On Friday night some of us went down to the Guild, which is essentially the IMU but with a bar in it, to see some live jazz and blues. They were doing an open mic night for any musicians on campus who wanted to play.
Sadly, there wasn't much in the way of live playing but they still kept playing jazz over the stereo system. It was pretty crowded in there anyway and we were just around the corner from where the musicians were playing.
It was a very relaxing night of just cocktails and conversations. It was much better than any of the clubs I've been to. The closest thing to that in Iowa City is the Mill.
The night wore on into conversations and a late night jaunt through the area surrounding Oakley Court which lasted until four.
I woke up the next day around two. We were all going to Selly's Sausage for a brunch. I love that place. I can't speak highly enough of the full English.
This time though, I had the super big breakfast. It was three of everything. One thing I love with the big breakfast that it is so massive and with so many ingredients that it is very easy for them to forget something minor when they put it together. They had forgotten to give me black pudding which I'm okay with. I tried it. It was okay but I'm not going to go out of my way to eat it.
Afterward, Caitlin and I went off to the Bullring via train. I was in search of a phone or as the Brits call it a mobile.
I got a cheap pay as you go plan which I can top up as much as I need. I can get 100 minutes for 10 quid. I don't think I'll be on the phone that much.
I also went to the bookstore while I was in the area. It's not in the Bullring but it is down the way in sort of the shopping district. The previous week, when we were lost trying to find a place to eat, I had noticed this bookstore.
Waterstones. There is a small one on campus. This one though, is massive. It was three floors tall and felt like I was in a huge library. They also have one hell of a deal. Buy 3 and get 2 free.
Did I take advantage of this deal? Hell yeah I did.
I picked up for myself:
The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
White Jazz by James Ellroy
I kind of have a problem with buying too many books. I've already bought several others.
The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
I guess I'm at a point in which I would rather have a massive library than a massive DVD collection.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Insomnia and Noise Complaints
This past week I had a few nights of restless sleep. One night, I stayed up all night and only passed out for a few hours before a class. I've been exhausted this past week because of it.
Some will say that it has everything to do with missing home or stress about something but those who know me best can tell you I've always had trouble sleeping. Plus the bed being as uncomfortable as it is, it's no surprise that I can't sleep.
What really sucked was the next day our entire flat was brought before the Housing Director or some such title of Pritchatts Park for making too much noise. Her name is Brynda (pronounced Brenda). Apparently, there have been noise complaints made against us for playing loud music at four in the morning. This is completely false. It's actually flat 10 who play the loud music or rave at four in the morning.
What was worse is that during the meeting, she wouldn't even listen to us. Wouldn't see our side. Would start to point out something while we were speaking. There was no communication at all.
Also, the fact that there were only four of us who could attend the meeting didn't exactly help our case.
Kerry, the quiet one in our flat, like really quiet, like never hear a peep quiet hates this woman now. Kerry has even mentioned that yes, a lot of loud music was played during Fresher's week (which even the housing director said they turned a blind eye to) but beyond that, we hadn't made any noise. We didn't host any parties and it may start in our flat but it moves on pretty quickly.
Essentially it was just a talking to. She mentioned that this happens every year and that people do get kicked out of housing. We promised to keep the noise down.
On Wednesday, I came back from hanging out with Victoria (we had to watch a movie for class together) and there were people in our flat making a lot of noise. Raving if you will but, and I checked this... I made sure of it, at 10:59 promptly the music went off. We're allowed to make noise between 8 AM and 11 PM. So, we fell within guidelines.
As I was eating a really late dinner, they all left to go out to the club. At around two or so, Caitlin had come back alone via taxi. She wasn't feeling very well. I stayed up with her, talked with her told her stories and made her some food and tea to calm her down.
At around four, Rod and the people who went out raving came back. Rod was a bit cross with Caitlin and I for being in the kitchen. His concern was noise complaints. We kept it down. He also got most of the ravers out of our kitchen and ushered them over to flat 10 who have yet to actually get a proper meeting in front of Brynda.
They made chips and promptly passed out. The following afternoon, Brynda shows up. She rang the doorbell and let herself in. What disrespect for our property. Even if you have a complaint against us, you can at least show us the courtesy of not waltzing into our kitchen without letting us get the door for you. Also, we are supposed to be given 24 hours notice before any official visits from staff which she failed to do.
I heard this secondhand but apparently, she told us about the noise complaints and that now she officially had names. She also tore down those official university posters which had been defamed with phrases which I will not repeat here. Of course, that happened during Freshers week and by her rationale of turning a blind eye to it, that should be okay. Also, we didn't write on our posters. Flat 10 did.
