Lara's Blog

Kensington Palace

2008-07-12T10:02:00.001Z

S5300063, originally uploaded by lcddavenport.

We were lucky and got a sunny day to walk around Kensington park.

Burleigh House

2008-07-12T09:59:00.001Z

S5300098, originally uploaded by lcddavenport.

Jaime and I visit Burleigh House.

Jaime and the Dough

2008-07-12T09:56:00.001Z

S5300084, originally uploaded by lcddavenport.

My sister Jaime and I "making cookies." This necessarily involves some dough eating - in classic Jaime style.

My Allotment (Finally)

2007-10-08T19:58:00.000Z

After many months on the waiting list, I have finally been granted my allotment (or "pea patch"). The rent is only 26GBP per year! Here are some pictures that I hope eventually to compare to a neat and tidy little veggie garden.Can you see the tall weeds in the distance behind the nicely covered plot? Half of those weeds are mine!
The plot is long and skinny, from the gate back to the tree line. Here you can see how high the weeds are compared to Jonathon.

Emirates Stadium

2007-10-01T18:09:00.001Z

Jonathon and I went to Emirates Stadium to see Arsenal play. It is an impressive statium and we enjoyed watching Arsenal win 2-0 against Newcastle.

Washington Pics 3

2007-09-17T19:38:00.000Z

Mrs Grey (my sister) and I

Washington Pics 2

2007-09-17T19:35:00.000Z

Mom loves her Guiness!

Washington Pics 1

2007-09-17T19:32:00.000Z

Dad "working"

Washington State Trip

2007-09-17T19:24:00.000Z

I just got back from my trip to Washington State for Lissa's Wedding. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip:

Lissa's Bachelorette Party Begins

Back in the Blog Saddle Again!

2007-09-17T19:19:00.001Z

It's been almost a year since I last posted here. I'm still living in Baldock and we still have the beautiful car!

I'm going to try to be a more diligent blogger in the future!

New Car!

2006-08-13T14:26:00.000Z

Jonathon bought a new car this weekend. It is a Peugeot 307.
Here it is with the top down and me inside!

Chilli Peppers

2006-08-06T17:57:00.000Z

Proof that Chilli Peppers can be grown in England!

Mummy Room

2006-07-13T18:09:00.000Z

A tour of London wouldn't have been complete without a trip to the mummy room at the British Museum. This is one of my favorites!

Chonabot's Vist

2006-07-13T18:05:00.000Z

Chonabot and his parents paid me a visit during their trip to Europe this summer. While they were London, I got to play tourist with them! We were lucky to catch a rehersal of the trooping of the color for the Queen's birthday. This photo catches the palace guard band which rides on horseback while playing! The timpanis required clydesdayles and a lot of coordination from the musicians.

Tea and Scones

2006-06-01T18:03:00.000Z

Of course, a day out required a stop for tea and scones!

Burghley House

2006-06-01T18:00:00.000Z

Jonathon and I went on a driving trip to Burghley House on Saturday. Parts of the Da Vinci Code and Pride and Prejudice were filmed here.

View from Bodiam

2006-05-21T10:58:00.000Z

The field around Bodiam were in full bloom, bad news for allergy sufferers! You can also just make out the miniature steam train in the picture.

Bodiam Castle

2006-05-21T10:56:00.000Z

We visited Bodiam Castle along the way. It is well known for it's moat.

Brighton Pavillion

2006-05-21T10:54:00.000Z

We also saw the Brighton Pavillion. The outside may look Indian but the inside has Chinese decorations!

Roadtrip to Brighton

2006-05-21T10:51:00.000Z

After my accountancy exams were over, Jonathon and I took a road trip to Brighton. Here's a picture of the brighton pier.

Bridesmaid Shoes

2006-02-19T18:25:00.000Z

Here are the Bridesmaid shows that I bought for Melissa and I to wear in Jaime's wedding.

Spring Blossoms

2006-02-19T18:17:00.000Z

My bulbs have started blossoming!

flowers

2006-02-19T18:13:00.000Z

Valentine's Day flowers.

Christmas Amaryllis

2006-02-19T18:08:00.000Z

Our Christmas amaryllis blooms!

Princess Diana Statue

2006-02-19T18:03:00.000Z

The Princess Diana statue in Harrod's.

