Hello hello! Again, I apologize for taking SO long to blog- I just try to save up enough stories so my life seems exciting! So here's the best I have to offer right now:
The Saturday of the 24th I had limited work to do- so I decided I was going to have a 'woman about town' day. It all started off in the local Starbucks- nothing makes you feel more at home then your favourite coffee - BUT unfortunately Starbucks in England is much different. First of all, no delicious ginger cookie. Second of all, the latte's are SO limited- so alas, I had to deal with my soy, half syrup machiatto extra hot, no foam. They gave me funny looks because I guess people don't customize their coffees here- they order tea instead. I then sat in a cozy little chair sipped my coffee, burnt my tongue (hence the extra hot) and headed out to adventure. The original plan was to start Christmas shopping - but alas, I live in a quite small town. I walked for nearly 5 hours...popping in and out of stores- assessing my situation. It's difficult to get lost here, thankfully, because I did go through tunnels and over bridges and up and down hills. It was so satsifying though- just to be out walking around and NOT getting rained on. Less satisfying was the lack of any independent stores- I guess Exeter, being a student town, isn't going out on any limbs to add some creativity to the city structure- or perhaps I'm just not observant enough.
Sunday, my flatmate Dean came to me paniced, as his computer had died a slow and painful death- so off we were to the 'Walmart'/'Computer City' area to pick out a new one. After long deliberation, and one delicious meal at Pizza Hut, he picked one up and I got to go grocery shopping at the BIG store. I got to buy pumpernickel bread! The English people are very confused by it- they just generally by brown or white fluffy bread. Anything small and dense is too foreign for them. Haha, or so they say. Other acquistions include flavoured oatmeal (it's hard to come by) and the Cadbury fingers I found in their seasonal aisle. The seasonal aisle was so interesting- they do love their Terry's choclate oranges and Christmas pudding here. Every trip to the grocery store is fascinating.
Monday and Tuesday were class days and relatively uneventful- one we discussed how children learn in Religious Education, and the other we covered personalised learning. We also met with our personal tutors. My tutor, Karen (who is also head of the Secondary program) seemed quite pleased with my progress and wanted me to kick start a symposium of sorts to sink our teeth more fully into the material. However, with the limited amount of people who actually live in the city, and the remaining few weeks we have left, it's proving to be a challenge.
Wednesday we visited the Mosque to meet their new Imam. The mosque is in poor shape, and they're saving up money to purchase a new one. However, it still had a steady influx of people. The imam was kind of evasive in his respones to questions about jihad, gender equality and peace and conflict...but it's still fascinating to hear his respones. I asked "What is it about Islam that you feel we should be telling our students?" His reply? "Muslims have made great contributions to our world. They invented soap." Later, after research, I discovered that Muslims have, in fact, NOT made soap- the Babylonians did. So where does that leave me?
Thursday and Friday were devoted to school work- mainly preparing for these numeracy, literacy and technology skills tests I have to complete- which are much more difficult than I anticipated. I've booked to actually sit the tests on November 28th so I'll keep you updated.
Saturday was my Hallowe'en night, wherein I dressed up in black, and painted stars all over myself and went as night. The other costumes that showed up weren't all too impressive- but highlights were a chilli pepper, a cereal box, and...nope, wait those were the highlights. However, three guys did come dressed as the Three Musketeers- and I excitedly asked "Have you read much Dumas?" To which they gave me blank stares, and I quickly retreated.
I had a lazy Sunday in which I pittered around things I should have been doing. Matt found a fantastic site for me called canadianaffairs.com that books flights solely between England and Canada...and I'm attempting to book one that leaves Exeter on July 7th which would be ideal, because I wouldn't have to drag all my stuff to London. I'm just waiting for the representative to get in contact with me, so fingers crossed!
This past monday we had a lecture on Assessment in Religious Education and then spent the afternoon discussing what our school placements will be like. We start our induction week in a week and a half! Tuesday we had a great lesson on ways to do group work effectively, teaching and technology strategies. It's intersting, because in England, most every classroom has an interactive white board- whereas in Canada we're stuck with chalkboards and overheads. Tuesday night we had an evening social at a restaurant called Nandos which I had hoped would be much like Swiss Chalet, but alas, it was not.
Yesterday was, again, spent working and cleaning up my room. It's amazing how much can accumulate from so little. And today? Working on my cumulative essay and packing for London. Tomorrow we leave via coach at 6 am to get to London ( a four hour trip) to visit a Hindu temple. Afterwards, a few friends and I are spending the night and hopefully going to see Avenue Q (the musical!) and then they're going to show me the sight on Saturday before we head back the night! So excited!
And there you go- all up to date.
Words that are different here in England: pants/trousers; sneakers/trainers, bangs/fringe ...and the list goes on.
Oh! And also something to note, they don't get graded marks on their work here in England- they just get told what level (of 8 total) they're working at! What is that! Haha, I'm going to have some work ahead of me to bring this back to Canada! It's really incredible to have an opportunity to dissect another education program this thoroughly though! I never forget how lucky I am! Less than 6 weeks away from snow, Christmas, and home! Rest assured, I'm already listening to Christmas music!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
I've got some catching up to do...
Sorry! It's been...almost two weeks! Life got a little crazy- or, probably, more accurately, I got a little lazy.
