Today is the six-week mark in England, six weeks from the day we arrived. As my trip this summer was six weeks and two days, I've almost been in England as long as I was abroad this summer. This feels very different, though. The whole time I was abroad this summer all I wanted was a place to store my socks and underwear in a place that wasn't my suitcase. I naturally have had the pleasure of storing all my clothes away since the first day, so I guess thats one of the most obvious differences.
Also, I somewhat expected England to be some grand adventure; lots of traveling and epic events, things of that nature. What I have mostly done is stay in my room and read and write. I suppose I haven't made quite the solid friendships so far as I had hoped for, but things are looking up.
The good thing is that I have made a lot of progress on my writing. Last week I wrote a short story, 'Swirling Leaves in Autumn,' and I'm hoping it isn't terrible. I guess we'll see where that goes. Started brainstorming on another one, but I'm having a rough time piecing the plot together. Nothing really happens.
Among that jazz, I have doing most of my homework reading. I haven't had to submit any assignments or take any tests or quizzes, which in some ways rocks. I'm just having a hard time keeping myself accountable with reading for school and not what I want to read.
It's been getting colder. We're supposed to have decent weather this weekend: upper 60s with moderate precipitation. Not unusual for here, but we have had several really beautiful days. On most of those days I walk down to Pittville Park a few blocks away and read and think and hang out with my duck friends.
So, as I am just a few days short of being halfway through this trip, I suppose this is a good time to sum up my sentiments concerning the first half of this trip. I do miss home, especially all the fun fall things I am missing out on. I am somewhat bummed that by the time I get home there will be 2-3 months of solid winter ahead. Being here has really increased my appreciation for home; not only Canton itself, but what makes Canton home to me: the ability to go to Starbucks past 6pm (that's right, they close right after dinner- what a rip-off), my room, where I can run away from stupid people and their obnoxious gangster rap thumping through the walls, my wonderful family, good friends, all good things and people of that sort.
I don't mean to demean the quality of my stay here. It's just been very different. It has been a great learning experience, and it's great to reflect on my time here to better understand myself.
It also, obviously, has been the ideal setting for me to learn about everything British. I've learned so much already, and I know I will take my experience and knowledge gained in Cheltenham with me wherever I go in my life.
On the traveling subject, I did go to Stratford-Upon-Avon last weekend with three other BCA (American) students and a host of other international students. We saw Shakespeare's birthplace/adult home and his church where he was baptized, married, and buried, which contains his and his immediate family's graves. We had lunch twice (my favorite) in Stratford and saw lots of other nifty little things, including an original First Folio printing.
Two other Americans and I just planned a trip to London, so I'm glad I'll finally be able to go check out all the good tourist sites.
That's about all I have this morning. I have to read about the decline of the Liberal Party in 1900-1939 for class. Fun.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Welcome, October. E+16
Well, just woke up to find that it is raining outside, and is really quite windy. Shortly after, I had a brilliant thought: as I don't have class today, or really anything better to do, I think I'll stay home today! I think it sounds brilliant anyways...
So I may as well try to relate the events of the past week as best I can. It's my fault for not writing for so long, I know. This past weekend the entire BCA group (all of the Americans that came here together, about 30, including myself) went on a trip to Cornwall, which was organized by Denise and Sandy, our wonderful program director and assistant program director, respectively.
We left last Friday morning, and rode on a bus first to Lanhydrock Hotel, which was rather pish-posh, was the site of our exquisite lunch, and was where we saw a man with purple golfing pants. Then we rode to Lanhydrock, a late Victorian Country House, which included some fantastic gardens as well.
Also, there was a plaque to the right of the flagpole above that explained how the lost fabled land of Lyonesse existed (in legend) between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, barely visible from Land's End. It was supposedly swalled in the sea around six hundred years ago, and fishermen still say they can see the houses' rooftops under the waves on calm days, and that they get doors and windows in their nets every so often. So I am trying to figure out what interesting way I can incorporate that legend in my book.
Then went to St. Ives, a picturesque tourist town which was on the way back to our hostel. There I ate a famous Cornish pasty, and at a different shop the famous Cornish tea and clotted cream. Needless to say, I have excellent taste in taste, built up from years of experience in the field, and I have no qualms with praising both delicious treats for their tastiness, originality, and tastiness.
Then we went to our hostel at Newquay for the night. Max, Alex and I then proceeded to climb the cliffs by the sea. I got yelled at by a security guard so I stopped climbing one large, slippery cliff. The three of us then decided to hop in; its possible that I have never been as cold as I was then, swimming in the sea there. Its like I always say: If you're going to do something really stupid and somewhat dangerous, you may as well do it with your friends.
The next morning, Sunday, we visited the Eden Project, which was a china-clay mine for the majority of the past century. Some people bought it and transformed it from a hideous pit to an amazing display of ecological conservation and progress.
Then we went home. I had my first classes this week. All of my "tutors" seem pretty good, and the classmates I have met seem pretty cool as well.
Alright, I've just spent over an hour on this post, and I am absolutely starving. I'm realllllly hoping this post will format right, because I am not doing this all over.
So I may as well try to relate the events of the past week as best I can. It's my fault for not writing for so long, I know. This past weekend the entire BCA group (all of the Americans that came here together, about 30, including myself) went on a trip to Cornwall, which was organized by Denise and Sandy, our wonderful program director and assistant program director, respectively.
We left last Friday morning, and rode on a bus first to Lanhydrock Hotel, which was rather pish-posh, was the site of our exquisite lunch, and was where we saw a man with purple golfing pants. Then we rode to Lanhydrock, a late Victorian Country House, which included some fantastic gardens as well.
Also, there was a plaque to the right of the flagpole above that explained how the lost fabled land of Lyonesse existed (in legend) between Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, barely visible from Land's End. It was supposedly swalled in the sea around six hundred years ago, and fishermen still say they can see the houses' rooftops under the waves on calm days, and that they get doors and windows in their nets every so often. So I am trying to figure out what interesting way I can incorporate that legend in my book.
Then went to St. Ives, a picturesque tourist town which was on the way back to our hostel. There I ate a famous Cornish pasty, and at a different shop the famous Cornish tea and clotted cream. Needless to say, I have excellent taste in taste, built up from years of experience in the field, and I have no qualms with praising both delicious treats for their tastiness, originality, and tastiness.
Then we went to our hostel at Newquay for the night. Max, Alex and I then proceeded to climb the cliffs by the sea. I got yelled at by a security guard so I stopped climbing one large, slippery cliff. The three of us then decided to hop in; its possible that I have never been as cold as I was then, swimming in the sea there. Its like I always say: If you're going to do something really stupid and somewhat dangerous, you may as well do it with your friends.
The next morning, Sunday, we visited the Eden Project, which was a china-clay mine for the majority of the past century. Some people bought it and transformed it from a hideous pit to an amazing display of ecological conservation and progress.
Then we went home. I had my first classes this week. All of my "tutors" seem pretty good, and the classmates I have met seem pretty cool as well.
Alright, I've just spent over an hour on this post, and I am absolutely starving. I'm realllllly hoping this post will format right, because I am not doing this all over.
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