free tuesday...

On tuesday I have no classes, so I resolved to stay up as late as possible last night in order to talk to all my friends who are usually ending their school/work day as I am going to sleep. I stayed up a bit past 3:30.

I woke up around noon today sick. Also, it turns out they test the fire alarms every Tuesday around noon.

Ok, so this being sick thing is getting really annoying. I've been sick off and on since Sunday, and before that New Years... I'm beginning to think there actually is something more wrong with me than just stress.

So I had planned to go grocery shopping today, pick up some books, buy some postcards, and put money on my print quota. Instead, I went back to bed and slept for an absurdly longer time. When I did wake up, I actually got dressed and went out and got the books I need. There's a lot of reading to do every week... that's what I get for taking 4 literature classes. But the bookstore is really nice, like a real bookstore not just a textbook store.

I also tried out the scary paternoster lift and took some pictures of the prettier part of campus, as well as an interesting bird called the Eurasian Coot.




This is a little lake at the back of campus. Usually it is inhabited by scary geese.



Here is the Eurasian Coot

These pictures are, unfortunately somewhat dark because the sun goes away at 4:00 hereabouts, but if you're really interested, there's a whole wikipedia page on them. From a distance I thought they were just big pigeons, but they have flat faces (that white thing is a sort of face sheild...) and webbed feet. And when they take off, they run on water.

Anyway. I was feeling better, so I checked out one of the campus cafe type things and looked at the menu, planning to come back for dinner. The one I was looking at had lots of chicken, and since I think lack of protein might have been making me ill, I thought it might be time to actually eat some meat.

So I came back to the dorm, read for a bit, and rechecked my course websites. I discovered quite by accident that a presentation is expected of me in one of my courses. Unfortunately all of the days and topics were assigned last semester - all of my classes began last semester, you see, so my teachers are generally shocked that I'm leaping in now. I emailed the prof, and he said to pick a topic and that I can partner with someone, but if they've been working on these presentations since last semester... I don't know. It's going to be weird. The fact that all of the classes I'm taking have been going for a few months already is another one of those things I wish I'd known before coming.

Then I went back out for food. Unfortunately, when I got to the place and asked after the chicken, they said all of their chicken was spicy. Spicy chicken wings, strips, and sandwiches. Swell. No meat for Robin. Normally I'd go for it, but not on an upset stomach. So I got some ok pizza and fries that tasted like paper. Most unsatisfactory.

I went back to the dorm and started to read some more. The Witch of Edmonton is a very boring play, so I began to blog, as I suspect I will fall asleep next time I sit down to read it.

The End.

Class

Today was the first day of classes. It began... poorly.

It began with my flatmates waking me up at 1 in the morning with an absurd amount of noise. That is all I will say about that.

I woke up tired, feeling not at all ready to face my Myth class. I left super early to look for the room, still feeling slightly ill but determined to ignore it until AFTER class. I found the room with a bit of difficulty, because i don't think it is acutally room 4.01. There is a piece of printer paper with the number printed on it, taped to the window, and the room is not by any of the other rooms. Luckily, I found it.

And what we are doing for the first half of myth class (until March) is the Myth of Orpheus. Hehehehehe. Easy. I've an essay due April 21st in that class, which means I should try to finish it before March 21st so I don't have to do it at home.

After class I went to see Julie Andrews and Hazel in the Literature Department to buy another course packet and find out some details of the class that the professor didn't seem to know. Hazel knows everything about literature classes. I also bought notebooks. Then I went back to the room to make up the sleep I missed.

After a really really long nap, I went to go look for a class to substitute for my Film Studies class, since I decided I didn't want to have to worry about citing films in my essays as well as books. Plus I wanted another 200 level course, because they are easier. I ended up picking something called Versions of Modernity, wherein we will read classics that most people in America have read their Freshman year of high school. Much easier.

I went to go put the transfer in with Hazel, and it turned out that i'd missed the first lecture: it had been that morning. But Julie Andrews said it didn't matter at all about the first lecture, and I shouldn't worry. Then I went to the first screening for the Film class I dropped, just because I had nothing better to do.

