Too busy to study : )

Everyone goes out every night here it seems! It's so different to me, but when people have so few hours/days of class, I guess they can. I too have been going out at night, doing random, but fun things. For instance, this past week:

Tuesday: Went to a roller disco for a Korfball social
Wednesday: Went Salsa dancing
Thursday: Had a laid back dinner at a friend's flat
Friday: Attended the Australia Day Beach Party on campus
Sunday: Enjoyed delicious tapas while watching Flamenco dancing at a nearby Spanish restaurant
Monday: Went to an acoustic music night, an event put on by the CU as part of their missions week

As I said, random, but fun. Despite the title, I am finding some time to study. Although I am still not used to this system of so few contact hours and so little assessment, I am getting a bit more accustomed to it. The syllabi (?) here are not very detailed as for the most part all they have are pages upon pages of suggested reading titles, but not many week to week assignments. However, it has actually been interesting to have the opportunity and the time to research more about topics and things that I am interested in rather than getting caught up in busy work that I do just because I have to. For instance, since I don't really know how I should be preparing for my History of Norwich class, I have take out some books on different British periods (i.e. Tudor, Georgian, Victorian, etc) and styles of architecture associated with them. Research is much more exciting when it is by choice and you are looking into something that interests you. I think that even just learning the basics in this area will be helpful as I walk around town (and visit other parts of England), seeing different buildings and learning about the various time periods. Then in my literature classes, since the required reading is not all that much each week, it has been interesting to look into biographical information on the authors and see how it affects their writing. Hopefully this will all be of some help by the time essays and exams come. Yes, I know I am a bit of a nerd... : )

Forget UMass, I should go to Cambridge!

So I played in my first Korfball match today and it was so much fun! I was a bit nervous as I had never really played before, but it ended up being the first game for two others on our team as well. It was great because it was both competitive and casual. Since it is divided into three tiers, you play a team of comparable ability so it gives you something to play for, but without high pressure. The best part is we won! : ) Final score was 2-1. With the nets so high and narrow, I think it tends to be a low scoring game.

Yesterday, I went to Cambridge by coach with about 45 others as it was an optional trip offered as part of the orientation for international students. On the way there, we stopped at the Cambridge American Cemetery where the American soldiers who died during WWII, particularly those interred in the UK. It is quite an amazing memorial as there are 3,810 white cross headstones and an elaborate chapel with a reflecting pool in front.

Once we arrived in Cambridge, we were pretty much on our own to do as we pleased so long as we were back at the bus for 4:00. The man who was leading the trip offered to take some people for a short tour, so I accompanied him for a little while and was able to learn a bit more about what we were seeing. Then I just wandered on my own. When I had heard of Cambridge University before, I didn't realize that, rather than being just one big school, it was comprised of 31 autonomous colleges. I believe, as many European universities, it began with monastic purposes. It is the second oldest University in the UK (next to Oxford) and was started by a group of scholars that left Oxford. The first college, Peterhouse, was established in 1284 with the most recent one being built in the 1970s.

All of the architecture is beautiful (it reminded me so much of UMass...not!) and each college seemed to have it's own style. The weather was sunny and not too cold, so it was great just meandering around the city. Some of the campuses are closed to visitors or open for tours only, but I was able to find a few that we could explore. The city itself was quite nice too with all of the little shops, a market, a river that you could take boats out punting on, and several free, university sponsored museums. I went into the museum of Archaeology and Anthropology as well as the Fitzwilliam Museum, which was an amazing art museum displaying art from all countries and time periods. It was a fun day and again great to see another part of England. Then, once I arrived back at UEA, an Australian friend prepared several of us a delicious meal in honor of her beloved Australia Day (another thing I never knew existed until coming here!)

