Productive is a tricky word......
At 2.30, it looks like 5. By 4.30, it's dusk. At 5, complete darkness.
Now that i've been immersed in the UK way of life, and my Englishness is starting to feel second nature, nature itself begins to change. Today was an amazing fall day- crisp, clean, cold enough that your nose runs, but warm enough that a long sleeve t does the job.
Today was lazy, but productive at the same time. Maybe not academically productive, but i got to do some reading for pleasure, and managed to hold the fort down while the girls were away. No ladies, the library was not left empty. Someone had to keep the dent in the couch from receeding, and my tired frame did the trick. I just got into the book Middlesex, written by Jeffery Eugenides who also wrote The Virgin Suicides, and won the 2003 pulitzer for Middlesex....it's about a quasi-hermaphrodite, but the way it's written, it's so personal and historical that the anomale of her sexual oreintation and biological condition are almost forgotten. The book is a feat of narrative skill and historical background... good stuff. I've made it up in my mind to have the 500 pages done by the time Emily comes back from London- it can be done.
With the girls gone, the house feels empty. We can handle ourselves here just fine (aside from the pile of dishes we've voted to 'rock paper scissors' for cleaning responsibilities on Sunday), but the lack of noise, drama, and bodies in the house seems eerie. Sitting here in the basement, i am for the first time on this entire trip actually alone. Very strange.
Tonight i'm hoping to see what kind of live music Nottingham has to offer for the low low price of zero pounds. Brandon is at choir, while Aaron is at orchestra, and i'm left to sit here listening to Meatloaf (I would do anything for love...random itunes gift at this moment).
It's times like these where i sometimes picture where or what i would be doing if i were still in the states. not in a jealous, homesick way, but just in the sense that England is so different from what we expected, and has so many different things to offer. The city aspect of Notts means that, as i type, there are over 200 bars and clubs along with 100,000 visitors swarming less than 5 miles from my computer.....yet at the same time, now especially, i feel semi-lonely. i wouldn't regard it as self-pitty, just a feeling of isolation while i know things are happening around. i would call it a combination of the cozy feeling you get when looking out the window and see pouring rain, and the feeling of knowing that you're home alone and crap is happening all around....
Tomorrow could be another great chance to do some catching up, sleeping in, and more hanging out. I should start on this Islam Essay (only one of the year), not to mention my field notebook (due in two weeks, 25% of grade), along with about 300 pages of reading..... most likely i'll continue my quest to finish LOST Season 3 episodes 1-5 and Middlesex....
With fireworks purchased in a Guy Fawkes Day frenzy bursting all around the neighborhood of Aspley and Eisley blaring on my iTunes now, have a good night-
kk
Cutting the Cord...and Reflection on Reflection
A special day today: although the mood is somber, and dinner was lonely, Thursday Nov 2 marked the 'cutting of the cord'. The group, for so long attached at the proverbial hip, has finally been broken. not in an altogether negative way, but in a sense that we have finally divided- the girls went to London today, and the lame-ass guys stayed home....
It feels like such a friday today. to the point where i'm not too sure if i want or need to go to class tomorrow. why is it that when the heat is on and pressure is building, you feel like you could do anything, but when you're expected to attend 4 hrs of class in an entire week, you end up half asleep in half of them and running the lowest mileage of your life? There's something to be said for consistency and having self motivation.
in our class with the muggli's today, the focus was our journals. i won't complain, because all in all i enjoy my newfound habit of blogging and reflection, but taking a deep look at what journaling is and what the purpose may be is a little altering. Immediate reaction is often tainted by events and logistics. Taking time allows you to self-edit and sometimes arrive at a deeper conclusion- one that sometimes misses the intimate details, but can really allow you to relive the moment.... what i took out of the session was a strange feeling of guilt and appreciation. a strange combo to be sure, but i really felt as though i had been living through my journal and the blog instead of experiencing the moment.
as lame as it might sound- and hopefully other quasi-writers and poets can relate here- having a pull or connection to a reflection, a written product that conveys information- almost takes the living out of life. in a way, it's living in a metaphysical way- reacting to a personal reaction that i should be having- (wow that all sounds entirely too deep).... to dumb it down, i sometimes feel like instead of saying 'that's cool', i end up thinking 'that would be awesome on the blog'.... in a way, it's like living for others- hoping that the people that actually read this (including myself, in the future when this is all said and done) will in some way be impressed or satisfied with my experience.
which begs the question- what is the purpose of this journal, or journals at all for that matter? should i dive into heavy stuff, constantly cranking out editorials and long winded (too late) responses to daily events? are itineraries boring, or necessary to remember what i've done? In the end, i fear that i'll forget the little things.... things that don't seem like anything now, but could be huge in bringing back the emotions and feelings that i've had on this trip so far.
