling very much like a halfling, Hilary was immediately delighted with the petite size of the place. The music of Norah Jones played over the stereo with an occasional Beatles tune in between, the irony was not lost on the two wayward youths. Venturing up a narrow set of stairs, they decided to stay and have a drink. Being an Adventist theologian, Daniel ordered a juice while his heathen history student requested an espresso. Both satisfied with their choices, decided to retire with their beverages by the fireplace, circa 1000AD.

A few hours and conversations later, Daniel decided it was time to return Hilary to her sister (who might worry about her). The walk to the car should have been a sprint, but the lack of light made them cautious about their steps. The cold air cut through their coats and made them thankful for each other and the promised warmth of Maximus (Daniel's blue Fiat, Punto).

Cornwall and Camelot

2007-10-03T08:01:00.000-07:00

The recent loss of the Hackleman sister’s grandmother took its toll on the girls in different ways. Hilary disappeared for a while and was verbally cruel to everyone at school when she returned. Deirdre was more quiet than usual; but when she did speak, gave a deathly sharp edge to her words. Although their grandmother’s passing was not a shock, there was no way they could have prepared themselves for losing a member of their family while they were a continent and an ocean away. They desperately wanted to be with their mother and grandfather. This constant need to help, without an outlet to do so, left the girls with a spot of inadequacy they couldn’t wash off.

After a week of this behavior and mood the girls decided to throw themselves into every activity the school had to offer and create a few themselves. Every night was filled with something: Tuesday night was “cave café,” Wednesday night “movie night,” Thursday night “the experience,” and Friday night was, of course, vespers. That left an uneasy void on Sunday and Monday nights. This time could have been filled with studying or work, but Hilary and Deirdre’s friend Jonathan mentioned his desire to see Lost season 2. Hilary knew a guy who had all the seasons on his hard drive. Jonathan showed hesitation at getting a public screening started in the student center. He feared no one would come to watch it. Hilary thumbed her nose at this idea and quickly got to work getting the episodes, securing the campus center and making posters for the Monday night event. Three weeks have passed since then and there is still a healthy number of students that come to watch every week (however, Hilary only concerns herself with the attendance of one audience member). Deirdre, having never finished season one, continues to attend out of curiosity about the show and to spend time with her schoolmates.

Two weekends ago the sisters traveled to the Adventist campground at Cornwall. The journey was completed via caravan. Hilary and Deirdre both nodded off throughout the trip. Their mutual tutor, Professor Rosenquist was the captain of their voyage. After some euphoric dreaming with the soft strumming and earnest lyrics of Elliott Smith playing throughout her sleep, Hilary began to regain consciousness. The images in her mind ceased when she opened her eyes and blurrily saw the faces of her sister and friend Maria next to her. But the song “Happy Holidays” continued softly in her ears. Looking over at her sister, Hilary saw Deirdre’s lips move with no sound. Hilary nodded in ignorant agreement, closed her eyes and returned to sleep. Deirdre then grabbed Hilary’s shoulder and brought her completely to reality. The music was still playing and both girls shared their surprise about the musical choice at the helm. There were two empty seats by the driver so Hilary removed her seatbelt and climbed over two rows of students to discover her English professor shared her love of Sufjan Stevens, The Decemberists and her beloved Elliott Smith. They exchanged concert stories, album preferences and discussed the significance of the Portland music scene. It struck Hilary again, that coming to Newbold was a mysteriously fortuitous decision. Every time she thought life there was becoming sedentary a new acquaintance would stir the pot and return surprise to the mix.

The location could not have been more perfect. Standing in the middle of a field there you could turn around in circles with your eyes closed, open them at any moment and see a picture perfect scene you wanted to keep forever. Their friend Maria led them on several adventures through pastures and ruins to the beach at sunset and sunrise that marked their memories (and their shoes) with unforgettable images. The girls also got to know the Serbians better over the trip. The weekends pastor Dejan(pronounced Dan) provided lots of entertainment on and off stage that the girls were incredibly thankful for. But the girls' inability to escape people was more taxing than they anticipated and the weekend was an experience that Hilary and Deirdre were both not sad to depart from.

