Quite a bit has happened since my last post.
Thursday
Went to my Self and Society class and found out about 50% of my grade will be based on a group project. *groan* I hate group projects, but I know the experience will be good for me and better prepare me for grad school. The course is going to be taught by 3 people, one of which is Dr. Hampton from my other class. : ) My advisor for the term is also one of the professors, and I talked with him briefly. He is also from the States, and kind of sounds like Rex from Toy Story. Pretty funny.
That night I was feeling a little lonely, so I put on the Lion King. It did the trick, and I watched the second one for good measure. Movies like that can really change your mood around and help you cope with being in a new place.
Friday
Met with Shirley for a second time to do some orientation around campus. As usual I found it to be a huge help. In the future even if I can't remember the exact location of something, I can figure it out based on what's around it. One spot I'll be going to soon is the Sportspark. Features I found most appealing were an Olympic sized swimming pool and a large rock climbing wall. It also has the typical gym equipment and outdoor playing fields.
As we were finishing up the campus work, I was suddenly hailed by a girl on the strip where all the stores are. She introduced herself and asked if I would be interested in becoming a part of the Disability Committee on campus. I figured "why not?" and agreed. We then talked a little bit about settling in. I mentioned I was having some trouble meeting people, and Sophie promptly asked if I would like to go to an event that night. A little taken aback by the invitation (you'd expect "let's hang out this weekend" or something...) I saw this as a great opportunity, and was thrilled I actually had something to do that night. We exchanged numbers, then headed our separate ways.
Shirley and I took the bus over to Morrison's, a grocery store which is conveniently at the end of the bus line. I have a feeling this will be where the majority of my shopping will be done, seeing as all the online delivery stores require a credit card with a UK billing address. I had made a list of the things I needed, and we ended up with a full cart of spoils at the end. We looked for sales and such, so the price it came out to wasn't too bad considering the amount of stuff I bought. Since I'm living on my own, and cooking for myself, I felt free to get whatever I wanted, no restrictions. What I wanted primarily was healthy food. A lot of the things we got were fruits and vegetables, some protein, a little starch, some spices, and no cookies/sugary things whatsoever. I want to get into the habit of eating a piece of fruit, or a raw pepper, when I'm hungry instead of grabbing something fattening. It's better for me in the end, and I'd really like to lose some weight while I'm here. I have to say, I much prefer this lifestyle as opposed to eating in a dining hall. Sorry Stimson, but I'm sick of having the same shit every day. Now I feel like I have more variety in my diet, and I'm eating much healthier too. The only downside is cleaning the dishes, but even that isn't horrible considering it's a one person mess.
Back to Friday: I went to meet Sophie at 6 at the bus stop to go into town. She brought 2 friends with her, and we all chatted on the bus. We headed to an Indian festival, not really knowing the details, but we were informed that there would be free food involved, always a draw. The programming featured Yoga, talks about inner peace and stuff, and a little comedic skit. The food wasn't really my thing, but I had food back at the dorm so I knew I wouldn't starve. We went to a pub after, and I tried a sip of mulled wine (just for the taste, didn't want to get drunk). It wasn't horrible like white wines I've tasted in the States, but I know I wouldn't be able to drink a lot of it, to me it tasted strong. I found out Norwich hosts a Dragon Festival every year in February, and I'm excited that I will be around for it this year. I love fantasy, and an entire week focusing on dragons (in a city which has a CASTLE) is *AVPM music* totally awesome!
When I got off the bus at UEA, I took a wrong turn and ended up in a student housing block that was unfamiliar. Luckily while I was trying to figure out which direction to go, a UEA security van drove up and the officer inside offered to give me a ride. I gratefully accepted, and was at my doorstep a few minutes later. I blame the fog, usually I am pretty good at spotting landmarks, but whatever, nobody's perfect. When I got upstairs I put on "The Secret Garden", a movie I had been dying to watch since I arrived here in England. I got one of those "I can relate!" feelings. : )
Saturday
Woke up at 5:30 pm, and felt a mixture of horror and amusement. I guess I needed the rest, right? I cooked dinner and got ready to go out that evening. I had a ticket to Retro Club Night at the LCR, but unfortunately my new found friends of the night before didn't like the club scene that much, so I was heading off alone again. This time I was even more alone, since Bambi was getting a night off. I wouldn't dream of taking her back there, but I still felt the need to go to experience "university fun". I went to the bar downstairs first to see if I could meet anyone, no luck there, except the man accepting tickets to the upstairs club recognized me as the blind girl. I'm so used to being with Bambi all the time that it felt strange not having her beside me. I felt like I was missing something, like my keys, or an umbrella you carry around when you think there will be rain. I was impressed the guy remembered me.
When I got up there at around 11 people were sparse, so I just walked around. By 11:30 more people had come in, and I edged towards the dance floor. The way I see it, the floor is so packed anyway, that nobody notices if you're alone...you don't stand out, so you're more likely to loosen up. I met an international student, and we talked and danced for awhile. Then after he left I danced alone for a bit...and then got approached again. This guy wasn't a student at the uni, so I felt a bit uncomfortable dancing with him, so I exited the floor for a bit. Returned to a new section of the floor a few minutes later hoping not to run into him again, and then while I was doing my thing, a guy next to me started talking about how I needed to loosen up and do more stuff with my hands. Whatever dude...we started doing what reminded me of a slow motion doggy paddle. I found this "dance instructor" pretty funny cause he kept calling the people next to us squares, and telling me that nobody cares what you do, just feel the music. Lol.
I have to say the best part of the evening was the music. It was the main reason I was going to this event, I like oldies a lot better than current music. I recognized a lot of the songs and found them fun to dance to. More places should play 60's and 70's stuff. It would have been better if space hadn't been so tight and people did the actual dances (like The Hustle) instead of basically just shifting their weight while staying pretty much in one place. There were also many plastic cups on the ground which I had to keep kicking out of my way, and I'd say that most people were pretty drunk. And the floor was sticky in a lot of places...eww...but I tried not to focus on that.
I got back to the room at about 2 and didn't have much trouble getting to sleep.
Sunday
Made porridge (with milk not water, how extravagant), then went to meet Sophie at the library. I'm trying to do things on the cheap as much as I can over here, so getting my textbooks from the library is a must. I got 2 out of 3 (I'll get the other when a copy is returned), and learned how to use the check-out machine. We then went for coffee in the park with her flatmate, and talked about British things I wanted to know about (politics, the monarchy, crumpets...). This little cafe is dog friendly, since people play with their dogs in the park, so Bambi had some other dogs to look at while we talked. After that, I returned to the flat and looked up chicken soup recipes. I'll give it a go in a couple hours, the chicken is still defrosting. Hope it doesn't end up a complete mess.