We watched Three Kings, a bloody, slightly depressing war movie. Blah. but it killed time. I went back to the dorm, had a word with Phil about noise, and made dinner. Lots of people were in the kitchen tonight, including another girl named Sophie. She was very friendly, and it was generally a good time. People actually, really cook around here. It's surprising. Most college kids I know would rather just boil something, which is what I've been doing: less effort, less time. But dinner here appears to be a whole big production. Maybe when I run out of noodles and rice, I'll actually buy some meat or something. We'll see how busy I get.

And that is it for today. I'm already sleepy, but I'm going to try to stay up as long as I can since I don't have any classes tomorrow : )

Cambridge

Today I woke up sick. Why does my body hate me? I went on the Cambridge trip anyway, just to spite it.

Cambridge is about an hour and a half away from Colchester. It's a pretty old town, with lots of nice architecture and stuff. After telling us where to meet for the tour, and informing us that if we got left behind at the end of the day, the best way back to Colchester is by train via London, we were let loose to do whatever. Mostly find food and look at shops. I wandered around mostly with the girls I went to Tesco with, plus a few others, but we eventually split off into much smaller groups for convenience. None of the stores were closed, despite it being Sunday. In fact, there was sort of a market day happening, with lots of stalls set up in the town square.

Like this.

These are the girls I was wandering around with. Their names, from the left: Alice (Italy), Segolene (France), Valeria (Italy), Iwona (Poland), Julia (Denmark), Aino (Finland).

I get along better with the Europeans than with the Americans. Go figure. Anyway, we shopped a bit before we had to meet back at

for the tour.

There's a lot of great architecture in the town, so much that they didn't explain it all.

This is an unidentified pretty building.

Here is a street in Cambridge.

Here's a very old church. We were standing in the graveyard in front of it, listening to the tourguide. What you can't see is a water pump. A well in a graveyard. This is brilliant.

A tomb.... of a pirate???

This is a pub called The Eagle. This is where the guys who figured out DNA went to tell everyone how awesome they were. During theSecond World War, this is also where American troops liked to hang out. They wrote their names and divisions and stuff all over the ceiling of the pub, but it's really hard to make out now because of all the smoking that used to happen in pubs (Stephanie will be glad to hear that smoking is not allowed in most public buildings anymore!)

This is apparantly the brand of alcohol they serve in The Eagle. I took a picture of it because it's a green king...

This is the impressive King's College of Cambridge. It's pretty, but I wouldn't want to go to school here... they still believe in hierarchy very much. There's still a "high table" where important professors and favored students sit, and you're not allowed to walk on the grass unless an older student gives you permission. Crazy.

Here's some of the grass you're not allowed to walk on. Those are the classrooms of King's College.

And a better shot of the fountain... statue... thing in front.

Here we are inside the King's Chapel. It's more like a cathedral, it's so big... I didn't take a lot of pictures inside because... well, it's a church... but this is me standing in the middle and taking a picture of the back. This place is huge.

This is a shot of the front of King's College: the entranceway across from the classrooms, on the other side of the sacred grass. Keeps the college nice and protected from the commoners...

A pretty bridge. Oh, and the river. If it was warm out, there would probably be punting happening, or so I'm told.

After the tour, Iwona, Aino and I went back the The Eagle because they were hungry (again. Seriously, they had just eaten.) I got some water, they got beer and chips, and we sat around and talked. Aino says that the government pays for college education in Finland. I asked her if everyone goes to college then, but she said no. 2/3 of the people don't pass the entrance exams. No wonder the government can afford to pay for education. It's the opposite in America, where if someone doesn't attend college it's generally for monetary reasons.

Then we went back to University of Essex. I signed on, ate some cold Macaroni and Cheese, and wrote this blog.