They returned after an eight hour trip in the musty caravan. Both sisters sat in their seats wet from their nappy heads to soiled trainers. They had explored the remaining ruins of King Arthur’s kingdom at Tintagel earlier in the day; despite the weather’s insistence that they stay indoors. They explored caves along the coast, pathways along the cliffs and dug their hands into the sand and stones lining the shore. Hilary insisted they visit the chapel above the ruins, dating to the more recent 1400’s, to see if God sounded different in seaside churches. After moments of reverence and prayers for loved ones, they passed through the heavy church doors and strolled down the path lined with tombstones, guarded by the souls of centuries past. The caravans were leaving so they cut through the mist and fog, and boarded again and enduring the next five hours with sleep and the written word. Hilary went to the Caribbean, reading Hunter S. Thompson’s Rum Diary; while Deirdre remained at Tintagel reading the Mists of Avalon.

Stumbling through their dorm room door they nearly collapsed—thankful to be back in their clean, dry, sanctuary of sanity.

Hilary and Maria on the trip home

Deirdre has a Birthday

2007-09-16T05:13:00.000-07:00

Ontological Orators

2007-09-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

The fascination people have with historical places is not fully understood but is no less powerful because of it. Tourists pay thousands of dollars to stand beneath the Eiffel Tower, kiss the Blarney Stone, Walk through Check Point Charlie, or to stand on the Beaches of Normandy. It’s a part of their history that they have a vague emotional memory of. Some people would even go as far as to call it an inherited memory and others reincarnation. When Patton stood near some ruins in North Africa he recalled, "It was here. The battlefield was here. The Carthaginians defending the city were attacked by three Roman Legions. Carthaginians were proud and brave but they couldn't hold. They were massacred. Arab women stripped them of their tunics and their swords and lances. The soldiers lay naked in the sun, two thousand years ago; and I was here."

On some level, Hilary’s motivation for her journey to England was based on this phenomenon. Her entire academic career was also grounded partially in it. Part of her and her sister’s for that matter, disappointment in London was due to the absence of that feeling. But their experience in the Cathedral at Westminster made up for the rest of the city. Seeing the bodies of actual saints entombed in glass for centuries was more than enough to make the chills of history climb up and down their spines. The devotion of millions of Christians could be felt every time they took a step or walked past rows of candles. Silence was kept inside and truly honored the name sanctuary. After sending up several of their own prayers for loved ones far away, in health and not; they passed through the doors and returned to the secular world with lightened spirits.

Their school week was pleasantly busy. Between classes and after school activities, the girls rarely had time to analyze their situation. Which they knew to be a good thing. Both outside of their comfort zones, the sisters attended every school activity. Hilary because she was holding onto her last year of college with a desperate grip; and Deirdre because it was her first year and didn’t want to have any regrets. They presumed this method would work because after all as Lance Armstrong once said to a defeated Peter La Fleur in the cinematic masterpiece Dodgeball, “Well, I guess if a person never quit when the going got tough, they wouldn't have anything to regret for the rest of their life.”

Despite the sister’s shared aversion to uncontrollable situations like foosball, pool, ping-pong, badminton and bowling they succeeded and failed at all of them. Hilary teamed up with an English classmate to dominate a foosball match but later lost, with the same partner, at a game of pool against her sister and another Englishman. Later in the week Deirdre succeeded at defeating her sister in three matches of badminton, Hilary maybe winning two sets out of the six. Hilary fared no better against another, even less experienced, classmate. Hilary decided the solution to her lack of badminton skill would be to purchase some athletic attire more fitted for the game.

The more comfortable NSA activity was the presentation of the first film in the Bourne trilogy. Having just watched the Bourne Identity with her Grandfather Ziebarth, Hilary attended purely for social reasons. She had great hopes of sitting by her latest male interest but was maddeningly seated behind him throughout the movies entirety.

The girls’ most archived adventure of the week was the humanity department’s social in Moore Close. There, Hilary and Deirdre met Dr. John Baildam. He was the cheeriest Vice Principle the girls had ever met. Unquestionably English, he met the girls with intellectual and self-deprecating humor. They immediately took a liking to him and enjoyed the cakes and drink provided—Well, Hilary did.

