trips, returns, and documentation (pictures!)

This weekend I went to visit my wonderful friend Shannyn in Norwich.

There was silliness and weird shenanigans.

Shannyn is in a circus society, and I met her friends from there. I also went to a meeting and learned some poi! It's pretty awesome-fun.

Nicole is also up for the week. She is studying in France, but has a week off.

Norwich is a very cool city, and good times were had by all.

Apparently the UEA folks don't have much work. This made me feel better, as I am constantly concerned I'm not doing enough. Especially as I didn't do anything last week... However, this morning I was doing a review of class notes that professors put up on DUO (our version of blackboard), and found a practice test for Artefacts and Materials. The questions are so specific! I'm definitely meant to be doing much much much more studying than I am. Here's to a week of hermitism.

After a very long train ride, in which I was stuck behind a guy who smelled really truly awful (a mixture of stale chinese food and what was probably some sort of drug - it made me feel ill, anyway), I arrived in Durham and was surprised by how familiar it was. It astounds me how quickly we adapt. I was worried that it was taking me a long time - I'm not anymore. The amount of affection I have for this town is absurd. There's nothing like leaving and then returning to make you appreciate a place. Seriously, Durham is breathtaking.

And so, some pictures from yesterday afternoon:

Right outside the trainstation
View of city from above
...

Bridge leading into the center of town
& the Norman castle
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view from the bridge
& Durham Cathedral
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square in the center of the city
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view from my window
rainbows when I return
appropriate, no?
...

Irritable Erica Complains and Reflects

Complaints:

• I want a salad. There is no salad to be had. They call brown lettuce in sandwiches 'salad'.
  
• I chose to buy a sandwich from the library cafe today. Little did I know my "farmhouse cheddar" sandwich would be slathered in butter. Ew, ew, ew.
• My clothes don't fit properly. They never have. I suspect they never will. I am uncomfortable.
• I spent an hour in the library, and found none of the books I was looking for.
• The library should organize their journals better. Like, say, using the alphabet.
  
• I spend most of my time walking around town.
• I have a lot of work to do (but, see lack of books. Problem.)
• I miss Alex & my family
  
• I can't wait until this stupid election is over. I. Am. So. Sick. Of. It. (but apparently the student union is having an election party. That could be fun. Or eye-gougingly frustrating)
  
• I want a salad
• I want a salad
• I want a salad

Reflections:

It's nice being part of a large department for a change. There are so many areas of study to choose from, and a variety of view points available. We have an illustrator, a photographer, and a zillion professors. And the facilities! We have a conservation lab, an oriental museum, and more. However, the thing about the British is that a lot of your course reading has to be done in the library (as the reading list is HUGE, and you can't possibly purchase that many books). At Dickinson, even when people in the same class are all using the same book in the library, because there are so few people to begin with you can be pretty sure that whatever book you want will be available. This is not so here. It's a problem (already in complaint section).

My Religious Life In Ancient Egypt is the best class ever.
Be jealous.
Today we learned about mortuary temples for an hour, and then priests and the priesthood for an hour.

Later today I have my Artefacts and Materials class, which is also excellent. I think Monday is my favorite day, actually, even though I have two classes, and one of them is at 9 in the morning (the other from 4:15-6:15 PM).

Also, I really really like Northern Mesopotamia. Maybe I'll read about that this afternoon if I can't find books relevant to my essays.

By the way, despite complaints and malnutrition, I'm doing really well. I like Durham, Chad's, my classmates, my housemates, and I love love love my classes. Oh, I also went to a swing dance meeting/lesson on Sunday! It's very fun, and I'm excited to keep it up.

Now I'm off to see if I can't find some books on Alpine Rock Art, and perhaps the Lindisfarne Gospels.

Woo!

(I still promise pictures, but not today. Tomorrow, if there's time)

Random Social Stuff

So far I've talked about classes, and culture shock, but I haven't talked at all about the rest of life at "Uni," as these people call it. Basically, Chad's is welcoming, friendly, and I like pretty much everyone. I live in a small house down the street from Main College (the building where we eat, get mail, and a lot of freshers live), where pretty much everyone hangs out together. This is very strange to me, as for the past two years most of my friends have lived in different dorms. A dorm, my room, etc, is very much a place where I go when I'm done doing things. Now, I feel constantly antisocial for not being downstairs in the kitchen, by the stairs, or in someone's room chatting. To be honest, I feel a little out of place. The one time I hung out with them they talked about British things - mostly school, which is one of the more confusing British things (A levels? What?). Individually, I do like the people I live with a lot, but I don't do well in large groups.

