Classes...Bristol and South Wales

It has been far too long since I have written anything!

The second week of classes has just ended.  I am taking "Development of Modern Science Communication" and "Media and Communication Theory."  I was also taking "History and Philosophy of Biology" but decided against it.  I only have room for one elective so if I took my elective this semester, I would be enrolled in three modules for my first semester and only one for my second.  Of course, I have my dissertation to write second semester but classes end in June and I have until August to hand it in.  Hopefully that will give me some time.

The learning style is very different over here.  One of my modules meets in the Professor's office, there are only five students including myself.  The other module is larger, as the Communications dept. is much bigger, but it is still only about thirty, maybe forty, students.  Out of the whole commuications class, there are only two people from England...the rest are from all over the world like South Korea, Thailand, Ghana, Portugual, Greece, Caribbean, etc. but primarily China.  In my study group, there are four girls from China, me, and a girl from Ghana.  It's very interesting, gaining a "worldy" perspective on things.  One thing that strikes me as interesting is that there are no assigned books...rather, for each lecture the "tutor" provides a reading list which is all (mostly) in the library and it is up to the student to read as much as they prefer to gain a better understandig of the material.  I was quite surprised when I found that the two "recommended" readings totalled to about 900 pages together.  So there I was, reading the entirety of two large books about social/communication theory (which I have no background in what-so-ever) and I later come to find that we're supposed to skim for "the meat" of the material.  Being one of the three native english speakers in the class and not understanding that, I can't imagine what it must be like for the others.

Last weekend I went to visit friends in Bristol, a city in the south of England.  I drove to Oxford with my friend Tom and his family.  The weather was terrible, it was storming throughout all of England.  It took about 4-5 hours to reach Oxford.  Once we had arrived, we rushed to the train station where we took a train to Bristol.  We made a stop-over in Didcot, our train was delayed for a bit but we were so close to actually being there after a long day of travelling.  At 21:30 we made our way to Bristol...Tom, who was sure that our stop was after "Bristol Parkway" soon after sent me a text saying that we may have missed our stop.  At 22:30 we arrived in Newport...the South of WALES.  I had never been to Wales so was quite excited to be in a new place.  We decided to just take a taxi to Bristol instead of wait for the next train.  It was cool seeing the "Welcome to England" sign as we drove along.

How do we find our "ffordd allan?"  Oh Wales. 

I finally arrived at my friend Ellie's house in Bristol.  She is living with four guys, three of whom I've met and are extremely nice.  They are all hippies, real hippies not just hemp wearing tye-dying hippies (but I think they like that too).  They "skip" (dumpster dive) every night to get most of their food which is an incredibly good idea!  They came back with TONS of quality food one night.  They are also really involved in helping the community out, just all-in-all cool people.

On Saturday, we adventured around Bristol.  The weather was fantastic and it was such a beautiful city!  I met up with Flossie as well, who has recently moved to Bristol with her man.  In England right now, "vintage shops" are all the rage.  They have "All-American" Vintage Shops which are basically smaller Goodwills where they have taken a $2 t-shirt and put a £20 price tag on it!  It is such a rip off!  I can't take it seriously, I see people wearing Varsity jackets or stupid sweaters and I just think "you tool bag, someone just made a fortune because you're an idiot."  That's not to say all Vintage shops are lame, some are quite nice and cheap, or at least worth the price.  Apparently, there is a vintage shop in Bristol where you can get a fur coat (real fur!) for £45!  British people look stylish in whatever they're wearing anyways so I guess they can get away with anything.  As for me, I just don't have an eye for it.  I struggle to put items together on a daily basis haha and still end up looking like a tool.

Bristol Cathedral

Bristol was a lot of fun, it was really nice to see my friends and how they're living outside of Oxford.  Flossie and her boyfriend have a gorgeous flat overlooking "Whiteladies Road" (the road leading to "Blackboy Hill"...I kid you not).  Saturday night was fun...me, Ellie, Flossie, and Matt went out to a couple of clubs at night.  Nightlife is so much better here.  I try to explain to people that there was only one bar in Salem that students went to often...I don't think they understand.  I think the strangest part about being in England is no longer being the youngest person at the bar.  Since the drinking age is 18 over here, the bar scene is nothing new.  As for me, I am eating it up...clubs are a completely new thing!  I am still at the stage where I want to have crazy wild nights (in moderation, responsibly, and only when I don't have work to do, of course) but everyone is kind of over that, or at least people that I want to hang out with.  I really need to get some DGs over here, we would have a FANTASTIC TIME!  Now, that would be a night to (not) remember.