Phew! Typing these massive updates always takes so long! It's nice to write it down though, kind of like putting my thoughts in a pensieve.
Interesting things coming up: going to Cambridge on Wednesday, and York for the weekend with Sophie and pals. Looking forward to both.
Sunday 23 January 2011
Wednesday 19 January 2011
Never underestimate the power of towels
Today started with a knock on my door. It was a housekeeper who came to clean my sink. We talked for a while, she was very interested in Bambi. Then again, who isn't?
I met Shirley at DOS and we decided to go into Norwich today and save campus work for Friday. Going into the city with a mobility instructor is great, they automatically tell you what you're passing, which kind of stores there are, how to locate the bus stop, etc. Bambi and I get around so well that people actually forget I'm visually impaired, and can't really see what we're passing. Sure I see store windows, but most of the time I can't make out what's in them. Norwich is not a grid (I've been spoiled by New York, every time I go somewhere and the layout isn't a grid I get disappointed), but it is a very old city with a stereotypical English look to it. I find it charming; the buildings aren't very high at all, the streets are narrow, the paving stones of the road are old (but well kept, you can imagine horses walking along them pulling carts). and there are some very old buildings with cool architecture. The city is very pedestrian friendly, there are many streets that are just for walking, no driving, and there is an open air market. I kept expecting to come to curbs, but there aren't many in Norwich. Instead there are "gullies" which are little channels on the side of the road meant to carry away excess rain water.
The market is very cool; it is a group of stalls in a grid pattern (: D) with a variety of items for sale. Places I will be coming back to include: various butchers, cheese shops, a sweet shop, a spice stall, and the fruits and vegetables stall. It reminds me of the Union Square Farmer's Market, but is more permanent. Shirley also told me that things are actually cheaper at the market; at Union Square you're paying more for the same (albeit better quality) products that you could find in a supermarket. I couldn't help cracking up when Shirley mentioned that there was pigeon meat for sale in one of the butcher stalls. NYC pigeons are known as rats with wings, so the prospect of eating pigeon seems gross when you first think about it. Shirley assured me that these were wood pigeons, not the dirty city birds. You know, I'm actually quite tempted to give it a try. XD
Another thing I found quite cool was the castle. Yeah, a real castle! It's a museum now, and I hear during certain hours it's only 1 pound to get in. It's situated on this hill, and while we were walking around it, I had a feeling we were walking in what was once the moat. We passed under a bridge at one point, so there was probably water surrounding the castle.I wish there was a painting of what the area looked like centuries ago, I love stuff like that. Unfortunately, I didn;t get to see the cathedral today, but I'll be back very soon to check it out.
The streets in Norwich are not wide at all, so there are no beeping devices at crosswalks. Instead they have a small cone on the underside of the walk/don't walk sign (which is a little below eye level) which spins if you can walk, and stops when the light switches. I was very happy to see that they had something in place to help blind people figure out when it's safe to cross. In a small city like Norwich you can't really depend on traffic patterns like you can in cities like NYC. Touching the cone is a simple, yet effective signal.
We went to a couple discount stores to pick up some supplies before heading back to campus. I finally got my cooking supplies and towels, and at pretty good prices too. I'm only here for 5 months, so I wasn't looking for top of the line products. Shopping with Shirley was awesome,she found things quickly and kept an eye out for discounts. Consequently I got a lot of "value packs", why buy 1 mug for 60p when you could get 4 for 50p? I'm storing all my stuff in my room because I don't want it to get mixed up with everyone else's in the kitchen. Plus, I don;t want a stranger drinking alcohol out of one of my mugs, eww!
Ok, speeding things up now, getting tired. Got back to campus, made arrangements to meet with Shirley on Friday, and then with to the Clubs and Societies Fair. Put my name down for 4, we'll see just how many actually interest me. Cooked dinner, showered and used my towels for the first time (you don't appreciate towels until you don;t have them), took a nap and was supposed to go to a social, but just couldn;t drag myself out of bed. I might be coming down with something, I have that stupid sore throat feeling.
Pretty packed schedule tomorrow class wise.
Time to sleep, good night!
I met Shirley at DOS and we decided to go into Norwich today and save campus work for Friday. Going into the city with a mobility instructor is great, they automatically tell you what you're passing, which kind of stores there are, how to locate the bus stop, etc. Bambi and I get around so well that people actually forget I'm visually impaired, and can't really see what we're passing. Sure I see store windows, but most of the time I can't make out what's in them. Norwich is not a grid (I've been spoiled by New York, every time I go somewhere and the layout isn't a grid I get disappointed), but it is a very old city with a stereotypical English look to it. I find it charming; the buildings aren't very high at all, the streets are narrow, the paving stones of the road are old (but well kept, you can imagine horses walking along them pulling carts). and there are some very old buildings with cool architecture. The city is very pedestrian friendly, there are many streets that are just for walking, no driving, and there is an open air market. I kept expecting to come to curbs, but there aren't many in Norwich. Instead there are "gullies" which are little channels on the side of the road meant to carry away excess rain water.
The market is very cool; it is a group of stalls in a grid pattern (: D) with a variety of items for sale. Places I will be coming back to include: various butchers, cheese shops, a sweet shop, a spice stall, and the fruits and vegetables stall. It reminds me of the Union Square Farmer's Market, but is more permanent. Shirley also told me that things are actually cheaper at the market; at Union Square you're paying more for the same (albeit better quality) products that you could find in a supermarket. I couldn't help cracking up when Shirley mentioned that there was pigeon meat for sale in one of the butcher stalls. NYC pigeons are known as rats with wings, so the prospect of eating pigeon seems gross when you first think about it. Shirley assured me that these were wood pigeons, not the dirty city birds. You know, I'm actually quite tempted to give it a try. XD
Another thing I found quite cool was the castle. Yeah, a real castle! It's a museum now, and I hear during certain hours it's only 1 pound to get in. It's situated on this hill, and while we were walking around it, I had a feeling we were walking in what was once the moat. We passed under a bridge at one point, so there was probably water surrounding the castle.I wish there was a painting of what the area looked like centuries ago, I love stuff like that. Unfortunately, I didn;t get to see the cathedral today, but I'll be back very soon to check it out.
The streets in Norwich are not wide at all, so there are no beeping devices at crosswalks. Instead they have a small cone on the underside of the walk/don't walk sign (which is a little below eye level) which spins if you can walk, and stops when the light switches. I was very happy to see that they had something in place to help blind people figure out when it's safe to cross. In a small city like Norwich you can't really depend on traffic patterns like you can in cities like NYC. Touching the cone is a simple, yet effective signal.