Beckett Memorial

2006-02-19T17:44:00.000Z

The Beckett memorial in Canterbury Cathedral.

View from Dover Castle

2006-02-19T17:37:00.000Z

The view across the Channel from Dover Castle.

Dover Castle

2006-02-19T17:22:00.000Z

Dover Castle and a scale model of a trebuchet.

Big Ben

2006-02-19T17:13:00.000Z

Melissa next to Big Ben.

Hemel Hempstead

2006-02-19T17:05:00.000Z

The Hemel Hempstead explosion from the M25.

Cambridge Graduation Part 2

2006-02-19T16:52:00.000Z

My parents and I at my Cambridge graduation.

Cambridge Graduation 1

2006-02-19T16:44:00.000Z

Jonathon and I at my Cambridge graduation.

Leaning Building

2006-02-19T16:35:00.000Z

Mom stands in front of a leaning building in Richmond, Kent.

Brewery Lane, Baldock

2006-02-19T16:28:00.000Z

This is my house in Baldock, Hertfordshire.

The Good Sheapard Part 2

2006-02-19T16:24:00.000Z

I didn't see any big stars, but I did see all these extras in 40s era costumes!

The Good Sheapard Part 1

2006-02-19T16:15:00.000Z

A film was shooting at the abandoned Underground station next to my office. It will be called "The Good Sheapard" and starts Robert Di Niro and Angelina Jolie.

The Biscuit Fire

2005-08-30T20:56:00.000Z

I just discovered a new twist on Munsch's "The Scream" painting...check it out

Ireland Pictures

2005-08-03T23:55:00.000Z

In July I took a quick trip to Ireland with Brian.
We first visited London for the day and then flew to Dublin. We spent most of our time in Dublin but also managed to make it to Cork and Blarney Castle.

You can see pictures on Brian's Website.

The National Archives | Trafalgar ancestors

2005-06-21T16:56:00.000Z

You can now check and see if any of your ancestors really were at the battle of Trafalgar!

The National Archives | Trafalgar ancestors

Ugly Dress.com - Bridesmaid Dresses From Hell

2005-06-01T21:22:00.000Z

I've found the ultimate website for selecting bridesmaid's dresses.

Ugly Dress.com - Bridesmaid Dresses From Hell

Personalized M&M'S

2005-05-31T15:41:00.000Z

Check out this website where you can design your own M&Ms!

Shop M&M'S

NationMaster.com - Where Stats Come Alive!

2005-05-24T14:58:00.000Z

I've just discovered a really interesting website. You can see more international graphs and stats than you ever wanted to know!

NationMaster.com - Where Stats Come Alive!

My favorite so far is the net Happiness stat. Apparently Iceland is a nice place to be! I guess I won't be taking my next vacation to Bulgaria.

testosterone swop

2005-05-18T17:43:00.000Z

Hmm...I think a better title would have been 'Will perform applied math for household chores.'

Isn't craigslist wonderful?

testosterone swop

Star Wars: Episode III - Your Lucky Day

2005-05-14T23:10:00.000Z

I have an extra ticket to Star Wars: Episode III. If you are interested in it, see the following link:

Star Wars: Episode III - Your Lucky Day

Visitors

2005-03-29T00:38:00.001Z

We had some visitors this Easter. Having friends around means visiting all of the Cambridge tourist essentials!

2005-03-28T23:57:00.000Z

Me in front of Downing College Chapel

2005-03-28T23:56:00.000Z

Priya helping out the tourists in London

2005-03-28T23:54:00.000Z

Discovering DNA at the Eagle Pub

Thought for the day

2005-03-22T13:44:00.000Z

'Cultural Chauvinism'
How would you define it? How can it be identified? With what might it contrast?

This leads me to the topic of multiculturalism.
How would you fill in the blanks?
culture : multiculturalism :: ? : ?

Concerts

2005-03-09T18:13:00.000Z

In case you are keeping track....

Programs from last weekend:

Part - Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
Schubert - Unfinished Symphony
Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 20
Ravel - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte

Mozart - Requiem
Foggit - Piano Concerto
Foggit - Te Deum

Programs for next weekend:

Brahms - Requiem

Saint Saens - Cello Concerto
Brahms - Symphony No. 1
Verdi - La Forza del Destino

let me know if you want details about where and when.