To bring you up to speed, the wall displays DID go quite well- and we won the award for most effective. The weekend was fantastic! I went up to visit Megs and Matt in Plymouth and got to see where the Mayflower actually sailed from! They took me for Thai, and a walk through antique and fudge stores- and had me try quite the variety of ciders! We spent an evening watching Alien and eating cheese and crackers and the following day preparing a giant Thanksgiving feast complete with pumpkin pie! It was such a fantastic weekend, one of th ebest in England thus far- and so great to be around such good friends from home!
The following week, we were given the task to write about an area of weakness in our knowledge and to deliver a 5 minute teaching episode wherein we peer group teach. I picked the Talmud (from Judaism) wherein rabbis and Judaic scholars have recorded their views on the Mishna (Jewish oral law). During this presentation, I learned it costs 2 pounds to make a local call here! CRAZY!
That is why everyone has a cell phone - aka as a mobile here.
We also had a visit to the library- wherein they have a whole section for books you can take into schools as teaching aids- Brilliant! I had Thursday and Friday off, and that coupled with another weekend, were spent not doing particularly much- yet again. Most of the people in my program live out of town- so we go out on Wednesdays- and I hole myself in on the weekends, with sporadic walks to town for groceries, and doing readings and work like the 'grown-up' I'm aspiring to be. I've also watched QUITE a bit of free tv.
This week got slightly more exciting - after classes on Monday and an interview of sorts I attended on Tuesday (wherein they collected information about how I felt about the course thus far) Wednesday we went to visit the synagogue. The teacher was a New York woman, and we had a North American bond. She's invited the others and I to a Friday night service wherein she'll cook us a Jewish feast after! So excited! The synagogue was one of the third oldest in England- and she mentioned that they're usually tucked away in cities unnoticed on purpose. The community was quite small- housing maybe 80 members. Due to the small nature, it houses all denominations of Jews.
After the synagogue, well actually- it's worth mentioning that we had breakfast before it - and they had no Tabasco sauce for my eggs- devestating! Anyways, after the synagogue- we all went to the bar that had been converted from a former church, and I found chicken wings on the menu! So excited! However, though they were cheap, they were nowhere near like home- though it was a nice reminder! From there, the group went bowling- and I wasn't completely horrible. Following that, it was home to change, and then out again dancing in the worst night club experience I've had in awhile. Aside from learning that, at 23, I can no longer go to campus night clubs and feel comfortable - I was unable to move my arms, broken glass was all around me, I literally got lifted into the club because of the hoards of costumed teenagers in line, but the music was great- Hey Jude, vintage 90s music, dance music, Metallica- a really random mix. However, once I couldn't take it anymore, we went to a pub next door, where we were the only ones on the dance floor- and the night got instantly better.
The next morning, however was not. I've also learned that perhaps I should have known better than to put my body through that- but I've been out dancing in Exeter and the mystery has now been revealed and my curiosity satiatied.
Thursday was spent revelling in not needing to do much of anything.
Today, Friday, I got up bright and early (or rather, dark and early) to get on a coach bus for 2 hours to Bristol to attenda gurdwara. It's great to attend as an adult, because we got to ask so many more questions that we shyed away from as students. We had a tour, a q and a period, a service, and...the best part- langar! (Sikhs, as part of their religious duty, contribute to community work, and part of that is making delicious Indian food every day for everyone who wants it in the gurdwara!) The whole thing ended with learning how a turban was tied, and then we were back on the bus back home.
And here I am, FINALLY blogging.
So aside from the day to day, I've found a grocery store about 30 minutes nearer my place! I've received my first few phone calls from actual English people! Things are going well- it's still relatively warm here, though, as to be expected, rainy unexpectedly. I've solved that by discovering the best hot chocolate mix I've ever had. It's funny to think, that in only 7 weeks I'll be home again- hopefully relaying all these experiences to many of you in person!
Not homesick but definitley missing many things and people!
I promise to attempt to live a more interesting life on the weekends to have more to write- but in the meantime- you're up to speed.
To bring you up to speed, the wall displays DID go quite well- and we won the award for most effective. The weekend was fantastic! I went up to visit Megs and Matt in Plymouth and got to see where the Mayflower actually sailed from! They took me for Thai, and a walk through antique and fudge stores- and had me try quite the variety of ciders! We spent an evening watching Alien and eating cheese and crackers and the following day preparing a giant Thanksgiving feast complete with pumpkin pie! It was such a fantastic weekend, one of th ebest in England thus far- and so great to be around such good friends from home!
The following week, we were given the task to write about an area of weakness in our knowledge and to deliver a 5 minute teaching episode wherein we peer group teach. I picked the Talmud (from Judaism) wherein rabbis and Judaic scholars have recorded their views on the Mishna (Jewish oral law). During this presentation, I learned it costs 2 pounds to make a local call here! CRAZY!
That is why everyone has a cell phone - aka as a mobile here.
We also had a visit to the library- wherein they have a whole section for books you can take into schools as teaching aids- Brilliant! I had Thursday and Friday off, and that coupled with another weekend, were spent not doing particularly much- yet again. Most of the people in my program live out of town- so we go out on Wednesdays- and I hole myself in on the weekends, with sporadic walks to town for groceries, and doing readings and work like the 'grown-up' I'm aspiring to be. I've also watched QUITE a bit of free tv.