To King's Lynn and back

Wow, I have officially been in Norwich for two weeks now! Part of me doesn't know where the time has gone and part of me feels like I've been here forever! I have been settling in well, meeting a lot of people, and getting used to classes. So far I am really enjoying England. And it hasn't rained for TWO WHOLE DAYS!!! Yesterday I actually saw the sun almost all day and today I was thrilled to have a glimpse of it. It's funny how excited we get about the sun here. And yes, the stories of Brits talking about the weather all the time are so true! It is definitely a focal point of every conversation here.

Since I know this semester is going to fly by, I really want to see and do as much as possible while I am here. Last Saturday, a friend from Australia and I decided to go on an adventure and see some of the English countryside. We bought a day pass for the bus and hopped aboard with no real agenda, but with a vague expectation of arriving in King's Lynn, a town about an hour and a half (by bus) west of here. On our way out, we made our first stop at Dereham where we walked around, explored a few old churches, and devoured a delicious traditional scone. Then we boarded the bus again for King's Lynn. I, however, managed to fall asleep (as I tend to do in any moving vehicle); so when I woke up, I panicked and thought we were at our stop. We got off the bus as fast as possible only to find ourselves one stop too early and in the midst of a retail area complete with grocery stores, McDonald's, KFCs, and other lovely chains. We managed to make it into the historic part of King's Lynn after dodging numerous cars and running like mad through round abouts. Without our extra mini-adventure though, we would have missed seeing the city gate built in 1504 and a nice park where parts of a 13th century Franciscan friary stood.

Once in town, we wandered the streets for awhile and then went to the Old Gaol House Museum where we donned cassette recorders and were guided through the museum from the point of view of a 1930's constable. The headset gave us insight into some of the tales that had taken place in that area over the centuries. Parts of the museum were interactive, so we were able to be fingerprinted, take mug shots, be put in the stocks, burnt at the stake, etc... The last part of the museum- the Regalia Room- had many historical and valuable items in it, like the Red Register and King John's Cup. After exploring the museum, we saw some of the other historic parts of this old port town, like St. Margaret's church, the Customs House, the river, and another museum, before grabbing lunch and touring some of the shops. After spending the day in King's Lynn, a town we never before knew existed, but grew to love, we caught a bus back to Norwich. However, wanting to make the most of our day pass and see as many places as possible, we stopped off in Swaffham on the way home for tea and biscuits. : )

Courses and Catherdrals

So much for my five day weekends! I thought for once, since I was at a whole new school and everything, that I would keep things simple and leave my classes alone. But no, I live to complicate my life. There was a class I had heard called "The History of Norwich," which I taught sounded interesting. A friend who was enrolled for it said it was full, but I figured I'd email the professor and ask about it anyways. Much to my surprise, he replied that since the class was already over-enrolled, he figured "one more wouldn't sink the ship." I attended the class this morning so now I need to fill out the paperwork to get into this one and out of my other history class. Though the other one seemed OK, this appealed to me more as it is so specific and about everything we can see here. In addition to the in class seminars, there are trips into town where we actually walk around and look at buildings, and archives, and things. It should be interesting to learn more about the history of the place I will be living for the next five months, especially as it will be taught in the greater context of other historical events and themes that occur between the 15th and 18th century. Especially where this is just an elective for me, I figure it would be better to study something I wouldn't be able to do elsewhere. As for the five day weekends, I'll get over it. It's probably better this way anyways as it will keep me in school mode through the end of the week.

Yesterday, as I had no class : ) , a friend and I went into town to do some shopping and site-seeing. We went to the Norwich Cathedral and this time toured the inside. Built in the 11th century, this beautiful building still functions as a church, though it is open for the public to explore. The building itself is massive, yet every detail of it is amazingly ornate! The architecture of the whole church is just awe-inspiring. It will be interesting to hopefully learn more about its history in my newly acquired class.

What the heck is KORFBALL?!!!