Banksy- A famous graffitti artist from Bristol

Term Begins!

Yesterday I was feeling quite overwhelmed being in Leeds.  There are so many students and so much going on, I just felt completely lost.  We don't have internet at the house yet and I don't have a phone so my communication with the outside world is pretty much severed.  I have been trying to sort out a bank account, a phone, my life with little success.  I was just feeling frustrated...until I met my department!

Yesterday was the School of Philosophy's postgraduate induction.  I went a bit early so that I could introduce myself to the professor who I have been in contact with throughout the summer, he is pretty much responsible for getting me into Leeds.  He was wonderful, it was really nice to finally meet him.  Turns out, I am one of two in the MA in Science Communications programme.  The other guy is from Portugual.  I think that it would be accurate to say we are the most attractive programme in the philosophy department haha (only because there's two of us).

After the brief meeting I headed over to the actual induction where I met some really cool people.  The department is pretty small.  The MA in Science Communications is a joint programme with the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) dept. and the Communications dept..  HPS is part of the Philosophy dept as a whole, which all together is probably about thirty postgraduate students (if that).  I was pleased when the head of postgraduate studies spoke and turned out to be American, as are two other professors in the dept..  Since I've been in Leeds, I have been trying to conceal the fact that I am an American, simply because I'm not sure how people will react.  It's not that I'm ashamed of being American, I'm just not sure how people in the North are.  I was definitely flaunting it yesterday, I felt accepted just as I am.  There are tons of international students in the department so I didn't feel singled out at all, just another viewpoint.

The induction began with a brief welcome and introduction.  From there, we split into smaller groups that were specific to the programme we were studying.  School is quite different compared to the United States.  My programme is a year long, two semesters.  I have to take three core modules (basically three classes), an elective module, and write a dissertation.  The core modules in semester one are: Development of Modern Science Communication and Media and Communication Theory.  In the second semester I am taking something like Application of Science Communication (I don't remember the exact title).  We have the choice of one elective which can be taken in the HPS dept. or the Communications dept..  I have no idea what I want to take!  It all depends on whether I want to take more of a philosophical route or communications route.  I am leaning towards philosophical, although communications would probably be much more helpful.  I really like the philosophy department, they are down to earth and friendly.  The module I'm thinking of doing is 'History and Philosophy of Biology.'  The professor who teaches it is from New Jersey and he's a really cool guy.  However, that would mean that I don't have Fridays off (bad reason, I know) and that I would only be taking one class next semester.  I feel like I shouldn't overload this semester and split the work evenly.

After all the formalities, we had drinks with the department.  It was great!  Getting drunk with professors, always a good time.  I met pretty much all of the professors, they were all fantastic.  I felt much better after feeling extremely overwhelmed earlier in the day.  I went over to the Communications department to introduce myself afterward.  The philosophers were definitely much more fun.

Today I finally managed to sort out my bank account info so hopefully life will get a little less hectic from now on.  Teaching begins on Monday, should be a good time.  I can already tell that this year is going to go by extremely fast.  I'm looking forward to it though!

Hyde Park.  I take this route when I want to scope out the rugby players.  They are missing in this picture but at least the weather is nice!

This is what I see walking to school in the morning

Leeds

Before leaving for Leeds, I was extremely nervous.  I kept telling myself that everything would be fine but I couldn't help being nervous about the huge change that was about to occur.  Fortunately, I drove up to Leeds with a friend and didn't have to take the train up by myself.  The journey was about three hours from Oxford (which is a long car ride in the UK).  When we got into Leeds, I was surprised at how big a city it is.  There is a mix of sleek modern architecture and old, worn down brick.  My first glimpses of the city gave a good impression although it is very dreary.  The north is more grey than the south.  All of the buildings look very weathered.

My house is very close to campus.  It is part of a community of red brick row houses situated on top of a hill.  There are gates on all the windows and on the door (I refer to it as a "gated community").  The house itself is fantastic!  It has all been recently refurbished, there are three floors and a basement (which is a bedroom and a study area).  The main floor consists of a kitchen and the living room, the second floor has a bathroom and a bedroom, and the third floor has two bedrooms.  I am on the third floor, my room overlooks the street.  It is fantastic!

My room!

The view from my room!

My housemates are absolutely lovely!  I couldn't be happier.  I haven't met the Canadian yet but I'm sure he's cool too.  When I got in, Cecilia and I had gin and tonics.  Laura, my other housemate, made a delicious meal.  We ate and drank before going out.  We went to a club called 'Hifi.'  It was crowded but still a lot of fun.  I knew that my roommates and I were going to be amazing friends when the bouncer told one of them that she couldn't bring her bottle outside so she chucked it down the stairs, accidentally shattering it and was barred from the club.

