november

These kids.

cambridge today

papa

Today would have been my Papa's birthday. Every year I try and have a wee dram of whiskey around this time - this year whiskey-purists would have hated me, on Thursday I had a Tennessee Honey Jack Daniels with a couple of girlfriends and it was OH SO good.

Papa (Ingram Taylor McLaren - what a name) was a fantastic man. I was only young when he died but I remember this. I won't root up all the stories of him here but one in particular is special to me: Papa took the exam (unbeknownst to everyone) and was accepted into MENSA in relatively ripe adulthood. I'm the proud owner of his certificate, which sits on my dresser at home proudly displaying his enormous IQ. I think this story has always been a secret inspiration to me to be smart and have a geekish enthusiasm for studying. I thought of him a lot when I got my acceptance letter into Cambridge, and also on the day I finished my final final last year. No doubt he'll be on my mind when I'm receiving my degree in June next year.

Here's me and the big guy:

Papa was a Burns' fan I believe but I'm more partial to a bit of Robert Service - he was a Scot born in England, spent his youth in Glasgow and went to British Colombia at 21, and so I identify our England-Scotland-Massachusetts family spread with his life. Here's my favourite of his works, My Madonna:

I haled me a woman from the street,

   Shameless, but, oh, so fair!

I bade her sit in the model’s seat

   And I painted her sitting there.

I hid all trace of her heart unclean;

   I painted a babe at her breast;

I painted her as she might have been

   If the Worst had been the Best.

She laughed at my picture and went away.

   Then came, with a knowing nod,

A connoisseur, and I heard him say;

   “’Tis Mary, the Mother of God.”

So I painted a halo round her hair,

   And I sold her and took my fee,

And she hangs in the church of Saint Hillaire,

   Where you and all may see.

TEDing

I haven't posted in a WHILE but fortunately that means I've been far too busy moving back to Cambridge, starting this year and loving life. SO MANY updates to come, including the fact that living with four boys has possibly been the best decision I ever made (you guyz are so sweet), but for the meantime here is a bit of this evening's headspace:

I hate working in silence so whilst doing a bit more maths prep tonight (business maths, as it turns out, is terrifying) I've been playing a few TED talks in the background. First was a Steve Jobs one which was very emotional very inspirational yada yada yada. My favourite this evening however and one which I just felt compared to share was one from Amy Webb on hacking online-dating. For some reason I just love it. It's so great. Watch it!

(From TEDSalon NY2013 see here)

old stuff

So I've been so busy jetsetting I haven't sorted out any Americuh photos yet. I managed to get away on a college travel grant to ROMA with Hazza T last last weekend. Now I'm back on the couch watching endless episodes of full house (television royalty) and lamenting the departure of my younger sister to university. You really get a sense of how little you do on summer holidays when you've no longer got someone to do nothing with. Anyway here's a few from day one of the Rome excursion. Despite having shy of three days to explore Rome we really did experience the city - sightseeing everyday, eating ALL THE PIZZA AND THE GELATI and hanging out with Russians with matching names / Americans gatecrashing their friend's honeymoon / Italian hotel owners at night. I think it's safe to say we'd both return to the city in a heartbeat. B&w photos for b&w times:

Colosseum kitty.

This happened a plenty.

Back to Cambridge next weekend to move into DREAM HOUSE. We can't believe how much of a good deal we've got for a student house this year.

my blood and sweat

America 2013 Highlights from Megan McLaren on Vimeo.

This video has been my blood and sweat for the past few weeks - the reason none of my America photos are getting any attention!! Just a small glimpse into the trip from the girls' point of view. Enjoy!

the curtains are up!

If you've asked me over the last few months what I'm up to over the summer I may have mentioned the new family business. On Saturday we finally had our GRAND (RE)OPENING (the dance shop has been going for years before us and has a great pointe-fitting reputation). We took to the streets to harass the local people of Warrington with our flyers and neunundneunzigluftballons while the adults did adulty things inside. Friends old and new came along to support the shop, including our very own Miss Nicola the Ballerina and Wolfie - the local rugby team mascot. The day culminated in a McLaren-style celebration (i.e. alcofrolic) with family and dance enthusiasts. Seeing as this is free advertising space..why don't you like the Barnum's Dance page! 

 

Oh that cake...

Uncle Jules & Aunty Didy keepin it real.

The business partners.

acorns

I found a acorn.

And we've been tormenting Kevin. (Sorry cat)

And missing the States.

That little chap is Connor, my cousin's almost-nephew. Together with his brother Nathan he had us running circles round him but his cuteness definitely warrants it. Going at a snail's pace with processing photos from the trip but they should be up soon for your nosying. Making acorns out of my lemons, acorns are much more sophisticated.

 By the way, someone get me this Oy with the poodles already poster for my birthday?

