Internet!!!
Hello Halbury Readers! I see that 11 of you visited yesterday. That is a great confidence builder, even though I am sure 9 of them were my mom checking multiple times to see if there are any updates from her baby boy.
Good news! There is a community center in the same building that I am living in and it has a computer lab. Although I cannot pick up the wireless from my room, if I lean up against the doorway near the lab, I pick up a strong signal! Once more, it is not the “restrictive internet” that the school and military get. This means I can check my personal email, update my blog, and chat on Skype from my same building! I’m stoked.
A couple of nights ago I went out with one of the senior teachers to a local pub. It was great to relax, throw a couple down, and converse. There were some Brit’s at the pub, and we caught a couple of “hey listen to those goofy Americans talk” looks, but the bartender was a sweet lady.
For the past 3 nights I have woken up at 4 in the morning on the dot. Wide awake! It has been a struggle to fall back asleep. Yesterday the other student teacher and I got our Military ID cards, which is a huge relief. With these cards we do not have to carry around our passports and we do not require a “sponsor” to go on the bases with us. The process to get the ID card was hilarious. Before going in I thought to myself “This is the military right? This should be a concise and speedy process. I’ll be in and out.” We get to the ID place and the computers are down and we have outdated paperwork from 2004. Great. So while we are waiting for the system to get back up, which could be “an-e tim, ma, I on e-un no” said the Louisiana-native desk man (Roughly translated means “any time sir, I do not know at this time”). We go to the local High School to get the correct paperwork and are helped by a truly sweet secretary named Ruthie. As we are out the door at the high school we get a call from the ID place and he says the system is up and we are first in line. Finally a chance to see the precision of the military in action, right? No. We waited 20 minutes in the lobby. My name was called first, so I walk to the back room. 2 hours and 5,263 thumb twiddles later me and the other student teacher have our ID cards. It was the girls first day, and their manual for the process was outdated….it was frustrating to say the least.
None-the-less I also got an address!! My official address for people sending me awesome care packages is:
Hal Iverson
PSC 41 BOX 3035
APO AE 09464
I believe that zip code is in New York. Any letters or packages will go to the post office for all Military bases abroad, and then be sent from there. I think that because I am on a military base, the postage should be cheap, as if you were sending something in the states. Letters take 6-8 days, packages take 8-10 days. With that being said, you have no excuse! Send away. I will take anything and everything. My walls are bare, my pantry empty, my drawers sparse, and my library small. Send me pictures, notes, food, candy, movies (I will have a T.V. and DVD player soon!), and anything creative that you think may help me on my travels.
Enough mooching.
Here are some pictures of my room!
Hello Halbury Readers! I see that 11 of you visited yesterday. That is a great confidence builder, even though I am sure 9 of them were my mom checking multiple times to see if there are any updates from her baby boy.
Good news! There is a community center in the same building that I am living in and it has a computer lab. Although I cannot pick up the wireless from my room, if I lean up against the doorway near the lab, I pick up a strong signal! Once more, it is not the “restrictive internet” that the school and military get. This means I can check my personal email, update my blog, and chat on Skype from my same building! I’m stoked.
A couple of nights ago I went out with one of the senior teachers to a local pub. It was great to relax, throw a couple down, and converse. There were some Brit’s at the pub, and we caught a couple of “hey listen to those goofy Americans talk” looks, but the bartender was a sweet lady.
For the past 3 nights I have woken up at 4 in the morning on the dot. Wide awake! It has been a struggle to fall back asleep. Yesterday the other student teacher and I got our Military ID cards, which is a huge relief. With these cards we do not have to carry around our passports and we do not require a “sponsor” to go on the bases with us. The process to get the ID card was hilarious. Before going in I thought to myself “This is the military right? This should be a concise and speedy process. I’ll be in and out.” We get to the ID place and the computers are down and we have outdated paperwork from 2004. Great. So while we are waiting for the system to get back up, which could be “an-e tim, ma, I on e-un no” said the Louisiana-native desk man (Roughly translated means “any time sir, I do not know at this time”). We go to the local High School to get the correct paperwork and are helped by a truly sweet secretary named Ruthie. As we are out the door at the high school we get a call from the ID place and he says the system is up and we are first in line. Finally a chance to see the precision of the military in action, right? No. We waited 20 minutes in the lobby. My name was called first, so I walk to the back room. 2 hours and 5,263 thumb twiddles later me and the other student teacher have our ID cards. It was the girls first day, and their manual for the process was outdated….it was frustrating to say the least.
None-the-less I also got an address!! My official address for people sending me awesome care packages is:
Hal Iverson
PSC 41 BOX 3035
APO AE 09464
I believe that zip code is in New York. Any letters or packages will go to the post office for all Military bases abroad, and then be sent from there. I think that because I am on a military base, the postage should be cheap, as if you were sending something in the states. Letters take 6-8 days, packages take 8-10 days. With that being said, you have no excuse! Send away. I will take anything and everything. My walls are bare, my pantry empty, my drawers sparse, and my library small. Send me pictures, notes, food, candy, movies (I will have a T.V. and DVD player soon!), and anything creative that you think may help me on my travels.
Enough mooching.