Classes start tomorrow, and i'm very very very very nervous. I have no idea what to expect. It has just occured to me that I am taking a film studies class, wherein we watch films, presumably without subtitles. If I have trouble following the film tomorrow, I may drop the class and have to find a different one. Who knows what's still available? Well, I will have to find out tomorrow.

As for now... it is 8 o clock and i am out of things to do... when i have tons of homework, i will look back on these days with longing. maybe.

Today I also took Pictures!

This is the view from one of my windows. Those are the North Houses.


This is the view from my other window.


This is what I see when I walk in my door. Only usually the curtains are closed.


This is a view from standing in front of my desk: The wardrobe and my insane-asylum bed.


Yes.

Saturday

Today I was supposed to run around campus completing a lot of last minute tasks before classes start. I had to go see Julie Andrews about finding a church and bus routes to it as well as say hello, talk to the Literature Dept. about seminar times, buy notebooks and folders, buy milk and orange juice, and locate each of my classes so I'm not completely lost on Monday.

Most of this did not happen because everything is apparently closed on Saturdays. I decided I would locate the Study Abroad office first, because that would be the toughest meeting to get through. At orientation they had given us the location - south side of square five. Ok. I know where that is. So I walk over there.

The only thing on the south side of square five is a lake. (I later found out that that's acutally North... but the office wasn't in square five anyway!) And some geese. So I ducked (hee) into the library to ask them where the Study Abroad office was. A very nice man told me "Square two. It's definitely square two. The Law offices."

Ok, a bit strange, but I head over to square two. On the way to square 2 I passed through square four and just happened to notice the law offices tucked into a corner in this square. So... hmm. I went in. Sure enough, the study abroad office is listed in the directory, so I head over to the lift.

In the lift were two other girls who were going to the same floor, so I guessed and asked if they were also going to the study abroad office. They said yes, but they were worried it would be closed because the whole building was dark. So we went there, and it was closed. So we went back outside.

They told me that they were from Denmark, and had arrived late on Thursday, and so had missed a lot of information from orientation. They didn't know what sections of their classes they were in, and had no idea how to find out. I told them to go see the departments that their classes were under, because that's how I had found out. So they went to find the literature department and I went to go buy notebooks.

The bookstore was closed. So was the Campus Shop. Phoo. Well, my next stop was the Literature Office. That entire building was dark, too, but I ran into the two girls there again. They couldn't find the office itself, which I could completely relate to since I had spent quite a bit of time looking for it yesterday. So I showed them where it was, but it was closed too. They had a really familiar look on their faces - the "I have no idea what I'm going to do and no one is willing to help me, and I may burst into tears from sheer frustration!" look. So I told them that they should attend any of the sections just so they didn't miss anything, and then find out which one they're really in when the office opens after class Monday (The office doesn't open until 10, and class starts at 9). That seemed to calm them down a little, and we talked a bit more.

Their names are Lina and Anette. Lina looks a lot like Holly! They're both going on the Cambridge trip tomorrow, so I'll see them again then. They seemed really eager to be friends, so maybe that'll actually work out.

After we parted, I went in search of my classes. Unfortunately, even the hallways are closed on Saturday, the doors locked and the lights off. Come to think of it, there are an AWFUL lot of doors in those halls. Weird. Well, anyway i'm just going to have to leave much earlier on Monday to find them all.

I went back to my dorm much earlier than I had been planning, which was ok since i was feeling a bit ill. I put my pajamas back on, grabbed a book, and proceeded to read/sleep until dinner time. I had my first bathroom conflict though... both bathrooms were occupied for a REALLY long time. There's simply nothing you can do in this situation. You can't get onto the other floors without a key. I guess you could walk to campus, but really that's sort of ridiculous...