The tall clock building is called "Parkinson."  It is part of the University, it contains an entrance to the Brotherton library.

Leaving Oxford

I have had the most fantastic time in Oxford, I don't want it to be over!  Coming back to Oxford was much like coming back to a second home, there was no level of discomfort.  Today I am leaving for Leeds where I will be meeting my housemates, seeing my house, university...although it is all very exciting, it is still a bit nerve racking.  It is a huge city, I don't know what to expect...and while I know it will be fine, there is still that degree of uncertainty that comes with making such a huge change in atmosphere.  Also, I have no phone or internet so my communication with the outer world will be severed for a few days.

The last few days in Oxford have been absolutely amazing.  The weather has been fantastic (I actually got a bit sunburned yesterday!).  Now it is raining...I see a bit of sun shielded by the overcast as I write this but it is definitely the worst day of weather so far.

On Friday I saw one of my closest friends, Ellie.  We went for coffee in the Covered Market, a classic Oxford staple.  It is an enclosed british market...there is a fruit and veg stand, a butcher (all kinds of meat hang from the ceiling), a cobbler, and a few other shops.  After catching up, we went back to hers where I got to see her parents and sister again after far too long.  In 2004, I spent my last night in the UK at her house where she held a going away party for me.

That night, I went to a pub ('The Swan Castle') to meet a bunch of friends.  It was a great time, I hadn't seen some of the people that were there that night for longer than six years!  It was definitely a great crew, I felt just as close with my friends as I had when I left.  After the pub, we went to a club called 'The Purple Turtle' or 'PT' (which I heard as 'BT').  It was the place where they had hung out a lot during sixth form...it wasn't too bad, pretty much the cheapest thing that was open at the time.  I am surprised that pub close so early here (about 1 am).  I would have thought they would be open till about 4 am.

Christ Church Meadow, so beautiful!

My friend William walked me back to Liz's house after a night of festivities.  The next day Liz went back to Uni and William and I met up in town to explore Oxford.  As we were walking into town, someone yelled from a car driving by: "Ain't she a bit short for you?"  Oh England...love it.  The weather was absolutely beautiful.  We walked in Christ Church meadow which is one of my favorite places in Oxford.  It is absolutely gorgeous, everything was lush and in full bloom.

Christ Church Meadow

We walked along the small alley ways, took all the historical paths.  Mexican food is becoming quite popular in England so for lunch, we decided to try "Oxford's Best Burrito" (Oxford's only burrito) at a place called 'Mission.'  It was much like a Chipotle as far as the font and ordering style were concerned but it was not nearly as good, definitely an experience though.  We ate on top of Oxford's oldest building, the Saxon Tower, which has been there since around 1040.  From the top of the tower, you can see all of Oxford including Oxford's famous spires.  Next we went to the Ashmolean, a museum of art and archaeology.

Cornmarket Street, view from the Saxon Tower

After town, I saw my first football game in the UK!  Oxford United vs. Stockport...unfortunately, Oxford did not win but this riled up the fans next to us, who were continuously shouting vulgarities at the players, fans of the other team, "Emma," the poor girl accompanying them...anyone.  Poor Emma, when she went to use the loo, a whole stand sung about it and then followed up with "bring your wet pants back for me Emma."

After a few hours break, William and I went to grab a few drinks at very Oxford pubs.  The first pub, The Turf dates back to the 13th century.  It is hidden among the old buildings of Oxford University and only reachable via small alleywalls.  The beamed ceilings are extremely low, it is a very quaint place.  We then went to The King's Arms before heading to meet some friends.  Oxford at night is such a mysterious place!  I was told it is one of the number one settings for murder mystery novels.  We walked down Queen's Lane, an old road named after Queen's College.  There are old lamp posts lining the street, so gorgeous.  I have great pictures, will put up soon.  I don't have a cable to attach my camera to the computer so I need to find a SD card reader!

Queens Lane.  Harry Potter light

My last day/night in Oxford was probably the best I had (although they were all great).  I didn't feel very homesick when in Oxford because it felt like being at home.  Now that I'm in Leeds, I find myself missing Oxford but hopefully I will be back soon!

OXFORD

I made it!

I arrived in London at 7 am on Wednesday.  The plane ride wasn't too bad.  I watched 'Kick Ass' and occupied the rest of time fantasizing about all the English boys I'd meet that resembled Aaron Johnson.  I was so excited when I finally reached land...I ran through customs and there waiting on the other side of the gate were two of my best friends!