We went to a couple discount stores to pick up some supplies before heading back to campus. I finally got my cooking supplies and towels, and at pretty good prices too. I'm only here for 5 months, so I wasn't looking for top of the line products. Shopping with Shirley was awesome,she found things quickly and kept an eye out for discounts. Consequently I got a lot of "value packs", why buy 1 mug for 60p when you could get 4 for 50p? I'm storing all my stuff in my room because I don't want it to get mixed up with everyone else's in the kitchen. Plus, I don;t want a stranger drinking alcohol out of one of my mugs, eww!
Ok, speeding things up now, getting tired. Got back to campus, made arrangements to meet with Shirley on Friday, and then with to the Clubs and Societies Fair. Put my name down for 4, we'll see just how many actually interest me. Cooked dinner, showered and used my towels for the first time (you don't appreciate towels until you don;t have them), took a nap and was supposed to go to a social, but just couldn;t drag myself out of bed. I might be coming down with something, I have that stupid sore throat feeling.
Pretty packed schedule tomorrow class wise.
Time to sleep, good night!
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Still testing the waters
Today I had my first Criminology lecture and seminar. It seems like it'll be very interesting, I particularly liked the seminar portion. The professor gave different examples of scenarios, and you had to think about whether you yourself would break the law under certain circumstances. A lot of it had to do with ethics, and how people convince themselves that what they're doing is right or wrong in different situations. After the lecture portion I introduced myself to the professor, and just like Dr. Hampton he seemed very nice and was willing to help me whenever I need it. When I returned for the seminar portion (a few hours later) he gave me a larger copy of the handout (unnecessary since I use my magnifier, but thoughtful nonetheless) and after we went around the table stating our names, he gave Bambi an introduction: "A straight A's student, we can expect great things from her" which prompted smiles and chuckles from the class. From what I've experienced, my British professors regularly use humor in their classes which, I personally, greatly appreciate. It makes them easier to relate to I guess.This professor worked in law enforcement before teaching, so he has some real life experience (always a good thing, unless you're talking about murder etc. : D).
I went to the Freshers Fair briefly to check out the tables, and I found some student voucher (coupon) books, as well as free pizza. I passed by a blood donation table, and signed up to donate some in February. I've donated in the past (twice in the States), but have also been turned away twice because my iron level wasn't high enough. Once I get some COOKING SUPPLIES (which hopefully I'll get tomorrow in town) I'll be able to cook things I want, like nutrient rich spinach. I've been looking online at the grocery stores, and Tesco (the main one people use around here) is giving me some bullshit about not being able to deliver to Earlham Road. Umm...yeah you do...your delivery vans are very present around here. I think I'll call customer service tomorrow.
Skipping ahead to nighttime, I bought tickets to a few LCR (the dance club on campus) events, one of which was tonight. The theme was Jocks vs. Geeks. Who can hazard a guess as to which team I represented? I heading off sporting one of my Harry Potter shirts, and when I got there the place was deserted. It was a little early, so I went downstairs to the Union Bar to (you guessed it) try to meet people, and amazingly I did! I got to know a guy from Colorado, a native Brit, and a student from Malaysia. Talking with them was so nice that I was not concerned at all with getting to the theme party dance thing late. We talked until the bar closed and they parted ways, and I went upstairs.
This portion of my post is the most relevant to the title "Still testing the waters". I had never taken Bambi to a club before, and really had no idea what to expect. I think I was there a grand total of maybe 20 minutes. Let's be clear that alcohol is very present and widely available over here, and these students take advantage of that. The combination of being on the inebriated spectrum (nice term Kate XD), the loud music, and low level of light meant that the majority of people were not very aware of their surroundings, especially at shin level where Bambi was. Many people bumped into her, stepped on her, saw her and immediately started petting her, and crouched down to look at her. It was very loud, but the lights were pretty cool, and I wouldn't have minded getting right in the middle of the dance space if 1) I wasn't alone, and 2) I had an unmistakenly miserable dog with me. When Bambi saw an exit she dragged me the hardest she's ever dragged me towards it; I nearly knocked a few people over getting out the door. By this time I'm feeling very guilty that I put Bambi through this, clubs are definitely not a good place to take your guide dog, even if she is technically allowed in.
We went back to the flat and I gave her a de-stresser massage to try and make up for the bad experience. She's passed out at my feet right now, I'm glad that she doesn't appear to resent me. I have a ticket for an event at the LCR this Saturday, but I'm going to do 2 things differently:
1) Find people to go with beforehand (probably flatmates)
2) Give Bambi a break and use the cane to get there and back
Tomorrow I'll be meeting with Shirley to go over some buildings on campus, and we'll also take the bus into the city to do some work there. I am in desperate need of a couple towels, and I'd really like to get some proper cooking supplies because I'm getting sick of the sandwiches I've been eating since Friday.
So, main lesson of the day: dogs and clubs don't mix.
I went to the Freshers Fair briefly to check out the tables, and I found some student voucher (coupon) books, as well as free pizza. I passed by a blood donation table, and signed up to donate some in February. I've donated in the past (twice in the States), but have also been turned away twice because my iron level wasn't high enough. Once I get some COOKING SUPPLIES (which hopefully I'll get tomorrow in town) I'll be able to cook things I want, like nutrient rich spinach. I've been looking online at the grocery stores, and Tesco (the main one people use around here) is giving me some bullshit about not being able to deliver to Earlham Road. Umm...yeah you do...your delivery vans are very present around here. I think I'll call customer service tomorrow.
Skipping ahead to nighttime, I bought tickets to a few LCR (the dance club on campus) events, one of which was tonight. The theme was Jocks vs. Geeks. Who can hazard a guess as to which team I represented? I heading off sporting one of my Harry Potter shirts, and when I got there the place was deserted. It was a little early, so I went downstairs to the Union Bar to (you guessed it) try to meet people, and amazingly I did! I got to know a guy from Colorado, a native Brit, and a student from Malaysia. Talking with them was so nice that I was not concerned at all with getting to the theme party dance thing late. We talked until the bar closed and they parted ways, and I went upstairs.