Here are some pictures of my room!
Not too bad huh! Please take note of the trendy Star Wars Comforter on the luxurious single bed. Check out the beautiful neon blanket draped over the uncomfortable couch. It is actually better than my freshman year in the dorms in good old Stephenson South at wazzu.
You will have to forgive me, I have not taken many pictures yet, so I do not have any of the country side or my school or any travels yet. Here is one of my school from a fire escape right outside my room. It is about a 2 min walk to school!
Traveling Halbury update: Next weekend my fellow student teacher and I will be taking a bus to the final stop of the tube, and riding it into the heart of London! I am really excited. It will be my first week of school, so there shouldn’t be too much planning to do for class. I am taking suggestions for something great to do on a weekend get-away in London.
On another note: Last night I went to a great Italian restaurant in Brandon, a nearby town. A couple of teachers are retiring and it was their last “guys night out getaway” with all the other older male teachers. It was truly a great experience. We drank beer from a local brewery across the street. I ate a salad and the Penne Arabiata with plenty of bread for dipping. Arabiata is a really spicy, peppery red sauce (if you know anything about my culinary cravings, you know that I love spicy food!). Delicioso! The best part about the evening was the experience of sitting quietly on the end of the table and observing these salty old teachers give each other a ton of shit and exchanging inside jokes. I really loved the contrast of these older teachers, who have traveled the world, taught for over 30 years, and had a ton of life’s experiences vs. Colin and I who are greener than the mossy British grass when it comes to teaching and generally life. It was a jolly good time, and I hope that my semester is filled with moments like last night.
British word/phrase of the day: Chesterfield- meaning sofa or couch. “I say good chap, fancy a seat on the Chesterfield?”
Is this post long enough yet? I think so. Please comment and give suggestions on things that you would like to hear about.
Much love from a small island far away,
Hal
Traveling Halbury update: Next weekend my fellow student teacher and I will be taking a bus to the final stop of the tube, and riding it into the heart of London! I am really excited. It will be my first week of school, so there shouldn’t be too much planning to do for class. I am taking suggestions for something great to do on a weekend get-away in London.
On another note: Last night I went to a great Italian restaurant in Brandon, a nearby town. A couple of teachers are retiring and it was their last “guys night out getaway” with all the other older male teachers. It was truly a great experience. We drank beer from a local brewery across the street. I ate a salad and the Penne Arabiata with plenty of bread for dipping. Arabiata is a really spicy, peppery red sauce (if you know anything about my culinary cravings, you know that I love spicy food!). Delicioso! The best part about the evening was the experience of sitting quietly on the end of the table and observing these salty old teachers give each other a ton of shit and exchanging inside jokes. I really loved the contrast of these older teachers, who have traveled the world, taught for over 30 years, and had a ton of life’s experiences vs. Colin and I who are greener than the mossy British grass when it comes to teaching and generally life. It was a jolly good time, and I hope that my semester is filled with moments like last night.
British word/phrase of the day: Chesterfield- meaning sofa or couch. “I say good chap, fancy a seat on the Chesterfield?”
Is this post long enough yet? I think so. Please comment and give suggestions on things that you would like to hear about.
Much love from a small island far away,
Hal
6 comments:
No, I believe it was only 3 times I checked your blog. Deal with it! Boy, you covered a massive amount of great info in this blog. It's Saturday so I am sure some care package shopping is in order for me now that I have your address. It sounds like lots of things are falling into place with your living situation and that makes me feel better. I love seeing your room so I can kind of see how you live. But most of all, I love that you think we will be able to Skype, hopefully soon! Next post, how about some of you in the pictures? And Colin. You have no idea how much it means to us to be able to keep up with you with technology, a luxury to be sure. I miss you and love you. Mom
As I write this, Madissen has gone to the office to collect her art 'stuff'. Gotta love the 6yr olds love of art! She didn't care much for your plain walls!! :O)
Make sure when you are out and about you get some Yorkshire pudding. Its more of a roll that is cooked/fried almost in the oil and muffin pan. It gets a bit of a hole in the middle and when you eat it, you put the gravy in the hole. Yummy! One of my favorites. (usally served with meat and potatoes) My nanna made them all the time. Also, Areo bars (chocolate) are tasty!
My moms family lives in Cornwall. Not sure where it is in relation to where you are....Can't really tell you if there is much to see unless my cousin still has George, the biting hamster. Please bite him back (for me) if you see him, naughty hamster!!!
Have a great wk at school!
Jen and the artist-Madissen!!
cool blog man, not bad for a bloody yank. i am especially eager to hear about what football gang you join and your hilarious head-knocking exploits.
Believe it or not I actually ate Yorkshire pudding a couple of days ago! it was good! I'll keep my eyes out for a nasty hamster and can't wait for a package!
O MY GOSH!!! your bed is so small i cant believe you if you say you fit on that i dont fit on my bed and its around that size. sorry lol just had to say. ill send you something soon k! hope you have a tv cause it might be a dvd dependin on what i can or cant.
What a great adventure you are having. Wish I was there. We are all fine here Stateside. Glad to hear you get out to a pub once in a while. Next time throw one down for me. Take care and we miss you.
Barry and girls
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