It’s Official: I’m An Addict.

They say that the first step is admitting you have a problem. If that’s the case, then I’m definitely on my way. The issue that I have is that I really don’t want to address my problem, if we can be entirely honest here. I’m a caffeine addict. It doesn’t seem that bad, I realize, but it is (sometimes). I actually enjoy coffee, which is why I drink it. Every day. Five-plus times. Funny enough (or sad enough), I have a bag of ground coffee sitting on my desk right now, next to the coffee maker that I have set up in my room. Just the smell of coffee lights up my senses. The problem is that I can’t have just one cup. On any given day, I’ll usually brew 6 cups and drain cup after cup until I realize that brewing a second batch (if that’s the proper term) is probably unnecessary and slightly unhealthy.

Mondays are my tough days, in terms of scheduling. I’m on campus from about 9A until 7 or 8PM. I have a meeting from 9A – 10A, a seminar from 10A – 1130A, a class from 2-4P, another class from 430P – 6P and a meeting from 6P – 7P, so I constantly have to bring my A game and have a fully functioning brain to absorb hours of information. This past Monday, struggling to get out of bed, I started my day with two soy lattes before 930A and went home that evening having had downed the equivalent of 6 coffees (4 of them being soy lattes — not as sugary as the US kind, don’t worry). As I sat in my 430P class, half-drifting off, I started realizing that the awfulness of all of this:

a) Caffeine: Although data is inconclusive on this front, most studies indicate that there should be future research on the high linkage of caffeine consumption and hypertension (especially in women)

b) Soy: I only drink soy milk; soy lattes, soy in my cereal… milk is gross to me + my body’s not a fan of it. Unfortunately the doctor tells me that too much soy leads to breast cancer. Seriously, can we do anything right?

c) Splenda: My friend watched in awe as I dumped three packets of aspartame into my super strong latte, mouth literally agape. I stirred the white flecks in until they were no longer visible and then gulped them down, drop by drop. Studies in rats have indicated that large doses of aspartame are carcinogenic. Although I don’t think three packets a day would be considered a “large dose,” she [my friend] quickly pointed out that three packets x 5 servings a day = 15 packets of Splenda = possible death.

All in all, I can see that coffee is slowly killing me. And if that weren’t enough, here’s the worst part: I only had one cup today. That would be a good thing if I were trying to wean myself off, but I’m not. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with what happens to an addict when they don’t get their fix, but it involves withdrawals. PAINFUL withdrawals. So, right now, I’m sitting in my room after having taken a two-hour nap to get rid of my ridiculously awful pounding headache. I have consumed liter after liter of water and have sipped on hot chocolate to warm my soul. Nothing really works.

Moral of the story: If you’re going to be addicted to something and have to deal with withdrawals, pick a better vice than coffee. Not worth the trouble.

References

Daniel, K. (2007) “Soy – Cause or Cure for Breast Cancer?” Natural News [article link]

Hartley, T., Sung, B., Pincomb, G., Whitsett, T., Wilson, M., and Lovallo, W. (2000) “Hypertension Risk Status and Effect of Caffeine on Blood Pressure” Hypertension 36 p. 137 -141

MacDonald, TM, Sharpe, K., Fowler, G., Lyonds, D., Freestone., S, Lovell, HG., Webster, J., and Petrie, JC. (1991). “Caffeine restriction: effect on mild hypertension” British Medical Journal 303 (6812), p. 1235 – 1238

Williams, G. (2008) “Carcinogenicity of Aspartame in Rats Not Proven” Environ Health Perspect 116 (6) p.239 – 240

Winkelmayer, WC., Stampfer, MJ., Willett, WC., Curhan, GC. (2005) “Habitual caffeine intake and the risk of hypertension in women” Journal of American Medicine 294 (18) p. 2330 – 5

Does Food Here Really Suck?