This week got slightly more exciting - after classes on Monday and an interview of sorts I attended on Tuesday (wherein they collected information about how I felt about the course thus far) Wednesday we went to visit the synagogue. The teacher was a New York woman, and we had a North American bond. She's invited the others and I to a Friday night service wherein she'll cook us a Jewish feast after! So excited! The synagogue was one of the third oldest in England- and she mentioned that they're usually tucked away in cities unnoticed on purpose. The community was quite small- housing maybe 80 members. Due to the small nature, it houses all denominations of Jews.
After the synagogue, well actually- it's worth mentioning that we had breakfast before it - and they had no Tabasco sauce for my eggs- devestating! Anyways, after the synagogue- we all went to the bar that had been converted from a former church, and I found chicken wings on the menu! So excited! However, though they were cheap, they were nowhere near like home- though it was a nice reminder! From there, the group went bowling- and I wasn't completely horrible. Following that, it was home to change, and then out again dancing in the worst night club experience I've had in awhile. Aside from learning that, at 23, I can no longer go to campus night clubs and feel comfortable - I was unable to move my arms, broken glass was all around me, I literally got lifted into the club because of the hoards of costumed teenagers in line, but the music was great- Hey Jude, vintage 90s music, dance music, Metallica- a really random mix. However, once I couldn't take it anymore, we went to a pub next door, where we were the only ones on the dance floor- and the night got instantly better.
The next morning, however was not. I've also learned that perhaps I should have known better than to put my body through that- but I've been out dancing in Exeter and the mystery has now been revealed and my curiosity satiatied.
Thursday was spent revelling in not needing to do much of anything.
Today, Friday, I got up bright and early (or rather, dark and early) to get on a coach bus for 2 hours to Bristol to attenda gurdwara. It's great to attend as an adult, because we got to ask so many more questions that we shyed away from as students. We had a tour, a q and a period, a service, and...the best part- langar! (Sikhs, as part of their religious duty, contribute to community work, and part of that is making delicious Indian food every day for everyone who wants it in the gurdwara!) The whole thing ended with learning how a turban was tied, and then we were back on the bus back home.
And here I am, FINALLY blogging.
So aside from the day to day, I've found a grocery store about 30 minutes nearer my place! I've received my first few phone calls from actual English people! Things are going well- it's still relatively warm here, though, as to be expected, rainy unexpectedly. I've solved that by discovering the best hot chocolate mix I've ever had. It's funny to think, that in only 7 weeks I'll be home again- hopefully relaying all these experiences to many of you in person!
Not homesick but definitley missing many things and people!
I promise to attempt to live a more interesting life on the weekends to have more to write- but in the meantime- you're up to speed.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Gearing up to give thanks...
So it's been a pretty uneventful week i'm afraid...
Tuesday we had a lecture on the history of RE in England (remember, it's in both public and church schools here...so there's a lot to digest). The night was followed by some Mad Men and a written reflection on what Religious Education should mean...typical first week of course stuff.
Wednesday we were given our first group assignment - creating a dynamic wall display. My group's topic was the difference between Aristotle and Plato's concepts of the body and soul aimed toward a class f 18 year olds. So I went to work creating a chariot out of tin foil to put on the board (Plato believed that the mind's goal was to create harmony as a charioteer commanding two horses - one the virtuous soul, and the other the tempestuous body)....we're also sticking an axe on there (as Aristotle believed that the body and soul were one, and dependent on each other for their livelihood - as an axe without the act of chopping is not an axe). That took the day, and then it rained. A lot. For the rest of the day - and such, I cocooned myself in my room (real wild child I am, aren't I?)
Thursday:
Class started at 1, and it was Professional Development Studies day (meaning that all the PGCE Secondary students, regardless of subject, attend). They, however, did not plan this well as the room sat 200 and at least 250 showed up, leaving the aisles to be cluttered with human bodies, and my body temperature to rise quite a bit. We spent an hour talking about the four different ways of learning based on piaget, vygotsky, pavlov, and cultural models...and then an hour later, I ventured forth into town to purchase a printer. It took me a good hour to find a store that would sell a printer...and then another 30 minutes to find a second that would sell me one at a reasonable price. I lagged the printer a good 40 minutes home, set it up, only to discover it's sold without the usb cable you need to use it- great. I sense an angry letter to the company coming on - I mean, you think they'd at least post that information somewhere on the box instead of letting it be some kind of cruel surprise. So now, in addition to picking up groceries on Monday, I've also got to find some sort of computer store...again. The good news is, that despite the novelty of different brand names, I have no desire to purchase anything..except for groceries that is. This is good on my budget- but bad on my lack of things to do. Soon enough, I'm sure the work will start to accumulate though, and I'll be doing much more than aimlessly walking about, waiting for a pub social or another episode of Entourage.
Friday:
Today, we are putting up the wall display...all day while Matt celebrates his birthday at home. Afterward, I'm having my first English adventure wherein I attempt to catch a train to visit my friends Matt and Megs for an authentic Thanksgiving dinner in Plymouth the other 'major' (and I use the term loosely) city in Devon (the farm area I live in). It's about an hour away and I'm very excited for the change of scenery.