Friday evening a pile of rubbish was set ablaze by the NSA for the annual fall bonfire. Excited beyond reason, both girls wondered if there would be marshmallows there. It occurred to them that the American staple, available at every corner market, might not be in attendance. With genuine concern, Hilary asked the activities coordinator/pastor, Geert, if they would. He replied in his honey-coated, Holland accent that he would try, but they were hard to come by. Apparently they’re only available in England during the weeks surrounding Guy Fawkes Day. Deirdre’s immediate disdain for the holiday was palpable. She even verbalized it, which lead to a brief discussion of the holiday with the gentleman from Holland who really had no informed opinion but knew that it was offensive to a lot of people. Hilary thanked him for his efforts concerning the s’mores issue and walked away debating her sister whether Guy Fawkes was a hero or just a terrorist they agreed with.

This picture shows Deirdre's feelings towards Guy Fawkes Day celebrators

The event itself was destined for greatness because there would be a great deal of fire, a sunset and sitting in an open field. These ingredients were only improved by the full stock of marshmallows that were roasted with great care and nostalgia. The usually irritating feeling of sticky fingers just made the girls feel closer to their beloved United States and summer evenings spent around campfires with friends and family.

New mates Christina (American) and Maria (Dane)

Deirdre after losing a marshmallow to the flames

The end of some honky-tonk

The emotion made the girls remember the Saturday night previous when the school set off fireworks after a Saturday evening service. Hilary, having missed the July fourth fireworks that year, made sure she saw every explosion in the sky that night. Deirdre and her both, shared how strange it was to be looking at the sky, seeing the fireworks and hearing the Star Spangled Banner in their heads--but not in their ears. They wondered if any other Americans were experiencing the same confusion. Hilary just pretended for a few moments that it was the fourth of July, while Deirdre borrowed her camera and tried to capture the fireworks on film.

The idea of change occurring at stationary locales came full circle Sabbath morning when their new friend Dr. Baildam gave the sermon. He spoke of having crossed the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin Wall and after. He reminisced about looking out over the village of Oberzalberg from Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest and wondering how amazing it was that the actions of a society determined to remove violent intolerance was able to now have the Fuhrer’s retreat as a tourist destination. While the sermon was mostly about praising multiculturalism, tolerance and diversity; Even Hilary and Deirdre’s cynicism was diminished for the forty-five minutes he spoke. The quotation of German philosophers and English literature was so enjoyable that they listened with pleasure, instead of defensively against the usual blind-tolerance speeches they were so accustomed too. Ultimately concluding with the Immanuel Kant's request of mankind in Latin, sapere aude, “dare to know.” He stated that we too are in an age of enlightenment that demands we know our world. In the unavoidable, global society people reside in today the choice is to either sapere aude or abeo.

The sisters exited the sanctuary with pride and not so much prejudice. Pride that they attended a school that had lecturers like Dr. Baildam and a softened prejudice that comes from being an American in a foreign country.

London Lollygagging

2007-09-03T13:53:00.001-07:00

Click images to view more detail.

Lunch across from parliament

Hilary listening to a band playing a medley of The Sound of Music

Deirdre said it smelled of hairspray and cigarettes

Hilary was thrilled that the clouds broke on her, a red phone booth and Big Ben

Free Fancy Friday

2007-09-03T03:35:00.000-07:00

Friday held more promise. Hilary and Deirdre had made a list of things they needed from town and were relishing the idea of a free trip provided by the NSA. At one o’clock they hopped into a fellow student named Andreas’ shiny red Volkswagen. He was an exceptionally large WASP whose car accentuated his lumbering size. The girls thanked him after arrival and Deirdre's eyes lingered a while as he drove away. They ate at Pizza Hut with the group. Deirdre scraped the cheese off her slices which Hilary used, to her sister’s disgust, on her crust. Conversation at the table became interesting when a few Norwegian girls began to explain, in no uncertain terms, why they did not want to join the EU. Tickled by their blatant selfishness and concern for independence, Hilary and Deirdre decided they liked Norwegians.