I was perusing the aisles of Sainsbury’s on my way home from class yesterday and starting filling my mini basket up with groceries for the week when I realized that I have fallen into a routine. There are some things that I absolutely love here; my go-to items, if you will. All, in all, I find that aside from produce being a little lackluster, some of the stuff here is actually pretty great! My new favorite things:

1. Cauldron Mushroom Burgers: Pure deliciousness. I was slightly afraid that the British grocery chains wouldn’t be as accommodating for vegetarians, but I discovered quite the opposite! The Cauldron Mushroom Burgers are absolutely ahhh-mazing! I could seriously eat them every day without question. They were out of stock yesterday and I could nearly feel tears welling in my eyes.

2. Innocent Veg Pots: I’ve never seen these bad boys in the US, but they’re probably one of my most favorite inventions ever. They’re perfect for students because they take 4 minutes to microwave and I managed to snag two for 5 pounds yesterday! They’re really low-fat and low cal (most are under 300 calories) + they have three servings of veggies and are pure amazement. The Moroccan Giant Cous Cous is one of my faves!

3. Options Mint Madness Hot Chocolate: Hot chocolate is the ultimate comfort for me, but real hot chocolate is way too sugary and has too many calories for me to actually enjoy. Swiss Miss has their low-calorie stuff (25 calories per pack), but it just tastes like brown water and splenda. Options Mint Madness hot chocolate is amazing and it’s only 34 calories per serving. They actually sell their stuff in individual packets (the only way you can purchase it at Sainsbury’s) and I think the lady thinks I’m crazy because I purchase between 5 and 7 every single time I’m in. Yes, they’re THAT good.

4. Cauldron Marinated Tofu Pieces: Delish! I’m always wary of marinated tofu because the flavors can be a little off, but these guys have it down pat! A little salty, but they work well in recipes or mixed into stir-fry! Mmmm.

5. Kellogg’s Fruit n’ Fibre Cereal: It’s really weird seeing the Kellogg’s name on cereals I’ve never heard  of, but this Fruit n’ Fiber cereal is actually legit! I was a bit thrown off the first time I tried it since the fruit part of the equation constitutes dried fruits and raisins, but it’s actually quite delish with a bit of soy milk (which Brits refer to as soya milk…hmmmm.)

5. Hummous. I love all things chickpea, so the fact that hummous is ridiculously prevalent and inexpensive here pretty much makes my life. I can snag them for 1 pound each at Marks & Spencer (low cal versions, too) or I can get them 2 for 1.50 at Sainsbury’s (no low-cal that I’ve seen as of yet). Absolutely delicious with carrot batons!

Most of the food has actually been pretty good here. Granted the fruit isn’t quite as fresh, ripe or juicy as we’re used to/spoiled with in California, but for the most part, I have found some awesome things to stock my fridge and pantry with!

Anyone have any other amazing British goodies that they’re loving?

Agapanthus & Tree Branches en Route!

My room is boring. I’ve known this for some time now, I suppose. Sure, I spiced it up with a chocolate brown duvet and some latte-inspired sheets, but the drab walls and metal door definitely add to the institutional feel of the place. After visiting a fellow postgrad’s room in the same building, I realized that despite the limitations of room size and overall dullness, there is a huge possibility to make the room a million times cooler and more homey: her place was covered in cool posters, fun accessories and bright colors; very her. In any case, between reading about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa and discovering that Michel Foucault was gay, I found myself perusing the AllPosters website to find some new items to add some color to my room. An hour later, I am the proud owner of three amazing decals! I was this-close (envision my thumb and forefinger nearly touching) to purchasing a chic set of London/Paris/Roma/New York posters to grace my walls, but instead I ran across these bad boys:

These are going right above my bed (as shown above), which I think will be perfect for taking up the open space. Plus, it’s the first thing you really see when you walk in through my front door.

These decals are going right above my study area. I actually grappled with the idea of getting the Gandhi quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” but that particular set was twice as much… being that I’m a student on a severe budget, I’ve opted to carry Gandhi’s touching quote in my heart and purchase the less expensive (but nearly as cool) decal set.

These are actually going to be cooler than they look, I think (I hope). I got all of the decals in the chocolate color to go with the overall neutral-chocolate-latte color scheme in my room. I’m planning to have the Agapanthus sit on the wall right next to my bed (as if they’re sprouting from my bed) to fill up the large empty wall in my room.

I’m hoping that those pieces will add enough spice. If not, I’ll have to grab some fun accessories from a local store to make the room a little more unique. Home sweet home?