THE LITTLE THINGS:
-the way you have to turn the tv on and then change channels in order to get any kind of signal
-the way that the tube on the dryer hangs out of a hole cut in the window and sometimes falls out
-the way no one ever locks the library using the upper and lower locks, just the middle one
-the way Emily and I can never remember to cut through the Portland Building on our way home from Islam, and end up walking an extra half mile every time
-the way honey always seeps through the bottom of the crumpets, getting the plate or countertop sticky
-the way Mark insists on wearing mock turtlenecks with the sleeves full while rolling up the sleeves and leaving slightly unbuttoned his dress shirt on top. not to mention the black jeans.
-the way Ryan won't eat salad
-the way that no matter where you are in the flat, you can always hear that damned BeepBoop of the entry alarm
-the way Goddard says 'Qur'an'
the list could go on for days, but i really feel like it's these little things that i'll forget unless i document them, and these things that will bring back the little idiosyncracies of my experience here...
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Tomorrow looks lame (not that tonight provides any real excitement)- basically, Ryan leaves for spellunking until Sunday, and Aaron and Brandon have Orchestra, Rowing, Choir, and other commitments that will keep me secluded in the house alone. Which brings two thoughts to mind: A, i have no friends. i should have gone to the xc social, but it seemed altogether too much of a pain in the ass, and although we have a small meet on sunday, it might not work out with sunday night's plans.........and B) maybe i might actually get some reading, journaling, field notebooking, and essay writing done.....yeah.....
or i'll just watch the first 5 episodes of LOST that i just illegally downloaded off of pirate internet sites and attempt to master Arrested Development before the girls return....
A Plane! A Plane! (...Tattoo...anyone?)
Hmmm.... so lately, i've been thinking. a surprise, i know, but especially after our awesome lecturer last night, i really want to get some kind of tattoo(s), yeah, plural. I'm not sure why, andmaybe every forcibly-rebellious college-aged kid goes through it, but lately i've been thinking and i have some interesting (well, interesting to me...) ideas in my head.
First- this one is kindof random, and i'm a little embarassed at the source, but i've been doodling a design for years that i just recently stumbled upon in a book about famous British Brands - the design is a logo for the British upscale Japanese restaurant in London, Hakkasan. The pic is below, and obviously, i would just get the backwards kk... It's supposed to be an homage to the symbol for 'good fortune' while still looking cool as hell. I'm game.
Secondly- after our speaker last night, an idea popped into my head... with all of the concious labeling in society, he wrote his last name over and over and over on his body in pen- it took hours to do, and looked amazing when photographed. obviously i wouldn't cover myself, but i like the idea of a somewhat inconspicious band around my wrist or something similar that in very small script repeated the family names that represent where i've come from....
again, just a random idea...
___________
now that that's out of my head, i can get back to obsessive journalling for crappy Luther classes.... for some reason, the idea of producing a journal for the sole purpose of having someone else grade it and tell you that you need to 'think about your audience in this paragraph' is beyond me. I understand them wanting us to reflect on our expeirences, but Mark and Carol really need to lay off the grading a little bit..... they're unrelentless really...
maybe the social tonight is what i need to chill out. unfortunatley, i don't feel all that social this week. i feel rushed, pressured to finish things, and altogether wierded out about the idea of the house being turned over to the guys (and kate, as she couldn't find tickets for london) this weekend. Why is it that on the one night that i'm supposed to attend a social, i feel somewhat reclusive? Ryan has an awesome hand-written sign in his room that reads BE IN ENGLAND TO BE IN ENGLAND. it's brilliant idea- really simple, but gets the point across. I'm not here to watch tv or sit online... i'm here for a cultural experience. the problem is how inconvenient it is to become part of the city.... especially as it gets cold (so crisp today) and dark (pitch black at 6), it's only going to become more of an obstacle to make this work....
wish me luck
Thai Peanut Sauce
Tuesdays are our alloted day of lecture. This week's topic: Art in Britian.... our guest? Hetain Patel, the Asian artist in residence at the University of Nottingham Lakeside Center for the Arts....
Before dinner, Carol had noted that we were lucky to have such a distinguished second-generation British Asian... a winner of the Decible Award, an art award given to very talented Asian or African British artists.... ironically, at the same time she noted our good fortune, I glanced over at the night's menu and read in horror (and irony, and hilarity) "Thai Peanut Sauce StirFry with Chicken"
Serving uniquely Chinese or Asian food to an Asian on the one night of the week that we are in his presence is the definition of irony.