There's a group of us international kids that are still pretty close. A list of names and things:

Hanano from Japan. She's studied in the UK before this (what we'd call high school, but who knows what it's called here. She's very sweet, and studying music. She's also one of my only friends who is also not doing sports. Awesome.

Jasmine from Singapore. She's studying Law, although is jealous of me studying archaeology (she wanted to study arch, but her mom wouldn't let her). She's sort of loud and is taking on way too much.

Anthony from Pennsylvania. No, we didn't know each other before this. No, different sides of the state. How far apart? About 7 or 8 hours. Yeah, America's big. (<--- typical conversation) He's studying English, and is another exchange student! His home college is Cornell.

Namali from Sri Lanka. Excellent person, studying Economics. Friendly, happy, lovely.

Anthony and I are the only two people of this group that aren't constantly freezing here.

As far as British people go, I've made a fair amount of friends. Mostly archaeology students, as we have something in common that I'm comfortable talking about. However, they certainly aren't all arch students. I won't go through them all, as there are a lot, but it's fun.

It's strange, though, because I've made all these archaeology friends but we will never ever have class together. I haven't had enough classes to really know the people in them yet, so it's a little weird. Also, the classes are very much lecture style so far - there's not a lot of interaction, and everyone already has their own group of friends (and knows everyone else anyway). It's not bad though. I love my classes so far.

I guess I don't really have that much to say. Last week there was an "alphabet bop", where you had to dress up as something starting with the first letter of your name. I went as emo. This week I've been fairly anti-social, although I did go to the bar last night and then ate chips with Zoe, and some other girls in her corridor.

I also drew a little last night, for the first time in a while. It was nice. I am going to make an effort to do that more often. Speaking of which, I have my first Fine Arts Society meeting tonight at 8. I'm excited! Apparently they get together and draw, as well as show each other their work. I'm not exactly sure how it will go, but it sounds cool. Also, they provide members with a studio space (maybe I will be able to get into woodburning after all!) and a way to get discounted art supplies.

Also, I decided not to join net ball or caving. I wanted to be able to keep my weekends free, for traveling and studying. Going along the same train of thought I also decided not to join InStep (the dance society) or the Swing Dancing Society, and instead just run or go to the gym. But, then, last night I was feeling gross and missed dancing a lot. I also realized that I would never be able to keep up a gym schedule - as I don't actually enjoy it all that much. So, now I am going to the second swing dance meeting tomorrow at 2, and have emailed InStep to see if it's too late to join. Ha. I'm excited, though. I was looking at the InStep schedule, and it looks like you can go to any class you want, as often as you want, so hopefully it's not actually all that much of a time restraint.

OH ALSO! Next weekend I'm visiting the Norwich kids, although that reminds me - I still need to look up train tickets/schedules and email around to see who has a free floor for me to crash on.

Anyway, I'm going to go do some sort of work (I may go to the library, or I may just read in my room). Sorry this was such a boring update. Pictures soon, I promise!

Ginger Thoughts

Before I begin, let me preface this post by saying that I really do love it here.

Now, let me begin.

Whenever people talk to me about America, American politics, American culture, whatever, some sort of terrible but probably true statistic comes up. Invariably, it points to how backwards we are as a culture (and not as good as England). Of course, it's not in so many words, and many of these same people profess a love for the U.S. - it's "spirit" and "freedom" (ha). The fact that we're "inward looking" comes up a lot, and some statistic about how very few of us even have passports. This I find a bit unfair - almost everyone I know has a passport, almost everyone I know likes to travel - but that's because I live in a privilege bubble. I suspect that this statistic arises because although most people would like to travel, not a lot of people can afford it. Apparently people here go to Greece to party a lot. People in the U.S. can't do that. So? I also find it amusing that they tell this to me, who clearly has a passport, and then say they could never study for a year abroad, because they "aren't brave enough".

Now, like I say, I clearly circulate in a very small segment of American society - Dickinson is hardly mainstream, and Bryn Athyn even less so. It's hard for me to respond and carry on such conversations, because (as it's becoming more and more clear to me) my understanding of my culture as a whole is embarrassingly lacking. But isn't that the thing? What is American culture as a whole? America is so freaking huge!

Another thing that comes up a lot is the election. Rather, Republicans come up a lot. Not just regular Republicans, like the two other U.S. exchange students, of course it's the extremes. Admittedly, our extremes are fairly extreme. I've been asked if I'm a redneck, if I come from a redneck state, if I believe A or B or what have you. This is all mostly ok. I expected this. Our country has some serious problems. But what surprises me is that I haven't come across any dissatisfaction with British society (except for the economy). Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places, but someone told me that there wasn't really any racism in the UK, not "the way it is in America". Really? REALLY? Well that's fabulous, if I beleive it at all. He also told me that "well, it does exist, but it's always disguised as something else because people don't want to admit it. They talk about not wanting imigrants to take their jobs, but they don't have a problem with white immigrants, so I guess that's racist." Hmm, yeah, I think it just might be *eye roll*

Not like America at all.