Rod and Harry, who both did not make any noise and I was there for when they got back from the club, had to go into a personal meeting with her. Essentially it was a stern talking to and sort of a final warning. It's ludicrous.
We all feel that because Harry had called our flat the party flat and had shouted it at the top of his lungs on several occasions, it has given us a bad reputation. We also feel like people are just blaming us because of that. We're not the ones who come home and shout at the top of our lungs, "Oakley Court!!! Wake the F--- UP!!!"
We're actually pretty quiet. Even Harry who was a party fiend during Freshers week has calmed down for the most part.
Some will say that it has everything to do with missing home or stress about something but those who know me best can tell you I've always had trouble sleeping. Plus the bed being as uncomfortable as it is, it's no surprise that I can't sleep.
What really sucked was the next day our entire flat was brought before the Housing Director or some such title of Pritchatts Park for making too much noise. Her name is Brynda (pronounced Brenda). Apparently, there have been noise complaints made against us for playing loud music at four in the morning. This is completely false. It's actually flat 10 who play the loud music or rave at four in the morning.
What was worse is that during the meeting, she wouldn't even listen to us. Wouldn't see our side. Would start to point out something while we were speaking. There was no communication at all.
Also, the fact that there were only four of us who could attend the meeting didn't exactly help our case.
Kerry, the quiet one in our flat, like really quiet, like never hear a peep quiet hates this woman now. Kerry has even mentioned that yes, a lot of loud music was played during Fresher's week (which even the housing director said they turned a blind eye to) but beyond that, we hadn't made any noise. We didn't host any parties and it may start in our flat but it moves on pretty quickly.
Essentially it was just a talking to. She mentioned that this happens every year and that people do get kicked out of housing. We promised to keep the noise down.
On Wednesday, I came back from hanging out with Victoria (we had to watch a movie for class together) and there were people in our flat making a lot of noise. Raving if you will but, and I checked this... I made sure of it, at 10:59 promptly the music went off. We're allowed to make noise between 8 AM and 11 PM. So, we fell within guidelines.
As I was eating a really late dinner, they all left to go out to the club. At around two or so, Caitlin had come back alone via taxi. She wasn't feeling very well. I stayed up with her, talked with her told her stories and made her some food and tea to calm her down.
At around four, Rod and the people who went out raving came back. Rod was a bit cross with Caitlin and I for being in the kitchen. His concern was noise complaints. We kept it down. He also got most of the ravers out of our kitchen and ushered them over to flat 10 who have yet to actually get a proper meeting in front of Brynda.
They made chips and promptly passed out. The following afternoon, Brynda shows up. She rang the doorbell and let herself in. What disrespect for our property. Even if you have a complaint against us, you can at least show us the courtesy of not waltzing into our kitchen without letting us get the door for you. Also, we are supposed to be given 24 hours notice before any official visits from staff which she failed to do.
I heard this secondhand but apparently, she told us about the noise complaints and that now she officially had names. She also tore down those official university posters which had been defamed with phrases which I will not repeat here. Of course, that happened during Freshers week and by her rationale of turning a blind eye to it, that should be okay. Also, we didn't write on our posters. Flat 10 did.
Rod and Harry, who both did not make any noise and I was there for when they got back from the club, had to go into a personal meeting with her. Essentially it was a stern talking to and sort of a final warning. It's ludicrous.
We all feel that because Harry had called our flat the party flat and had shouted it at the top of his lungs on several occasions, it has given us a bad reputation. We also feel like people are just blaming us because of that. We're not the ones who come home and shout at the top of our lungs, "Oakley Court!!! Wake the F--- UP!!!"
We're actually pretty quiet. Even Harry who was a party fiend during Freshers week has calmed down for the most part.
Bella Italia
Last Saturday we all decided to head into City Center to go to lunch and to do some light shopping at the Bullring.
That was a mistake and a half. On a Saturday, that place was jam packed with people going out to eat, doing shopping and all sorts of different things you could think of.
Also, we had that group mentality in which there are eight of us and no one can make up their minds.
After going from one place to the next and seeing one long queue after another, we still couldn't make up our minds.
Mark got royally frustrated and stormed off. We coaxed him back but still, he was quite agitated. Essentially, in a group of eight, we became politicians who know what they want (food in our case) but can't make up their minds to get it. I'm trying to imagine us trying to go to war with some country. We wouldn't be able to make up our minds let alone come up with a strategy to execute said idea.
