Does this Train Stop on Merseyside?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp8g6QW1OfM IAN PROWSE, ORIGINAL SONGWRITER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiXnKAeSKK0 CHRISTY MOORE, COVERSONG

COE Europe 2009 Fellow Travelers' Pix

LONDON by Guy Patterson III

CHESTER by Martha Leisch

Antwerp by Edith-Marie Roper

ANTWERP by Edith-Marie Roper

AMSTERDAM by Edith-Marie Roper

LONDON by Guy Patterson III

10 things I learned about Liverpool

1. Slave city first

2. Second city (to London kinda like Chicago is to New York. But is it really?)

3. Global, Progressive and SuperLambBannana

4. Musical (Echo and the Bunnymen were from Liverpool)

5. Liverpoolians are also called Scousers

6. The Liver bird rhymes with driver

7. Air conditioning was invented in Liverpool

8. The Adelphi Hotel was built to accomodate first class passengers of the Titanic before it set sail.

9. Ferrys have crossed the Mersey for more than 600 years

and

10. Liverpool is a city filled with amazing, wonderfully witty and great people!!

Hope Street

Reflecting back on my three weeks in Liverpool/UK, I noticed how everyone mentioned Hope Street. How on each end is a huge cathedral: one Anglican, one Catholic, between them a street named Hope. Touring the Catholic Cathedral, I learned that it was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott. He was 22 year old when his design was chosen in 1901 from an open competition.

Guess what he also designed? The red telephone booth so associated with England!!

Walking on Water

So many options were considered for my last day in the UK. 1) Visit Scotland. But that would mean £70 train fare and over 9 hours of travel. Nix. 2) Visit Wales. More affordable, but train would only stop in one place. Hard to visit villages not on the train route with such little time. Nix. 3) Visit West Kirby (last stop on the Wirral Train Line) with islands that you can reach when the tide is low. Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner!

Abi and I headed out on adventure after purchasing a day pass (unlimited rides for the day). At our first transfer, we took a short detour. A tour of St. George's Hall. A place of beauty and justice. As a Crown Court, we visited the cells where male and female prisoners awaited their day in court for offenses such as stealing (bread, blankets) to murder (stabbings, arsenic poisoning, and gang warfare). Punishment often meant hanging until dead; but some committed suicide before the state executed its judgement. It was said that people sat in the audience of the court just to see how the convicted would react to their judgement.

Needing to ENJOY our last hours, we left for West Kirby in the Wirral Peninsula. Arriving as the tide was going out for the second time that day at 1:30 pm, we sat by the promenade, had lunch and looked across into Wales. It seemed so close, almost walkable, especially at low tide.Walking on water ... toward Little Eye Island.

On the streets of Victorian Liverpool

Few photos taken while walking to catch the city bus to campus ...

Globesity

Today, Ron Noon of John Morris University, provoked us to think about globesity -- the disease of affluence: where production is for want and not need; for wealth and not health. One surprising consequence of this new phenomenon has more people dying from over-eating than there are people dying from hunger. Is this true? I mentally name diseases related to globesity -- diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, are just a few.

He encourages us to check out "The Price of Sugar" (2007), narrated by Paul Newman. The film raises key questions about where the products we consume originate and at what human cost they are produced. Thinking about what we've learned in this course, about the role that Liverpool played in the last four centuries of global commerce and trade, unfortunately, there are those who still exploit. And so many more of us who remain blissfully unaware.

Women Sitting By The Fountain

A free form poem ....

While sitting on the steps of the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool,

Two police officers race to remove a teenage girl, who moments before sat on the edge of the fountain. Her mother is left crying.

An older woman, sitting on the side of the fountain, fixes her lipstick, gets up and walks away with a bag full of bargains in each hand.

Two local gals shoot photos of each other in front of the fountain, clad in orange socks and legs crossed, waiting for the sun to peek through silver clouds.

And I, waiting on my friend, feel a camera lens focusing on me.

4 lads who shook the world

Nearing the end of our stay in Liverpool, I decided to head toward the Cavern Quarter on Mathew Street. The area is surrounded by four streets (Victoria, North John, Harrington and WhiteChapel). Looking up, there is a figure of each Beatle on the side of the Hard Days Night Hotel. Upon entering Mathew Street, I was greeted by John Lennon (at least a life size statue of him). He leans against the Cavern Wall of Fame, that features all the artists who have all been on the famous stage. Each one has their own brick. And let me tell you, the wall is BIG!

Although the Cavern Club didn't have a band on stage when I visited, I closed my eyes and could almost hear the music that echos nightly.