Anyway, I thought it high time that I tried out my pots and utensils, and the macaroni and cheese I brought from America : P As I went out to the kitchen, I ran into a guy named Ben who lives on my floor. He was really really helpful, and showed me the ins and outs of how things work in the kitchen. A bunch of other poeple who live here also popped up, including my neighbor Phil (who is, in fact, female). They dropped a bunch of army guys with parachutes out the windows and then introduced themselves and started raving about American food, especially Reeses, and about how there's a website where you can get American food, but for some reason they don't have Reeses, and Ben would just about die for one.. yes, they are very energetic people, but Ben and Phil are the only names I can remember. I don't know how close we'll be because they did say that they don't take school very seriously, but they're nice to hang around with for meals and stuff if nothing else.

After eating, I went back to my room, hung up my big calendar and prepared my sharpie for marking off days. I get to start Monday. I think, other than blogging, crossing the day off will probably be my favorite daily activity. This is an improvement: just yesterday, the thing i looked forward to most was sleeping.

I think, perhaps, I need a life. Or some very enjoyable classes.

Friday

Last day of orientation. Today we had a tour of campus in the rain, during which the tour guide pointed out all the spots that would have been really helpful to know a few days ago, and which I am already familiar with because of those days. We also got to see the Sports Centre, which was good because we're meeting behind it on Sunday to go to Cambridge.

After the tour, I was talking to a girl I met during the tour who also lives in the North Towers. This was very exciting, because all the people I had met the day before lived somewhere else, and when we all met in Lecture Hall 3 today, they all sat somewhere else. Apparantly they bonded with other people overnight and want nothing to do with someone who doesn't live with them. Anyway, her name is Iowonna, or possibly Iwonna... or something... and she's from Poland. She was friends with two Italian girls and a French girl, whose names I didn't really catch. Anyway, we all went and ate lunch together, which was nice because A: it's the first meal I haven't had to eat alone and B: it was not granola bars. Huzzah for another sandwich!

Next we had library tours, so I arranged with the girls to go grocery shopping afterwards. The library tour was very helpful. They don't employ the Dewey decimal system per ce... it's sort of different, but I think I can manage to find a book there.

They also have a really peculiar lift in the library, called the paternoster lift. It's a continuous elevator sort of thing... and you kind of just have to hop in and out as it comes level with the floor you want... and i took the stairs : P

Pictures of all these things will be forthcoming. Tomorrow is a free day and I am taking my camera exploring.

So next we went grocery shopping. Tesco is, indeed a ten-fifteen minute walk. A ten to fifteen minute walk downhill, which is fine, except that it means that when you go back you need to go uphill with bags of groceries. I'm getting so much exercise. And now I have butter, a loaf of bread, storage containers for leftovers, paper towels, laundry detergent, pasta, rice, and garlic salt. I shouldn't have to eat granola bars again for a good while.

Unfortunately, they do not have drier sheets over here. Trying to explain the concept of one to the girls was pretty difficult, because I guess they don't have them in France, Italy, or Poland either. I asked what they put in the driers to prevent static (except they didn't know that word, so I got to describe that too, which was fun) and they said they just hung their clothes... hmm. I would gladly hang my clothes, because laundry is expensive here, but there is nowhere to hang them. So my parents are mailing me some drier sheets : P

We got back, and I unpacked the groceries and sat down to enjoy my internet ^.^ I got to talk to all my friends again, and had a long phone call with dad that didn't cost anything. We worked out the plan for June - they are probably going to come a week or so earlier, since my finals will be over so much sooner than I thought. That means I'll get to come home for good a week or so earlier, too.

I've gotten my first assignment for Cultural Ideology in Film, and much to my dismay I recognize one of the authors from Post-Colonial Lit last semester. Ah well. I'm still trying to get the hang of this whole "reading list" thing. What if I don't read enough? Or read the wrong thing? Do all my other classes expect me to start reading right away too, or is it just this film class? No way to know. I think I will be happy if I come away with Bs this semester. I mean, if Purdue told me to do these things and write some essays, I'd know exactly how to go about it, but I have no idea what these professors expect of me. I suppose I'll find out... but probably not in time to save my GPA.

Anyway, people should be moving back into the flat this weekend, so it'll be less empty. Not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, I do feel rather isolated all alone up here. On the other hand, it's really quiet and I never have to wait for the shower. And I know some of my flatmates are male, so that could get annoying. We'll see.