So that keeps you up to date I guess. I've been asked to attend a symposium of sorts in order to talk about my feelings toward the RE program with a board of some sort, and was sought out as I am international student. My fridge has frozen all the food I have in it...but I did manage to use the oven this week- a major accomplishment! (especially considering it doesn't work like the ones back home). I'm getting a little fed up with rain, but for some reason no allergies thus far so perhaps it's a trade off.
I promise to attempt to live a much more exciting life soon to report, in the meantime, wishing everyone a very happy weekend full of family, friends, memories, and moments of gratitude!
Monday, October 5, 2009
One Week Down...
Friday I arose victorious - No more sickness- hurrah! Minus this nagging post-sick cough that flares up every once in awhile and makes anyone standing nearby just the tiniest bit nervous. I did end up making it onto campus - once in the morning to find the bank closed- and once again in the afternoon to receive my package of clothes delivered. I managed to maneuver it into a taxi, and then, with the help of flatmate Dean, from the parking lot to my room. Sadly, took me the rest of the day to get it put away. By 8 or 9 the Canadians here had decided to call it a night and all got to an early bed.
Saturday:
My first chance to do some real exploring in the city centre. You'll see I posted some pictures up on the Flickr account, and they should be showing up on the blog. At 11, Dean and I headed out to just wander about and take some photos - we saw a castle, and a lot of famous Harry Potter sights (or so I'm told), and a place where witches were burned at the stakes here years ago. Although, sadly, their pictures of any witches in memoriam still have them in black pointy hats with warted skin...sigh, look how far we've come. Anyhoo, by the time we'd made it back to the house again, I was well in need of nap. Having accomplished that, we headed back out again to a British house party with some of the two primary trainees (Dean and Charlene's) compatriates and spent some time just being...British. That was excellent.
The hours there were followed by a sojourn to a rainy line outside of a club downtown that we didn't quite make it in to, and then a cab ride home to bed.
Sunday:
This was the supposed big 'Squash' of what they call 'freshers week' here which involved all the major clubs trying to recruit you. They were very good at their job- but they'd have to be - there's a fee involved in joining any club. I was briefly interested in squash (65 pounds per year..plus court bookings) and the riding club (so much I'm not going to even bother telling you) , and then quickly nixed those of my list. We were there with some of the British people from the night prior however, so we ended up going to what they call Sunday roast - a very popular restaurant feature on Sundays where you get a roast and a drink, and all the fixings for 6 pounds. So, we spent the next few hours dining (and i say a few hours, because that's how long they took to get the food to our table...I should have complained more, but I didn't want to become known as the angry Canadian). Then, I finally got hangers- which meant that my clothes now have a home in my closet instead of the floor.
Monday:
Today was first day of classes. There's 22 people in my program...maybe 15 percent who are mature students and 40 percent who are male. Apparently there's such a dire need for Religion teachers here that they'll pay you to be a teaching assistant for 3 months prior to entering university just to see if you'd like it enough to commit to the program. All the British students also get a $2000 (canadian) bursary every month...just in case things get a little pricey for them.
Anyhoo, we all really gelled as a group - the morning was spent on trying to get a handle on each other's names...followed by a lecture for all the secondary students to pump us up, and then a coffee break (which we have each morning for 45 minutes) Then we started disecting the handbooks.
We were given 3 - a blank large green portofilo binder with quite a few forms in it, an RE handbook, and a copy of the curriculum guidelines. While a lot of information to digest, it's fairly organized. We were given a timetable of the time to come and the month I thought I had off in April quickly got shortened to two weeks. We're also visiting a place of worship for the major religions each week - 4 of which are around the area I'm in, one in some other city, and another in London. This, to me, is thrilling!
It looks like the course load starts off light for the first 3 weeks before you're plunged into deep water...so I've got a lot of prep work to do. We're expected to fill the binder with evidence of our personal development - and we are not allowed to claim any skills as teachers unless they're verifiable by evidence in the book.
I've got a reading list a mile long, but at least tings are available in the on-campus library.
We broke for lunch, en masse, and then returned for the second half of our day which included disecting four statements about religious education (i.e. Should Religious Education be prophetic?) and then discussed those. I was very impressed with my classmates - all of whom are very bright, very eager, and very professional. They went out to the pub after class, though I rushed home as I had lost me keys early that morning and wanted to franticly hunt for them (the situation has since been remedied, and I'm taking measures to ensure it doesn't happen again).
And now, here I sit, catching up on the blog and emails...and then making attempts to organize the next year of my life.
It's doable...
....I'm hoping ;)
Saturday:
My first chance to do some real exploring in the city centre. You'll see I posted some pictures up on the Flickr account, and they should be showing up on the blog. At 11, Dean and I headed out to just wander about and take some photos - we saw a castle, and a lot of famous Harry Potter sights (or so I'm told), and a place where witches were burned at the stakes here years ago. Although, sadly, their pictures of any witches in memoriam still have them in black pointy hats with warted skin...sigh, look how far we've come. Anyhoo, by the time we'd made it back to the house again, I was well in need of nap. Having accomplished that, we headed back out again to a British house party with some of the two primary trainees (Dean and Charlene's) compatriates and spent some time just being...British. That was excellent.
The hours there were followed by a sojourn to a rainy line outside of a club downtown that we didn't quite make it in to, and then a cab ride home to bed.