High Society Soiree at St. Georges Hall

The Educational Opportunities - Center for Lifelong Learning invited me to attend a 450 person dinner in celebration of the University of Liverpool's Honorary Graduates in 2009. I, along with the primary program staff and partner teachers promoting the Professor Fluffy initiative in greater Merseyside and the UK, had the priviledge of celebrating the honoring of those who have excelled in their chosen field and whose achievements have made significant contribution to society. 13 graduands were recognized in St. Georges Hall. Architecturally speaking it is an amazing place - one of the first with a heating and ventilation system for a building of its size, it has been used as a HUGE concert hall with its beautiful pipe organ, and was recently re-opened by Prince Charles in 2007 after a £23 million pound renovation. This building was home to two courts, there are even cells where prisoners in waiting were held. Today, it is a place where one can have high tea as well as a place where special events are held.

Although it may seem like a small thing to some, my table quickly noted the wine selection: Slowine Shiraz and Slowine Chenin Blanc Sauvingnon. Slowine belongs to the Thandi project for black empowerment in South Africa, their own version of FairTrade. This alone was promising to be a special evening. After dinner, we heard a performance by the the Liverpool University Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko. The royal toast, proposed by Pro-Chancellor Mark Blundell followed. After Vice-Chancelor Professor Sir Howard Newby toasted the honorary graduates and graduands, Jude Kelly gave the reply on behalf of her peers. She spoke of Liverpool, its diverse community, their unique contributions and their "joie de vivre". Tonight proved without a doubt that Liverpudlians can definitely throw a party.

Brabo, the Giant's Hand and a Kiss

Antwerp,another medieval port city with fortified citadel walls, only has the Steen (the Stone) remaining. Learning of the tour of Antwerp's canals and underground tunnels, it turned out that was 1 person too late. The English admission tour slots had just sold out. Although the German tour tickets were still available, I asked "What about tours offered in Spanish?". The ticket person laughed. They only offered two language options outside of Flemish. No worries. I had witnessed a special treat -- a wedding in the spectacular Flemish Renaissance style guildhouse-surrounded Grote Markt in the town square a half hour earlier.

Promptly at 10 am the bells of Antwerp's City Hall began to chime. For 30 minutes they rang to the sound of Clydesdale-drawn carriages carrying the wedding party through the courtyard. Flower girls, brides maids, family, friends and picture-snapping tourists were all there as witnesses of the new union. Next to the fountain with the statue of Brabo, the mythical Roman soldier tossing the giant's hand into the river, the bride and groom kissed.

It had been a lovely morning.

Independent Travel Module

Part of the global leadership course requires that COE students experience an independent travel module - destinations: Amsterdam and Antwerp. They were to research sites and make logistical arrangements from our departure locations starting with: (1) University of Liverpool campus; to the (2) Liverpool John Lennon international airport; to (3) Amsterdam Schipol airport; (4) to Antwerp's Central Station (just across the street from our hotel and one of the world's oldest zoos); (5) to Amsterdams Centraal Station; (6)to the stop for Hotel Casa 400. Arriving in Amsterdam, the decision to purchase group tickets vs individual tickets was made for us in that we had less than 4 minutes to catch the next train out, some people still had to exchange Pounds for Euros before any purchase could be made. 4 minutes was not enough time for a group of 24. In the end, each was responsible for procuring their own ticket. The result was a myriad of combinations: round trip tickets to Schipol at the weekender rate to tickets that returned from Antwerp and was valid thru the Amsterdam Centraal Station.

Antwerp: Peter Paul Ruben's Hometown

Spending a day and a half in Antwerp was full of surprises ... from unexpected weddings in the famous grote markt to the picturesque, to the leisurely meanderings of the flower lined river promenade. In 30 minutes, we'll head to Amsterdam, city of bicycles, museums and more. Off to another adventure ...
Can you identify this statue?

Walk on the Wall Side

Chester is a quaint little town in western England. First established as a Roman fort over 2,000 years ago, it grew quickly. One can still see the ancient ampitheater with its chapel to the Roman goddess, Nemesis. The old wall, shaped like a playing card (its rectangular) still surrounds the city, with one side abutting the river's edge. Four of us steped back in time and walked the Roman wall. Up the stairs, past the entrance of the Grosvenor Mall, we climbed overlooking those on the streets below. At times the wall is at tree-top level giving us a view of green and more green surrounding our brick pathway in the air. (Yoli in the sky with emeralds?)

With only four hours to see and do as much as we could, and with opportunity overload, a small group of us headed toward the River Dee. Although it is 70 miles long, cutting through parts of Wales and the Englishside, it meanders north up to Chester. It was almost a frame straight out from an old film: me in the back of a pedal boat, shaded by a red umbrella, gently floating down the river. Surprising to me was the Mark Twain riverboat tugging up and down the banks of the river. For a quick second, I wondered if I was somewhere in the midwest on the Mississippi.

Chester's commercial district dating back to the 1700's even has double decker shopping buildings! Of course, there are huge cathedrals, and carefully manicured gardens. Take a look ...