The First Two Days

Ok, so I have Internet access. Finally. It’s been a really freaking long trip, but I’m finally in the dorm, mostly settled in. I’m not completely unpacked yet, but I’m getting there.

The story so far:

The plane took off about 45 later than scheduled because of some late passengers. I guess it’s nice to know that they wait for people, but whatever. I was really tired, but couldn’t sleep at all. There’s just not enough space in a typical plane seat. And the couple next to me sounded like they had tuberculosis or something. The guy sitting right next to me had a particularly loud and braying cough that not even my headphones could cancel out. But I don’t appear to have caught anything life threatening, so that’s ok.

We landed more-or-less on time after a very long and tedious flight. I had about an hour to catch my bus to Stansted when I got in line at customs. By the time I was through the line, I had about 15 minutes. The lady checking my passport asked to see a letter of acceptance from the university. I told her it was in my luggage, and that I had been told my visa would be enough (I had been told that. I’m a bit miffed with my councilor at the moment, for this among other things). After much deliberation and, on my part, sweating, she let me through anyway and I went into the actual airport area to grab my bags. I saw Dowd (Daud? tall guy. red hair.) there too, but didn’t get a chance to say hi because I wanted to catch my bus. I grabbed my bags and went out into a very confusing area with signs for several different buss terminals pointing in several different directions. Then I saw a lady with a sign around her neck saying “Students! Ask me for help!” yay! So I asked her for help and she directed me to the proper terminal for my bus. “Just down the ramp, follow the signs for Central Bus Station. It’s about ten minutes walk.” After giving these directions, she asked if I had a ticket. I said yes and held it up. she said

“Oh, 9:40... You’ve got time, but you must go now.”

“Yes. Thank you.” said I.

“Now that’s just down the ramp.”

“Yes, thanks.”

“And follow the signs.”

“Ok, I will, thank you.”

“It’s the Central terminal.”

“Got it.”

“It’s about ten minutes.”

“Then I guess I should go, thanks bye!”

I fled. It was a five minute walk. I reached the bus with time to spare, though not much. It left ten minutes earlier than scheduled, so I got lucky. After a long drive, during which I slept for about fifteen minutes off and on, we arrived at Stansted airport, where I would catch my next bus.

I got off the bus and started walking down the row of busses, checking the destinations of each. Turns out, my bus was the very last in the long row, and it pulled out just as I was close enough to read “University”. Argh. Not a huge deal, those busses are hourly, so I settled in to wait. As I was waiting, more people began to gather. One of them was a girl named Kelly, who is in the Army. She’s originally from Liverpool, was stationed in Germany, and was on holiday to see her boyfriend in Colchester. I told her I was studying at Essex, and she got a look on her face that rather plainly said “why?”. She proceeded to inform me that “Oh, all the sluts come from Essex” (it sounded much more charming in an accent) meaning the county of Essex not the university, but really, didn’t give me a great opinion of the area. Ah well.

Another girl came up to me eventually who is also from America. We introduced ourselves and I promptly forgot her name, which I think, having been awake for over 24 hours, is forgivable. She was also going to Essex, so that was good: we could find the Accomodations Office together and perhaps get food. We boarded the bus when it came. The driver was rather surly, but we didn’t have to talk to him so that’s fine. An hour and a half later, we got off at the University stop (it would have been sooner if the driver hadn’t stopped for a smoke break). Erin and I (I found out that is her name a few hours ago) got off and looked around for any clue of where to go.

Essex university is situated in a rather hilly area. Buildings are built on top of hills and in the low places between the hills. We were standing at the base of these hills with huge suitcases and little sleep. We could see the North Towers, though, and I had read that the Accomodations Office was between them, so we proceeded upward along a poorly paved bike path, stopping frequently for rest. Finally with got to almost the top of the hill, and the bike path ended. We were pretty close to the North Towers but didn’t really know where to go next: we couldn’t see any pavement on which to roll our suitcases. So Erin went on a scouting mission and found the office while I waited with the suitcases. She came back a short time later with her housing info and pointed out where the offices were. We parted ways, rolling jerkily across the grass. I think there’s still grass stuck in my wheel actually... I should see to that.

