Tuesday night we went to a karaoke bar, which had a very eclectic mix of music and people--everything from Shania Twain to Slayer, and preppy-looking guys to people in bondage pants and goggles. I almost sang ("Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding), but karaoke time ended before my turn came. I got halfway there though, which is a pretty big step, considering I've never done karaoke before. After that we went to a club which was literally underground. I had never actually been to a club before, so that was a fun new experience.
Which reminds me, two things about America that seem to baffle British people are politics and the drinking age. People who were a year or two younger than me seemed taken aback that, at 20, I was having my first legal drinking experience. As far as politics go, there's not really much I can do other than shake my head and go "I know, I know. I don't know what that's all about."
Thursday night was the birthday of one of my flatmates' friends, so we hung out there for a while--I got to meet some more new people--and then we all went to the club we'd gone to on Tuesday. Between all the dancing and walking, I've been getting quite a bit of exercise, which is great because you have to pay a significant fee (even if you're a student) to use the university's gym. I might even be able to start jogging soon, now that all the ice has melted, and I don't have to worry about about slipping and falling and breaking my face.
It's been a really fun week--in fact, I probably went out more in the last week than I did in all of last semester--but I'm going to be partying with much less frequency, now that the real work is starting. Classes this week were mainly introductory, but that's about to change very quickly--I've got two pages of JSTOR citations for the reading for one class (I'd rather not think about how many pages that is for all the actual articles). The lectures are really densely packed with information (one of my professors speaks so quickly that taking notes feels like a race), but it's all really interesting stuff.
One of my classes (as I might have mentioned already) consists of a huge lecture that meets twice a week, and a much smaller tutorial (about 15 people) that meets once a week--different from the Hampshire format, but similar to the way my UMass class last semester was structured; maybe that's standard for large universities? My other two classes (which are 3rd year honors courses, as opposed to the other one which is a 2nd year course) are structured more in the small-liberal-arts-college style (at least based on my experiences at Hampshire, Smith, and Mount Holyoke), in that it's a much smaller group (probably around 20 or so), and discussion is integrated into the lecture. This makes my schedule a lot easer, since it means I only have one tutorial class. In fact, I have both Wednesday and Friday off, but it looks like I'll have plenty of work to keep me busy.
I'm getting to know my neighborhood better, given all the walking I've been doing. So far, there's really been no reason for me to take the bus--everything is within walking distance! Being able to just walk down the street to Tesco to go grocery shopping is fantastic.
I'll miss this place when I go back to Hampshire.
Another thing I noticed walking around is the number of pubs with signs that read "NO FOOTBALL COLOURS". I knew that football was a big deal over here, but I didn't realize that proclaiming your support for a football time is something akin to proclaiming a political or religious affiliation. I've been told that, when asked what team I support, it's generally safe to give a noncommittal response, which should be easy enough for me. I was actually given the name of a team that's considered pretty neutral, given its small size and relative obscurity, but I promptly forgot who it was. I'm apathetic enough about football that I should be pretty safe, but I'm slightly paranoid now about wearing the wrong colors in the wrong places. I have a feeling that saying "Sorry, I'm American. I don't follow your sports" would provoke an even more dangerous reaction. However, I now have quite a number of sources who can educate me on these matters, and help me avoid any accidental altercations with football fanatics. I've already been warned that Sunderland is nicknamed "the Black Cats", so I should probably keep my tattoo covered if I go to Newcastle.
I took some pictures while wandering around over the last few days. You may have seen them already on Facebook, but if not, this is what it looks like where I live.
The outside of our building.
We live next to a graveyard. There's a nice view of it from my bedroom window. I think I took this one in this stairwell.
The less morbid view from the stairwell.
Walking down the main street, probably about 30 seconds from my flat.
Back of the main campus. A lot of the university buildings are actually pretty modern.
David Hume Tower. Hume is a pretty big deal over here (though I have to admit that I didn't even know he was Scottish until after I arrived).
There's even a statue of him, over on the Royal Mile (about 15 minutes or so from the main campus, but very close to New College, where the School of Divinity is located).
Another campus shot. My Architectural History lecture is held in the building behind the tree.
More of the campus.The second building is the main library. This was one of the pictures I took before all the snow melted.
Quad-type thing in front of the library.
There's a really neat-looking mosque right by the campus. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the building is an interesting mix of traditional Islamic and modern architecture (according to Wikipedia, it also has some Scots baronial features, which I think makes it even cooler). I'll try to take a better picture of it at some point.
Another shot of the street.
We've got fuckin' NATURE and shit right behind us!
And back home, to East Newington Place.
I should probably get back to work on the massive amounts of reading I have (at least one thing is constant!). I'll try to update this more frequently--it should be easier now that the wild and crazy first week is over. I'll also try to get some pictures of New College (where I have my Divinity classes) and the surrounding area soon, since it contrasts quite strongly with the main campus.
Oh, and comments should be fully enabled now.
I need to figure out a good way to end these entries. Cheers? Love, peace, and fish & chip grease?
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