Varsity Squash Match

2005-02-20T13:54:00.000Z

Friday was the annual Varsity Squash Match. I had a lot of fun watching and was once again impressed by the Royal Automobile Club. This year I even got to go to the fancy dinner afterwards!

I spent Saturday morning in the British Museum. The head curator of anthropology gave my museums group a lecture on Thursday about her newest exhibit - "Living and Dying." It was fantastic to go explore the exhibit after hearing her insights. I also studied the Americas room and portions of the Captain Cook collection on display. Objects collected during his third voyage on the Northwest Coast of America may play a large role in my dissertation. Of course, I couldn't make a trip to the British Museum without visiting the mummies! They have now incorporated some interesting CAT scan images of mummies that have never been unwrapped.

On the train home, I mastered Marxist ideological theory and Gramscian hegemony. I am now officially way too absorbed in anthropological theory.

Saturday Movings

2005-02-12T23:47:00.000Z

Today Rita and I exchanged rooms in our flat. It is amazing how fresh and new everything feels, with all the same things simply arranged differently. You should try it out. Go re-arrange a room in your house right now! It will make you feel great- I promise!

Easter Vacation

2005-02-08T19:49:00.000Z

I am officially going to be in Las Vegas on Easter Vacation from April 5 until April 16.
Let me know if you will be around as well!

Karen Armstrong

2005-02-07T21:45:00.000Z

This evening I got a chance to hear a lecture on Fundamentalism by the religious scholar Karen Armstrong.
Some highlights of the evening:
"You know... it was me and Desmond Tutu."
And more seriously:
"Culture is always contested."

Real Tennis

2005-01-27T19:58:00.000Z

Today I watched my first ever Real Tennis match. Have you ever seen this game? It has been played since Elizabethan times. There is even a bell attached to one side of the court. If you hit the bell and get it to ring- you win the point!

Christmas Eve in Cambridge

2004-12-24T16:15:00.000Z

Today I went to King's College to queue for the famous sung service done with King's College Choir. Unfortunatly, I locked myself out of my flat and had to wait for someone, on Christmas Eve Day, to come out with a spare key. Thus I was not in line early enough to get in to the service (boo).

I did get to see the choristers come across from their school. I thought to listen to the service from outside the chapel but it started pouring down rain.

The service is available online here, and it will be played on BBC worldservice.

Merry Christmas!

2004-12-24T16:14:00.000Z

Choristers entering King's Chapel

2004-12-24T16:13:00.000Z

Choristers coming over from their school

2004-12-24T16:10:00.000Z

Line forming to enter the chapel

A Day in London

2004-12-24T16:02:00.000Z

I spent Thursday in London with James. We went to Westminster Abbey, where I haven't been in 6 years. I tried not to be a 'Da Vinci Code' tourist and just look for the sites associated with the book. Unfortunatly, we weren't allowed to take any pictures inside.

We also visited Covent Garden and went window shopping on Oxford street. It was all very festive!

2004-12-24T16:00:00.000Z

Window shopping at Selfridge's

2004-12-24T15:59:00.000Z

Santa's Grotto - Covent Garden

2004-12-24T15:58:00.001Z

Being a tourist!

2004-12-24T15:58:00.000Z

Westminster

2004-12-24T15:56:00.000Z

Westminster Abbey

Weird

2004-12-12T17:43:00.000Z

This afternoon a fair ride mysteriously appeared across the street! Just one ride, out in the middle of an empty parking lot, with no riders in sight! Weird.

2004-12-12T17:42:00.000Z

Fair ride outside our apartment building

London Trip

2004-12-12T17:35:00.000Z

Spent Saturday in London. My museums group went museum hopping first to the British Museum. Then on to the Natural History, Science, and Victoria and Albert Museum.

Later I got to see the last performance of Beckett, at the Royal Haymarket Theatre.

2004-12-12T17:33:00.000Z

Giles and Trajan

2004-12-12T17:32:00.000Z

Beckett Reliquary

2004-12-12T17:31:00.000Z

Chihuly Glass Sculpture in the V&A Lobby

2004-12-12T17:29:00.000Z

Albert Memorial

2004-12-12T17:28:00.000Z

Reading Room

2004-12-12T17:27:00.000Z

Elgin Marbles

2004-12-12T17:26:00.000Z

British Museum

Trip to Ely

2004-12-10T22:55:00.000Z

Today I had a nice (although short) trip to Ely. I saw the cathedral and Oliver Cromwell's house. Unfortunatly, the museum was closed by the time we got there.

