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