Being in England and wanting to get involved on campus, I decided to try something new... I thought it might be fun to experiment with some sort of sport that I tend to ascribe to the Brits, like cricket or badminton. However, when they had the society fair today so that people could sign up for things, both of these teams failed to make an appearance. As we were wandering around the tables, in awe of all of the organizations and sports that UEA has, I came to the Korfball team. Out of pure curiosity I stopped to see what in the world this Korf business was all about. The way they explained it to me was that the game is a combination of basketball and netball (needless to say that was only half helpful because I hadn't a clue what "netball" was). One of the captains coerced me into putting my name on the email list. Then he went further and tried to convince me to come and check it out that night. Being incredibly skeptical of it all, I gave him an indefinite maybe (which in my mind was much closer to an "ummm... I don't think so"). However, as I walked away and began to ponder it some more, I started to think that it wouldn't hurt to go see what Korfball was all about. Well, a couple of hours and much deliberating later, I went to the practice, and watching led to playing. Surprisingly, it was a lot of fun! I met another newcomer and everyone was incredibly nice and patient with us. So, I think that in the span of about 5 hours, I have gone from never hearing about this sport, to becoming an official member of the University of East Anglia's Korfball team.

Now, comical as the name may be, these players are incredibly serious about their sport. (Thankfully there are tiers, so beginners can take it as casually as they please.) Despite only practicing/playing once a week, the team travels and every Sunday, they have games against other universities and divisions in the area. The best I can explain this game is that it is similar to basketball, but the nets are much higher and don't have a backboard; and instead of a basketball, you use a soccer ball (excuse me, a "football"). It is played coed and the court is divided into two sides, each with four girls and four boys. One side of the court is the attacking side and the other is the defending side. Hmm... I am not making this sound at all like it actually is so if you are actually interested check out:

http://www.korfball.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=6&Itemid=43

class and such...

I have officially had all of my classes now. The one I had today, Kingship in Early Medieval Britain and Europe, seems OK, but a bit intimidating. Actually, it's not so much that it's intimidating as, like my others, it's just different from home. The syllabus, if you can even call it that, is so vague. Rather than assigning books and giving particular readings to do, I think it is assumed that you will look at the listed topic for the upcoming lecture/seminar, and basically read every book even remotely relevant so that you will know everything on the given topic. Perhaps it's not that intense, but we'll see. We are definitely spoon-fed in this regard at UMass, so this should be an interesting experience. All of the classes here are definitely strongly based upon independent research. We don't have as many assignments (often just some form of course work, i.e. essay or project, and then a final examination) yet the complexity of it and expectations seem very high. Though it may be difficult, I hope that I will learn a lot both about the information covered in the classes as well as how to go about acquiring it.

Aside from school, it has been great meeting and getting to know new students, both British and international. Last night I went to a meeting of the Christian Union and found it to be very much like Navigators, the Christian fellowship group I am a part of at UMass. The people I talked to were all friendly and it is encouraging to know that there is a similar organization here at UEA. Tonight there is a party being held downtown for all of the international students and those who are part of the International Students Society so it will be nice to see some of the same faces again that we've saw at orientation and around campus.

Classes Begin

So my lovely new umbrella held up quite wonderfully to England's pouring rain today; however, unfortunately, it did not fare nearly as well with England's wind. Oh well, I suppose that is what I should have expected from an umbrella bought at "Poundland," a store here where everything costs exactly one pound.

I started classes today and while I wasn't enrolled into any of my choices, I think that these will be OK, a bit boring perhaps, but manageable. As for now I am taking:

*17th Century Writing: Renaissance, Revolution, and Restoration

*European Literature: Encounters with 'Otherness'

*Kingship in Early Medieval Britain and Europe

It is strange to only be taking 3 classes instead of the typical 5 or 6 I have at UMass. It is also unusual for me to only be in class for TWO days with only SIX hours of class time all week. This however, makes me incredibly worried about their expectations for independent research and study. At least I will have plenty of time to devote to it with my five day weekends!

