bewitched, bothered and bewildered

Tomorrow I officially start my classes. Just now I was looking through my module booklet, which outlines the first semester for me. This week I already have one presentation and a seminar, on Wednesday. Not quite sure on what, but I hope they tell us tomorrow. I’m a slow reader, I need time to digest.

It was nice to have a week of introduction, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous a little nervous for this week. I’ve stepped into a world of powerpoint and I’m used to the technological blunders of Queen’s and bullshitting my way through postmodern theory. This land of new will take some time to adjust too.

This evening I went with some friends down to the Quayside and sat in a cafe looking out at the Millennium Bridge (pictured below). Somewhere in the conversation we got to talking about couples who sleep in separate beds, and in separate rooms. My one married friend expressed that this living arrangement works best for her and her husband. However as the conversation progressed she then admitted that it had a lot to do with power and how she liked having the control in the relationship, and the ability to send him away if she needed space.

I was fascinated by this and two others in our group shared that their parents as well slept in separate rooms. Is this common? I’m intrigued.

On a plane, somewhere over the sea, above the rain

Today we found something at a reasonable price in this country.

Alcohol.

Not at the bar, or pub…that’s pricey. At the grocery store. Oh yes, we were like kids in a candystore. Coincidentally, yesterday I was in Beamish (the world’s largest open air museum) they had a sweet shop. There was also a school tour going on. It was a little surreal, I had never seen kids go haywire well still queueing. Fascinating. Organized chaos if you will. The Brits take lining up very seriously.

Hope you all have good weekends.

Aaron Siskind - Chicago 27, 1960

big brother

I just got an email from the university IT team, or something similar. It reads…

Dear User,

The ISS servers have recorded that there has been access to
inappropriate sites from a machine that you were logged onto.

This contravenes the University`s codes for internet use:-
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/iss/rules/internet_use.html
and the warning
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/iss/info/usagewarning.html

Please do not repeat this activity.

If you feel that a mistake has been made please email me about
this, I will then arrange for the logs to be examined to show
exactly which sites have been accessed and what was viewed.

I was also told today that our actions on Facebook are monitored if we are joined to the Newcastle Network (which I am removing myself from now) they can be punishable by the uni.

I’m really not happy with this at all. I wonder what site I looked at that could have given that warning? I also wonder what email they give out to the students viewing porn and what not.

I was just getting use to the hundreds of cameras they have on campus (creepy when they move as you turn the corner) now I’m a little paranoid to search anything online.

i’m from earth, and you?

My liver is taking a serious hit this week.

Last night we went on a pub crawl to I think 5 places, and my German friends introduced me to beer + lemonade and beer + pop. I thought they were joking, but they kept knocking back pints of this concoction and well I had to try it.

It was interesting. I am not a beer drinker, but could see myself drinking that next time we go out…so perhaps tonight.

And the title of this post…a guy introduced himself to us with that as his opening line last night.

I promise to respond to all the comments in the last post when I return home, must run back to class now. Perhaps to endure another powerpoint presentation on how to use powerpoint. That was FUN.

the viritual you

Over the past couple of days our professors have repeatedly told us that recruiters will look at your Facebook profile, or do a Google search when considering to hire you.

I have my profile setting on private now, so pictures of me wearing various objects on my head or playing the turtle flute (which is not a bong, ali) and other unfortunate acts, can’t be seen. But I never thought about if someone stumbled upon this blog. I don’t think it would show up as I don’t use my last name, but you never know. Although I’m not writing anything scandalous here…yet.

monday, monday

Grad school is going to kick my ass.

Today was only orientation for my classes, which means I finally got my degree handbook with dates and due dates for assignments etc. The length of my first assignment is the length of the longest paper I ever wrote at Queen’s (excluding my thesis). I may have had a small panic attack round 10:57 this morning.

I didn’t really meet many new people today in classes, it seems a lot of the British students already knew one another and a lot of them did their undergraduate degrees here at Newcastle. So they naturally they were altogether. Tonight I did go to a dinner thing with my international student friends and we’re going out again on Wednesday to the pub. I’m not feeling homesick for home, but I do miss my friends.

On the upside, Friday we’re going to Durham and in a few weeks, Edinburgh. I’m very excited about going to Scotland and so soon. My grandfather was born in Edinburgh and apparently there is a family shop (book store if I recall correctly) that is still in operation. I’ll be sure to post about the trip and details.

Now I shall return to my reading and think possibly that the time difference has caught up to me. About damn time.

Oh, one more thing. Has anyone read Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris? Ali left her copy with me and its quite brilliant. Tales from a Christmas Elf working at Macy’s in New York.

I don’t know that I could look someone in the eye and exclaim, ‘Oh, my goodness, I think I see Santa!’ or ‘Can you close your eyes and make a very special Christmas wish!’ Everything these elves said had an exclamation point at the end of it!!! It makes one’s mouth hurt to speak with such forced merriment. I feel concerned when someone talks to me this way. Doesn’t everyone?

will you catch me

New posters have been put up. Rothko and Dali. Clothes put away. Necklaces now dangling from the side of my book shelves. Highlighters stacked based on colour, yes I’m a little ocd.

