Day 6 of European tour

TOday we did a lot of driving. We started in East Sussex this morning and drove to the other side of England where we took a train through the Chunnel. From there we drove through France to Belgium where we had our lunch and then to Cologne, Germany. Before checking into our hotel in Cologne, we toured the Dom Cathedral which is the most magnificent church I have ever seen. After we checked into our hotel, we had a most deliscious dinner in the hotel restaurant and now I am sitting in the internet cafe a few blocks from the hotel. I did not get much from England because the exchange rate is so terrible. A pound is almost $2, so everything cost twice as much. In Germany, I plan on doing more shopping so if I get you a gift it will probably be from Germany, Austria or the Czech Republic. Cheerio!

Day 5 of European Tour

Well, today I am in Heathfield in East Sussex in England at my host families house. They have so kindly let me use the internet here. Alot has happened since the last time I wrote from London.
On Tuesday, we went to Colchester, the oldest recorded town in England, and stayed for two nights there with a lovely host family Greta and Michael who lived in a village outside of Colchester called East Bergholts. Michael came with the choir on our coach to Cambridge the next day and was kind of like our tour guide. Cambridge itself is not a college, rather it contains 28 colleges, including King's College which have the most magnificent chapel that we toured. It was a gorgeous, sunny day so I used an entire role of film in Cambridge. From there we went to the Town Hall in Colchester and sang as part of the Mayor Making ceremonies and got to meet him and wave from his balcony, which is where Queen Elizabeth stood when she visited Colchester a few years ago.
Today we drove from Colchester to Canterbury to tour the Cathedral where many arch bishops, kings, queens, and even the "Black Prince" are buried. From Caterbury we drove to Heathfield, met our host families and just finished a concert at there church which looks more like a hall. I'm very tired though, so I'm going to sleep soon. Nighty-night!

Day 2 of the European Choir Tour

Let me paint you a picture of what I am doing/experiencing. I am sitting in the upstairs of a little bagel shop in London in a room with about twenty other people on computers; some of the speaking Spanish and others sit quietly typing away. It costs £1 per hour, which is pretty good. I'm a little soggy for I have been walking around the rainy streets of London and through Hide Park and Kensington Garden. My friend Maggie is at a computer two rows away from me checking her mail as well.

The tour began with a two hour choir rehearsal in the concert hall yesterday morning and after that we ate lunch, parked our cars in the designated lot and boarded a coach for Chicago. After waiting an extra hour and a half for our plane to be fixed (Boeing 777 had an oil leak), we boarded and were on our way. It was not scary at all even though it was my first time. However, my ears are still plugged from the landing this morning. On the flight I gave the flight attendant a note from a flight attendant I met the night before at a graduation party. The note said something like do me a favor and take care of this nice girl. Because of the note I got a complimentary Bailey's Irish Cream.
This morning we toured the Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels. Then we took a boat ride down the Thames.
Got to go talk to you soon.

Times when you should be glad you aren't an art major.

When you are working on your final piece and almost everything that can go wrong does go wrong. I guess, that can apply to anything. Perhaps, many of you can simpathize with me and maybe even have your final project going horribly wrong as well.
It all started yesterday afternoon, I went to the sculpture studio to make a resin cast in my mold (rubber mold inside the plaster "mother" mold). After struggling to get my mold put together and filling the holes with clay, I took the mold over to the work bench for Prof. Matson's assistance. Everthing was setup and Prof. Matson started pouring the resin into the mold. Suddenly, resin is all over the place. I forgot to fill a hole...oops...that started the rest of my problems. When the resin hardened an hour later, the board that the mold was on was stuck to the table, but with my handy dandy hammer and chisel I got the board off the table. My next challenge was much more difficult....DUN...DUN...DUN...removing the mother mold. The resin had seeped through the cracked in the mother mold seaking it to the rubber mold, but after hours of hammering and chiseling, most of the mother mold was removed.
I then began to try to tear the rubber mold from the resin cast. This was very difficult, so I took a break and unloaded a kiln. While unloading the kiln, I managed to slice open my fingertip of my right pointer finger, which bled a lot. This disabled me a bit, so some kind, big, strong football players, working on the same assignment offered me assistance in removing the rubber mold.
Now, I 'm about to go back to the studio to finish the job. I have until 4:30 to complete it.
I'll let you know what happens in my dramatic tale.

Finally, the week I've been waiting for is here.

Yay! It's finals week!!! WooHoo!!!

Alright, by now I know you think I'm crazy, but really I have been looking forward to finals week all semester.
Why?
I don't have any tests to study for. I have some parties and two critiques and Commencement rehearsals. So...I'm watching movies, working out, packing for Europe, making some art, planning for the summer, and hanging out with friends.
Sorry to anyone who has to take or give finals. God's blessings on your week!

In five days I graduate and in six I leave for Europe. I'm so excited!

As of last Thursday, I know what I'm going to do for a job when I move back home. My aunt called me and asked if I would consider helping her with her restaurant that she will be opening this summer in downtown Minneappolis. It's going to be a soup, sandwich, deli place and she's going to have her cakes there too.