Knocker-Upper

An unexpected rain storm woke me up at 3 am. All was quiet except for the massive downpour of huge drops bouncing off my open window pane. Not surprisingly, I fell back asleep quicker than one can close their eyes. My agenda for the morning was to wake up at 5:20 am, shower, and then make my way to the South Sefton Rotary Club in Waterloo for their 7:30 am meeting. Earlier the previous evening, two students saw me googling the Royal Hotel in Waterloo. When they found out that the Gormley statues can be found off the beach where the Rotary club met, they asked that I wake them up too so they could join me: me for my make up meeting, them for beachside photo ops.

Later that morning on our way back into town, Colin Beaver, the newly installed South Sefton Rotary Club president gave us a quick tour us around town. We saw the original yellow 17 foot Super Lamb Banana and a smaller union-jack clad one. This sculpture, now the city mascot was created by Japanese artist, Taro Chiezo, to warn of the dangers of genetically modified food. Most appropriate to the city of Liverpool due to the port's rich history in the trade of lambs and the import of bananas. Bypassing traffic past the miles of docks that now stand empty, he told us the story about Liverpool's knocker-uppers. These are people who would carry long thin sticks and tap (knock) on dock workers 2nd floor bedroom windows to wake them up so they could report to their dock by the time a ship was in port ready to be unloaded. I chuckled to myself ... I am becoming more Scousian by the day. This morning, I was a knocker-upper waking up my travel companions before the first light.

Rule #7

During our pre-departure orientation in Newark, those of us who were participating in the COE Europe 2009 tour talked about our expectations: academic development, the trip, and living with our fellow travelers. We agreed that we would abide by the following group rules: #1. go with an open mind; #2. be attentive; #3. communicate our needs; #4. respect each other; #5. respect our common space; #6. look out for each other ; and most of all, #7. no complaining.

Of course, not that I am complaining ... Of all times for England to have a heatwave, it had to be while we are here. 30 degrees celcius (90 degrees farenheit) feels much less oppressive when: buildings are air conditioned; there is no humidity; when one is not wearing long slacks; and, one does not walk for several neighborhoods during the heat of the day.



But you didn't hear it from me ...

Just Do It

Today's topic was international development. But what exactly does this mean to today's college student? Does it mean that one party (country, non-governmental organization, or person) works to reduce the poverty of another; to build capacity so that they have meaningful choices later on; or to improve the quality of life? Yes, to all of the above.

We heard Abigail's and A.B.'s experiences during their year abroad. One went to Peru to teach English and to build green eco-latrines; the other went to Spain and used their English language skills by working at a youth hostel. What they had in common was that both were open to stretching themselves - leaving the comfort of what they knew to experience the unknown with people very different than they. This may sound a bit scary, especially when one is most likely several time zones away from home and gone for a long time. But thats not what they talked about. They said that the biggest benefit was interacting with others, sharing what they had and learning from the local community. They stressed that we all have alot to give and encouraged us to 'just do it'.

Hard At Work

Everyone in the COE group eventually ends up in the computer lab, whether it be after class, after city tours but mostly before they close for the night (at 11 pm!!). Here are a few, hard at work, preparing for the independent travel module to Amsterdam and Antwerp; or researching for their final presentation; or maybe even FaceBooking ...

Castles in the Sand

The warm Irish sea breeze beckons us as we get off the 44 minute train-ride. 10 minutes through flower-box lined streets leading to the beach, Brian stops for an ice cream cone. The cone lady with no front teeth asks for his reaction to Michael Jackson's passing. His reponse, "A sad ending to an even sadder life." Interestingly, England is still reeling from the news -- four days later. Its true. They usually go in threes. This time, it was Farrah Fawcett (age 62), Ed McMahan (age 86) and Michael (age 50). Upon reflection, our afternoon at the classic beach town of Southport brings Jimi Hendrix' song to mind ... "And so castles made of sand, slips into the sea, eventually."

Footpower

With backpacks for a one night's stay, 19 students, 1 student intern, 2 US counselors tried as best we could to keep up with our fast-walking Scouser-talking group leader. We saw the historical, political, cultural and the every day at the turn of every corner. From protests against the Iranian elections, Hare Krishna parades of people dancing in the streets, impromptu (thanks to Twitter) and illegal memorials of the recently departed Michael Jackson, to those enjoying an easy Sunday morning.London easily holds more than the touristy snap shots of BigBen, Parliament and Buckingham Palace.

London is a global city - seemed like out of every ten people we passed, seven spoke something other than English. London is also super efficient with its busses, tubes and ferries transporting the masses from this way to there.Note to self: This holds true, until there is a delay. Then, watch out, near pandemonium! Photo above is of people waiting on delayed trains in London due to Wimbledon 2009 in Wembely.