Diamonds, Rough Patches, and Cutting Things Close

Yes, I know it's hard to believe but I'm actually posting something.  I know it has been a very long time since I did, but every time I got online to post, I had a massive writers block so I decided to get away for a while. 

I'm back now and feeling excited and nostalgic about being here again!  I'm going to add random pictures in here for you to 'ooh' and 'aah' over while I tell a few stories!

My final practical exam is this Friday....I'm nervous, excited, worried, and mostly just ready to get in there and get it done!  6 hours of making things like this sugar sculpture ^, and truffles, and brioche....I can't think too much about it just yet or I'll freak out!  I will do great, I know, I just wanna get it over with! 

I officially have 3 more classes I have to wear my uniform for, then a debriefing of my exams and then graduation before I get to come home!!!!  And yes, it's officially 21 days till I will be back in the US of A!  I can't wait and the days are passing so slowly not that I've not much more to do and even fewer pounds to do it with!

So from my last post way back in-oh my god January!!-I've completed Intermediate and most of Superior successfully!  I've moved into a new house with different friends, because it's way easier to take a train into London than a coach.  I've lost some friends, but made new ones to make up for it.  I've been sunburned and sweaty, then cold and shivering the next week.  I've walked more miles than I can count and my feet are taking the brunt of that pain.  I've cut my own hair, well bangs, so that they were out of my eyes...but they've since grown and are at the annoying stage of the tips being in my eyes. :(  I've been happier in the sun shine, but more depressed when it's cloudy. 

I've seen the beauty of yellow fields of some plant (no one will ever give me a straight answer as to what they are), and I've seen the same fields turn to a pale green when the flowers fell.  I've officially seen every season in England, and realized I've been here longer this year than a fellow English gal!  I've changed; I've grown stronger.  I know who I am at this point in my life.

This is what I'm capable of-and as of last week I didn't think it was possible!  I call this my Pear and White Chocolate Symphony.  It's an almond sponge with poppy seed, white chocolate mousse, pear, cinnamon and clove jelly, dark chocolate glaze, raspberry coulis, white chocolate tendril, coconut creme anglaise, and a tuile (cookie) on top.  All made by yours truly and painstakingly put together!  It's another exam piece and we have to make 2 identical ones!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee is this year, and more specifically this weekend.  It's a bank holiday, and is supposed to mark the anniversary of her coronation with the boats on the river a couple days ago.  All the celebrations got me to thinking about what it would be like to have been the Royal of a country through so many years of changes.  I mean, think about the fact that she's seen countless wars, the age of technology take off, the world becoming 'smaller' as a by product.  She's been the Queen through all these events, and been alive through much more!  Can you imagine looking back on your life to see the world change so drastically and know you were a ruling monarch through a vast majority of those changes?!?!  I envy having that knowledge and the kind of memories she does!  To be 'patriotic' for the country I'm living in atm, here's a Union Jack pic!

Ah, this is an Entremet I did in class several weeks ago.  It's a peanut butter fudge brownie, caramel mousse, vanilla brulee center, dark chocolate glacage, honey and black tea 'macarons' and some sugar decoration.  It was the first time we had to come up with a recipe all on our lonesome, and was quite a frustrating week to be sure!

One of my favorite pictures to date!  I walk to the train station every day, taking a different route when I have time by the river, and there's this gorgeous tree!  I took this at 5:15am on my way to get the train for class...can you believe the sun's already that high?!?!

I'm feeling quite drained now, catching you all up on my life.  I realized the other day, when I thought about writing on here again, that originally I thought this blog was for the people back home to keep up with my life in the UK.  I now know it's more of a way for me to remember the way this journey started, and where the past 9 months have taken me; it's to help me think back on the laughter and tears that changed me.  I know I'll come back one day, hopefully not so broke, and see the things I couldn't afford now...but I know the experience won't change me the same way.  It will move me, as all new experiences should, but they won't drastically change my life the way this one has. 

Until next time!