Happy Sunday!

‘Wicked’ & Wine!

Considering the fact that I have been diligently holed up for the past week, working voraciously on my presentations, papers, etc., I felt (semi)justified in going out a few evenings this week! After Wednesday’s Arsenal match, I needed another amazing event to top off Thursday night! I organized a trip to see ‘Wicked’ at the Apollo Victoria theatre (which is conveniently a stone’s throw away from the Victoria tube station) for my Social Policy & Development group. In total there were 16 of us and it was a blast! I happen to be a lover of musicals/plays/general live performances and Wicked definitely exceeded my expectations. The set, the lighting, the singing, the music — it was all amazing! Plus, because we were a large group of students, I managed to snag superb tickets for £17.50 per person (versus £45-£60 that they would normally be)!

We all had such a blast, we’re hoping to plan Round 2 at the Gielgud Theatre in Soho to catch a showing of Avenue Q! If Wicked is playing at a theatre near you, I highly recommend it. It’s almost tied with the Lion King for amazingness!

Last night, after having too much fun on Wednesday and Thursday, my flatmate and I wanted to keep it low key with date three at Mildred’s in Soho. For the record: the risotto cake was out of this world! Whether you’re a veggie or a carnivore, it is definitely something that can be appreciated by all. After a few glasses of wine there, we met up with a group of folks at Gordon’s Wine Bar, apparently the oldest wine bar in London. Rudyard Kipling actually lived in the building back in the day! The place has a very cool vibe; it’s underground in what could best be described as a cave. It’s dimly lit, reasonably priced and a great place to mingle with a slew of different people! A must visit if you enjoy wine.

After three nights of fun, today is dedicated to finishing up my presentation for Monday and working on my paper for the coming week. Only a few more weeks of crazy intensity and then back to having a semi-normal schedule!

Hope everyone’s weekend is fantastic!

Arsenal v. AZ Alkmaar!

So, I feel like I’ve finally been inducted into British life. I saw my first football game at the Emirates last night! In a Champions League game, Arsenal played Dutch team AZ Alkmaar (pronounced ah-zed allck-mahr) and won 4-1!

I met up with my friend, Nick, who is an Arsenal fanatic and had saved a ticket to the game for me so I could witness European football first-hand. We met up a bit before the game to explore the Arsenal grounds and hit up a local pub/shrine to Arsenal!

Our first stop was the new stadium (built in 2006, I think):

We also hit up ‘The Armoury’, Arsenal’s gift shoppe of sorts where all things Arsenal exist: normal things like shirts, scarves, boxers, mittens, hats, etc. grace the store, but there are also sections dedicated to dog toys, video game controllers (emblazoned with the Arsenal logo), Christmas ornaments, gift wrap and even a toaster that imprints AFC on your toast!

Needless to say, I learned very quickly that football is definitely not just a sport… it’s more like a religion here! In fact, I dared not say the world ‘Tottenham’ or mention my most favorite team, Manchester United, too loud anywhere in the midst of Arsenal fans.

The pub was covered in pictures of Arsenal players, memorable moments and fans and nearly every single person in the pub was wearing an Arsenal shirt or scarf to show their support. Ridiculousness!

I also made some new Dutch friends who sang ‘I wish they all could be California girls’ to me a number of times throughout the night. To anyone who’s wondering, there’s pretty much nothing funnier or more entertaining than watching a group of drunken grown men singing.

Despite being from Amsterdam, they were supporting Arsensal, too. I’m sure if they had said otherwise, they would have been eaten alive. (Also, please note my sweet Arsenal jersey). Following the pub, we went to the game around 7.30, just in time for kick-off, and our seats were spectacular!

We were nine rows up and had an amazing view of the pitch, the players and the entire, jam-packed stadium! The new stadium is absolutely gorgeous and it was definitely a good induction into British culture. Plus, the fact that they won 4-1 (along with the fact that I’ve just recently discovered that Cesc Fabregas is absolutely gorgeous) adds to my London love. Although I’m still a Man United fan, Arsenal’s definitely my London team to support!