Hey y'all (I'm so American now)

I discontinued posting my adventures when we arrived at my cousins' in Massachusetts because, well, I was having far too much fun to be geeking out on the internet. We arrived quite late at night and then the very next day my cousin Iain proposed to his girlfriend before all our eyes AND there were rainbow cupcakes (very important detailing). Keri of course said yes (after coming out with "Are you s****ing me?!" despite all her efforts training herself not to do so when the moment came). Keri made the rainbow cupcakes (I've never seen someone implement a brief quite so literally), which were RIDICULOUSLY good. Photos to come.

My older cousin Heather (Iain's sister) also rang us with important news before we set off to the states around a month ago, letting us all know that (un)fortunately for us we'd have to come back to the states in 2014 as well for HER WEDDING. This was the first engagement we've had in our generation of the McLarens so we freaked out and screamed a lot and also contemplated how depressing but exciting it is that we're all growed up now. (We're turning not-21 in less than a month now, we're not really talking about it and now referring to all future birthdays as not-21st birthdays). Heather, Jason, Iain and Keri - I'm so freaking excited for you all. And for the open bars at your weddings. <3

I'm pining for Massachusetts now. Our week at the Zautners was filled with ice cream, movies, crafts, barbeques, cribbage, peanut butter flavour, little dogs, babies, hugs, dolphins (a lie, seemed to fit), beaches, yard games, basements and SO MANY DanGers. (Inside joke, I'm really sorry. It started here). We're back in the U.K. for now and the Dubai lot are off again soon. I'm part-time-job-searching and spending an embarrassing amount of time on the internet at the moment. Nice photos from my SLR are yet to be uploaded onto the lappy and processed but at the moment I'm shying away from the two fully-loaded SD cards which are going to take DECADES to trawl through.

I'm on a Gilmore Girls marathon until I find a job and coming up for air in between intensely watching back-to-back episodes I've stumbled on this BuzzFeed (click here) and this photo blog post (click here) which both really touched my heart. (You will judge me on that statement when you open the first link, but I have a deeply-rooted passion for the subject matter).

Please get in touch if you'd like to help fund me through the next couple months. Ha. (Crying inside).

Azkaban

Wasn't going to do an update so soon but there were quite a few photos from Azkaban today. Azkaban is great, if thoroughly recommend it. Although I did feel slightly on edge the whole time I was on the island and felt relieved when we touched down on the mainland..the place has strange vibes. There were only 14 escape attempts made in the 30 years it operated as a prison which I was surprised about, but some of the escape stories the park rangers told us were CRAYZEE. They involved creative use of spoons, rubber gloves and laundry items.  Each of us definitely stared out over the shark-infested waters wondering how we'd do it..

The watch tower.

The wall of the library.

Marks left from grenades thrown in by US Marines to stop a guards-taken-hostage situation. 

The visitation centre.

The kitchen, with outlines of the knives in the cupboard so guards could quickly tell if one was missing...AGGGGGHHHHHH

Lots of these dudes.

The water tower, now a fossil of the Indian occupation after the prison was closed.

A San Fran tram! They do exist!

And we camped out in Dad and Ali's room with a room service delivery for dinner because Ali's back ain't great at the moment. LOOK HOW MANY COLOUR JUICES. OMNOMNOM. 

Napa Valley vineyard tours tomorrow..#unaylad #drinking 

I know it's Alcatraz. Shhhh. 

I-101 North

So we spent our last night at Pismo at the 'Cracked Crab':

Crab crackin' tools.

Loving life 2K13.

And after three hours driving North we stopped for a cuppa in Carmel - it is absolutely beautiful. A bit like an American Ambleside. 

This was just..just..I don't even know.

And then we saw the beach..ohmahgah

We drove through ACRES of this:

And then we stopped at Santa Cruz for lunch, where Mairi decided she was going to abandon Plan A and become a surfer chick with a dog. We ate ENORMOUS salads at an eatery, and stared at the TWIN fresh-out-the-wombs who were hanging out there with their fam (if you're not in the select few in on this joke I'm not sure you want to know). 

We then gawked at real-life surfers for a bit, who also conveniently started half-stripping out of their wetsuits and coming up to the shore all golden and...wait this is totally inappropes for the public internet.

We're in San Francisco now and here for 3 nights. It seems a bit like New York (judging from a wild taxi ride from the car rental drop-off) and I quite like it. Didn't see any Princess Diaries landmarks en route to the hotel but might do on the way to ALCATRAZ tomorrow. 

We're coming to the end of our travelling around the West as we head back to Boston on Sunday but so far I can conclude that California is BEAUTIFUL. Excited for our return East though..apparently we have Donahue-flavour rainbow cupcakes waiting.. 

Mairi's making me watch a horrific zombie movie that I'm actually getting addicted to so I'm going to end it there..

p.s. thinking of you today Jenny, tough day and I wish I was there to support you guys.