Thursday, February 17, 2011

Acclimation!!

Hey everyone!

I know it's been a while since I last posted. Nothing too exciting has been going on, except for the fact that I'M IN ENGLAND!!!! I finally got my class schedule nailed down, and it's not terrible! I have class Monday afternoons, Tuesday afternoons, Thursday all day, and Friday mornings. So I have a nice little weekend in the middle of the week on Wednesdays, and I'm done after 11 on Fridays, so my weekend starts fairly early as well!

Although nothing very eventful has been happening, I am still having an amazing time! Most of my excitement these days comes from little realizations I'm having more and more frequently about the culture here, and things I am starting to do that prove I'm acclimating. For example: yesterday, I looked right and then left before crossing the road, and I didn't have to think about it!!! This is huge for me, since until that point I had been running the risk of getting hit by a car every time I stepped off a curb (british spelling: kerb). Some British words are coming better to me as well. For example, I throw things away in the "bin" now, instead of the "trash can!" I'm trying my hardest to get with the lingo here, and I'm doing fairly well! I've also been catching myself using the kind of intonation that they use. When English people ask a question, the end of their question goes up, then down in pitch (would you like a cup of COffee?), where as Americans just keep going up in pitch (would you like a cup of COFFEE?).

Another exciting thing: I've met some English friends! It's so nice to have people I can ask questions and things like that, and going out with them is always an adventure! I've joined the drama club here, which has been a lot of fun! They have a social next week that I'm going to go to, so that should be a good time. Other than that, I don't have too much going on! My next trip isn't until mid-March, so I'll just be hanging around here, maybe exploring London or the surrounding areas a little more on my own until then!

Things I'm Loving: Primark (a department store that has everything really cheap!), more English friends (!), rice pudding, karaoke Tuesdays at our favorite pub!

Things I'm Not Loving So Much: Becoming nocturnal ( I swear, I can't sleep at night anymore), losing my Klean Kanteen, dead bunnies being left outside my flat :(

Things I'm Learning: English words!!!, how to be outgoing when I don't know anyone, how to use public transportation efficiently, that everything here is expensive and I'm just going to have to deal with it.

British to American Dictionary:
bin = trash can. Also called rubbish, or rubbish bin.
pants = underwear
trousers = pants
advert = commercial on tv
bloke = guy (yes, they really do say that here!)
bog roll = roll of toilet paper

Love you all!
~Jenn

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

First Days of School!

Hey Everyone!!!
Everything is going well here! Things have calmed down a little, what with the excitement of living in a new place finally starting to wear off. We've been doing a lot more hanging out in our flats, rather than going out all the time, which I have to say has been quite a nice change of pace. On Sunday, a group of friends and I went to a bar called "Wahoo" (yes, that's the name of the bar...) downtown to watch the Superbowl. It was so weird, because the game didn't start until 11:30 pm our time! I only watched about half of the game, because I had class the next morning, but we had a great time! Seeing the game reminded me of home, and it was the first time I have felt a pang of homesickness since I've been here. This is part of the reason why I was NOT happy with Christina Aguilera  for messing up the National Anthem (grrrrrr...)! But we watched the game, and had a friendly competition going between most of the American students about which team they were rooting for. We had a great time!

The next morning, I had my very first English class, Creative Writing! I was really nervous before class, just because I was the only American and didn't know anyone. I got a little worried when I arrived 15 minutes before class started and the room was dark and empty. But I knew I was in the right place, so I walked around for 5 minutes or so and then came back. We got into the classroom, and I noticed how different it was from the classrooms at home. There were two rows of chairs, situated in a semi-circle looking towards the front of the room. The class only has 20 people or so, so everyone knew each other. I was really nervous and wasn't talking to anyone (Totally out of character, right?). But when class started, my teacher (or tutor as they call them here) had us introduce ourselves to the person next to us and then introduce that person to the rest of the class. As soon as it came out that I was from California, people started to ask me questions. I made a few friends, and two of the girls even invited me to go out with them and their friends sometime! I feel really cool now that I have an English person's phone number in my phone :)

I had my Critical Psychology class today, which was very different from my Creative Writing class. This classroom seats about 150 or so, and we have a 2 hour lecture in there, followed by smaller breakout groups called "seminars" where the teacher goes over things in more detail and you have more of a collaborative class session with only about 20 people.