Anyway, I got to the Accomodations Office and got my keys. One thing I’ve noticed about Britain so far is that, if you want any information you must ask for it. People do not volunteer anything that might be useful. I asked about my bedding and about internet access. The woman told me that my bedding had been sent to a place called Central Stores, and that I should ask around to find where that was because she couldn’t mark it on a map (really, if you could see this map, you’d know why. It’s the most unhelpful map I’ve ever used... or tried to use). Also, I should go soon because they close early. As far as internet, I would have to register my computer with the Computer Help Desk, to which she gave me (inaccurate) directions.

So I went over to Tawney Tower through what looks suspiciously like a loading dock but is, I am assured, the main entrance. Since then, I have learned that all doors look like that at the University, and you should just ignore the signs that say “Emergency Fire Exit, Alarm Will Sound” or you will never get into or out of a building. I found the lift and went up to the eighth floor and stepped out into the elevator lobby... maybe elevator cubicle is a better word. And stopped. I had no idea where to go next. There were no hallways leading off the cubicle, and only one door, which was marked “Fire Escape”. I have since then found the other door, which was cleverly disguised as a wall, but at the time I was forced to take the long way round. I have not yet found any stairs other than this fire escape, so it looks like I won’t be getting my exercise that way.

My first look at my hall was.... frightening. The hallways are extraordinarily narrow and dim. So are the doors. I found room 12 and went in. Ah. the rooms are at least wider than the hallways, but despite the attempt at hominess in the seafoam green walls, it still looked like a prison cell. I figured some bedding and my stuff on the shelves would fix that, so I put down my suitcases, emptied some heavier stuff from my backpack though I left my laptop inside, and set off to find Central Stores and the Computer Help Desk.

It was not easy. It was not fun. After asking directions of SEVERAL people, each of whom gave me conflicting information, I happened upon the place by chance. It is in the basement, which is a sub-sublevel built in the depression between two hills. Navigating this campus is like playing a Zelda game – you know there’s a treasure on another cliff level, but you can’t find the stairs (or they’re all marked “Emergency Exit”). I finally overcame my (apparently cultural) avoidance of enormous metal double doors which, in America, would have KEEP OUT, FACULTY ONLY, etc stamped all over them, and found a way down to the basement. Excellent, Central Stores was still open. Things were looking up.

I went in and signed for my package. The guy handed it over. It was enormous and weighed a LOT. Probably not so much to someone who hadn’t been up for as long as I had, and who didn’t have a computer on their back, but a lot. And it was awkwardly sized – tall and narrow, or long and short, however you want to look at it. I gave the guy a look that was like “seriously?” and he shrugged and was like “It’s not too heavy.”

“And I’m to carry this?”

“Yeah. Where do you live?”

“North Towers.”

“Ah well that’s not too far.”

Yeah. Not too far as the bird flies, but as I walk, it’s up several flights of stairs and through several sets of door that are not meant to be navigated with a tall heavy package in one’s arms. I had to rest several times. I passed several people, none of whom even offered to lend me a hand, but I finally got it up to my room. Then I went BACK out to get my computer registered. I found the computer help desk after similar misadventures, and asked the man how to register. He handed me a pamphlet and said I could do it from my dorm. FINE.

I walked back to the dorm and decided I did not want to deal with it. Instead I would put my sheets on the bed, shower, and go to sleep.

I couldn’t get the box open. Apparently, they don’t believe in regular old packing tape. This was the stuff with cloth threads running through it. My pocket knife did the job, but so did brute force. Scissors would have been much easier, but my pair were in the box, so... yeah.

