So this weekend was pretty much the best time ever. no really.
so i go to volleyball practice on thursday night even though i was sick and couldn't very well breathe out of my nose (or in, for that matter). Essentially, every time i went outside into the sloppy raining tundra, the back of my throat and nasal cavity burned unbearably (weird??!.....syphilis?? see last post). so i trek through the wilderness that is concreted UEA to get to Sportspark which is approx. 7 minutes away walking. get there and start practice, i hadn't been in 2 weeks. i knew i was going to be extremely sore the next day because i haven't played volleyball save once in god knows how long. practice went well and at the end El Capitan, Sam, invited me to "Leeds". I didn't know what this was but apparently it was a big deal. So I said I'd go. She said all I needed was my pair of shoes, black spandex shorts, and a sports bra. In short, I got on a bus on Friday afternoon, about 18 hours after I had found out about this, with only my backpack filled with essential goods and no idea where I was going or what was to become of me.
IT WAS AWESOME. Leeds is 4 hrs. northish of Norwich and we sang to music (of the 80s, 90s, and today) the whole ride up. It was fabulous. Only two of the girls on the team that went (out of 9) are British. Nationalities range from Andoran to Italian, Portuguese to Swiss. SO CRAZY. Anyway, it was just great to get to play volleyball again and I had an amazing time. All the girls are so nice. Sadly, we got 9th out of 16 teams but the weekend was still a blast. The whole ride back we sang songs from our childhood.
Monday 9 February 2009
Sunday 1 February 2009
Random ditties
I get sick really easily in this new land. I feel like the Indians must have felt when the European settlers came over from the Old World sans smallpox, beaver pelts, Thanksgiving....except its the other way around...well, its really nothing like the colonisation of the New World at all. Epic fail (a phrase picked up from the Brits).
I am absolutely mortified that I haven't mentioned this before because its one of the most influential factors in my life here at UEA. My flatmate Sophie and I call it.....wait for it.......wait for it......the shoilet. Pronounced like its spelled, mixing the words shower and toilet together. It is the pod in the corner of my room that is a shower, toilet, and sink all rolled into one in about 1.5 square yards. GENIUS. Sophie and I are the only ones that call it the shoilet to date but the trend is spreading, fear not. These people really know how to utilize their space here*. I can reach out and grab my toothbrush off of the counter whilst taking a shower; I can wash my hands whilst on the toilet (with ease); I can have my feet out of the door whilst on the pot; I could probably even urinate whilst still being under the water if I put my mind to it. Genius, Genius, Genius. Allison will add pictures to Facebook shortly if you don't believe me or would like to be exposed more to this amazing invention. Short of the short, I have concluded that the shoilet is one of the greatest inventions ever. And the best part about it is that all the Brits think the Americans are crazy for loving it. But we aren't. Because its pure genius.
Ta ta for now.
I am absolutely mortified that I haven't mentioned this before because its one of the most influential factors in my life here at UEA. My flatmate Sophie and I call it.....wait for it.......wait for it......the shoilet. Pronounced like its spelled, mixing the words shower and toilet together. It is the pod in the corner of my room that is a shower, toilet, and sink all rolled into one in about 1.5 square yards. GENIUS. Sophie and I are the only ones that call it the shoilet to date but the trend is spreading, fear not. These people really know how to utilize their space here*. I can reach out and grab my toothbrush off of the counter whilst taking a shower; I can wash my hands whilst on the toilet (with ease); I can have my feet out of the door whilst on the pot; I could probably even urinate whilst still being under the water if I put my mind to it. Genius, Genius, Genius. Allison will add pictures to Facebook shortly if you don't believe me or would like to be exposed more to this amazing invention. Short of the short, I have concluded that the shoilet is one of the greatest inventions ever. And the best part about it is that all the Brits think the Americans are crazy for loving it. But we aren't. Because its pure genius.
Ta ta for now.
Sunday 25 January 2009
Two Weeks Down
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....
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....
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
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