Norway

Deirdre in Bracknell

After the meal they separated from the group and spent the rest of the afternoon pillaging all the thrift and discount shops of Bracknell. Deirdre bought a bone coloured pea coat that fit her shoulders and waist perfectly; while her less practical sister bought a stegosaurus on a necklace, which Deirdre insisted looked like a hedgehog, for ninety-nine pence. The “Indian” store was finally discovered and was everything they had been promised. School supplies, candles, detergent, headphones, etc…the girl’s combined total did not reach twenty quid.

Decorations purchased at the Indian store

With all their essential shopping completed they ventured back to the indoor mall where the sister’s differing monetary discretion was once again demonstrated: Deirdre bought a bottle of water and sat at the café with all their booty while Hilary strolled across the mall into Sainsbury to purchase something. Exiting the store, she grinned shamelessly at her little sister, with her new Doctor Who, sonic screwdriver and slightly-psychic paper cradled in her arms. Between swigs of water, Deirdre photographed her sister’s joy and eventual disappointment: the sonic screwdriver required a more earthly screwdriver to insert the batteries.
Hilary opening her new toy

After being ignored by the 5:15 bus to Binfield, the girls hoofed their way to the bus station where they met another student who suggested they share a cab back to the school. After again avoiding the bus they freshened themselves for vespers in their room and fought sleep through the entire service.

Ready to escape after its conclusion both decided to skip out on exchanging blessings they were supposed to have written on 3x5 cards. But they steadied their rush after noticing an attractive pride of male students sitting a few rows behind them. As if they had spoken their thoughts aloud, the sisters were soon surrounded by these students. While they approached Deirdre scribbled down a blessing in Gaelic she struggled to spell correctly. Hilary left hers blank and smiled at the approaching pack. Drawn out by a musician who requested her help deciphering a blessing given to him in French, Hilary was cut off from the her sister. He was part of a band that played frequently in London and had EMI records knocking on their door. Genuinely relieved to have finally found a music scene after four days of purely school related events, Hilary felt a tightness loosen in her.

Deirdre was surrounded by the four other gents who filled the group. All attention on her and her California persona, she managed to charm each of them from the most concrete to the most cerebral (her knowledge of Doctor Who aided in the later).

Blessing given to Deirdre by one of the pack

Both sisters were invited to the next night’s event and looked forward to the next morning, a little more than the last.

Getting ready for church.

Considering what to write with her new pen.

Babel-Babble

2007-09-03T03:12:00.000-07:00

Diversity is a curse. Or so the Lord thought when he confused all the day workers stacking bricks for the tower of Babel. But in a never-ending Christian quest to turn lemons into lemonade the administration at Newbold prides itself on enrolling students from sixty different countries. The first chore the Hackleman girls faced after settling into their new surroundings was registration. Multiculturalism in all its glory taxed the still jetlagged ladies. The words: What? Pardon? Excuse me? I’m sorry I don’t understand, etc…were the most used that day. It was not only a stupid American problem; the handicap was shared by every student. This speed bump combined with Newbold’s recent discovery of computer networking, made registration a tedious, day-long process. Unlike the tower however, no one seemed particularly frustrated during the length of the day. This puzzled Hilary most. The idea that all these students were being corralled by a comparatively incompetent staff, without complaint, astonished her. She was torn between admiration and frustration. She silently commended everyone’s patience, but couldn’t help from being disappointed with everyone’s acceptance of mediocrity. Deirdre was appalled by the organization and even after completing registration wasn’t convinced they actually were.