Lots of love from London,

a few big smiles in day two of hell.

So, it’s 847P and it feels like it’s about 1130P right now. Despite the wave of tiredness that just hit me, I feel fortunate in the fact that I still have two solid hours of work I can get in this evening. I just knocked out one presentation in my Health & Population seminar this evening and it actually went pretty well! After so many years of business classes/public speaking, I seemed to have forgotten that I actually enjoy speaking in front of people when I have a good grasp on my topic (one reason that a career in academia/university teaching has been of interest to me). I have one more presentation tomorrow morning, followed by preparation for a third presentation for Monday. Despite the fact that I have had to relinquish my rights to a social life, I actually kind of enjoy having work to do. I feel like I’ve finally been pushed into grad school mode and I can really start to bring my ‘A’ game on a daily basis. Also, there is a reward to finishing this load of work: tomorrow night I get to hit up an Arsenal game with a friend and finally see the Emirates stadium (Chris, if you’re reading this, that statement may be perceived as sacrilegious considering my mandatory alignment with Manchester United) and Thursday night, I’m hitting up the Apollo Victoria theatre with some fellow MSc kiddos to catch a showing of ‘Wicked‘! I think that those two nights of social re-integration will help me re-focus for a weekend of presentation prep work and paper-writing.

My goal for this weekend is to a) prepare a kickass presentation for Monday’s seminar and b) write my formative essay for my Health & Population class. I figure if I post this on my blog for the world to see, I’m semi-accountable to someone/everyone. If, on Monday, I have to write about how I still have essays to write, I will feel entirely defeated.

On an even brighter note (speaking of things to look forward to): Nine days until Rome! I think that all of this writing and academic reading has fried my brain. The excitement and reality that I get to take a jaunt to Italy in one short week has yet to fully hit me.

Hope all is well in the world! Feel free to send some love my way — getting comments always puts a smile on my blogging face.

Side note //  Two other things put a smile on my face today: One – I finally tried the Hare Krishna food on campus today and it was way better than I had envisioned.  Two – I got an email from my dad that used the term ‘OMG.’ Hahah. Love it. Dad, I know you’re reading this: OMG, I love you. <3.

Hell begins…

After being on campus from 830A to 730P and having been studying since getting home, I’ve decided that it’s time for a much-needed break/status update from abroad.

Update: Life for the next three weeks is going to be insanity. The light at the end of the tunnel? I get to go to Rome on the 12th of November! The thought of Roman architecture and Italian coffee is probably the only thing that’s going to get me through the next few weeks.

Some perspective: I have a presentation on poverty reduction & child mortality to deliver tomorrow in my health & population class; Wednesday is a presentation on women’s rights and the effects of women’s rights on children for a child rights & poverty course, and the rest of the week will be spent working on a third presentation (to be delivered next Monday) which addresses the role of the state in social policy and requires some ridiculous readings by Foucault. On top of that, I have a formative essay due in my health and population class in a couple of weeks, followed by a paper on implementation of social policy theory.

In any case, I have officially gone into hiding and am holing myself up in my room for the next twelve days with the ultimate goal of finishing everything before my trip to Rome.

I’ll keep you updated from my cell room.

Lots of love,

Heaven&Hell Cruise! <3.

After last night’s adventures, I have resigned to being holed up in my room for the next few weeks handling an enormous amount of papers, readings, and presentations to be completed before the end of November. Since I’m now in my 5th hour of readings for today, I’ve decided to take a brief pause to post some pictures from last night! After uploading photos, I noticed (sadly) that I didn’t have nearly as many as I would have liked… a rare occurrence for someone who takes pictures like it’s going out of style.

Rita & Alex kept with the theme for the most part, going as angels, but I did meet up with the Blues Brothers (aka Ronan & Aidan):

and had a run in with Kim Jong-il (aka Wen Fa):

Almost uncanny, right? For anyone who’s reading this and is super impressed with Wen’s locks of love: the hair cut is courtesy of one Ronan Conlan, hair designer extraordinaire! For a small fee, he can make you, too, look like “one of the most mysterious leaders in the world” (CNN).

