Shakespeare will require us to read between 1 and 2 plays a week, and do various essays. I’m about half way through King Lear (writing this on Friday night) as I have to have that, and Henry V read by Tuesday.
My other two classes don’t seem like they’ll be too difficult. Similar to UofA classes, which don’t feel hard as long as you want to be doing what you’re assigned to do. (In this case, writing.)
I realize I haven’t said a word about my living arrangement in this whole thing so far. I’m in Norfolk Terrace, (Norf-uck) in a single standard flat. 10 bedrooms sharing 3 toilets and 3 showers. (Yes, I’m aware I told some of you we had 2 toilets and 1 shower… there was 1 toilet and 2 showers I did not become aware of until yesterday.) We also have 2 large refrigerators, 1 stove, a grillthing (I haven’t figured it out) 2 microwaves that have burners in case you want to bake something, and a sink (With no garbage disposal. The nerve!)
My room is slightly smaller than Manzi-Mo, where I lived freshmen year but I’ve got it to myself. I have a waterfront view, and a ‘fire door’ leading to the walkway outside. Since I’m at the end of the walkway, it’s kind of like a patio.
It’s all neat and tidy, which, for those of you who know me, means only half of my belongings are strewn across the floor. I went and bought 24 more hangers today so I could put things in my closet. (24 hangers for $4. Score.)
Speaking of money: things aren’t as expensive as I thought they would be. Important things, even with the terrible conversion rate, are still significantly cheaper. For example, I had to buy some cookware, and found a huge pot with the most impressive non-stick-whatever I’ve ever had the pleasure of cooking with for $4. An equally large colander was $2. A Pyrex baking thing, large enough to bake a… large thing was $2 as well. Maybe I’ve been shopping at the wrong places, but that seems like some damn good priceage.
Important things I said, are very cheap. Crap isn’t. I brought a ton of PC video games to play on the plane on the way here, (which I actually didn’t use) but haven’t been planning on using them here (because that would be a waste of time.) My flatmate Sam saw that I had Madden Football 07 and nearly shit a frizbee. He tells me he’s been watching the NFL for the past few years, and has been playing an older version of Madden but no one ever wants to play it with him. He also tells me that even through playing the game, he still doesn’t understand defensive play calling and would love for me to show him.
Then he sees that I have MLB 2005 (sadly, that was the last year a MLB game was released on PC.) and out comes the frizbee! We’ve talked baseball a bit since I arrived. He owns a mitt but “doesn’t know how to use it”, and is going to bring it up from London next time he goes home. This very quickly turns into a conversation about “so where could we find a controller for you to use?” so we could play the game together. We arrive at the video game store and I have one of those priceless moments I’ll keep having. “Is that in DOLLARS?” 60 pounds per game. New releases are roughly 80 pounds. ($120 and $160, respectively.)
“Why, how much are they in the states?”
Novels are roughly the same price, maybe a little bit less. I have yet to buy a text book through the university, as most of the books my classes require are novels you can buy at any bookstore. I’ll keep you updated. I still need to get 2.
As we’re walking around the town square I almost trip over a pigeon. Fat little guy strutting around. He doesn’t fly off to avoid almost being squashed, instead he just looks at me like “You bloody wanker!” Sam teases me for almost tripping over a pigeon, and I tell him “You would NEVER get that close to one in the states. It would fly away.” Sam informs me that all American pigeons are cowards
Sam, Dominic, Etta (from UofA) and I go down to the Union Pub to watch the Chargers v. Colts game on Sunday night. (By the way: if Peyton Manning ever makes it to the NFL Hall of Fame it will only be for the record of “Most Games Lost because player wet himself, forget his name, and went to cry on the sidelines because there was a teensy bit of pressure.”)
During our evening watching American Football, talking about American sports, and America, Sam volunteers this bit of knowledge.
“When America gets to the pearly gates, the thing that is going to send you straight to hell is the invention of Cheese Whiz.” I shout “HERESY!” and we all laugh, as Peyton Manning sucks his thumb on the sidelines.
During the third quarter, one team had to punt the ball, which the announcers pointed out was the first time in the entire game that this had happened. Sam comments that this shows a different attitude about sports. In England, they don’t focus as much on the individual players, but as the team as a whole. The commentators continue talking about the fact that this is the first punt of the game. Sam can’t take it anymore.
“What kind of useless fucking piece of information is that? Why are you telling me this? What do you want me to do with that?”
Some point after this, when I realize the Colts aren’t going to win because Peyton Manning is still sucking his thumb and has thrown his 14th interception of the season, 6 of which occurred THAT GAME, I see an Australian girl named Amanda across the bar, who I met at our international student orientation. I excuse myself from our table and go start flirting with her. She’s sitting with a guy, who introduces himself to me, shakes my hand and then kind of squeezes my shoulder. In the most politically correct way imaginable, I took this to mean he was gay. In an ever so wonderful twist of fate, he’s actually her boyfriend… who is also studying here for a semester. I shift my mode from “flirting” to “just saying hi” and as I’m getting up to head back to my table, she invites herself, and boyfriend to join me. Easy decision there, and they hung out with us for the rest of the evening.
About to head to bed. I've got to finish King Lear tomorrow. I've got pictures taken that I just need to upload and share with you all, so until then, thanks for reading!
2 comments:
EASY CHEESE!!!!!!
I think you need to have more references to me in your blog. But then again, I'm a vain and soulless human being.
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