Until he arrived, and we were reminded again that Asian as a defining term in the UK and Europe for that matter, means of the continent of Asia....not just Japanese, Korean, or Chinese. Aka, Hetain is Indian. It's a huge part of his art, and a huge part of his identity.
He's a performance artist of sorts- a lot of AV type stuff, experiments, live shows, temporary works, audio stuff (drums, but now he's working with a beatboxer for a show...)... his website is at www.hetainpatel.com , and here are some of his pics (hopfully not copywrited? shit....i dunno...)
Geek Moment Ahead (aka, I read something that kindof interested me).....
I'm really interested in this idea of the English as a country of words.... ever since Henry VIII eliminated the Catholic Church from England in 1536 in order to divorce his wife, the art of masterful religious painters and other classic art was destroyed, so that while Europe was developing into a very visual art community, the English reverted to Shakespeare's works along with the works of other classical English writers.... The idea continues today- the British are obsessed with books, words, vocabulary--- vocal gymnastics i called it a few weeks back---
The Brits print more books than the US every year, and over 80 % of the adult population over 15 reads a daily newspaper.... it's all very fascinating--- and is reflected in the push for English as a global language, as well as why the British have shitty art in comparison for the middle 16th and 17th centuries....
Whew. That's over..... sounds like an essay topic for Thursday.....
Otherwise, my day was chill--I ran my now favorite 6.5 mile route up into Apsley, washed dishes, did laundry, planned some Winter Break (Prague, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Paris, Amsterdam, London), talked with my best Tanzanian friend of all time on Skype, and took a nap.... all in all, not a good prep for the rest of a very busy week...
Tomorrow is another Crosscountry Social....along with two classes, and the duedate for our massive journals and chronology of British History from 3000bc to present times....
eh, whatever.
Birthdays, Big Hills, Beautiful Lakes, and Bad Coach Drivers
The last three or four days have been a whirlwind. As usual, the trip was full of long walking, deep talks, and amazing landscapes, but our start was a bit out of the ordinary.
Friday night was the setting of our flat's most dramatic events: Brandon's 21st. While not stereotypical in the sense that we are all already legal, the gang was sure to make up for it in unbridled British fun. It's easy to get trapped in the feeling that a UK21 is less exciting or less fruitful than the 'finally' feelings of exhuastion and pleasure that the US has to offer, and Facebook doesn't help. Looking at pictures of mass gatherings of old Luther buddies to celebrate together is almost depressing. Brandon mentioned it a few times, even while leaving the flat for the night, but it was true--- here, there are only 8 other Lutherites- not the variety or selection that a certain campus in the Midwest might offer, and sometimes it gets a bit daunting. Throw in the fact that everyone our age over here has been drinking and carrying on since 2003, and our excitement at the Holiest of Holeys, the 21st Birthday, is completely lost.
Mark and Carol attempt to play 'Happy Birthday' on their kazoos...unfortunately, they were not kazoos, and any possibility of changing the pitch was completely lost.....hilarity ensues...
Moping aside, the night turned out.....interesting? I think as far as 'bang-for-our-buck', it couldn't get much better....as far as details go, i'll leave the following notes (both to censor the actual happenings, but at the same time act as a reference to myself in later days...)
Quick Notes/Easy Timeline:
-pre-match at flat (a word i invented, and will copywrite in the US, as 'pregame' just doesn't sound right...
-get on tram, take pictures
-go to BAR BZR, meet up with Brandon's friends (serindipity really, his phone had broken earlier, and he was planning on ditching (ok, strong word) us and hanging out with them---aka, divine intervention
Here, Brandon apologizes to Mary for telling her that "All the pretty girls left....."
-gang leaves BZR, with Ana headed to Ocean just behind rest of group
-Mary, Ems and I walk along tram line all the way from city centre, arrive home to find Ana and later Brandon
-Hil and Ryan show up minutes later, with Ryan sporting a swelled right eye after defending Hil's honor
Whew. More on that in person.....
The next day was magical. Magical in the sense that, while the majority of our group was feeling 'under the weather' (especially Ryan, who was sporting a now slightly oriental right eye and feeling the double effects of dehydration and a flu)....otherwise, i felt great.