The boat cruise was super fun, too, and lasted way longer than I had anticipated (left at 7.45 and docked at 11.30P). We got a little bit of sight-seeing in and enjoyed copious amounts of cider (speaking for myself, of course).

All in all, it was a fun way to spend Halloween and has definitely inspired some desire to host regular costume/themed parties! Dressing up is always way too much fun <3.

Side note: for anyone considering a boat cruise — definitely a cool way to do some sight-seeing. Highly recommended.

Hope everyone else’s Halloween was a blast,

Ready for Halloween?

Sooo… somehow it got to be the end of October, which is a tid bit incredulous to me. For some reason, I thought I had plenty of time to get my Halloween costume together, but it’s already here! So, after much deliberation and the scouring of numerous Halloween costume websites, I have decided to go as a pirate captain.

I have the costume and I have knee-high black boots and black pumps (depending on which end up feeling more appropriate), plus I’ve pulled out my makeup collection to pay homage to Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. I’m going to double-coat my sunless tanner tomorrow so I look a bit darker than normal + using loads of fun bronzer and highlighter to give it a more rugged appearance. I’m actually quite excited because there are a load of eyeshadows and pigments that I’ve owned for years and have wanted to use and they finally get to come out tomorrow!

I’m going to keep my lips pretty faint (almost unnaturally nude) and make my eyes super dark and pirate-y. I also brought out the fake lashes which may make an appearance tomorrow night, too!

As for accessories, I managed to get the sword that I needed (think 10 year-old play toy sword), but the hat wasn’t happening. The idea of the hat was great, but it was super cheap looking and didn’t fit the overall vibe/coolness factor of the costume. Instead, I’ve decide to try to do my hair to fit the costume. I was looking at this girl’s hair for some inspiration (ignore her alien-esque facial features):

I think her hair is kind of cool and works for the look that I’m going for, unfortunately I also think it takes some level of skill to make hair look that cool. I’m not sure how much skill I have on the hair front, so I may end up just putting it half up and teasing it a bit to give it mad volume.

All in all, really excited to get dressed up and even more excited to go on the Heaven & Hell Boat Cruise on the Thames!

What are you guys going as for Halloween?

Delivery Numero Dos!

As an adult, there is something so ridiculously exciting about getting mail that’s not a bill. I remember being twelve years old and getting Teen magazine and being overly ecstatic at the prospect of receiving mail with my name on it (versus my parents’). As I got older, I realized that I got plenty of mail, but it happened to be in the form of a Nordstrom bill, a Best Buy credit card payment, or an entirely-too-frequent parking ticket… somehow mail as an adult is much less exciting than it was as a child. Today, however, was amazing! I received my second package since arriving and it absolutely made my day!

Despite it’s rather petite size, it was surprisingly heavy and all the goodies tucked away inside put the hugest smile on my face:

Although you can’t tell, the box was full of American items that I’ve been absolutely missing! Two ridiculously huge jars of peanut butter (creamy, of course), three sticks of deodorant (so I can throw my spray deodorant away!), a coffee mug and the equivalent of eight boxes of Fiber One bars (mocha/chocolate, if you’re curious!)

My shelf is now covered with Fiber One bars (plus that box is full of as many as I could fit inside); I think I’ll have my fill of Fiber for the next few months!

You can probably now see how ridiculously huge these jars of peanut butter are. There’s enough to last through the year, if not longer! I am a peanut butter LOVER: PB&J is always a safe bet (plus a comfort food), PB&Carrots, PB&Apples, PB&Banana on an English muffin… there are so many brilliant ways to use it. Plus, American peanut butter (Jif, Skippy, etc.) is a million times better than Brit peanut butter; more processed, probably. Plus more sugar. Tastes a million times better.

In any case, I’m going to go to bed extremely happy and fulfilled tonight. Thank you, Chris!

If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to make a PB&J.

Also, unrelated note: Please notice the new ‘Poll of the Week’ on the sidebar to the right. There are so many things I want to know and thus have created a weekly poll with random questions for the week. It takes two seconds to answer the poll, plus it’s an interesting turn out. If you’ve taken the time to read this entire post, you likely have the extra two seconds to answer, I’m sure. Plus, it’s fun. For me, at least. <3.