Time's war over our hearts

Give someone a smile today, all my lovely readers, and hug those you love!  A special prayer goes out to the Anderson family who lost someone they loved; I know we aren't that close, but I felt the need to keep you in my thoughts today.  Worlds apart, know that that you are loved and supported in this time of grieving.



On a different note, I felt the want to blog today and I consider that a good thing so here you go!


Things I saw today that I never expected to see:

1.  (The most shocking)  A drug deal...in front of a tube station...by two white guys in business suits!  It totally caught me off guard and I was in so much shock I couldn't think to report it to the police man not 20ft away!

2.  ...^ that was pretty much all I expected never to see but let me tell ya what else went on today!

3.  Brand new, state of the art, shiny, expensive, wonderful kitchen equipment that I could never afford in my wildest dreams!  And I get to be one of the first to use it!! 

4.  This one's x-rated so watch out!!  Two men kissing on the street in front of a police station...not that I'm bothered by it, just the fact that it happened outside a police station.

5.  hmm...I think that's it for today!  Pretty exciting if I do say so myself!

So today was orientation at the new location for my school.  The area and new building is amazing and literally right around the corner from the British Museum!  I couldn't ask for more from a London school location!  Classes are going to be challenging this term, but I have most of the same people from last term in my group so I'm confident things will be alright!  New appliances and old friends-what could go wrong?!?!

I didn't realize how much I missed the school till I took the tour with the chef and got to see the faces I enjoyed being around so much last term!  Again I remind myself, this is where I'm supposed to be; no matter how challenging things in class may get, or how frustrating my personal and living situations might be it is all worth it.  I'm on the coach back to Mildenhall this weekend and I can't wait!  I have great things planned and sleep is #1 on that list!

I do realize that I haven't yet posted about my trip home (which was so thoughtfully requested by Ms. Olmos via Facebook) and I promise I will put it up!  I am making it super special just for you in a message on FB as a thank you for being the only person to vote.  I will be posting the super plain version here.  Mom, I know you wrote I could put anything and you'd be happy, and your thanks is that I Skype with you all the time!

I know it's a bit late to make a new year's resolution, but it took me a while to come up with a few of mine!  Enjoy this last piece of me for a while, but I'll be back soon!

- Take the time to smile at someone with an invisible job.

- Slowly crack open the shell I've created to let people see the beautiful person that lays hiding inside.

- Get over the small fear of public water fountains...you're gonna need it at the new school!

- Find something outside every day that makes you remember how beautiful the world we live in really is!

-  Remember rule #6...and don't take yourself so damn serious all the time!



Love from London  <3

New game; do you wanna play?

Wow...it's almost been a month since my last post.  I can't explain the slight disappointment and excitement I feel at making that statement!  I have a terrible guilt complex that means I feel awful for leaving most of you in the dark about what's been happening in my life.  I also feel rather naughty for rebelling against myself-it's rather strange, I know, but if you haven't realized that I'm strange by now you've not been really paying attention!

Let's see...since last time I wrote to you I have:

• Graduated from Basic Patissiere!  (Which means I passed all my finals! Yay! Go Me!)
• Enjoyed a week off between finals and graduation in Birmingham with a good friend-to be named at a later date.
• I was able to head home for the Christmas holiday and it was a truly wonderful 10 days surprising friends and family!
• Experienced some life lessons that, while painful on my bank account and self, have hopefully made me stronger.

Now I'm sure most of you are on the edge of your seats wondering when I'm going to jump into those long novels I can write about the adventures I've had...but I'm going to disappoint!  You know I'll tell you eventually, but I'm going to try something new here.  This may end up blowing up in my face, but we'll call this another adventure and this time you get to be part of it!

Here's the deal:  You get to vote on which adventure I tell first, this way I can find out what interests my audience.  All you have to do is go to the comments page here or write on my facebook page in the next few days and 'cast your vote.'  I'll tally them and my next post will be chosen by you, my adoring fans! ;)  How about I give you till Tuesday night and I'll post the next story Wednesday?! 

Ready?  Go for it and show me some love!

Love from London <3