The rainy, cloudy day reflected the general mood of the group, and our wet and wild ( the word 'wild' used only because it starts with a w, otherwise the trip was tame as hell) trip had begun. We visited Dove Cottage (Wordsworth's home in the Lake District), and made our way to the Bed and Breakfast.
The B&B was amazing, and according to Mark and Carol, rightfully so...it broke our buget at 32 quid per person per night (about 60 dollars), and despite the amazing accomodations (flatscreen tv, private bathroom), will more or less be the last time we stay in one....
The view from my room on Sunday morning....
My quaint country-style room at the B&B
The Lake District is a ( i hate to use the word, but it fits too well) touristy area in the NW part of the country, almost near Scotland. I would liken it to a more chill Boulder or Estes... amazing paths, breathtaking views, and mountaineering shops and B&Bs as far as the eye can see.... What's interesting here is the great integration of outdoorsy culture and actual culture- that is to say, the Romantic period of literature- Coleridge, Wordsworth, etc, and the vast history of tourism and landscape exploration and appreciation in the country....
Sunday was beautiful... a 10 mile hike across the sunny, windswept landscape was breathtaking (both physically and in part because of the amazing views)---it was great to feel so connected with nature after spending so much time in the cramped space in the cities. We talked about everything over the 10 miles- the names of our kids being a favorite topic- and i finally got cell service at the top of the peak! Unfortunately, we were still unable to find out the results of the IIAC Conference Meet until we arrived home 3 hours ago....
(sidenote: LUTHER COLLEGE MEN AND WOMEN SWEEP THE IIAC CONFERENCE MEET, AS COACHES PASCHE SWEEP THE COACH OF THE YEAR CATAGORY AS WELL... in a sidenote to a sidenote, i feel very odd-- i didn't really keep in contact as well as i could or should have this season, and feel altogether disconnected and unattatched. I could not be more proud of the group, but it comes in a jealous 'i wish i could have been there' way.... it was strange to be eating breakfast or hiking up a mountian knowing that thousands of miles away, the team was running in the best meet Luther has seen in a decade....)
Missing the Luther Cafeteria....
After the hike, we made our way to an Italian restaurant that doubles as a movie theatre (wierd, too--- there are four screens, but they are spread around the town...). It took us about 10 minutes into eating our food that we realized the whole place was a Vegitarian restaurant, but the food was decent. (I gave it a 4 out of 10, Mary thinking it was out of 5 shocked us with a dissapointing 3....)
Afterwards, the group stocked up on crap at Spar and went to The Departed (awesome movie, highly reccomended) and The Good Year (or A good year, i have no idea...), both were reccommended, although Kate hated The Departed....too bloody possibly? If LeoDeoCapo doesn't get a best supporting nod, i'll be surprised....you really have to hate Matt Damon in the movie, and JAck Nickelson has a great role....
Finally, today we awoke to slightly sprinkly skies and yet another freshly prepared breakfast at the B&B (their version of American Pancakes is spongy and hole-ridden....kindof funny really), and had 3 hours of freetime to wander the town. Needless to say, Ana dropped a boat of cash on a new purchase (amazing Lowe Alpine pack, about 180 USD), to which Carol responded "Wow, when you go, you go all out"....took the words out of our mouths...
Aaron and Brandon duke it out on a foosball table at House of FootbalL, a photography-gallery/museum located in town....note the huge paper-mache legs behind us.... as far as the game(s) went, Aaron won with a combined score of (about) 17-3....
A traditional Cumberland Sausage dinner in Cumbria (the county we were in), and a visit to Hawkshead (birthplace of Peter Rabbit), we were content to get in the coach and head home.... Again, Roger is the worst driver of all time, and after my ipod flew out of my lap and unplugged itself from my headphones for the 3rd time, i started to get annoyed...
The church in Hawkshead, with some much appreciated foliage....
All in all, the trip was a success.... Brandon and I have begun a novel of sorts, developing our characters (2 so far, but they're losely based on ourselves: the pompous, quick to BS, always ready with a story, wannabe and his friend, the metaphor-searching, literary-obsessed, sentimental counterpart). We'll see where that goes.... we actually had a huge brainstorming session on the muddyasshell walk back from the top of the peak, and even went so far as to develop a storyline in which the character had split personalities, and both were dating the same manipulative girl.... but that's entirely too 'Momento' and 'Identity' for us....so we'll see...
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This week looks pretty tame otherwise- the girls leave for London on a privately-funded and privately-planned trip on Thursday, and Wednesday looks to be like another self-praising, overly-hyped Crosscountry social, this time held on the top floor of a bar called 'Bag of Nails'....I'll have pictures for sure...