This portion of my post is the most relevant to the title "Still testing the waters". I had never taken Bambi to a club before, and really had no idea what to expect. I think I was there a grand total of maybe 20 minutes. Let's be clear that alcohol is very present and widely available over here, and these students take advantage of that. The combination of being on the inebriated spectrum (nice term Kate XD), the loud music, and low level of light meant that the majority of people were not very aware of their surroundings, especially at shin level where Bambi was. Many people bumped into her, stepped on her, saw her and immediately started petting her, and crouched down to look at her. It was very loud, but the lights were pretty cool, and I wouldn't have minded getting right in the middle of the dance space if 1) I wasn't alone, and 2) I had an unmistakenly miserable dog with me. When Bambi saw an exit she dragged me the hardest she's ever dragged me towards it; I nearly knocked a few people over getting out the door. By this time I'm feeling very guilty that I put Bambi through this, clubs are definitely not a good place to take your guide dog, even if she is technically allowed in.
We went back to the flat and I gave her a de-stresser massage to try and make up for the bad experience. She's passed out at my feet right now, I'm glad that she doesn't appear to resent me. I have a ticket for an event at the LCR this Saturday, but I'm going to do 2 things differently:
1) Find people to go with beforehand (probably flatmates)
2) Give Bambi a break and use the cane to get there and back
Tomorrow I'll be meeting with Shirley to go over some buildings on campus, and we'll also take the bus into the city to do some work there. I am in desperate need of a couple towels, and I'd really like to get some proper cooking supplies because I'm getting sick of the sandwiches I've been eating since Friday.
So, main lesson of the day: dogs and clubs don't mix.
Monday 17 January 2011
Meeting the British
My sleep schedule is still pretty wacky, I woke up before my alarm which hardly ever happens at home. It was a misty morning, which in England, means rain. So I got the rain gear ready; rubber boots, long raincoat, and umbrella, and went downstairs to make a sandwich (my staple food).
Went to see David, who had gotten into contact with Shirley the mobility instructor, and she ended up popping by for a visit (take note of the vocab, pop by, massive, and module are widely used around here.) Shirley and I agreed to meet on Wednesday and Friday to do some O&M around campus and Norwich. I'm really looking forward to it, I like to be as mobile as possible and get to know my surroundings. She also noted that all this is free. : D Hooray! Free is good in the UK.
After the meeting I still had some time before my first class (module, lecture), so I went to this little cafe place called Blend where they have soups and sandwiches. A lady who worked there saw me fiddling with the metal top to one of those large soup containers (you know the ones, where the handle sticks out) and she came over to see if I needed help. She explained what the soups were, I got a cup, and a roll, paid, and she helped me find a seat. When I was looking around it seemed as if I was the only person sitting alone. I thought to myself "Ok, everyone's back now, time to make some friends." Problem is, when you're in an establishment like that, it seems like people are in their own little groups, and I have no idea how to approach them. Putting this in the back of my brain for now, I left and investigated the Arts building. I was trying to find the room where my Tuesday class is, but I had no luck because the building is massive (horizontally, not vertically). I was on the right floor, but just couldn't get to the room number. Whatever, David will show me where it is.
I went to my first class, and really enjoyed it. Psychology II is a combination of Evolutionary Psychology, and Cognitive Psychology, my Physiological Psychology class that I took last year will really help me out in this subject. The professor is laid back, he actually came to Goucher last year for a mini lecture. He showed a short video about Darwin's On the Origin of Species, narrated by the same guy who narrated Planet Earth. BBC does have some excellent programming. By the end of the lecture I was nodding off, and my writing was taking a diagonal turn. It wasn't boring, I think it's just my weird sleep schedule. After the lecture hall emptied out, I went up to introduce myself. Dr. Hampton was very warm; yes he remembered Goucher and was very impressed with it. I told him I was from New York City, that gets an "Ahh!" out of everyone I tell it to over here. He said British students would find me very exotic, and Bambi would become a superstar. Well that's a given, about Bambi I mean, she's a hit anywhere.
Later, I went to the Student Union Pub to try and meet some people. Again they were all in groups, and I got intimidated, so I left pretty quickly. Next I tried a coffee shop. I met a nice lady in there who served me separately from the line (yay, no waiting), but again, didn't get to talk to any students. I felt like I was spending money I didn't want to spend, on a hot chocolate I didn't want to drink, just to try to meet people.
Got back to my flat feeling lonely and laid down on the bed. Apparently I needed a nap, because next thing I know, I'm waking up a couple hours later. Went online to check out online grocery stores (which is how people shop for groceries around here) and soon afterward I hear a knock on my door. One of my flatmates who I breifly met yesterday asks me if I want to go to a party in the A block (next flat down.) I jump at the chance, and follow her and my other flatmates over there. The kitchen is the main gathering spot here in Suffolk and Norfolk, so that was where people were congregating. It's what you'd expect, loud music, people gathered around a table laden with different types of alcohol playing some sort of drinking card game. Well, I'm not going to start drinking, but it doesn't mean I won't hang out with these people, after all they were nice enough to invite me. I watch mostly, and chat a little with the people around me. This game is kind of gross, if you get a king you need to pour some of what you're drinking into the center cup, and whoever draws the last king has to drink the resulting mixture at the end. Pretty unsanitary...but I'm not participating, so I don;t really care. As some people leave the table, I cross over to the other side to talk with a new flatmate I hadn't met before. He in turn introduced me to his friends, and we had a nice conversation going. The music got even louder, I had to talk very loudly (felt like yelling to me) to be heard. This went on for, maybe an hour. I felt tired, but glad that I had finally gotten to meet some peers today. When people started dancing on the table, and a glass broke near Bambi, I decided this wasn't a safe environment for the dog, so I said goodbye and weaved my way out.
Tomorrow I will try to get to Freshers Fair (not a Freshman, but still new) and hopefully see some new faces and talk with some new people. Wednesday is the Club and Societies Fair, I've made a list of tables to look out for.
So for now, good night. Hope you're enjoying the blog so far. : )
Went to see David, who had gotten into contact with Shirley the mobility instructor, and she ended up popping by for a visit (take note of the vocab, pop by, massive, and module are widely used around here.) Shirley and I agreed to meet on Wednesday and Friday to do some O&M around campus and Norwich. I'm really looking forward to it, I like to be as mobile as possible and get to know my surroundings. She also noted that all this is free. : D Hooray! Free is good in the UK.
After the meeting I still had some time before my first class (module, lecture), so I went to this little cafe place called Blend where they have soups and sandwiches. A lady who worked there saw me fiddling with the metal top to one of those large soup containers (you know the ones, where the handle sticks out) and she came over to see if I needed help. She explained what the soups were, I got a cup, and a roll, paid, and she helped me find a seat. When I was looking around it seemed as if I was the only person sitting alone. I thought to myself "Ok, everyone's back now, time to make some friends." Problem is, when you're in an establishment like that, it seems like people are in their own little groups, and I have no idea how to approach them. Putting this in the back of my brain for now, I left and investigated the Arts building. I was trying to find the room where my Tuesday class is, but I had no luck because the building is massive (horizontally, not vertically). I was on the right floor, but just couldn't get to the room number. Whatever, David will show me where it is.