Sunday:
This was the supposed big 'Squash' of what they call 'freshers week' here which involved all the major clubs trying to recruit you. They were very good at their job- but they'd have to be - there's a fee involved in joining any club. I was briefly interested in squash (65 pounds per year..plus court bookings) and the riding club (so much I'm not going to even bother telling you) , and then quickly nixed those of my list. We were there with some of the British people from the night prior however, so we ended up going to what they call Sunday roast - a very popular restaurant feature on Sundays where you get a roast and a drink, and all the fixings for 6 pounds. So, we spent the next few hours dining (and i say a few hours, because that's how long they took to get the food to our table...I should have complained more, but I didn't want to become known as the angry Canadian). Then, I finally got hangers- which meant that my clothes now have a home in my closet instead of the floor.
Monday:
Today was first day of classes. There's 22 people in my program...maybe 15 percent who are mature students and 40 percent who are male. Apparently there's such a dire need for Religion teachers here that they'll pay you to be a teaching assistant for 3 months prior to entering university just to see if you'd like it enough to commit to the program. All the British students also get a $2000 (canadian) bursary every month...just in case things get a little pricey for them.
Anyhoo, we all really gelled as a group - the morning was spent on trying to get a handle on each other's names...followed by a lecture for all the secondary students to pump us up, and then a coffee break (which we have each morning for 45 minutes) Then we started disecting the handbooks.
We were given 3 - a blank large green portofilo binder with quite a few forms in it, an RE handbook, and a copy of the curriculum guidelines. While a lot of information to digest, it's fairly organized. We were given a timetable of the time to come and the month I thought I had off in April quickly got shortened to two weeks. We're also visiting a place of worship for the major religions each week - 4 of which are around the area I'm in, one in some other city, and another in London. This, to me, is thrilling!
It looks like the course load starts off light for the first 3 weeks before you're plunged into deep water...so I've got a lot of prep work to do. We're expected to fill the binder with evidence of our personal development - and we are not allowed to claim any skills as teachers unless they're verifiable by evidence in the book.
I've got a reading list a mile long, but at least tings are available in the on-campus library.
We broke for lunch, en masse, and then returned for the second half of our day which included disecting four statements about religious education (i.e. Should Religious Education be prophetic?) and then discussed those. I was very impressed with my classmates - all of whom are very bright, very eager, and very professional. They went out to the pub after class, though I rushed home as I had lost me keys early that morning and wanted to franticly hunt for them (the situation has since been remedied, and I'm taking measures to ensure it doesn't happen again).
And now, here I sit, catching up on the blog and emails...and then making attempts to organize the next year of my life.
It's doable...
....I'm hoping ;)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
All Caught Up and Run Down...
Hello! If you haven't figured it out I HAVE arrived safely - luggage in tow and free of charge care of my mother's conversation with a helpful flight attendant. The past few days have been really hectic, and as a result, I'm spending today in bed, with kleenex, hot water and blankets trying to nurse myself back to health.
Let's go back to the beginning for a moment though:
The plane ride:
Relatively harmless - they shaved a half hour off of arrival time and I had an aisle seat. Once I got in, I went to hand over my VISA to customs, to which the attendant snidely asked WHY would I want to go to Exeter...Then past customs, to baggage where their baggage carts are FREE! Already I was loving England. I had a brief reunion with a university friend who's there to teach as well, and then off down a 10 minute path to the other terminal where I was greeted and shepherded onto a hot bus for the 4 hour trip across the country to Exeter. I glanced out to my left and saw stonehenge....and then about 2 hours later to my left I saw one of the old red telephone booths and I knew I had arrived. Turns out, Exeter attracts students from El Salvador and Khazakistan (the former was worried about growing accustomed to recycling). The Canadians bonded together, and 2 of us (namely, Emma and I) found ourselves in the same residence. The other, Sam, lives down the path...and for the majority of this week, we've been checking off our to-do lists together.
Monday:
After a fitful sleep on a mattress with no pillows and in damp cold, I made a decision to buy bedding - THIS DAY. There were supposed to be these university packs of linen and dishes available for order- BUT people are still waiting on them - and they're expected to take at least another week to arrive. Before I could treck to Tesco (the UK edition of Wal-Mart) we did a bit of a campus tour - the main campus is about a 40 minute walk away, ALL up hill (but then again, so is everything else in England) and the city centre is about a 20 minute walk. My campus, luckily, is only about 10. The campus tour was anything but thrilling, although we DID discover the washrooms which J.K. Rowling based some of her Potter sections on (yes, she did go here...but then dropped out) We made it to the Tesco later and started scratching things off our list - bedding, blankets, water filters...check. Then we couldn't figure out how to get home - as apparently certain busses stop running at certain times (and the bus fair was 2 pounds anyway- that's 4 dollars one way!) so we befriend some police officers, and used their walkie-talkies to grab a cab home. I also succumbed to picking up a 4 pound cell phone, with a pay as you go plan as otherwise, I would have no contact number - making banking difficult (and the ever-important task of buying pizza)
Tuesday:
Tuesday we got productive- we registered with the university, picked up our health cards, opened bank accounts, registered with the health and insurance departments and bought glorious pillows. This all took WAY longer than anticipated, and exhausted us - though jet lag was a huge contributer. Also of note, Shoppers Drug Mart is going to receive an angry letter from me, as their converters do not work - not only have I blown my alarm clock/ipod dock...but I'm pretty sure I've wrecked my Canadian hair straightner - and, on that note, my bangs which were nicely singed before I noticed the danger. On Tuesday, I also bought a hair straightener UK style - though it doesn't do much good here with all the humidity.