Even though it's been six years it feels so normal to be back here.  It didn't really sink in (still hasn't completely) until I was taking the coach through the Oxford city centre.  Looking at all the beautiful old buildings almost made me cry!  I have been thinking about what it would be like to come back to Oxford for six years and now that I'm here, I just can't even begin to explain all that I'm feeling.

From London, we took a coach to Oxford where my friend Liz and her dad picked us up.  We went back to her house and relaxed there for a few hours.  Unfortunately, Liz has been extremely sick for the last few days.  A bunch of people stopped by throughout the day and then in the evening, Marion, Simon and I made our way to the pub for a long night of drinking!  Our crowd gradually got bigger as the night went on...my friend Poppy arrived and bought three pitchers of JAEGER BOMBS (Vesna, I thought of you).  After last call, we made our way to a friend's house where I saw tons of people I hadn't seen in years.  At this point, I was pretty drunk and hadn't slept in two days.  A friend of mine walked me back home.  He showed me some of the parts of Oxford that had changed since I'd been away, we walked down to my old middle school, along the Thames.

The next day, Liz and I walked in the city centre, through the cobblestone streets and tiny alley ways of Oxford.  I kept thinking about my mom and how much she loves it here...although I miss my family and friends, I am still running on excitement.  The first day I was pretty homesick but I quickly drank that sorrow away.

Liz infront of the Radcliffe Camera!

Early evening last night, I think I have finally ridden myself of the full effects of jet lag.  Today I plan on compensating for the early night!  I am going to see one of my best friends, Ellie, who I haven't seen in AGES, so thrilled!  I promise I will put pictures up soon!!!

Last Full Day in America

Due to my recent obsession with blogging, I vowed that if I ever traveled abroad I would begin a blog purely dedicated to my travels.  So here it is!

Tomorrow at 5:40 pm (eastern time), I leave for London from Washington DC.  Today is my last full day in America (not last but at least for a while).  I don't think it has really hit me yet, the fact that I won't be back in the States for a while.  To be honest, I doubt it will have hit me until a month or so after being in the UK and then I will hopefully have gotten over it already.  It's strange...I have been in this house all summer, day-by-day it has been pretty uneventful.  Life becomes sort of this boring routine, normality sinks in.  However, since I've found out that I am moving abroad, this summer has become special to me.  I know that I will look back and view it in a different light.  Now, having the ability to view the last few months as a whole, grouping each day into a general category of "summer," my perspective has changed.  The routine of my day is no longer a routine, each thing that I do is special, well thought out.  My life is going to be completely different in one week.  I can't even imagine what it's going to be like. 

For the past week or so I have been pretty anxious about the whole trip.  In fact, the other night I was freaking out about it.  My mother and I have the same exact way of displaying our anxiety towards something: we both are silent and extremely irritable.  My mother has been my cheerleader throughout the whole process, encouraging me constantly and resassuring me that everything will work out.  For the past few days, I can tell that she is upset that I'm leaving, she is worried about me.  This freaks me out even more.  It's not her fault, she tries to hide it and would hide it successfully if we didn't act the same way.  Seeing my mother in this state is unsettling but now that it has come down to the final countdown, I believe we have both moved passed that stage and are excited. 

So tomorrow I fly out from DC and arrive in London on the morning of the 15th.  There I will be meeting three of my closest friends whom I haven't seen in almost six years!  While that seems like a lot of time, I know that we will just be picking up where we left off.  I cannot wait to see them.

From London, I will be going to Oxford (where I used to live) for a few days.  I can't wait to walk around the city centre, all the memories from my youth!  I have thought about this moment for years, what it would be like to go back to Oxford and now it is actually happening.  I am looking forward to seeing all of my friends, how they've changed...I have a lot of catching up to do. 

Whatever sadness I have about leaving my family and friends in the United States is overcome with the excitement of seeing my family and friends in the UK.  I am a true dual-citizen, I feel like both England and America are my homes.  I know that wherever I may be, my friends and family are still my friends and family.  People are just going to have to share me (ha ha).

I have a few days in Oxford before I head up to Leeds on the 19th.  I have a house with three roommates (two girls from the UK and a boy from Canada), none of which I have properly met.  I have spoken to one of my roommates on the phone and she is wonderful!  She has been so helpful in helping me find a place and absolutely lovely so I am not in the slightest bit worried about the possibility that we may not get on.  I am sure that my other roommates will be great as well.  We have a four bedroom house about ten minutes from campus in a busy student section of the city.  Leeds is the fastest growing city in the UK, it will definitely be a change from the small town of Salem, VA.

I will be updating this blog with stories and pictures so please check in if you want to see what's going on in my life!