Today I had the first two classes listed above, and while the 17th Century is not all that exciting, I think that European Literature should be interesting. Coming from the U.S., I always have always considered England and the UK as a whole to be part of Europe, but I have found that many natives draw a stark line between the two. Europe seems to be a entirely different land to them. Therefore, I went into this class thinking I would be touching on Brit. Lit. as well as other pieces, when in actuality the reading list contains nothing from any British writers in order to keep that distinction. Since I haven't heard of most of the authors we'll be reading (though much of the class seems to be quite familiar with them!), I am looking forward to something new. I think it will also be very interesting to see differences in perspective as the course progresses. Tomorrow I will have my history class and then my ridiculous 5 day weekend begins. Oh well, at least this gap will be great for making travel plans over the semester.

As of today, I have finally met all of my flatmates. For several days, i thought I was going to be the only girl in the flat, but two arrived yesterday. That helps balance the ratio 8:3. Everyone seems nice enough so far. Residence life is just so different here though than it is at UMass.

Well, as you can tell, I haven't seen or done anything too exciting these past few days so you're stuck with pictures of my room and my poor dilapidated umbrella!

Into the City...

Today I managed to navigate the bus system in and out of the city. As part of our orientation, we could take a free guided walking tour of Norwich. It was very interesting to learn about its history and begin find our way around. The famous saying in this city is that "there's a pub for every day of the year and a church for every Sunday." It sure seems that way! It is a beautiful city that is an intriguing blend of quaint and contemporary. It’s amazing to see architecture that dates back more than the 300-400 years we call “old” in America. There are 32 medieval churches (ones that were built before the Reformation), a beautifully intact cathedral dating back to the 11th century, a castle, roman style roads, and the remnants of an ancient city wall. Mixed in with this striking architecture and history are hundreds of modern shops and eateries. If you can imagine it, you can find it in Norwich! This I was quite glad because I was able to pick up several much needed items (like an umbrella! Who goes to England and forgets such a necessity?!). There were all sorts of boutiques, department stores, open-air markets, grocery stores, American chains, and more. After an exhausting, but successful, day of touring and shopping, with incredibly heavy bags and unfortunately light wallets, we took the double-decker bus back to campus.

Welcome to "Norr-itch"!

Hello all!
On Wednesday, after over 24 hours of hectic travel, I arrived safe and sound in Norwich, where I will be for the next 5 1/2 months studying at the University of East Anglia. So far I am adjusting well and have begun to overcome the jet lag and time change. Norwich is located about 100 miles northeast of London and is quite the lively, bustling city amid the English countryside. UEA is on the outskirts of the city. Though this campus is normally home to 14,000+ students, it is rather quiet now as classes do not start until the 14th and so none of the British students have arrived yet.

I am living on campus in Norfolk Terrace--a dormitory type building with very unique architecture. It is all concrete and shaped like several pyramids all connected together. Each floor of each pyramid is a self-contained flat. My flat is the only exception as it encompasses the top three floors, with my room being the only one on the highest floor. Beneath me are 3 single rooms and beneath that are 6 more and a communal kitchen. It's fun being on top as I have it all to myself, as well as an excellent view out of my two wall-sized windows. However, it's also a bit eerie at the moment as none of my flatmates have moved in yet.

Yesterday and today there was an orientation for all of the international students. Although most of us are from the U.S., it has been neat to meet and talk with people from places like Australia, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, and more. The information has been helpful and we have had plenty of time to wander around an familiarize ourselves with the campus. I can't believe how many different eateries are on campus, as well as a pub, a post office, three mini-stores, several banks, and a travel agency, as well as many student union run places! Tomorrow I am heading into Norwich to see what the city itself is like and to shop for a few things (even though the pound is worth half of our dollar now!). I'm sure there will be plenty to do this semester and amidst traveling and exploring, I might even have time to study!

I will try to update this fairly often, so feel free to follow it if you want. I'd love to hear from you!
My email is lwraymond@gmail.com
And my address here is:

Lauren Raymond (AMS)
B201 Norfolk Terrace
University of East Anglia
Norwich
NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom

I also have Skype, so if you want to find me you can look me up by lwraymond.

Please keep in touch!

Cheers! : )