I went to my first class, and really enjoyed it. Psychology II is a combination of Evolutionary Psychology, and Cognitive Psychology, my Physiological Psychology class that I took last year will really help me out in this subject. The professor is laid back, he actually came to Goucher last year for a mini lecture. He showed a short video about Darwin's On the Origin of Species, narrated by the same guy who narrated Planet Earth. BBC does have some excellent programming. By the end of the lecture I was nodding off, and my writing was taking a diagonal turn. It wasn't boring, I think it's just my weird sleep schedule. After the lecture hall emptied out, I went up to introduce myself. Dr. Hampton was very warm; yes he remembered Goucher and was very impressed with it. I told him I was from New York City, that gets an "Ahh!" out of everyone I tell it to over here. He said British students would find me very exotic, and Bambi would become a superstar. Well that's a given, about Bambi I mean, she's a hit anywhere.
Later, I went to the Student Union Pub to try and meet some people. Again they were all in groups, and I got intimidated, so I left pretty quickly. Next I tried a coffee shop. I met a nice lady in there who served me separately from the line (yay, no waiting), but again, didn't get to talk to any students. I felt like I was spending money I didn't want to spend, on a hot chocolate I didn't want to drink, just to try to meet people.
Got back to my flat feeling lonely and laid down on the bed. Apparently I needed a nap, because next thing I know, I'm waking up a couple hours later. Went online to check out online grocery stores (which is how people shop for groceries around here) and soon afterward I hear a knock on my door. One of my flatmates who I breifly met yesterday asks me if I want to go to a party in the A block (next flat down.) I jump at the chance, and follow her and my other flatmates over there. The kitchen is the main gathering spot here in Suffolk and Norfolk, so that was where people were congregating. It's what you'd expect, loud music, people gathered around a table laden with different types of alcohol playing some sort of drinking card game. Well, I'm not going to start drinking, but it doesn't mean I won't hang out with these people, after all they were nice enough to invite me. I watch mostly, and chat a little with the people around me. This game is kind of gross, if you get a king you need to pour some of what you're drinking into the center cup, and whoever draws the last king has to drink the resulting mixture at the end. Pretty unsanitary...but I'm not participating, so I don;t really care. As some people leave the table, I cross over to the other side to talk with a new flatmate I hadn't met before. He in turn introduced me to his friends, and we had a nice conversation going. The music got even louder, I had to talk very loudly (felt like yelling to me) to be heard. This went on for, maybe an hour. I felt tired, but glad that I had finally gotten to meet some peers today. When people started dancing on the table, and a glass broke near Bambi, I decided this wasn't a safe environment for the dog, so I said goodbye and weaved my way out.
Tomorrow I will try to get to Freshers Fair (not a Freshman, but still new) and hopefully see some new faces and talk with some new people. Wednesday is the Club and Societies Fair, I've made a list of tables to look out for.
So for now, good night. Hope you're enjoying the blog so far. : )
Sunday 16 January 2011
So, we got here...
...now what?
If I was really nit picky I would have started this blog the second I first got access to the internet, but I'm not a stickler who records every action I do, which is probably better for my mental health anyway. So I'm starting the "study abroad journal" a few days late, don't worry I'll cover all the big points about my travel and settle in time briefly.
I'll start a few days before I left the States. I always hate packing, let alone packing 5 months worth of stuff into a limited number of bags. I found a list of basic things to bring on a study abroad trip on Google, and from there Mom and I gathered up clothing, shoes, toiletries, dog supplies, electronics, books, etc, and began cramming (as orderly as possible) the stuff into 1 large suitcase, a small duffle bag, and a backpack. Amazingly it all fit, which was great because I literally could not handle another bag, considering I only have 1 hand free while walking.
Besides getting myself ready for the journey, I had to make sure all of Bambi's papers were in order. Getting a dog over to the UK takes A LOT more paperwork than you would think. I started the process about 8 months ago. It's not a particularly hard process, but you need to be on the same page as your vet, and do the steps in a specific order. I followed them to a T, the last thing I wanted was to arrive at the airport and get turned away because of some "error". The last 2 steps had to be completed the day before the flight; going to the vet, getting Bambi's dewormer and flea and tick treatment, pick up her International Health Certificate (which cost about $205, I nearly fainted when I saw the bill. Sending that over to Guiding Eyes straight away), and heading over to JFK to get the papers signed and stamped by the vet on staff. If I were a vet I wouldn't want that job, I bet he rarely to never sees any actual animals, just their paperwork. Sucks for him.
We had a little trouble getting back to the city because the Mint key card didn't unlock the door to the car, which caused about a 1/2 hour delay and an angry phone call to the company. Finally we got back to the city, had lunch, and then I said farewell and thank you to Glenn, it was nice of him to take me all the way out to JFK.
That night there was a snowstorm which dumped over a 1/2 foot of snow on NYC streets. I was freaking out a little to say the least; I was already missing 1 day of orientation, now there was the possibility I would miss the other too. Luckily for me (but not for my brothers, who were expecting a snow day) Bloomberg got the roads cleaned up in the morning. To my amazement , my flight was listed as "On time", not even a delay! We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare (I didn't really want to repeat the blind girl running through the airport experience which happened when I was on my way to Infinitus last year). Mom couldn't escort me all the way to the gate, so we had a not-so-dramatic (thank goodness) goodbye at the security line. Getting through security went fine (although the lady who was supposed to feel Bambi up didn't seem too keen on the idea of touching a dog, so she just didn't. Luckily for you Delta, I didn't have my dog loaded up with explosives).
A nice security guard helped me get to my gate, I waited for awhile, and when they were preboarding I went up and changed my seat for one in the bulkhead. Little did I know I would get THREE in the bulkhead! That was pretty sweet, extra legroom for me, and more than enough room for Bam to spread out. The staff were very nice, and the food was decent, seats were comfortable too, but I couldn't sleep.