One bonus to the day’s disorder was that they were assigned to two tutors (advisors) each (everyone else only had one—this was purely a mistake on the school’s part). They had to hunt to find them and finally found one of the four. His name was Professor Balderstone. Being the head of the dramatic arts at Newbold, Deirdre couldn’t help from looking at the ground and shaking her head in pity. She wasn’t sure she felt sorrier for her sister or for the tutor if he rubbed Hilary the wrong way. When they entered his office the posters on his walls made the girls immediately warm up to him. Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet was above his desk along with a movie still from Blade Runner. He quickly realized that Hilary really belonged to his colleague, Professor Trim. After showing them a picture of Trim in a kilt at Balderstone’s wedding, he took them one door down and introduced them to the eccentric, unruly-haired, Dr. Trim. They exchanged details about their countries of origin. Still confused by accents, Hilary managed to understand he was from India and England. Once they established a course schedule (that’s pronounced shed-yool) Hilary and Deirdre proceeded down the hall to Professor Traille’s office. After three swift knocks a busy lady in her late forties answered the door while abruptly ending her phone conversation. She stepped around the room quickly adjusting papers, shifting chairs, sidestepping piles of books and school rubbish. Once standing still she looked at both girls and said, “Take a seat. So, you’re the Hackleman sisters!” The sisters glanced at each other and then back at their new tutor and Hilary asked if they had already established a reputation after only three days in the country. Traille rattled off something in English neither girl understood and then began apologizing for the sad state of her office. Apparently the school had moved her office while she was on holiday and was still trying to attain normalcy. She pointed to a shattered picture frame on the floor with her toe and said, “I still need to bill them for that nonsense.” She was native to Britain and seemed to genuinely enjoy the girls. Hilary took a liking to Dr. Traille after she mentioned her resemblance of Brit pop-star Billie Piper. Even though Deirdre believed Traille to have underscored her sister’s looks with the comparison, she was pleased to have Traille as her tutor.

Billie and Hilary comparison

The first day of classes was their longest so far. French class was to be their first but, true-to-form, the French tutor was still on holiday. The girls bided the next few hours by cleaning their room even more. Their next classes were at eleven. Hilary’s was Reformation, Culture and Society in Early Modern England, c. 1545-1640 with Professor Trim. She liked him better after the introduction to his class. His disheveled, academic, strictly-historian attire fit him better after evidence of his knowledge and affection of and for his subject.

Hilary's drawing

Deirdre was under whelmed by her first day of college and hoped to be at least whelmed in the coming weeks.

After class was the first NSA (Newbold Student Association, not to be confused with the National Security Agency) event: The Barbeque. Not having made it to the last two beginning of school mixers of her college career, Hilary feared the ritual would be unfamiliar and awkward. Never willing to be a victim she armed herself with her new Canon XTi and hoped her sister would fare the storm unarmed. Accidentally a half hour late, they arrived to discover only buns, salad and condiments left on the tables. Deirdre quickly led the way to a group of friends while Hilary slowly joined her taking pictures the whole way. The events of the evening are best retold in photographs:

Chef

Principle

Awkward relay

Piercing Day Two

2007-08-28T02:41:00.000-07:00

English breakfast + SDAism = Decaf tea, dried fruit, toast and jam.

Internationalism is alive and well at Newbold. After collecting nourishment on their dining trays Hilary and Deirdre stood before the dining hall. The room was not nearly as intimidating as say, PUC's dining hall. The choice of seats are limited and Deirdre, feeling adventurous and kind lead the way to a seat with a girl from Spain named Maria. The language barrier became apparent very quickly and lead to a lot of eye contact with the cereal in their bowls.

After Maria departed from the Californians, another girl sat with them. Her cheery smile and better handle on the English language allotted more conversation between the three ladies. A new convert from Norway, she gave the sisters a brief testimonial. Before Deirdre finished her peppermint tea both sisters had an invitation to a Norwegian youth conference in October.

Later the girls embarked on their second journey to Bracknell. The half hour jaunt made them think perhaps they were jetlagged. Having a list of needed items with no definite destination did not help with their increasing exhaustion. But they tallied forth, attributing their perseverance to the glorious weather and their American breeding.

Princess Square on High Street provided their every need. Argos was the store that really amazed them. It was filled with catalogues as thick as phonebooks. Within every catalog were products with codes you entered into a machine along with your credit card, after your purchase the machine spits your receipt out at you. Upon your receipt is your order number. Very simple. But not if you're unfamiliar with this form of shopping.