I took a shower in my flat’s ONE SHOWER, brushed my teeth in the ONE BATHROOM (this may be an exaggeration: I have not yet been to the other side of the flat, which is separated by several doors, but I am sure they also have one shower and one bathroom), unpacked a little, and went to bed. It was 5 PM Essex time.

I woke up a little after 7 feeling very refreshed. I decided that now would be a good time to tackle computer registration so I could talk to my friends and family, and that would make me feel better too. So, I do all the stuff the pamphlet says, and get to the last step of registration, which is actually online, and find out I need a username and password, which I get off of my University ID, which would also have been really great to know before I went through all that crap.

I went back to bed.

This morning was the first day of orientation. I had most of my questions answered, and even found the lecture halls with a minimum of frustration. The University is mainly one building that all interconnects, with four courtyards, in a big square, but there are some stray buildings hanging out off on the sides. The lecture halls are in one of these. When you get a room number to go to for a class, though, they don’t name what building it’s in. You’ll get something like this: 3.411. The three means 3rd floor, the 411 means room 411. What building is it in? You actually have to guess. There is no other way to do it. Chances are, it’s in the main building, which helps a little (but it’s so big, that even that’s not much help). But it might be in one of the stray buildings. There is literally no way to tell. I asked.

“So you just have to... guess?”

“Pretty much, yes.”

“No building names?”

“No, but you get a floor and a room number.”

“Oh.”

All of the exchange students are pretty horrified. As for me, I will be leaving an hour early for class. Oh, but we did get our ID cards. And I paid my first term rent, which was A LOT OF MONEY. I can pay second term online though, and get a discount.

So, ID in hand, on my lunch break I went back to my room to register my computer and have some internet...

Or so I thought. For some reason my password didn’t work. I went back out to the Computer Help Desk, and had a word with the same guy. He told me that my password had expired, and I needed to change it. All right. Weird. But ok, sure.

“How do I change it?”

“Well, there’s a website.”

“Um?”

“Oh, use a computer lab.”

“Ok, how do I log in?”

“Use the username and password on your ID.”

“I thought it had expired.”

“Oh, it’ll work for that.”

This place has some issues. So I went back for the rest of the days’ orientation, signed up for the Cambridge trip Sunday, and got a lot of information on interesting things to do in England while on holiday.

I also found out that Good Friday is a public holiday hereabouts, so it’s no problem going home on the 21st, where normally there’d be classes. Also, rather interestingly, the last day of exams is June 6th. Not the 26th or 27th. June 6th. And you’re free to go after that. So... this may change some travel plans? I don’t know, if I had internet I’d send out a quick email but as it is, I am typing this in word.

After orientation, I went to a computer lab and changed my password. Then I remembered that the people today had suggested stopping by your academic department (in my case, literature) and picking up a handbook with advice about various things. I found that, got the handbook, and also found out that my councilor had neglected to enroll me in one of the classes in which she had told me I was enrolled (further miffedness on my part). I got that straightened out, found out what time and what room numbers my classes are meeting, and purchased the course packet for one of them. I’m told that the rest of the classes don’t have texts or packets: they just give you a reading list, and you read as much as you can off of it, and then write a paper at the end of term. Odd, but it means I can just check stuff out from the library instead of buying a bunch of books.

I then went to pick up a sandwich at a little convenience store on campus. The sandwich cost as much as the course packet, but I’m not sure if that means the packet was cheap or the sandwich was expensive. I think it’s both. Some girls were going down to Tesco’s, which I’m told is like a Wal-Mart, but it was raining and cold and a bit of a walk so I didn’t. Anyway, they were going into Colchester first, I didn’t feel like paying for a bus ride (going to church every week is going to get expensive). Maybe I’ll go tomorrow (to Tesco’s not church), because I really do need some food. Until the sandwich, I’d been living on granola bars.

Then I successfully registered my computer!

... annnd was told I have to wait up to two days before I have Internet access. argh. And now, a shower, reading, bed, and maybe tomorrow when I wake up, there’ll be an Internet waiting for me.