Finally, we settled on Bella Italia. It was a sort of posh Italian restaurant. The menu was practically all in Italian. To be honest, I can't remember what I had... well, what it was called but I can tell you it was pretty good. It was some sort of noodles, peppers, cheese, chicken and sauce dish.
We had to scrap shopping because of how late it was. So, we decided to head back to Pritchatts Park. Later on we went out to the Green Man pub. That was... fun... too much fun. I'm noticing a pattern with myself here. My Achilles Heel is for pubs.
That was a mistake and a half. On a Saturday, that place was jam packed with people going out to eat, doing shopping and all sorts of different things you could think of.
Also, we had that group mentality in which there are eight of us and no one can make up their minds.
After going from one place to the next and seeing one long queue after another, we still couldn't make up our minds.
Mark got royally frustrated and stormed off. We coaxed him back but still, he was quite agitated. Essentially, in a group of eight, we became politicians who know what they want (food in our case) but can't make up their minds to get it. I'm trying to imagine us trying to go to war with some country. We wouldn't be able to make up our minds let alone come up with a strategy to execute said idea.
Finally, we settled on Bella Italia. It was a sort of posh Italian restaurant. The menu was practically all in Italian. To be honest, I can't remember what I had... well, what it was called but I can tell you it was pretty good. It was some sort of noodles, peppers, cheese, chicken and sauce dish.
We had to scrap shopping because of how late it was. So, we decided to head back to Pritchatts Park. Later on we went out to the Green Man pub. That was... fun... too much fun. I'm noticing a pattern with myself here. My Achilles Heel is for pubs.
Dr. Parnassass
Last week I went out to the cinema Friday night with Victoria. We both don’t really like the club scene. The noise. The flashing lights. All of it. It’s just kind of annoying. Also, people sound like complete idiots at those rave or clubs. Hormones raging and the noise… God, the noise isn’t exactly heavenly.
So, we went with an alternative. The cinema. Also, dinner. We went out to this buffet place called Around the World in 80 Dishes. It had everything you can think of from Italian, Chinese, Indian, as well as what they called Pan-American which was basically hot dogs and little mini hamburgers. Really good food and like all things which are really good, it is really pricy. Way more than I thought it was going to be. I don’t really want to reveal how much it cost here, but let’s just say my heart sank when I saw the check.
The film we saw was The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassass. It was Heath Ledger’s last film and the filmmakers had to use Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell to finish the role. It seriously worked quite well because they are only inside fantasy sequences which easily explain why he would take on a different appearance. It was a good film overall but there were some unintentionally funny lines about Heath Ledger’s character coming back to life. Also, the first time we run into Heath Ledger is of him hanging off a bridge with a rope around his neck.
I caught the train back from Five Ways to University Station. I’m becoming a fan of the rail network here.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
A Typical Class
One notable thing about most of my courses, well, three of them anyway is that they take place not in some randomly assigned classroom, but in the actual professor's classroom. It is interesting for me just because I find it remarkably conducive to classwork.
Instead of being surrounded by small, cramped desks which have been pockmarked by students writing all over them, I'm now in a huge office surrounded by bookshelf after bookshelf of all things ranging from literary theory and criticism, huge anthologies, book and after book or play after play of things I have read, haven't read or want to read.
Essentially, it is like having a class inside of someone's small personal library. I love it.
I know it would be impossible at Iowa to do so. Mostly because there are too many students and the professor's offices at Iowa are so much smaller than the offices here.
Part of the fun is also seeing what professors have read or, at the very least, what the professor's have on their shelf. One noticed that I was looking around her classroom before seminar started and she asked what I was doing. I confessed that I was seeing what it was she had on her shelf and that I love seeing what people are reading, have read or what they are interested in. It's something I've done a lot.
I remember a few months ago having a good conversation with my friend Alex back in Iowa City on what he had on his shelf. He has an interesting collection of books. As do my college professors here and back at home from what I can remember.
Of course, I just have to hope I don't get caught looking at their shelves during the middle of seminar but I just can't help myself.
Instead of being surrounded by small, cramped desks which have been pockmarked by students writing all over them, I'm now in a huge office surrounded by bookshelf after bookshelf of all things ranging from literary theory and criticism, huge anthologies, book and after book or play after play of things I have read, haven't read or want to read.
Essentially, it is like having a class inside of someone's small personal library. I love it.
I know it would be impossible at Iowa to do so. Mostly because there are too many students and the professor's offices at Iowa are so much smaller than the offices here.
