Alright, sorry I haven't written in a while (for ages, as the Brits would say) but I have been both busy and sickly, a displeasing combination. This has been a crazy week, full of surprises, which is actually the norm seeing as I am in a foreign place.
After almost dying from coughing fits (not to mention massive amounts of snot) Monday through Thursday, I decided to skip almost every one of the club meetings/sporting events that I had joined. This was for two reasons: 1. because I was dying; 2. because I can. I am still getting used to the fact that sports aren't anything even closely related to those back in the states and I have to admit that I enjoy feeling rather rebellious at missing a practice (something I wouldn't dream of back home). Anyway, the one sport that I did manage to keep up with baseball, an activity that I've found I enjoy massively. I am the only girl on the team but I suspect that I may be one of the more experienced players (and by suspect I mean know without a doubt). One of my friends and fellow teammates Zack describes it as "teaching little league" but somehow its ridiculously pleasing. At this Saturday's practice, four teammates got hit with the ball within a two hour span (one in the chest, one in the shin, and three (yes, the one that got hit in the chest actually got hit again) in the back. I will elaborate no further, sufficing it to say that I love my baseball team. I'm thinking about joining water polo as well as triathlon but we'll see.
On another note, I watched the inauguration on Tuesday. It was really interesting to be watching it in somewhere other than the U.S., although I don't have much to compare it to as I've never watched an inauguration before. Nonetheless, it was a pretty epic experience especially after the Benediction man pulled out some sweet rhymes. It was rather annoying though because there were some people who you could definitely tell weren't American because they talked through entire parts. Aarg.
I also had a passport scare on Saturday. Scary stuff. I didn't know where my passport was, which I needed in order to get my rail card. I had a moment of panic....okay, more like 30 minutes of panic.
We celebrated Australia Day on Monday night. It was awesome. I had yellow face paint on. Enough said....
Sunday 25 January 2009
Friday 16 January 2009
And I have survived a week in England!!
Well, I am glad to report that I am still alive after a week in England. I haven't gotten hit by a double-decker bus, arrested for public indecency, or deported for smuggling U.S. meat into the U.K. International student orientation went well and was relatively painless, thankfully skipping over the horrible ice-breakers and getting on with where I can find coffee and the post office on campus. I am making friends (what?!?) and, quite honestly, everything has been awesome thus far!!
When I first moved in, I was exhausted from barely sleeping on the 7 hr. plane ride or the 4 hr. bus ride. Upon arriving, Casey, Felice, and I met some nice Californians and a cool British DJ. My bags weighed a ton and I didn't have anyone to carry them for me which was unfortunate, especially 4 floors up :(. I thought that I was alone in the flat until I got a knock on my door- one of my flatmates, Sophie. She had come back early from break which turned out great because I would have been all alone had she not! She and I hit it off immediately- she was so friendly and welcoming! I felt so cool when I had someone to hang out with besides the other internationals. We went out the first few nights which was AMAZINGLY fun! The dance clubs are crazy fun and I looooove the ridiculous music and the dancing! Class has been strange as I find myself in 100 person lecture halls and not 10 person classrooms. The subjects are really interesting (Global Environmental Change, Energy Management & Policy, Earth System Analysis for Sustainability, and Empires in Nature: Great Britain & Germany)- this is going to be a very educational experience to say the least. I have taken the bus into Norwich many times despite my fear of public transportation (the cars and buses all get wayyyy too close to one another here in my opinion). Professor Key (our resident professor) and his family have been so helpful and kind to us sciencers- giving us bus passes and taking us on a walking tour of Norwich. The other day, UEA (University of East Anglia) had its biannual SocMart (or Activities night). This is where you join societies (better known as clubs). I have joined volleyball, baseball, ISS (International Student Society), rowing, swimming, hiking, and Conservation and Wildlife- I know, a lot. I probably won't end up doing all of them, but its a good start. Anyway, I have much more to write, but I have to go eat dinner and get ready to sing karaoke tonight at the campus pub. Cheers
xxx
Kristen
P.S. My mailing address is: (to be used ONLY to send me lovely presents from the States!!)
Kristen Lee- vis
The Village- Courtyard A C26D
School of ENV
University of East Anglia
Earlham Road
Norwich
Norfolk
NR4- TJ7
United Kingdom
When I first moved in, I was exhausted from barely sleeping on the 7 hr. plane ride or the 4 hr. bus ride. Upon arriving, Casey, Felice, and I met some nice Californians and a cool British DJ. My bags weighed a ton and I didn't have anyone to carry them for me which was unfortunate, especially 4 floors up :(. I thought that I was alone in the flat until I got a knock on my door- one of my flatmates, Sophie. She had come back early from break which turned out great because I would have been all alone had she not! She and I hit it off immediately- she was so friendly and welcoming! I felt so cool when I had someone to hang out with besides the other internationals. We went out the first few nights which was AMAZINGLY fun! The dance clubs are crazy fun and I looooove the ridiculous music and the dancing! Class has been strange as I find myself in 100 person lecture halls and not 10 person classrooms. The subjects are really interesting (Global Environmental Change, Energy Management & Policy, Earth System Analysis for Sustainability, and Empires in Nature: Great Britain & Germany)- this is going to be a very educational experience to say the least. I have taken the bus into Norwich many times despite my fear of public transportation (the cars and buses all get wayyyy too close to one another here in my opinion). Professor Key (our resident professor) and his family have been so helpful and kind to us sciencers- giving us bus passes and taking us on a walking tour of Norwich. The other day, UEA (University of East Anglia) had its biannual SocMart (or Activities night). This is where you join societies (better known as clubs). I have joined volleyball, baseball, ISS (International Student Society), rowing, swimming, hiking, and Conservation and Wildlife- I know, a lot. I probably won't end up doing all of them, but its a good start. Anyway, I have much more to write, but I have to go eat dinner and get ready to sing karaoke tonight at the campus pub. Cheers
xxx
Kristen
P.S. My mailing address is: (to be used ONLY to send me lovely presents from the States!!)
Kristen Lee- vis
The Village- Courtyard A C26D
School of ENV
University of East Anglia
Earlham Road
Norwich
Norfolk
NR4- TJ7
United Kingdom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)