Wednesday:
I woke up with a cough - great. Emma has a cold. We began the hunt for hangers and medicine - which is more difficult than you think because ALL the hangers in every location are sold out due to the student population AND the are almost no recognizeable brands of medicine here - so I ended up with something called a Buttercup cough syrup and I'm hoping it works. We made another grand trip out to Tesco, this time for kettle, school supplies, thumb tacks...and...drumroll...our first grocery shop. We had initally wanted our groceries to be mailed to us BUT because we're living in a brand new residence, it has its own postcode that nobody recognizes yet- so there goes that option. The grocery stores are something else here - signs to eat healthy are posted everywhere...and they have all these 2 for 3 pound, etc deals - also, the gourmet cheese here are Canadian...I bought a load of stuff, and then, upon check out was carded because APPARENTLY you need to be 19 here to purchase knives- as in the knives in my cutlery set. Anyhow, we got home late, I had a meal of mashed potatoes, and then opted out of a wine party in order to watch Mad Men and nurse myself back to health.
Today:
I've basically quarantined myself today. I tried the practice test for these online computer and math tests I need to complete- and failed the computer one - does not inspire confidence. Tomorrow I'll consider trecking out to campus once more...and fingers crossed that whatever this cold/cough/flu thing is it dissapears by the weekend or Monday.
So that's the day by day- other than that- here's some essential information:
a) i'm really concerned about taking photos here because eventually I'll need to charge up my cameras, and as I've had such an excellent track record with the Canadian power converters..well, you fill in the blanks
b) I have no idea how many of us are living in this little house -- there's 4 rooms per floor, and the basement houses a kitchen and table (though no sitting room or couch, much to my dismay) The ones I've met are all from Canada- and of the 3 other Canadian I live with, 2 are in the primary program and, as such, started last week.
c) My room is great- though missing a lot of drawer space. Though my bathroom has an automatic sensor that turns the light on for only 30 seconds at a time (leaving me to shower in the dark) I have a towel warmer- which makes everything better.
d) The weather has been a bit dodgy - cold in the morning and at night, and hot in the afternoons - I'm looking forward to constant cold, just so I can figure out what to wear in the mornings
e) I have yet to sleep through the night here. Thank you jet lag. I continue to try to go to bed at an appropriate time, but can't stop myself yet from waking up at 3 in the morning for a few hours.
f) Yes, things here are expensive- but the tea is worth it.
g) The majority of people here have been great, less one bus driver who told us to get our act together and kicked us off the bus prematurely.
h) I haven't been hurt yet crossing the street- but I'm expecting it to happen at least once.
And that about brings you up to speed! Fingers crossed for my speedy recovery so I can start exploring again!
Let's go back to the beginning for a moment though:
The plane ride:
Relatively harmless - they shaved a half hour off of arrival time and I had an aisle seat. Once I got in, I went to hand over my VISA to customs, to which the attendant snidely asked WHY would I want to go to Exeter...Then past customs, to baggage where their baggage carts are FREE! Already I was loving England. I had a brief reunion with a university friend who's there to teach as well, and then off down a 10 minute path to the other terminal where I was greeted and shepherded onto a hot bus for the 4 hour trip across the country to Exeter. I glanced out to my left and saw stonehenge....and then about 2 hours later to my left I saw one of the old red telephone booths and I knew I had arrived. Turns out, Exeter attracts students from El Salvador and Khazakistan (the former was worried about growing accustomed to recycling). The Canadians bonded together, and 2 of us (namely, Emma and I) found ourselves in the same residence. The other, Sam, lives down the path...and for the majority of this week, we've been checking off our to-do lists together.
Monday:
After a fitful sleep on a mattress with no pillows and in damp cold, I made a decision to buy bedding - THIS DAY. There were supposed to be these university packs of linen and dishes available for order- BUT people are still waiting on them - and they're expected to take at least another week to arrive. Before I could treck to Tesco (the UK edition of Wal-Mart) we did a bit of a campus tour - the main campus is about a 40 minute walk away, ALL up hill (but then again, so is everything else in England) and the city centre is about a 20 minute walk. My campus, luckily, is only about 10. The campus tour was anything but thrilling, although we DID discover the washrooms which J.K. Rowling based some of her Potter sections on (yes, she did go here...but then dropped out) We made it to the Tesco later and started scratching things off our list - bedding, blankets, water filters...check. Then we couldn't figure out how to get home - as apparently certain busses stop running at certain times (and the bus fair was 2 pounds anyway- that's 4 dollars one way!) so we befriend some police officers, and used their walkie-talkies to grab a cab home. I also succumbed to picking up a 4 pound cell phone, with a pay as you go plan as otherwise, I would have no contact number - making banking difficult (and the ever-important task of buying pizza)
Tuesday:
Tuesday we got productive- we registered with the university, picked up our health cards, opened bank accounts, registered with the health and insurance departments and bought glorious pillows. This all took WAY longer than anticipated, and exhausted us - though jet lag was a huge contributer. Also of note, Shoppers Drug Mart is going to receive an angry letter from me, as their converters do not work - not only have I blown my alarm clock/ipod dock...but I'm pretty sure I've wrecked my Canadian hair straightner - and, on that note, my bangs which were nicely singed before I noticed the danger. On Tuesday, I also bought a hair straightener UK style - though it doesn't do much good here with all the humidity.