We landed in Amsterdam, and someone was waiting there to help me get to my next flight. It took a little while, but we got my boarding pass, and pretty soon I was standing in front of the next plane (one of the small ones, where you need to climb the steps). Before I got on, I asked if I could let Bambi do her business, we were outside...so why not. The guy seemed reluctant and after about a minute he was urging me to board. Fine, whatever...I boarded and the staff on this plane were immediately taken with Bambi. They gave me 2 seats, and the flight to Norwich was quite uneventful. My favorite part was landing, we went through a layer of clouds, and it was really awesome to look out the window and see what the inside of the puffs was like. These red sunglasses I have make clouds SO much more well defined than the grey ones I had before. At Norwich airport there was someone there waiting again who helped me get though immigration (no problems with paperwork, hooray!), got my luggage, and helped me into a cab.
When we got to the University, the cab driver was nice enough to help me find the office I had to go to to get my room key. I was impressed with this, in New York a cab driver would drop you off and drive away without a backwards glance. I'm not sure whether this driver was just a nice person, or whether my tip had something to do with this; apparently the Brits don't tip cab drivers, or pretty much anybody for that matter. By now I'm feeling like a total VIP, what with all special treatment and not having to worry about anything. I got my room key, and signed some housing stuff, then 2 people showed me to my room. Once there we went over where the light switches are, outlets, internet hook up, bathrooms, kitchen area, and exit doors. We then went back to "The Street" (main place on campus, where there are stores and places to eat) and one person left to go back to her office. The person who was still with me, David, would prove to be my go-to guy. He works in the Dean of Students office, another important office in that same building is the Disabilities office. So anyway, David showed me what the stores were, and then we went to the lunch which was being held for new international arrivals. He left, and I met up with Sally, who was a UEA rep who came to Goucher last year. After our chat I met a few other international students, and then I headed back to the room for a quick rest before the campus tour.
The tour went well, I got a better sense of the area, and found out where the School of Social Work and Psychology building is, my academic home base. The map makes the campus look huge, but it's actually very compact and manageable. I also discovered that you get most places by "walking highways", raised walkways above street level. When I'm walking around it kind of feels like battlements. They say it was constructed this way so that cars and dumpsters are out of sight beneath you. Hmm, speaking of unsightly things, why did they construct this entire place out of concrete? I bet it looked fine then, but 50 years later it's discolored and kind of gross looking. This is coming from the blind girl, who probably doesn't see the half of it. Brick or stone would probably have been a wiser choice, aesthetically.
Just a side not here, speaking of aesthetics, I have a great view of the Broad (lake) from my windows. Half of my wall space is windows actually, which is good because a lot of natural light comes in, and if it gets overbearing, I can just draw the curtains. There's also a winding staircase outside my door which leads to a bathroom, and someone else's room upstairs. Point is, it reminds me of Gryffindor Tower. : D
Back to Thursday's tour, we finished up the campus tour in the library, where we sat down for a minute to wait for a different tour guide to give us a tour of the library. Next thing I know, I'm waking up and the chairs next to me are empty, and it's dark outside. Jetlag caught up with me. I was a little put off that nobody woke me up to go on the library tour, but it didn't really matter, I just had to get back to my room to pass out for real in a more comfortable area. I did just that (Bambi did great finding the building again, I was maybe 1/4 conscious and felt very loopy). Some time later, I awoke to a knock on my door, it was the Resident Assistant Aaron stopping by to answer any questions and inform me about fire procedure and the like. We talked for awhile, then he volunteered to help me find some dinner. The store was closed, so we went to a cafeteria style establishment on campus called Zest. I plan on doing a lot of cooking myself this term, eating out is expensive, and pretty unhealthy. I got back to the room, set my alarm and went back to sleep at about 10.
Friday
Hey! Guess what? My alarm didn't go off and I've missed most of Friday's orientation! Brilliant! I ran over there and caught the tail end of the orientation session. Then David escorted me to the SSWP building (a new, quick route) where I needed to register with the department. Luckily I didn't miss my registration time. The professors who were there seemed quite Goucher like actually, pretty informal, not the uptight Dr. Snobs I had been gearing myself up for. After that, David and I went to the Dean of Students office and I met someone from the Disabilities Office. We called the person they had been in contact with who was going to give me some Orientation and Mobility training around campus and in Norwich, but she didn't answer. Done with that, I went to the little grocery store on campus and got some sandwich materials, quick and easy meals on the cheap. While I was in the store looking at stuff, someone came over and told me what all the different aisles contained. This was very helpful, because my way of doing that involves me picking up different items to read the labels, and it is quite time consuming. I brought the food back to my flat, then ran out again to meet up with the group of international students who were going into the city. David had arranged for someone to do some shopping with me, so once we got into the city, we split off from the others and went on the hunt for some items.
First stop was the mobile phone store. I ended up getting a pay as you go phone and 2 SIM cards, 1 for local, and 1 for international calls, for about £50. Then we got 2 US to UK adapter plugs (for the computer) for £3.50 each. We checked out a store for kitchenware, but they didn't have good prices on the things I needed, so we left, and went back to UEA. I stopped off at the library to sort out something regarding my student card, and while I was at it, I learned how to access the internet. The IT guy was very helpful and friendly, but before I left he came around the desk and just started petting Bambi without my permission. He used the "I know I'm not supposed to, but I can;t resist"" line. I should have said something, but I was very tired, and he had just helped me out, so I let it slip. Next time I won;t stand for it though. After making a sandwich, I went upstairs to unpack while listening to Mugglecast.
Saturday
Slept late, and just took a lazy day. While in the kitchen I met my first British flatmate. She was pleasant and informative. She told me that a good place to meet people is at the LCR, the dance club on campus which has all sorts of theme nights and gigs. I went upstairs and purchased tickets to a few of those events, the one I'm looking forward to the most is A Night At Hogwarts. Too bad I don't have my full costume, it just didn't fit in the suitcase. I do have my Gryffindor scarf, and a few Harry Potter themed shirts though, which is something. My wallet hurt a bit after I got the tickets, but I'm thinking of it this way, I'm investing in making connections and having a good time while I'm here. I hope I'm not disappointed. Not much else to note, I read half of one of the cookbooks I brought ovver, and am looking forward to cooking some of these recipes once I have the supplies.
Sunday
Couldn't get to sleep until 6, so woke up late again. Bambi and I went on a walk around the Broad, and it really is nice. The sun was kind of half poking out, which was good enough for me. I took a few pictures, and enjoyed the mild weather. All I needed was a light sweater and a small jacket, it must have been around 50 degrees. In the spring I bet the area around the Broad will be filled with birds and other wildlife. I saw a couple ducks/swans out today.
Things I noticed:
There are A LOT of rabbit holes in the grassy areas of campus, Bambi did a fantastic job of leading me around them, so I didn't step in any, but just...wow
Many people walk their dogs off leash, and the majority are well trained.