So far, I really like all of my classes! I have tomorrow off (yay!) and then class again on Thursday. Tonight, a couple of friends and I are going to go to the drama club meeting on campus, and then meet up with the rest of the group for karaoke at one of our favourite little pubs! I'm very excited! Other than that, there's not much really going on. Just getting into the routine of classes and whatnot.

Things I'm Loving: Making English friends, the sunshine today (yaaaaaay, vitamin D!), starting to settle down into a schedule, actually getting a decent amount of sleep every night!

Things I'm Not Loving So Much: Not having my class schedule nailed down completely, the gross tasting tap water, having to wear so many clothes every time I leave the house.

Things I'm Learning: No one shows up early to class, and if you do, do NOT go in early (you will walk in on some other class and have to endure awkward stares from the professor as you quickly back-peddle out the door), British people think our accent is cool, and apparently, if I'm from California, I must live somewhere near Laguna Beach.

Hope everything is going well at home! I miss you all!!

Love,
Jenn

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Life in Brighton, and London!!

Hello, Everyone!
Well, this has definitely been a crazy few days. I am in a constant state of exhaustion, simply because I'm always on the go here! Yesterday was the first day since I got here that I wasn't running around doing things all day long. We've been shopping a lot, trying to get ourselves settled in, and going out at night. On Tuesday night, a group of us went out to a bar and then to a club. We had a really great time, especially at the club, which was playing mostly American dance music that we all knew! The night life here is so amazing! There is always something to fit your mood, whether it's a crazy club, a loud bar, or a quiet pub. I'm definitely enjoying it! I tried my first cider the other night. SO DELICIOUS! I'll definitely be picking that over beer :)

Today, our advisers Mary and Zoe took a group of us to London. We had an absolutely fantastic time! We left campus at 8:50 this morning (ugh.) and got back around 6:30 or so tonight. We saw Westminster Abbey (SO BEAUTIFUL! Nothing like that exists in the States), Buckingham Palace (We were lucky enough to see the changing of the guard! I've posted a video below.), The house of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye, The River Thames, the National Art Gallery, Piccadilly Square, and we shopped around Fortnum & Mason Grocery store (The grocery store that the Queen gets her food from. Officially THE MOST EXPENSIVE food I've ever seen.). I was definitely happy to get a lot of the touristy London stuff out of the way, so that next time I go, I can explore a bit more. We learned to ride the Train and the Tube today which was very helpful, so we can now get wherever we want to go in the city! I was very proud of myself for successfully navigating the public transport there.

On Saturday, a group of us are planning to go back to London and explore a bit more and go see Les Miserables, which I have been DYING to see for AGES!!! Then, classes start on Monday... Oh dear... after 7 or 8 weeks without classes, it's back to the grind... until April, when I have the ENTIRE month off!!

I am absolutely loving it here! Everyone (the British people and my fellow travelers) is SO nice, I love the atmosphere around here, and the way everyone lives there lives. I feel very at home here, which is an incredible feeling to have after just a week. I can't believe how fortunate I am to have the opportunity to not just visit here, but to really LIVE here, and experience life as a local. I am so blessed.

Things I'm Loving: Primark (a Kohl's-like store with amazingly low prices), Digestives (Cookies they sell here that are phenomenal), Finally being settled in, making friends, finally having my room at a comfortable temperature, getting to skype my family more often then I thought I could, starting to think in an accent, LONDON (all of it)!!!!!!!!

Things I'm Not Loving So Much: Having to put my foot on the toilet seat to shave my legs, the constant cold, rain that comes at you sideways, bus sickness.

Things I'm Learning: That I look Spanish (according to the guy in the store today who asked me if I was from Spain...), how to navigate London's public transport, new British words!

British to American Dictionary:

A Dirty Stop-Out: Someone who stays out until all hours of the night.
Cheers: Thank you, goodbye, see ya later. A friendly goodbye or passing comment to someone.
Till: Cash Register
Biscuit: Cookie
Chips: French Fries
Crisps: Potato Chips

Things will be pretty crazy around here over the next few days, what with my impending London expedition and classes starting up soon, but I'll try to post again as soon as I can!

Cheers,
Jenn
 My group in front of Buckingham Palace


 When you go to London, EVERYONE has to get a phone booth picture!


 Me in front of Big Ben!


 Westminster Abbey! It was so beautiful!


 Big Ben, the London Eye, and a Double Decker Bus! How much more London can you get in one picture?
The changing of the guard. Every other day, they close down the street for a few minutes and this happens. It's crazy!!! Press the play button to watch the video!