Today was the day of information. Someone came to meet us at 8:45am so we woke up at 8:20ish and were out the door when she rang. We were directed to our destination which when they sent out the housing information they said it was a short 10 minute walk – lies. It took us 20 minutes and that is with someone directing us where to go. Tomorrow we must do it on our own. The trip down is all downhill but the trip back is not so easy. We arrived at Pratts Hotel to meet the staff and Laura and I braved the first row (we were the last group so there was not much choice in seating but I shall say we braved the first row instead of we were forced to the first row because there was some choice and we chose the first row. I shall move on from this subject now). Barbara told us a lot of basic information and then we were given tea and coffee (or water if we so chose as I did chose. I will brave tea at some point but it did not happen today). We were then given another informative session about various policies and lots of information that did not entirely sink in because it was far too much information all at once and then on to academics. We were then given tours of the academic building Nelson House that has the staff’s offices as well as three classrooms, the computer area, laptop area, and library. I however do not have either class in that building but in the other one, but will have to venture over there in case of packages or information from them as well as to use the library and printer facilities.
After the tour we picked up our necessary reading materials for our respective classes, which only ended up being around £4 because they were, used which was great! Our group consisting of my fellow housemates decided we would go to lunch as it was approaching noon and we had an hour break. So we asked the academic director (whose name escapes me at the moment but I do know he is a footballer, Frisbee goer, and yoga doing man) recommended Scoffs or Retro for slightly cheaper places to eat. We decided to venture to Scoffs and completely bombard them with our eight group of people, but we seemed to be very similar in our choices of sandwiches with only two real varieties of chicken and pesto and bacon with cheese; someone did get a salad and another sandwich choice and we had a variety of white bread and brown bread but our actual sandwich choices were not that varied. We then decided to venture to the park across the street and half of us made it in whereas the trailing half (myself included because my sandwich was originally forgotten) got called to pay to go in the park, which we elected not to do. It said you did not have to pay if you were a resident and we asked later and we are technically residents so we should be able to get let in if we show our letters. The other half was utterly perplexed when they looked up at us (this park was down stairs you can see if you look at the photos) but we told them you had to pay so they left too. We ended up instead walking and eating until we went across a bridge and happened upon a cricket match. Many of us do not understand that basics of cricket, but I am sure we will pick it up in some time. Furthermore there was a lovely older woman who thought we were all lost and proceeded to tell us all the bus stations close by. She very much reminded several of us out of a woman in Mary Poppins as she was elderly with the hat sitting on a bench across from a church. We should have broke out into song "Feed the Birds, Topins a day!" And we are all quite perplexed by this whole coins being worth something with £s being in coin form and so forth.
There was another orientation bit about social excursions and social activities that we went back for and we learned about some of the trips including the one to Cornwall this weekend and the two optional excursions of which I will be doing both (Oxford and Stonehenge). The one this weekend to Cornwall sounds quite intense with hiking in there which I am not sure I am ready for, but I guess I’ll have to make it happen. They keep mentioning hiking shoes as well so hopefully my sneakers will suffice this hiking trip and hopefully it is not too strenuous (though after a few weeks of walking to class and conquering this hill I may be able to tackle anything.
They then took us for chocolates and fruits at Linley house and proceeded to do an icebreaker that thoroughly confused all of us. They attributed it to us not being on their same wave-length yet as the sequence of stickers was not important but the actual stickers themselves. My only interest according to my stickers was film and other people felt the same way so it was not all together as truthful and informative as they might have liked it to be and had most of us utterly confused. A shopping tour that didn’t allow us to do any shopping took place next and Laura and I have decided that there is much shopping we wish to accomplish (not all clothes and such father do not worry, but just going in and looking at all the shops. A photo taking day is also necessary and we are just adding to our count and not entirely seeing how all of this is ever going to fit on top of our schoolwork, excursions, and social activities). We discovered where our grocery store is and the quite a long walk it is going to be to get back to our house ending with the wonderful uphill, but we will somehow make it work. We then tried to go to stores, but many were closing because it is Sunday and furthermore the British do not feel the urge to keep things open nearly as late as we do. The shops were closing at 4:30pm. So I didn’t end up getting any school supplies so hopefully my borrowed slips of paper will suffice for one day and I will make it to the store tomorrow as Laura and I are planning to go to a few tomorrow after our class.
After arriving back at our houses I began reading for my film class, which proved pretty boring on the parts of Thatcherism in British cinema and modernism as well, but it was interrupted by our house and the house across the way (fellow North Hamptoners who also have to trek up a hill but not the end which is the steepest) venturing out to dinner together. We had planned to go to a pub, but upon entering several and looking so much like a deer in headlights only to find out they had stopped serving food for the evening, we found ourselves at a Spanish restaurant. We took forever to order and finally resolved on things, but it wasn’t exactly my favorite place and I think we made a consensus that it was just entirely too many people to venture out together and try to figure everything out. Our poor waitress.
Upon arriving back I finished up my reading for film class including skimming on paper writing and refreshed my memory on Northanger Abbey which we will be discussing in class tomorrow. I hope that I can actively participate. My first class is at 11:30am and Laura and I are thinking of heading down around 11:00am. We are not meeting at the house but at a separate place with the tutor and then entering the house all together. Hopefully we will be able to find it all right and wake up in time (no alarm issues or lack of time or finding things in the morning). We plan to wake up at 10:15 and although I had originally intended to get a shower this evening I am feeling more and more as though the night is escaping me and I will wait until the morning. I remember us all saying we can make it to 10:30 and that would be good and her it is 1:15am and we are all still awake. A great way to start our school session, no? Hopefully I will find a way to allocate times for schoolwork in addition to the traveling and socializing – I am a little worried about it all fitting in.
Today I also got to talk to several people online which was nice to hear from home, including my dad on skype despite the first lack of communication (apparently headphones negate speakers). Hopefully it wasn’t too disruptive for my roommate but she insists not and assures me that she would tell me if it was. I’m glad as I hope to do it again before too long, but seeing as the time difference is proving more noticeable than I originally thought it might not happen for a while. This week hopefully won’t be a lot of late nights and this weekend is packed full with the trip to Cornwall. Hope to talk to you all again soon!
Quote of the day: “Bloody rubbish”
photos (same album as yesterday. they start on page 3 picture number 43)
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