I guess the thing is guns, though. The U.S. is much more violent, apparently. This I beleive.

However, I find it strange being told that my country is so much behind the times on these things when in my first week I was called "a big fat ginger" and my singapore friend who was with me was called a "chink", all because we ignored some cocky bastards making passes at us from inside a car. A friend on facebook's status is that she's "coming to terms with being called a blonde **** by a Durham local". Nope, no racism or sexism here!

I don't mind the inquiries and sarcasm aimed at the U.S., as I think they all point to legitimate problems we have, but it does bother me that I haven't found any sort of public face for adressing these things on campus, when they clearly exist here as well, if in different forms. In order to make up for that hideously long sentence, let me explain in smaller sentences.

At Dickinson, there is always an event, a group, SOMETHING that's talking about Guantanamo, Darfur, feminism, LGBTQ rights, fighting racism, etc. The women's center is fairly prominent. This doesn't make the place perfect, but at least these issues are being discussed if you want to discuss them, and are somewhat in the student consciousness. Now, maybe me not finding anything at all like this here has to do with circumstances. There is no universal sounding board, like the stairs of the HUB. Maybe I'm moving in the wrong circles, maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. But, in the list of societies on line, there is no woman-centered or feminist group. There's the "Happily Ever After" society (where you pretend to be princes and princesses and watch Disney movies), there's the community that prays for global issues, there's the chocolate society, but no feminist society. The closest I could find was Amnesty International, which I'm joining. I know that I saw a sign for the LGBTQ society at the fresher's fair (where you sign up for all these things) but I didn't see the table, and looking through the list of societies online I couldn't find it. Although they are much more laid back about gay people here, I really really doubt that homophobia isn't an issue.

Is it because these things are SUCH HUGE problems in America - and often ignored or refuted problems - that we are pushed to adress them as much as we can, where we can? Are they really more aware of current events - both in their country and out? I haven't the faintest idea. I feel more ignorant now than ever. But, I do know that the lack of a women's group on campus is a blind spot that I find particularly frustrating, as I'm meant to be making connections and writing an article for the women's group at home.

On another note, I miss the writing center. They don't have anything like that here, and I have no idea how to write British essays. Let's hope they're more or less the same as U.S. essays. Although today a professor told us to start our essay off with "In this essay I will explain..." Huh? What? I hate that. I advise people not to do that. Ug.

Also I miss the caf. I'm a vegetarian now, partially because I'm so sick of beef, and you're not allowed to have the vegetarian option unless you tell them you really are a vegetarian. So, I'm a vegetarian.

Sorry if this sounds like complaining, it's actually not in my head. Just some thoughts.


Update: I found the LGBT site, it wasn't listed with the other societies, it had it's own website. It looks fairly large. Perhaps I'll find a woman thing eventually.

Classes...er...modules?

Well, as it turns out, I'm attending only the coolest school in the world. I've had four out of my six lectures so far. The first lecture I attended was less lecture and more throwing-us-into-it, and left me excited but more apprehensive than anything, to be honest. I felt completely out of my element, which is weird because it was archaeological illustration; in other words, the combination of my two passions. But, give it a few weeks and I think I'll love it. Do I mind not having a reading list or an exam, but instead coming into the building to draw cool stuff and hand in a portfolio? No, no I do not. Not at all. Awesome.

My second lecture (last Friday) made most of my built up apprehension dissipate. Ancient Complex Societies In Action. At first I was nervous, because the lecturer began by asking if everyone had taken ACE (ancient civilizations of the east) the year before. I have not done anything official with the "east" (besides religions in china) since I was a freshman in high school. But, then he went into a rant about citation and led us through some painstakingly obvious "tests". I got the citation down. Oh yeah. Citation queen. Then, after a break, the same class reconvened with another professor. Instead of introduction of any kind, he lept into talking about Northern Syria and how we can know if it was part of the Assyrian Empire or not. He talked about agricultural patterns and what they tell us about the political structure. Oh my goodness awesome. Which reminds me, Syria, I need to email Fadi. I am so bad at keeping in touch with people, it's awful. Also, if anyone's sent me things on my Dickinson address, I appologize. I can't actually acess it in my room because of something with the connection, and so can only check it in the library. Although I've actually spent a fair amount of time in the library, I keep forgetting to check it.

