Running for about three blocks we got there on top, but as usual the bus was late anyway. Better safe than sorry. We started our day with American Lit. I at 9, and realized that this course was going to be a breeze. We both need it for our English major at Luther, but this course was so stripped down because it was for people outside of the English Dept. We will read Frederick Douglass Slave memoirs, Some short stories by Herman Melville, and Huck Finn. Not much new there, but hey its still important stuff. Not only is it easier than we thought, it meets only for one hour every week. The thurs. seminar we thought we had to go to wasn't for this class, so life just got a ton easier in that hour.
After bumming around in the book shop for a couple hours drooling over some new realeases, (yeah we are literature dorks) and eating our packed lunches (everyday) we had The Islamic Tradition. The prof. just stands at a podium and lectures to maybe 100 students, and we sit and make scratches on paper trying to absorb the information he is spewing at us. It should be interesting to get to study the Quran. Next to christianity, the Muslim religion is the second largest in the world, and it would be really important to understand what it is so many people believe so strongly in.
Compared to the U.S., students here pay very little to go to a University in England. It used to be free up until a few years ago, but now Nottingham pay around 3,000 pounds. Not too bad, but everyone here seems to feel that this is absolutely outrageous and complain all the time over it. It is kind of a big deal. For example:
Yes, they have a whole bulletin board devoted to this cause. Ungrateful!
Earlier this week, on monday night volleyball practice was held from 8-10:30 at night. It was amazing. This is everything I've been looking for in volleyball. Everyone there is serious about playing and there are some seriously hard core guys on the court. Particularily this German, he isn't huge or extremely tall, but he dominates wherever he is and is better than all the senior players on the team. I thought I would give the advanced team a shot though I was a bit nervous not having any formal training ever, but I fit right in. Luckily there was some two or three other guys that were new and sucked more than I did. I actually played very well and made a few friends along the way.
Rowing has been going swimmingly. All of the novice men have gotten put into crews of 8. I have been placed as the stroke man. That would be the one in front as we face, but back as far as motion goes. I kind of help to stabalize and when rowing am the front man that sets the pace for our strokes. Everyone works off me. We all obey the cox which is one of the tiniest girls they could find who guides us, steers and orders which people to row so we can navigate more smoothly. It's up to her to keep us from crashing, but she new very little on Wednesday so everyone was kind of a mess and we rowed in zigzags up and downt the Trent River. All the guys I have met so far are awesome and I keep learning new names everyday.
Wednesday night was the rowing teams social for both men and women. We got shirts and went on a bar crawl to different pubs, bars and clubs. About 5 in all. I met just about all the guys on the team, and a number of ladies too. There is possibilities there but not likely. Meeting the ladies is ever important. Part of the festivities of the night is by the time we left the second bar, the men had to socialize and find the girl with the name we were given and tie ourselves to her for the night. By the third pairs should be linked and so on. It was a great time and I met so many people, it has just doubled how excited I am to be here. And have a good twenty buddies to rely on. They are all really good men. I talked to the set of four German guys. I met two third years who were Welsch, and another was from Holland. Everyone is great. I couldn't have had a better first part of the week!
We are basically starving over here. Each supper a different group of us is assigned to make the meal. With meals of an entire array of chinese foods, to shephards pie with apple dessert, to tacos and fajitas with fried ice cream and a few other things, it has been a struggle to stay alive. We even decorate and put time into our food just because it's all we have. J/k
This is Anna with her salad creation.
The baker is at it, but I must sadly admit it is not me. Kevin has been working hard making all kinds of breads and things with his grandma's recipe. He has added raisons, as well as an apple jelly and chunks for filling. ONe of these is a cinnamon swirl bread. I only was there to lend my meager knowledge to the situation. I guess we eat alright!
And here he is on another occasion holding his gorgeous apple dessert that we devoured around 11:30 that night.
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