Rubbish bins around the Broad are few and far between. When I did finally get to one though, I couldn't help laughing because it was specifically labeled "Dog Waste". I must have carried Bambi's "gift" halfway around the Broad, so this bin was a welcome sight.
I'm hearing a lot less "Look, there's a dog!" People just look mostly, and don't comment. Maybe they think it's rude? Once you're in a conversation with a Brit though, they will reach over for a stroke...even if it's uninvited and the sign is right there. Not saying they all do that, bu some do.
After walking around the Broad, I explored the campus a little more. I found a very simple way to get to the SSWP building from my flat.. When I got back, a few people were in the kitchen, so I entered and introduced myself. They all seemed nice, about an equal number of boys and girls. I sat with them for awhile, and joined in the conversation when appropriate. I noticed that when one guy lit a cigarette, he passed it around to others in the group. I'm not used to seeing this, or smoking casually inside for that matter, but I didn't leave because I didn;t want them to think I was antisocial. When the little meet up was over I came upstairs and thought about recording my experiences. A free blog seemed like the best option, so here I am.
I'll post as often as I can, I'm not guaranteeing every day, or even every couple of days, but I do think writing about my experience abroad is worth doing. People I know can see what I'm up to, other students interested in studying abroad can see what it's like, and I'll be able to look back at these posts later to refresh my memory. I hope this ends up being an interesting experience, I'm enjoying my time here so far, and I know I'll have a lot more to talk about once I find some friends and start the uni routine.
Next up,classes start tomorrow! I'm not really sure what to expect, but for now I'll picture a tall, dark haired professor entering the room, robes billowing saying: "There will be no foolish wand waving, or silly incantations in this class.". I can dream, can't I?
Ciao til' next time.
If I was really nit picky I would have started this blog the second I first got access to the internet, but I'm not a stickler who records every action I do, which is probably better for my mental health anyway. So I'm starting the "study abroad journal" a few days late, don't worry I'll cover all the big points about my travel and settle in time briefly.
I'll start a few days before I left the States. I always hate packing, let alone packing 5 months worth of stuff into a limited number of bags. I found a list of basic things to bring on a study abroad trip on Google, and from there Mom and I gathered up clothing, shoes, toiletries, dog supplies, electronics, books, etc, and began cramming (as orderly as possible) the stuff into 1 large suitcase, a small duffle bag, and a backpack. Amazingly it all fit, which was great because I literally could not handle another bag, considering I only have 1 hand free while walking.
Besides getting myself ready for the journey, I had to make sure all of Bambi's papers were in order. Getting a dog over to the UK takes A LOT more paperwork than you would think. I started the process about 8 months ago. It's not a particularly hard process, but you need to be on the same page as your vet, and do the steps in a specific order. I followed them to a T, the last thing I wanted was to arrive at the airport and get turned away because of some "error". The last 2 steps had to be completed the day before the flight; going to the vet, getting Bambi's dewormer and flea and tick treatment, pick up her International Health Certificate (which cost about $205, I nearly fainted when I saw the bill. Sending that over to Guiding Eyes straight away), and heading over to JFK to get the papers signed and stamped by the vet on staff. If I were a vet I wouldn't want that job, I bet he rarely to never sees any actual animals, just their paperwork. Sucks for him.
We had a little trouble getting back to the city because the Mint key card didn't unlock the door to the car, which caused about a 1/2 hour delay and an angry phone call to the company. Finally we got back to the city, had lunch, and then I said farewell and thank you to Glenn, it was nice of him to take me all the way out to JFK.
That night there was a snowstorm which dumped over a 1/2 foot of snow on NYC streets. I was freaking out a little to say the least; I was already missing 1 day of orientation, now there was the possibility I would miss the other too. Luckily for me (but not for my brothers, who were expecting a snow day) Bloomberg got the roads cleaned up in the morning. To my amazement , my flight was listed as "On time", not even a delay! We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare (I didn't really want to repeat the blind girl running through the airport experience which happened when I was on my way to Infinitus last year). Mom couldn't escort me all the way to the gate, so we had a not-so-dramatic (thank goodness) goodbye at the security line. Getting through security went fine (although the lady who was supposed to feel Bambi up didn't seem too keen on the idea of touching a dog, so she just didn't. Luckily for you Delta, I didn't have my dog loaded up with explosives).
A nice security guard helped me get to my gate, I waited for awhile, and when they were preboarding I went up and changed my seat for one in the bulkhead. Little did I know I would get THREE in the bulkhead! That was pretty sweet, extra legroom for me, and more than enough room for Bam to spread out. The staff were very nice, and the food was decent, seats were comfortable too, but I couldn't sleep.
We landed in Amsterdam, and someone was waiting there to help me get to my next flight. It took a little while, but we got my boarding pass, and pretty soon I was standing in front of the next plane (one of the small ones, where you need to climb the steps). Before I got on, I asked if I could let Bambi do her business, we were outside...so why not. The guy seemed reluctant and after about a minute he was urging me to board. Fine, whatever...I boarded and the staff on this plane were immediately taken with Bambi. They gave me 2 seats, and the flight to Norwich was quite uneventful. My favorite part was landing, we went through a layer of clouds, and it was really awesome to look out the window and see what the inside of the puffs was like. These red sunglasses I have make clouds SO much more well defined than the grey ones I had before. At Norwich airport there was someone there waiting again who helped me get though immigration (no problems with paperwork, hooray!), got my luggage, and helped me into a cab.
When we got to the University, the cab driver was nice enough to help me find the office I had to go to to get my room key. I was impressed with this, in New York a cab driver would drop you off and drive away without a backwards glance. I'm not sure whether this driver was just a nice person, or whether my tip had something to do with this; apparently the Brits don't tip cab drivers, or pretty much anybody for that matter. By now I'm feeling like a total VIP, what with all special treatment and not having to worry about anything. I got my room key, and signed some housing stuff, then 2 people showed me to my room. Once there we went over where the light switches are, outlets, internet hook up, bathrooms, kitchen area, and exit doors. We then went back to "The Street" (main place on campus, where there are stores and places to eat) and one person left to go back to her office. The person who was still with me, David, would prove to be my go-to guy. He works in the Dean of Students office, another important office in that same building is the Disabilities office. So anyway, David showed me what the stores were, and then we went to the lunch which was being held for new international arrivals. He left, and I met up with Sally, who was a UEA rep who came to Goucher last year. After our chat I met a few other international students, and then I headed back to the room for a quick rest before the campus tour.