Part of the fun is also seeing what professors have read or, at the very least, what the professor's have on their shelf. One noticed that I was looking around her classroom before seminar started and she asked what I was doing. I confessed that I was seeing what it was she had on her shelf and that I love seeing what people are reading, have read or what they are interested in. It's something I've done a lot.
I remember a few months ago having a good conversation with my friend Alex back in Iowa City on what he had on his shelf. He has an interesting collection of books. As do my college professors here and back at home from what I can remember.
Of course, I just have to hope I don't get caught looking at their shelves during the middle of seminar but I just can't help myself.
In Search of a Winter Coat
This past Wednesday, instead of going to the optional film screening for class, I headed into the City Center to go to the Bullring, the massive shopping center in town.
I had been there before and it was again, a little overwhelming. It's a three story shopping center divided into two halves with the bottom floor connecting both halves. There's a huge bull in front of one of the entrances and one of the sides of the building is covered in aluminum discs.
I walked through that building for probably a good hour. I went from one store to the next trying to find a decent coat. I found some. However, there was always something wrong with it. Didn't like the color or didn't like the fabric. Wasn't sure if it would be warm enough or would it even be worth the price.
I took my search out to the streets and I walked around that area in and around the Bullring for about a half hour. I found jewelery shops (yes, I did look through the windows at the watches) and all sorts of different eateries and take aways.
I found a small little outlet mall right next to the Bullring called the Palisades. I felt it was a lost cause. I didn't really see any stores in there either until out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked like a decent coat.
My search yielded what I was looking for. The store was named Moss. They had proper overcoats, raincoats, trench coats and all the like. Double breasted. Single breasted. Everything. I found what I was looking for, a nice coat made of wool for £90. It's a good coat and it will be one to last for a while.
I actually had to use it today due to the rain. It kept me warm and yes, I realize that this is sort of a pointless blog post which is sort of vain but hey, I feel very Euro with this coat. It's much better than my old one.
I had been there before and it was again, a little overwhelming. It's a three story shopping center divided into two halves with the bottom floor connecting both halves. There's a huge bull in front of one of the entrances and one of the sides of the building is covered in aluminum discs.
I walked through that building for probably a good hour. I went from one store to the next trying to find a decent coat. I found some. However, there was always something wrong with it. Didn't like the color or didn't like the fabric. Wasn't sure if it would be warm enough or would it even be worth the price.
I took my search out to the streets and I walked around that area in and around the Bullring for about a half hour. I found jewelery shops (yes, I did look through the windows at the watches) and all sorts of different eateries and take aways.
I found a small little outlet mall right next to the Bullring called the Palisades. I felt it was a lost cause. I didn't really see any stores in there either until out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked like a decent coat.
My search yielded what I was looking for. The store was named Moss. They had proper overcoats, raincoats, trench coats and all the like. Double breasted. Single breasted. Everything. I found what I was looking for, a nice coat made of wool for £90. It's a good coat and it will be one to last for a while.
I actually had to use it today due to the rain. It kept me warm and yes, I realize that this is sort of a pointless blog post which is sort of vain but hey, I feel very Euro with this coat. It's much better than my old one.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Film Club
I had mentioned in a previous post that I was going to join the film club. I did. It essentially revolves around a massive crowd of students getting together to watch a film in a lecture theater.
The first one I went to was The Red Shoes by Powell and Pressburger. It is a stunning film and one which I was happy to have seen. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves musicals or just films in general. It deftly mixes stage work and fantasy settings with a sense of majesty as, in the middle of a performance, we enter into these characters visions of what the stage work is doing. It's a marvelous film and one which should not be missed.
I've watched a lot of films since I've been here. Mostly at film club or for class. I don't really have any time or any desire to watch them in any setting other than that.
I've already been to the cinema twice since I've been here.
Last Friday, my friend Victoria and I got together and we went on... I guess you could call it a date though I'm wary to word it as such. It was quite relaxing. We went to The Green Man - I'm becoming a fan of that pub - and had dinner. It was just good conversation. Eventually, we both in a flurry of excitement decided to head to the cinema. I have a feeling that the bottle of wine we shared might have had something to do with it though, that's all relative.
We headed back to University Station and grabbed a train to Fiveways. Her flat is in that area. We found out the showtimes and we weren't left with much due to the lateness of the evening. We decided to go and see Up in 3D. It just got released here. It was a bit strange seeing a film again which I've already seen.... months ago.
I love that movie. It was a lot of fun.
