First Week of Class

Now that I completed my first week of classes here at Lincoln Uni, I'll explain what I'll be studying. On Tuesdays I have a digital multimedia class that I will be in a group creating an interactive DVD of some kind. On Wednesdays I have culture and the environment, which is a lecture class that is self explanatory. There are 2 assignments in the class, a group presentation due in 6 weeks and a final essay due in 12 weeks. On Thursdays I have a design class which hasn't met yet due to Prof Colin being ill. Through my emails with him he seems interesting and I can't wait to see how that class ends up. Though I'm sure it will be challenging. I also have globalization and contemporary culture on Thursdays with a professor that is Scottish. Kinda like the Irish guitarist guy on P.S. I love you. He brought up the subject of Americanism in world culture and McDonaldization already the first day, haha. I don't have class on Fridays or Mondays...giving me four day weekends. I really am not used to all the time I'm going to have. I found some books at the library and am planning to go to adoration at least once a week on Fridays. So between that and football 3 evenings a week I'm sure I'll make do ;)

Some other tidbits about campus...to get to campus, I cross the street (taking note of the English driving on opposite sides of the road as I'm used to) cross a railroad crossing hoping not to have to wait for a passenger train, then walk over a little bridge with swans and ducks floating around on the Brayford (what it looks like at night) and I'm on campus in a few minutes. Very convenient. I'm also close to a grocery store and other shops. I once walked into a "America Fried Chicken and Burgers" fast food place and the guy there was astounded that a real American ordered a combo meal. (it was not even that good of a burger...so i'm going to layoff on eating their processed beef for a while and they also serve it with grated carrots and a different kind of mayo not like miracle whip.) Tonight I'm going to a free buffet for international students at the Tower Bar so I'm excited for that.

Oh, and about the weather...it is usually overcast and rains from time to time on and off. The temperature is usually in the late 30 degrees Fahrenheit and it is chilly, yet no snow on the ground. Just dirt and green grass. Also, people smoke frequently here so it is hard coming from a no-smoking campus in MN to people smoking in front of the doors practically everywhere here.

First Weekend

This weekend was fun, I tried my first selections of cider and i like them a lot...they are like a cross of beer and wine in my opinion. I have yet to try any British beer though. I also had my first cottage pie and it was really neat - a dish consisting of beef mince topped with horseradish and parsnip mashed potato, and baked in an oven....i've not tasted anything like it and it was yummy. Though I'm glad i didn't know horseradish was in it when I ordered it...I had thought it was just garlicy.

I also went to 2 different dances and one had more techno songs (the Engine Shed) and the other actually ended the night with Disney songs from The Little Mermaid and The Lion King (SCREAM). I definitely liked my first impression of SCREAM. It also had music selections from the 80s and 90s.

It rains on and off here. So far its been overcast and sprinkly. It is not the same type of coldness you'll find in ND but it is a wet cold and I still bundle up with my coat and gloves. I haven't gotten used to remembering my umbrella, but I am taking it with me today as I explore town a bit more and go to mass this evening. My apartment is located across the Brayford river right next to my university and within walking distance of everywhere I'd go for shops and things. Though the cathedral is a bit farther away I will eventually get up to visit it and the castle one of these days.

Trip to England and First Few Days

Well, now that i got hooked up with internet and have enough time to start this, here is my epic adventure: England style. I started out leaving Fargo at 1:30pm and I arrived in London at 5am...which converts to be 11am. I met with a professor and ended up sitting in a coffee shop for 2 hours until the other 2 Moorheadians arrived. We drove north of London and I got my first sights of the country. The grass was green and short, it was a tad overcast and the houses were cute with their bricks and trim. Definitely could see that I wasn't in ND anymore since there was no snow at all.

A few hours later I found myself in Lincoln viewing the tremendous cathedral (larger than the castle next to it) and checking into the Junxion where the 3 of us live. It is not owned by the university, but it pretty much is student accommodation apartment flats in an 8-story-high building with a courtyard in the middle. So far I met 1 flatmate who was very helpful though she was caught off guard because she didn't know I was going to be moving in. I live next to 4 girls that are law and finance and accounting students from around England. We share a lounge with leather couches, flatscreen tv, kitchen, and dining area. I have my own room with my very own walk in bathroom and shower that is very handy - i'm so used to sharing that I feel spoiled.

I had a friend take me to pick up a comforter, cell phone, and a few things the first night and got sittuated and talked to my flatmate for a bit. Day 2 we signed up for classes and walked to a nearby convienience store. There I bought strawberry yogurt with wholegrain oats mixed in, which i didn't even notice until I tried it, but ended up it was the best yogurt I have ever had :) I met up with some acquaintances at the chinese buffet Yo-Yo's next door then that evening went across campus to the astro-turf soccer fields (will probably use the term footie in place of soccer now). I practiced with 8 girls and I fit right in since the warmup was similar to Moorhead's dynamic stretching and there were girls more out of shape than me from the break. We had a shooting drill where I did well in stopping shots then I got to play 4 v 4 on the wet turf (it did rain a tad) and found I had some ball shooting and passing skills that worked great and my team won by a lot. I'm excited for the next one on Monday. I walked back home with a Dutch girl on the team and she was great to talk to and was very helpful. I really like hearing the British accents and just being here.