Wednesday:
I woke up with a cough - great. Emma has a cold. We began the hunt for hangers and medicine - which is more difficult than you think because ALL the hangers in every location are sold out due to the student population AND the are almost no recognizeable brands of medicine here - so I ended up with something called a Buttercup cough syrup and I'm hoping it works. We made another grand trip out to Tesco, this time for kettle, school supplies, thumb tacks...and...drumroll...our first grocery shop. We had initally wanted our groceries to be mailed to us BUT because we're living in a brand new residence, it has its own postcode that nobody recognizes yet- so there goes that option. The grocery stores are something else here - signs to eat healthy are posted everywhere...and they have all these 2 for 3 pound, etc deals - also, the gourmet cheese here are Canadian...I bought a load of stuff, and then, upon check out was carded because APPARENTLY you need to be 19 here to purchase knives- as in the knives in my cutlery set. Anyhow, we got home late, I had a meal of mashed potatoes, and then opted out of a wine party in order to watch Mad Men and nurse myself back to health.
Today:
I've basically quarantined myself today. I tried the practice test for these online computer and math tests I need to complete- and failed the computer one - does not inspire confidence. Tomorrow I'll consider trecking out to campus once more...and fingers crossed that whatever this cold/cough/flu thing is it dissapears by the weekend or Monday.
So that's the day by day- other than that- here's some essential information:
a) i'm really concerned about taking photos here because eventually I'll need to charge up my cameras, and as I've had such an excellent track record with the Canadian power converters..well, you fill in the blanks
b) I have no idea how many of us are living in this little house -- there's 4 rooms per floor, and the basement houses a kitchen and table (though no sitting room or couch, much to my dismay) The ones I've met are all from Canada- and of the 3 other Canadian I live with, 2 are in the primary program and, as such, started last week.
c) My room is great- though missing a lot of drawer space. Though my bathroom has an automatic sensor that turns the light on for only 30 seconds at a time (leaving me to shower in the dark) I have a towel warmer- which makes everything better.
d) The weather has been a bit dodgy - cold in the morning and at night, and hot in the afternoons - I'm looking forward to constant cold, just so I can figure out what to wear in the mornings
e) I have yet to sleep through the night here. Thank you jet lag. I continue to try to go to bed at an appropriate time, but can't stop myself yet from waking up at 3 in the morning for a few hours.
f) Yes, things here are expensive- but the tea is worth it.
g) The majority of people here have been great, less one bus driver who told us to get our act together and kicked us off the bus prematurely.
h) I haven't been hurt yet crossing the street- but I'm expecting it to happen at least once.
And that about brings you up to speed! Fingers crossed for my speedy recovery so I can start exploring again!
Friday, September 25, 2009
All My Bags are Packed...
You know that little feeling of glee you get when you check everything off that list you've have for eons...that's what I'm reveling in right now. As stated, the academic stuff (well, at least the preamble) is finally over; government visas and banking- check...and finally, packing (well, at least the stuff I'm taking with me) is done - just need to wrap the boxes that I'll have shipped to me.
Tomorrow, I take off just before midnight which puts me in London at noon tomorrow - where I'll have two hours to make my way through customs and baggage and then I'll be met by the university to drop me off on campus - so I can FINALLY get an address.
And why the excitement over address? Once that happens, I can get clothes and shoes mailed to me, AND here's the REALLY exciting part....I can get bedding and hangers and pots and pans and cutlery and mugs and all those other exciting things that will keep me off sleeping on a bare mattress and living off a suitcase for the next 9 months or so.
For those of you interested- I've packed 'The Slap', 'Eat, Pray, Love' and a variety of magazines for on flight entertainment - I'm looking forward to plane movies...and lots of sleep (it's actually a perfect time to leave if you think about...
So one more night, and off I am...to be finally over the pond, and into the rain.
Tomorrow, I take off just before midnight which puts me in London at noon tomorrow - where I'll have two hours to make my way through customs and baggage and then I'll be met by the university to drop me off on campus - so I can FINALLY get an address.
And why the excitement over address? Once that happens, I can get clothes and shoes mailed to me, AND here's the REALLY exciting part....I can get bedding and hangers and pots and pans and cutlery and mugs and all those other exciting things that will keep me off sleeping on a bare mattress and living off a suitcase for the next 9 months or so.
For those of you interested- I've packed 'The Slap', 'Eat, Pray, Love' and a variety of magazines for on flight entertainment - I'm looking forward to plane movies...and lots of sleep (it's actually a perfect time to leave if you think about...
So one more night, and off I am...to be finally over the pond, and into the rain.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
And those were just the first set of essays...
Final essay: check - so that means, here I sit, after two weeks of observation, a good 40 interrogative question, a final summary task, a pupil aspiration task, two hefty textbook and a good 5 essays under my belt. Success! I forgot how easy it is to procrastinate- I spent a good two days perfecting my score on Bejeweled only to learn today that it's a weekly tournament and my score got erased- perhaps a lesson learned to spend time doing more productive things.
