A brief overview of my life now is necessary, methinks. Let’s see how organized I can make this.
STUDENT HOUSING
1. I have to cook. My culinary skills before coming to the UK were, well, nonexistent. Now, however, I am master of bacon and god of cheap food. I have learned that oil makes things not stick. I have learned that chicken and I do not mix on a grill. I have learned that bacon goes with everything from salad to bread to soup to pasta. I am becoming a chef. A cheap chef that specializes in canned soup, bacon, and salad, but a chef nonetheless.
2. Two words: No Roommates. This is the best part of student housing. I need my privacy and I like to conquer my living space with dirty clothes, music, and random things. I also like to sleep whenever I want, control the lights, and not worry about bothering someone else.
3. En-suite bathroom. My shower was broken when I first came. I reported it that day and the next day it was completely replaced! I have the newest/best shower in the building and everyone is envious.
4. Flatmates are weird. I don’t particularly care for mine. The two guys I live with are OK, but we only pass by each other in the kitchen. One of the girls is quite nice, but too peppy and, frankly, she remains me too much of a stereotypical American girl (which I’ve never been too fond of). The other girl is, well, let’s just say no one gets along with her. She’s snobby and acts too posh. And steals my spatula, which is a necessary tool for my bacon-making.
FRIENDS
1. I have an adoptive flat! It’s the one opposite mine. There resides Joe, Peter, Rachel, Freya, and Jenny. They are all English (well, Peter is Welsh) and fantastic. Elliot and Dora from the other flat on our floor have joined recently, as has the Canadian, Garen, upstairs. We go out a lot together and make flat meals and have fantastic times. I never made a real good group of friends at Penn State, but these people are just wonderful. We’re all dorky and quirky and cool in different ways. We don’t judge each other and since we’re all 19 or older, I think we understand a lot more about life than the other Freshers.
EXTRA CLUBS/STUFF:
1. I joined film-making! I’m so excited. I want to work in the film industry and Penn State never gave me the opportunity to experiment, whereas here I am able to. We have a meeting tonight in an hour and a half.
2. I also am joining belly dancing. Because I can. Because it looks fun. Because I want to do something random and different.
3. The gym here is much newer than the ones at Penn State. It’s very high-tech with TAGs that monitor your workout at each machine. And touch screen monitors with built-in games. I am a gym-addict and I go once a day. Apparently girls in England aren’t so keen on exercise. I heard this before, but have definitely discovered it’s true. It’s sad that instead of running and being healthy I’ve found that many take up smoking and extreme dieting to stay “fit”. It’s part of the culture that I don’t care for, to be honest.
CLASSES
1. Pros: Seminars. Lecture for 50 min once a week and then a seminar for 50 min once a week. Lectures are big and boring. Seminars are 10-20 students and a graduate student and it’s discussion and questioning. It’s a much more progressive way of learning.
2. Cons: Limited module choices. Since I’m study abroad, I can do any module I want, basically. But, for those in a degree they are only allowed one class a term as an “elective”. I found that it makes students have a much deeper knowledge in their specific subject, but that they are not as well-rounded in their education.
CULTURE STUFF
1. My biggest fear is crossing the street. Instinctively, I am used to cars in America. This means I risk my life to cross UK traffic since I have yet to grasp they’re signs/postings/which side of the road the cars will be on.
2. The English drink a lot, but it’s so much more controlled than at Penn State…because it’s actually legal. It’s expensive, though. Penn State really should tell us about that additional cost. But, yes, legal drinking makes for a much more relaxed night out. It also means that there are fewer students vomiting because they’ve binged horribly or making terrible decisions. I always believed the US was a bit off with the drinking age, but now I have been assured that we are.
3. The English do, in fact, drink tea. Lots of tea.
4. “All right?” is apparently NOT a question. It just means “hey”. Don’t answer “Fine, you?”. They will be confused.
5. Taxis are so much cheaper!
6. English society is, generally, more open than American. They are much more tolerant of different religions, races, sexualities, and thoughts than America is. They find it unreal that America still debates over homosexual marriages and abortion rights. But they are interested in US politics. They like to hear about all different sides.
7. Fancy dress is massive. That means costume themes. I went as Lara Croft for my first one, which was themed “English People”.
And that’s it for now. I am going to make a salad and bacon for dinner then head off to film-making!
Location: Leeds, UK