The tour went well, I got a better sense of the area, and found out where the School of Social Work and Psychology building is, my academic home base. The map makes the campus look huge, but it's actually very compact and manageable. I also discovered that you get most places by "walking highways", raised walkways above street level. When I'm walking around it kind of feels like battlements. They say it was constructed this way so that cars and dumpsters are out of sight beneath you. Hmm, speaking of unsightly things, why did they construct this entire place out of concrete? I bet it looked fine then, but 50 years later it's discolored and kind of gross looking. This is coming from the blind girl, who probably doesn't see the half of it. Brick or stone would probably have been a wiser choice, aesthetically.
Just a side not here, speaking of aesthetics, I have a great view of the Broad (lake) from my windows. Half of my wall space is windows actually, which is good because a lot of natural light comes in, and if it gets overbearing, I can just draw the curtains. There's also a winding staircase outside my door which leads to a bathroom, and someone else's room upstairs. Point is, it reminds me of Gryffindor Tower. : D
Back to Thursday's tour, we finished up the campus tour in the library, where we sat down for a minute to wait for a different tour guide to give us a tour of the library. Next thing I know, I'm waking up and the chairs next to me are empty, and it's dark outside. Jetlag caught up with me. I was a little put off that nobody woke me up to go on the library tour, but it didn't really matter, I just had to get back to my room to pass out for real in a more comfortable area. I did just that (Bambi did great finding the building again, I was maybe 1/4 conscious and felt very loopy). Some time later, I awoke to a knock on my door, it was the Resident Assistant Aaron stopping by to answer any questions and inform me about fire procedure and the like. We talked for awhile, then he volunteered to help me find some dinner. The store was closed, so we went to a cafeteria style establishment on campus called Zest. I plan on doing a lot of cooking myself this term, eating out is expensive, and pretty unhealthy. I got back to the room, set my alarm and went back to sleep at about 10.
Friday
Hey! Guess what? My alarm didn't go off and I've missed most of Friday's orientation! Brilliant! I ran over there and caught the tail end of the orientation session. Then David escorted me to the SSWP building (a new, quick route) where I needed to register with the department. Luckily I didn't miss my registration time. The professors who were there seemed quite Goucher like actually, pretty informal, not the uptight Dr. Snobs I had been gearing myself up for. After that, David and I went to the Dean of Students office and I met someone from the Disabilities Office. We called the person they had been in contact with who was going to give me some Orientation and Mobility training around campus and in Norwich, but she didn't answer. Done with that, I went to the little grocery store on campus and got some sandwich materials, quick and easy meals on the cheap. While I was in the store looking at stuff, someone came over and told me what all the different aisles contained. This was very helpful, because my way of doing that involves me picking up different items to read the labels, and it is quite time consuming. I brought the food back to my flat, then ran out again to meet up with the group of international students who were going into the city. David had arranged for someone to do some shopping with me, so once we got into the city, we split off from the others and went on the hunt for some items.
First stop was the mobile phone store. I ended up getting a pay as you go phone and 2 SIM cards, 1 for local, and 1 for international calls, for about £50. Then we got 2 US to UK adapter plugs (for the computer) for £3.50 each. We checked out a store for kitchenware, but they didn't have good prices on the things I needed, so we left, and went back to UEA. I stopped off at the library to sort out something regarding my student card, and while I was at it, I learned how to access the internet. The IT guy was very helpful and friendly, but before I left he came around the desk and just started petting Bambi without my permission. He used the "I know I'm not supposed to, but I can;t resist"" line. I should have said something, but I was very tired, and he had just helped me out, so I let it slip. Next time I won;t stand for it though. After making a sandwich, I went upstairs to unpack while listening to Mugglecast.
Saturday
Slept late, and just took a lazy day. While in the kitchen I met my first British flatmate. She was pleasant and informative. She told me that a good place to meet people is at the LCR, the dance club on campus which has all sorts of theme nights and gigs. I went upstairs and purchased tickets to a few of those events, the one I'm looking forward to the most is A Night At Hogwarts. Too bad I don't have my full costume, it just didn't fit in the suitcase. I do have my Gryffindor scarf, and a few Harry Potter themed shirts though, which is something. My wallet hurt a bit after I got the tickets, but I'm thinking of it this way, I'm investing in making connections and having a good time while I'm here. I hope I'm not disappointed. Not much else to note, I read half of one of the cookbooks I brought ovver, and am looking forward to cooking some of these recipes once I have the supplies.
Sunday
Couldn't get to sleep until 6, so woke up late again. Bambi and I went on a walk around the Broad, and it really is nice. The sun was kind of half poking out, which was good enough for me. I took a few pictures, and enjoyed the mild weather. All I needed was a light sweater and a small jacket, it must have been around 50 degrees. In the spring I bet the area around the Broad will be filled with birds and other wildlife. I saw a couple ducks/swans out today.
Things I noticed:
There are A LOT of rabbit holes in the grassy areas of campus, Bambi did a fantastic job of leading me around them, so I didn't step in any, but just...wow
Many people walk their dogs off leash, and the majority are well trained.
Rubbish bins around the Broad are few and far between. When I did finally get to one though, I couldn't help laughing because it was specifically labeled "Dog Waste". I must have carried Bambi's "gift" halfway around the Broad, so this bin was a welcome sight.
I'm hearing a lot less "Look, there's a dog!" People just look mostly, and don't comment. Maybe they think it's rude? Once you're in a conversation with a Brit though, they will reach over for a stroke...even if it's uninvited and the sign is right there. Not saying they all do that, bu some do.
After walking around the Broad, I explored the campus a little more. I found a very simple way to get to the SSWP building from my flat.. When I got back, a few people were in the kitchen, so I entered and introduced myself. They all seemed nice, about an equal number of boys and girls. I sat with them for awhile, and joined in the conversation when appropriate. I noticed that when one guy lit a cigarette, he passed it around to others in the group. I'm not used to seeing this, or smoking casually inside for that matter, but I didn't leave because I didn;t want them to think I was antisocial. When the little meet up was over I came upstairs and thought about recording my experiences. A free blog seemed like the best option, so here I am.
I'll post as often as I can, I'm not guaranteeing every day, or even every couple of days, but I do think writing about my experience abroad is worth doing. People I know can see what I'm up to, other students interested in studying abroad can see what it's like, and I'll be able to look back at these posts later to refresh my memory. I hope this ends up being an interesting experience, I'm enjoying my time here so far, and I know I'll have a lot more to talk about once I find some friends and start the uni routine.
Next up,classes start tomorrow! I'm not really sure what to expect, but for now I'll picture a tall, dark haired professor entering the room, robes billowing saying: "There will be no foolish wand waving, or silly incantations in this class.". I can dream, can't I?
Ciao til' next time.
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