Yet I can’t shake 2am as my new bedtime. Perhaps by the end of the week. My shuffle just popped on with Falling Asleep by Tegan and Sara. Whenever I listen to them I am instantly transported back to my first apartment in Kingston. I can almost see the nail pop that always seemed ready to burst in the left corner of my room. I love in this song when vocals sing, “will you catch me”...a question, but feels more like a statement the way its sung.

What’s a good lull-you-to-sleep-in-a-good-way song for you?

and sunday always comes too late

There is a serious lack of food labeling here. Also, I have yet to find pickles in any grocery store. Even Marks and Spencer disappointed me. But back to the labels…the other day I was out shopping looking for juice. They had a sale of 3 cartons for 2£ so I was checking the kinds, one was “Tropical” I flipped it round to see what it contained. No ingredients on the back. Odd. I needed a another to make it 3 though, so I bought the mystery carton and figured at the very least I could mix it with alcohol. There is already a half drunk bottle of wine on my desk, courtesy of Ali and I can see a bottle of wiskey and vodka out of the corner of my eye. I think I need to clean up my room.

I slept in quite a bit today, as this week is going to be filled just like last. However by the time I had gotten ready for the day I realized it was 230pm and everything closes at 5. During the week everything here closes at 6pm. Everything. Shops, grocery stores, coffee shops. There might as well be a tumbleweed rolling down the street if you’re out past 730pm. Yes, of course pubs are open till about 2am, which makes the street lively for another reason, but they don’t serve food past a certain point either. On Thursdays shops are open to 8pm. The early closing times is really hard for me to get used too. Is it wrong of me to think things should be open till at least 9pm?

As we open up to the world in front of us, A thousand voices silenced but all heard

There is a monument in the city centre of Charles, Earl Grey, whom the tea is named after. Couldn’t have picked a better city methinks.

I practically bounded down the steps off my flat this morning walking to campus to get breakfast and stop in at the poster sale. I’m attributing it partially to Cuff the Duke, Belgium or Peru. Their songs are so addictive, I almost always hit repeat while listening.

What’s a song recently you’ve been pressing repeat on?

Tomorrow all the British students arrive on campus and Newcastle United is playing. The streets are going to be packed, everyone in a sea of black and white I’m told. My wandering buddy has left, so I shall have to investigate on my own. There are more international events next week, but I’m hoping to be able to make some new friends in my classes. The people in my flat are nice, but I can see us just getting along as acquaintances. There is another Canadian living here, but we’ve already butted heads due to her rude introduction and she has not endeared herself at all to me since.

Today some friends and I went on a walking tour of the city and more and more the architecture in the city centre reminds me of Rome, its quite an eclectic mix all around really. This photo here reminds me of Gringgots Bank in Harry Potter.

This is my street, actually its right outside of my flat mine is the one with the visiable number and my window, right above. Its nearly 2am and the streets are still bustling. I now understand that line in The History Boys when the professor says, “Well, why don’t you just go to Newcastle then and have fun.” He meant it I think as a condescending remark, however, I think I shall be able to do just that.

mind the gap

i think i shall fit into this climate swimmingly.

i woke up today to light rain, by noon it had stopped and by 2 the sun was shinning in the sky. i’m told the sun part isn’t the most common but its been a good for the adjustment period. things here are sorted, mainly. i start orientation for classes on monday. ali came up from london yesterday, and we’ve had fun going around the town and soaking up some of the culture.

this afternoon however i was feeling a bit down, disappointed about a friendship that seems to shifted without any real explanation. i hate being left in the abyss without reason. on top of the upheaval of moving and everything my heart was feeling a bit heavy.

then my mobile rang (yes, i just said mobile). it was a uk number, and my new friend Katja asking me to out with a group of other international students. excited at the prospect of meeting more new people ali and i left my flat.

we ended up meeting up with 4 others, all of whom were very nice, one had studied as an undergraduate at newcastle so he showed us around. he was very nice and turns out he lives in the flat next to me. we went to a couple of pubs, stopped and had some horrible crisps and then walked around a bit. all in all it was a pretty fun night, and i’m looking forward to the coming weeks.

its really quite amazing meeting so many people from so many different cultures. and when asked to describe canada, or canadians, a pause always follows. we really aren’t a unified nation, but that’s what makes us, us but trying to explain that with alcohol…something always gets lost in translation. seeing as this week is international week, i have yet to meet an actual british student but its nice to be around new people. although sometimes there are gaps. language mainly.

funniest questions of the night would have to go to a german girl who asked me…

are you loud when you drink?

not overly?

or

do you have a boyfriend?

no.

that’s weird.

thanks.

blunt and to the point, which is nice…her response to the second question made me laugh out loud. she couldn’t understand why i thought it was funny. tomorrow we’re meeting up with some more students for a walk about town. here’s a picture of one of the streets in the city centre. i will take proper pictures soon. promise.

hope everyone has a good weekend!