Surprise in Wonderland (4)

Noticing surface changes when coming to the UK was easy because it threw me out of my everyday habits. At first the changes were just little things that annoyed me; like, the front door handle is always on the left side when in America it's always on the right. The toilets are really different but I have used English toilets so much I don't even remember what is so different anymore. American toilets flush better at least. Riding on the left side of the road is a little uncomfortable at times and I haven't seen any law enforcement vehicles at all, just police walking around in the city. This could explain why the British drive like mad people. Although on the contrary I haven't seen any road side accidents or even a close call. This confuses me.

Public transportation is golden. They also constantly push recycling, printing it on bags and bottles. The UK being an older country than America understands the importance of making the most of their resources. If America is frugal with their resources now we will of course be better off in the future. Melissa was talking to a lady on the train and the lady explained that England's natural coal resources are pretty much gone.

I feel like "Alice in Wonderland". I wake up in a strange place with (at the time) strange people. I go exploring and observing the different cultures, types of people, traditions and law. I can even go as far to say that I explored time/history and the periods/symbolism's that they brought. I really feel that this has changed me. Novelty here is not necessarily more exciting but my fascination with the Medieval/Romantic way of living makes it more exciting on a personal level. It's quite irritating when people ask me about New York or Las Vegas and I have to reply that I have never been. It's a burden on my part that I haven't really explored my home country to it's full potential but yet I'm aching to get outside too see everything else. Quite a contradiction, it's the Byron in me.

Caterpillar: Who are YOU?

Alice: ... I -- I hardly know, sir, just at present -- at least I know who I was when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.

Coming to the UK is comparatively a small step to many other countries that I hope to one day visit: Mongolia, New Zealand, Zambia, Austria, Germany etc... but I want my eyes to constantly be aware of change be able to adapt myself for the better.

Alice
But then, shall I never get any older than I am now? That'll be a comfort, one way -- never to be an old woman -- but then -- always to have lessons to learn!

Newstead Abby was incredible. The gardens were beautiful and in several different styles (Spanish, French and English) . The interior had been kept up well, at least the parts of it that were accessible. The Abby was very flamboyant and I could see the influence of Byron's travels among the decorations and some children's toys. In the poems he speaks about the ruin that the Abby has come to and that the previous Byron the V had let the Abby be destroyed. Instead of fixing it up he only keeps a few rooms for entertaining others and complains about the mess of an Abby it has become. There was so much potential beauty and from the paintings of Newstead it seemed as though it hadn't completely lost its luster (although the painter could have brightened it up to deceive the viewer). He is does seem to be very selfish and could have occupied some if his time by cleaning up his surroundings. It would have changed the tone of his poetry.

Newstead seemed a little stuffy inside and which I'm sure the extra architecture and decor was very in style back in his day. It doesn't quit measure up to my likings of Sherwood forest or the Moors. The Bronte sisters took Romantic aspects from Byron's poetry like his whole out look on things of passing beauty and decay is romantic. The Robin Hood stories put a large influence on Byron's description of nature. I see him trying to raise himself up as a hero, as a Robin Hood.

I can not completely dis Byron because I too take things for granted and sometimes complain about things that I myself could have prevented or changed. I can learn from Byron and say that I'm not going to complain or try to be a power figure, someone I'm not, just take life as hit hits me and change the things that I have the power to change.