With all their essential purchasing out of the way Deirdre decided to step into Claire's to have her ears pierced. Hilary was only slightly disappointed by Deirdre's nonchalant attitude about the life changing, body altering procedure. After signing her name on several dotted lines agreeing not to sue Claire's for punching holes in her cartilage, she received two evenly placed CZ studs in her lovely lobes.

It was time to begin their return. With hands full of bags they shrugged and sighed as they pondered their plight. Hilary, feeling her years, decided to look for a bus. The two ladies stared at the bus sign until they were sure they understood the route. Seated patiently upon a bench they both silently wondered if the bus system worked on bank holidays. Several people passed them without answering their, "Excuse me" or, "Hey!" Undiscouraged, Hilary attempted to grab the attention of a gentleman exiting the gym behind them. His attention was grabbed and held. She asked him if he knew anything about the bus system and he replied no. Then paused and offered them a ride to Binfield if they could wait five minutes while he closed the gym. Hilary quickly analyzed the situation and decided that a ride with the gym manager couldn't be any more dangerous than the English bus system (or waiting for it alone at the bus stop). After the gentleman, named Jamie, locked up they piled their bags into his car and headed towards Binfield spinning through roundabouts and threatening cyclists. He spoke most of the way there and answered a few of the ladies' questions. They understood some of the answers but were dumbfounded at how little they comprehended. The half hour walk was only a two minute drive and Jamie dropped them off at the front of the school with well-wishing. Hilary and Deirdre were very appreciative and thanked him profusely. They walked back to their dorm thrilled with their good luck.

Sleepy again, they put their new pillows to use and slept until dark. The rest of their evening was spent creating a Little America in their minds while they watched an episode of Veronica Mars they wished they could have shared with their beloved parents.

Arrival

2007-08-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

The Hackleman ladies arrived at the airport without father due to the enormous size of Hilary's suite case. Upon arrival they also discovered that each daughter could have checked an additional 50lb case. This lead to some last minute packing adjustments in a $30 Virgin Atlantic duffle bag that threatened the dominance of Hilary's suite case.

After receiving tickets and checking the luggage they proceeded to the international building at LAX that provided an assortment of restaurants to satisfy a variety of pallets. Father Hackleman would not have been sad to have missed this dining experience due to his lack of affection for Mexican cuisine.

The girls waved farewell to their mother as they effortlessly ascended on an escalator to the terminals. They waved without reservation and experienced a fleeting feeling of freedom followed by imminent responsibility. Once on board their flight both girls poured through the on flight movie listings. Hot Fuzz was first on the list followed by other Hackleman girl staples: Arrested Development, Doctor Who and The Office. Sleep was not an option due to the cramped space and general fear of missing something.

The flight fittingly flew by and landed like a really heavy feather. Suite cases were found and hauled all over Heathrow. The Newbold ride looked at their luggage with dread and hurried them to the parking lot. With expertise and determination all the luggage was piled into the Nissan four-door. The ride drove on the wrong side the entire time and arrived with speed and at Binfield in under 45 minutes.

After some arranging the dean managed to fulfill Deirdre's three-month-old request to room with her sister. During this time both girls waited a couch, Hilary curled up on her side resting her head on her sisters lap. Once in their first floor room the girls used their last ounce of energy to leave the school to find an adaptor, shampoo and bath towels.

The town was farther away than they thought and the 4pm Sunday closing time was fast approaching. Hilary and Deirdre both wished that Hilary's beloved Lark was there to help carry her and her sister to town. They found a hardware store that had an adaptor they could use. The young man who helped them named Michael, required five other attendants to answer their second question: if Safeway was still open and if they had towels. Sleep deprivation was starting to make everything cloudy and increasingly sleepy. One more fast-talking brit would destroy the girls ambition soon. With their new adaptor in hand they returned to the school and bought some soap and conditioner at a mini-mart down the way that was apprently in violation of the Sunday law or so Hilary thought. When she asked the clerk about it she was told that "little shops weren't held under that law." And, "It's not like America here, not all stores are open 24 hours." With unusual self-control, Hilary recoiled and did not take offense at the gross generalization.

Back in the room both girls checked and wrote e-mails to inform their loved ones of their safe arrival, made their beds and went to sleep...