2004-12-10T22:54:00.001Z

Ely Cathedral

2004-12-10T22:54:00.000Z

Lady Chapel

2004-12-10T22:53:00.000Z

Lara in the Lady Chapel

2004-12-10T22:52:00.000Z

Giles with a pony

Templar sword

2004-12-04T02:59:00.000Z

Look what's selling on ebay- why would anyone want to part with their Templar sword?

eBay item 2291154554 (Ends 12-Dec-04 21:47:35 GMT) - 12th century Knights Templar crusader sword

Although, I doubt that it is really "12th century."

Didjeridoo!

2004-12-04T02:41:00.000Z

My sister Lissa just sent me the best Christmas present - a Didgeridoo! It's an aboriginal wind instrument made from hollow wood. So far, I'm only good at annoying my neighbors and flatmate with playing it.

You can listen to what a didgeridoo sounds like here.

Downing College Christmas Dinner

2004-12-03T00:42:00.000Z

Had a very nice Christmas Dinner this evening at Downing College formal hall. There were crackers and mince pies galore!

Philharmonia Concert

2004-11-28T13:24:00.001Z

Philharmonia concert in Sidney Sussex Chapel last night.
It was fun to play in a space with so much character! The music went better than expected as well. Recordings should be up soon.

2004-11-28T13:24:00.000Z

Sidney Sussex Chapel

eBay!

2004-11-27T01:07:00.000Z

Just put some tile up for auction on ebay.

Take a look:
eBay item 5938251057 (Ends 06-Dec-04 23:51:07 GMT) - Grey Italian Stoneware Tile

Congratulations!

2004-11-26T19:53:00.000Z

Congratulations to Sean and my sister Jaime, who got engaged on Thanksgiving!

(no- he didn't hide the ring in the turkey, I asked)

CNN.com - Offbeat News

2004-11-25T01:59:00.000Z

A new exciting discovery- CNN's Offbeat News

CNN.com - Offbeat News

Check out the story from Nov 15 about beavers weaving money into their dam!

What are we thankful for?

2004-11-25T01:55:00.000Z

Someone asked me the other day what we Americans are thankful for at Thanksgiving.
I couldn't remember at the time, but now I do.
We're thankful for having left England!

Day in the Stores

2004-11-23T23:27:00.000Z

I had an awesome day today working with Peruvian textiles in the stores of the museum. A new exhibit is going up in January and I got to help pick the objects that will go in the new display. There should be a nice balance of various textile techniques and iconography.

UCPO Concert

2004-11-21T23:19:00.000Z

Had a great concert this evening at West Road. My friend Mark conducted half and Merlin came and listened to his first classical music concert!

2004-11-21T23:10:00.002Z

Our Thanksgiving makeshift baseball game.

Marco and his Napkins

2004-11-21T23:10:00.001Z

Marco concentrating hard on his napkin-folding job.

2004-11-21T23:10:00.000Z

Merlin attempting to open a can without a can opener.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2004-11-21T23:05:00.000Z

Yesterday I had Thanksgiving Dinner for about 20 of my friends! We had all of the tradition delicious items minus pumpkin pie. There is not a pumpkin to be found in Cambridge, UK this time of year. Believe me, I found out the hard way. Rita did make some very tasty squash pies though, and you could hardly taste the difference.

We also convinced our friends to play some makeshift baseball, involving plastic sacks for bases and a tennis ball. Watching a British person try to decide where to run once they've actually made contact with the ball is hilarious! I got to learn some cricket techniques in return.

Two especially poignant moments of the evening: Marco (who is currently studying for a PhD at Oxford) carefully folding napkins, and Merlin (a fourth-year Chemical Engineering student) attempting to open a can of corn with a medieval utensil provided him by our weird Eastern-European neighbors.

Best part of the evening: great friends that cleaned up my post-turkey disaster of a kitchen!

Oxford

2004-11-12T01:09:00.000Z

Just got back from a day in Oxford. My museums study group went to visit the Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers Museums. The Trandescant room in the Ashmolean was a highlight. It is a remake of a cabinet of curiosities from the 17th century.

I also got to visit Marco, a friend from MIT, who is studying and the University of Oxford.