Today I had two lectures, one at 9 and one at 4:15. Both were excellent. In the first, Religious Life in Ancient Egypt, it was again a jump straight into lecturing. The professor talked about general aspects of Egyptian religion and it's synchronicity. She also talked about cult centers and how they were set up. Each cult center also held the resources for its region. Also, each cult center had a creation myth, about how the god they worship founded the world at that very location. To quote my professor "How do you have all these different centers claiming to be commemorating the spot where the world began, with different mythologies and cosmologies, and still work together?" pause, as if waiting for an answer. "Well, you're Egyptian, that's how."

It was really excellent. Again, I was nervous about my lack of background, but I found that I was much less lost than I thought I'd be. It turns out I'm osmosed a very faint general orientation in the world of Egyptian scholarship just from being interested in it. Also, oddly enough I found that I understood a lot of the theological/religious/cultural concepts from Hill's religions in china and anthro of religion classes, and the architecture stuff I understood from Maggidis's classes. Excellent, and unexpected.

This evening I had Artefacts and Materials. I don't have much to say about it, except that it's already really fun. The group of people seems nice. There's another international exchange student (from Sweden) that I'd met before, so it was nice not to be sitting by myself while the third years all knew each other. The professor is humorous, and seems good natured. The content is unusual - very broad and spanning all cultures and times - but specific in the methods etc. I'm looking forward to it. I just emailed in my requests for the project/seminar leading/essay thing we have to do. I want to do either the Lindisfarne Gospels or pigments. Fun stuff.

Socially, things have been going pretty well, although more on that later as I'm meeting a friend at the Chad's bar. Then, it's cleaning and more reading for me.

Peace.

durham durham chad's durham!

Ok, I'm here.

Things started off a bit rocky, as they can't give me my real room untill room allocations on Sunday. So I was sitting, feeling very much alone, in a small temporary room, with overflowing suitcases I couldn't unpack, running on 0 hours of sleep. Once I took a shower, picked myself up, and found the admissions office, however, things worked out splendidly. People here are really nice, and now I am actually partly registered with the university. I can't figure out how to hook up my computer in my room (I can't find a plug, let alone a phone jack), and I should probably wait until I have a permanent room anyway. Right now I'm in the University Library, which is actually only the music and law library, and I think mostly for post-grads. But it's right across the street where I'm staying, and in the square of the cathedral and castle, so here I am.

Yesterday I wandered around the center of town a bit, and discovered this: Durham is the most beautiful town in the whole world. I can't beleive I'm actually living here. I've seen a lot of pretty things in my life, but this really takes it. Old buildings cropping up everywhere, liftintg their heads above the roofs of the less-old buildings, beautiful running water (I don't know the names of the rivers yet), bridges, water/woods walking paths, little shops, cobbled streets, and curvey back alleys. The only slight-problem is that I'm not yet used to the cold. It's not even that cold -yesterday was beautiful- but the air has that dry crispness that makes your skin itch and ears ache. This morning was particularly brisk. I woke up relatively early, for some reason, so I wandered downstairs and happened across the dining room. After a cup of tea and some introductions, I set out to explore more of the town. Turns out, the other direction is almost as beautiful. Once I reached the familiar street - baileys, I think it's called - where my college is located I went across the street to the cathedral, and into the library, where I am now.

Yesterday evening there was a dinner for the new graduates and international students from Chad's, as well as St. John's (the college next to us). But, being the jet-lagged person I was, I fell asleep for "a half hour". During this half hour I completely zonked out and have no recollection of either of my two alarms. So, an hour and half late, I walked into the room ashamed. But, I was pointed in the right direction, and met the international Chad's rep and the headmaster of the college (EDIT: she's actually the "head tutor", the head of the college is a guy people call Papa Joe), who was incredibly nice. She recognized my name and said "Oh! From Pennsylvania, right? Studying archaeology and anthropology? Let me introduce you to some other U.S. archaeology students" and so, she did. We walked over to a new graduate student, and she said "oh, I went to school in Pennsylvania". When I asked her where, she said Dickinson. Me too! Me too! I exclaimed, and we got to talking. Her name is Sarah (I think) and she just graduated. She said she was pretty out of it her senior year, just waiting to come back to England, which would explain why I didn't know her before. She was at Durham her junior year as well, and loved it so much she's back for her master's. Given that Chad's is one of the smallest colleges in the University, if not the smallest, this is a pretty weird thing. It was fun, though. We got to talking about Greece, the Maggidises (Maggidi?), Breanne (one of her friends who I also know and love), and Dickinson in general. Then, today at 10:30 there's coffee for all us newbies, and then an international students fair run by the University as a whole. There's a party Saturday night, and then on Sunday the real craziness begins.

In conclusion, I'm feeling much better about this whole situation, and in fact am having a pretty great time. I'm looking forward to this year.

I hope everyone at home and abroad is doing well - I miss you.

Peace.