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(11/12/09 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>LONDON - “Remember, remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot.” We all know the famous saying, but where’s it from? “V for Vendetta” is a common response, but where did it originate?Last week, the skies over London looked like Independence Day. Wait, I know what you’re thinking. “England has an independence day? Aren’t we the ones who fought for freedom from the Brits?” Well, yes, but who wouldn’t want a slice of the fireworks and beer pie? So I looked into it – what exactly were they celebrating?Guy Fawkes Day occurs annually on Nov. 5 in celebration of preventing Parliament from blowing up. Not blowing up as in a bunch of old men in wigs yelling at each other, but with dynamite. The history of Nov. 5 is known as the “Gunpowder Plot,” which was a failed attempt by a group of English Catholics that wanted to kill the king as well as most members of Parliament on its opening day. The group of English Catholics were upset that King James I hadn’t restored Catholicism to what it was before Queen Elizabeth took reign and were convinced that blowing up Parliament was the answer. With that in mind, Guy Fawkes filled the undercroft with 36 barrels of gunpowder. All was set to blow until Lord Monteagle received an anonymous letter asking him not to attend the opening of Parliament. The letter eventually made its way to the king, and he then conducted a search of the cellars underneath Parliament. Nov. 5, 1605, was a fateful morning for Guy Fawkes. He was discovered, arrested, tortured for information, and then executed. So now every fifth of November in the name of anti-terrorism, people light bonfires and shoot fireworks commemorating the capture of Guy Fawkes. What seems odd is that it’s celebrated with explosions and fire – something that was luckily prevented and actually saved the king’s life. It’s interesting to think of it as a holiday in celebration of capturing of a terrorist. The U.S. doesn’t have any holidays even remotely similar – well, maybe Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day, but it’s not quite the same. It’s almost as if the Brits are celebrating in Guy Fawkes’ name, honoring his efforts to kill the king in the name of Catholicism. Even four days after the fifth, I was still seeing fireworks going off, so either Guy Fawkes Day is quite the celebration or Chinese fireworks are easier to get in England.
(10/13/09 10:13pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>EDINBURGH, Scotland – Kilts. They’re funny-looking plaid skirts that are always an interesting thing to talk about but hard to understand. Kilts and their equally interesting accessory, the sporran, are symbols of pride for the Scottish, as not all of them wear one regularly, save for some celebrations and events (like weddings). They’re actually quite costly, running at about $100 for a legitimate kilt, but the Scots that do wear them have no shame in baring their legs.The Scottish also love their history. As one of the oldest nations in the world, Scotland has a story for nearly every road, castle, loch, highland and town. Although Scotland was a highly contested country that England wanted to control, a lot of conflicts it had were civil – many bands of Mc-clans and other families would kill each other over land and other valuables like sheep and “hairy cows” (which they pronounce coo-hs).The Highlands of Scotland are absolutely gorgeous. With rolling hills and gorgeous greens, the sun shines through them as epic landscapes from centuries ago. There are beautiful lochs between mountains, and the clouds seem to stretch for miles and miles. The day that my program drove through the Highlands was sunny, clear and just about perfect. It’s an incredibly beautiful scene, and I highly encourage people to see it for themselves if given the chance. Haggis is a Scottish dish known for its unique use of sheep. It contains the heart, liver and lungs. Haggis is traditionally boiled in the stomach for about three hours. Nearly everyone I went to Scotland with tried it and said it’s a mix between meat-loaf and chicken, but that was before they knew what was in it.Edinburgh, one of the busiest places in Scotland and the one that houses its parliament, is actually haunted. The ghost of George Mackenzie is one of the most well-documented poltergeists and is said to actually cause harm to those who come into contact with it. Edinburgh was featured as one of the scariest places on Earth, and some people who went on the tour actually did come out with some bruising. Otherwise, Edinburgh has an incredible amount of late 18th-century Georgian architecture that can be seen from the black spires around it. The nightlife in Edinburgh also complements the history of the city – I can attest that the underground club called The Caves is indeed an underground club in caves underneath the city, the underground city that killed many Irish immigrants in the 1500s. Most people know Scotland just based on “Braveheart,” and while the country itself never wanted to join England in the United Kingdom, it is an extremely prideful place that loves its vast amount of history, clans and political figures. Scotland is by far the most beautiful place I’ve visited to date, and I, for one, would be proud to paint myself blue and run naked into battle.
(09/29/09 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>WINDSOR, England – Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t a University of Oxford. Well, there is a University of Oxford, but it’s not quite like what you’d imagine. The University is actually a collection of smaller colleges all with specializations in different fields. Each of the colleges has a unique curricula, programs, residence halls and outfits. As of right now, there are 38 colleges at the University of Oxford for nearly 20,000 students (undergraduate and graduate). While the colleges might have some similarities, each serves a different purpose. Every Oxford college is different, with some built in the 1400s and others emerging only a year ago. They all have a story to tell. Why were they built? What famous architect was behind the design? What kind of classes do they teach? What is the history of this college? It’s such a different system from the United States that it’s weird to think of attending a university made of up smaller colleges. Can you imagine dining in the halls you see in Harry Potter movies, which are at Oxford? The colleges’ inherent uniquenesses enhance the differences between Oxford and American universities - while we have one quaint campus, Oxford has 38.But Oxford is notorious for being one of the most challenging Universities to gain acceptance to – so who gets the pleasure of being educated in buildings more than 500 years old? Unfortunately, only the most elite of the accomplished – the average GPA of an accepted student at Oxford is 3.8 and most of them have attended the first-class private schools of England. Once accepted, the colleges then work with each other in order to give the student a place at Oxford so they get their own unique course curriculum .And even with all the requirements Oxford has, students still must wear a funny academic dress for dinner, chapel and even taking exams. These gowns are different for every type of person who attends Oxford; there are scholar’s, bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate gowns. The hoods hang halfway down the back in an “Oxford simple-shape” (sort of like a thin cone) and are generally lined with crimson if the graduate is an MA, while graduates with a BA have their gowns bound by white rabbit fur (like a scarf), yet the gowns can only be worn after 21 months of being educated at Oxford. It really is a unique University with its traditions, architecture and history. Given that it’s so exclusive, Oxford reserves the designation of being one of the world’s top universities. The academics are structured so meticulously that each student gets enough personal attention to stay on track through the grueling process. The problem is – no one will take you seriously in one of those outfits.