So what's left: well, about 4 days, a trip to the bank to get a draft, a thorough clean of my room, packing decisions, and goodbyes. I've got a goodbye dinner everyday this week- it's great to have such encouragement. Goodbyes don't seem so sad now though with the dawn of the skype age and facebook- i'll still see the photos, and talk to people - which is WAY more than I got in Ecuador a few years back. I can contact my world at my fingertips so goodbyes are just an opportunity to make yet another memory and get the troops together.
So count on me procrastinating a bit longer - from packing and cleaning, and uploading stuff to my external so my computer doesn't crash on my while I'm there - the warranty is only good until boxing day.
And, as soon as i'm actually in England, i'll post some pictures- trust me, you've got better things to do with your time than check out the mess that used to be my bedroom floor.
So what's left: well, about 4 days, a trip to the bank to get a draft, a thorough clean of my room, packing decisions, and goodbyes. I've got a goodbye dinner everyday this week- it's great to have such encouragement. Goodbyes don't seem so sad now though with the dawn of the skype age and facebook- i'll still see the photos, and talk to people - which is WAY more than I got in Ecuador a few years back. I can contact my world at my fingertips so goodbyes are just an opportunity to make yet another memory and get the troops together.
So count on me procrastinating a bit longer - from packing and cleaning, and uploading stuff to my external so my computer doesn't crash on my while I'm there - the warranty is only good until boxing day.
And, as soon as i'm actually in England, i'll post some pictures- trust me, you've got better things to do with your time than check out the mess that used to be my bedroom floor.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
All Packed Up?
Last night, I took it upon my oh-so-organized self to pre-pack. What does this mean? Deciding what clothes I'll be living in for the next ten months. After eliminating piece, after piece, after piece, I sat on my suitcase, spent a good 5 minutes getting it zippered tight, and then lugged it off to the scale. 125 lb. Horror. This was intended to be one of two suitcases.
The deal is, thanks to my oh-so-budget-conscious booked flight, I get downgraded to only take 41 lb total with me. My luggage itself weighs 20 lb...so someone over there at Air India has decided to punish me. No big deal, you might think. People pay excess fees all the time. Why can't you? Well, when the excess fee is 20 Canadian dollars per each extra two pounds, you may understand why I'm cringing. I spend another hour, and only manage to eliminate an additional 30 pounds. This still isn't going to work...
After much frustration, I'm grateful for friends in high places with big discounts at fed ex. They'll now be shipped to be (hopefully in their entirety) at some point in October...
Adding to airline frustrations, my return trip at Christmas on January 2nd got cancelled- so as of now, I'll be getting in on the 3rd and probably getting back to the city around 2 am to be bright and bushy-tailed for my first day of class.
It's all not air woes however. I've spent the last few days back haunting my old highschool, listening in on religion classes. Uniforms have changed so much they're unrecognizeable - with racing stripes down the side of the arms, and the school logo emblazened on tan dress pants, so the 17 year olds no longer squeeze themselves into yoga pants, pretending it's a uniform- the practice being ever so highlighted when a grade nine theology student was asked to draw a picture of his favourite thing, and you guessed it, drew an apple bottom. Gold star for creativity.
The deal is, thanks to my oh-so-budget-conscious booked flight, I get downgraded to only take 41 lb total with me. My luggage itself weighs 20 lb...so someone over there at Air India has decided to punish me. No big deal, you might think. People pay excess fees all the time. Why can't you? Well, when the excess fee is 20 Canadian dollars per each extra two pounds, you may understand why I'm cringing. I spend another hour, and only manage to eliminate an additional 30 pounds. This still isn't going to work...
After much frustration, I'm grateful for friends in high places with big discounts at fed ex. They'll now be shipped to be (hopefully in their entirety) at some point in October...
Adding to airline frustrations, my return trip at Christmas on January 2nd got cancelled- so as of now, I'll be getting in on the 3rd and probably getting back to the city around 2 am to be bright and bushy-tailed for my first day of class.
It's all not air woes however. I've spent the last few days back haunting my old highschool, listening in on religion classes. Uniforms have changed so much they're unrecognizeable - with racing stripes down the side of the arms, and the school logo emblazened on tan dress pants, so the 17 year olds no longer squeeze themselves into yoga pants, pretending it's a uniform- the practice being ever so highlighted when a grade nine theology student was asked to draw a picture of his favourite thing, and you guessed it, drew an apple bottom. Gold star for creativity.
Monday, September 14, 2009
And So It Begins...
It's been a long time coming-a year and a half of retail work, budgeting, getting files in order, dealing with government agencies, and familiarizing myself with the educational system I'm attempting to become immersed in. And now, the final two weeks: a finished placement with grade eights, and a soon to be started one week placement in the high school re department - 20 questions, 6 essays, 2 reflections, and a bank appointment left on the to-do list.
Am I excited? Perhaps, if one can be excited without that butterflies in the gut of your stomach feeling. I think that what's more apt to say I'm feeling is preparedness for the challenge. New beginnings are being made and I'm drawing lines in the sand for myself - defining who I am, polishing the stone. There is so much to be learned.
Am I excited? Perhaps, if one can be excited without that butterflies in the gut of your stomach feeling. I think that what's more apt to say I'm feeling is preparedness for the challenge. New beginnings are being made and I'm drawing lines in the sand for myself - defining who I am, polishing the stone. There is so much to be learned.
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