That following Sunday, my flat mates and I all decided to see a film together. We saw Inglourious Basterds. Some of my flat mates had seen it before. Some hadn't. For me, this was my fourth time having seen the film. I love that film.
I've noticed since I've been in this country that part of my journey, one which I didn't expect I'd take but one which has happened nevertheless is a rediscovery of what my passions are. I love film and I love literature. I'm noticing that even more since I've been in this country. Rod, one of my flat mates, describes me as an intellectual. Somebody had called me a geek or a nerd. He corrected them.
That was a wonderful moment for me just because I hadn't ever really thought of myself as such. I mean, I know I'm interested in intellectual pursuits but I hadn't thought of myself in that light. I guess him calling me that has been part of my reawakening to what my drives and pursuits are.
They haven't really changed much now that I think of it, but dammit, they have been strengthened. I still have the same long term goals and desires. Now, everything just seems to be coming into a deeper sense of clarity.
The first one I went to was The Red Shoes by Powell and Pressburger. It is a stunning film and one which I was happy to have seen. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves musicals or just films in general. It deftly mixes stage work and fantasy settings with a sense of majesty as, in the middle of a performance, we enter into these characters visions of what the stage work is doing. It's a marvelous film and one which should not be missed.
I've watched a lot of films since I've been here. Mostly at film club or for class. I don't really have any time or any desire to watch them in any setting other than that.
I've already been to the cinema twice since I've been here.
Last Friday, my friend Victoria and I got together and we went on... I guess you could call it a date though I'm wary to word it as such. It was quite relaxing. We went to The Green Man - I'm becoming a fan of that pub - and had dinner. It was just good conversation. Eventually, we both in a flurry of excitement decided to head to the cinema. I have a feeling that the bottle of wine we shared might have had something to do with it though, that's all relative.
We headed back to University Station and grabbed a train to Fiveways. Her flat is in that area. We found out the showtimes and we weren't left with much due to the lateness of the evening. We decided to go and see Up in 3D. It just got released here. It was a bit strange seeing a film again which I've already seen.... months ago.
I love that movie. It was a lot of fun.
That following Sunday, my flat mates and I all decided to see a film together. We saw Inglourious Basterds. Some of my flat mates had seen it before. Some hadn't. For me, this was my fourth time having seen the film. I love that film.
I've noticed since I've been in this country that part of my journey, one which I didn't expect I'd take but one which has happened nevertheless is a rediscovery of what my passions are. I love film and I love literature. I'm noticing that even more since I've been in this country. Rod, one of my flat mates, describes me as an intellectual. Somebody had called me a geek or a nerd. He corrected them.
That was a wonderful moment for me just because I hadn't ever really thought of myself as such. I mean, I know I'm interested in intellectual pursuits but I hadn't thought of myself in that light. I guess him calling me that has been part of my reawakening to what my drives and pursuits are.
They haven't really changed much now that I think of it, but dammit, they have been strengthened. I still have the same long term goals and desires. Now, everything just seems to be coming into a deeper sense of clarity.
First Week of School
Admittedly, this is a little late.
My first week of school went fine. Finding all of my classes was simple and easy enough. Except for my class at the Selly Oak campus which is about a 50 minute walk from the main campus. I have been given a bus pass for that course. However, I did not realize that there is more than one 44 bus. They all go to the same places but at different times. I got on the 44 going into City Center when I should have gotten a bus heading up Bristol Road, headed towards Selly Oak. I ended up there just the same but it was about 10 minutes later than I needed to be. I was on the bus for about 50 minutes instead of just the normal 10 minute ride between the main campus and Selly Oak.
It could have been worse. While I was late, I still managed to participate in a class of about 60.
The most interesting first class had to be my Cold War and Film course, not so much for the course itself but for what happened afterwards. It was just an introductory day in which we went around the table introduced ourselves, got the syllabus and left.
Afterwards though, I got to talking to one of my classmates, Victoria Lester. We went down to Selly's Sausage for a full English - which is massive I might add - and proceeded to have a five hour conversation which covered a lot of topics. I can't really remember them all. We didn't really plan on having that long of a conversation. It just happened that way.
My other courses are fine. Most of them are small discussion based courses. I enjoy them all and they are all interesting albeit some are more interesting than others. I'm not a big fan of my Voicing Women course mostly due to the fact that it is stuff written in and around Shakespeare's time. It's tough material to read.
I am enjoying my Thriller, Film and Theory course. That is a lot of fun. We are reading stuff ranging from Edgar Allen Poe, Sherlock Holmes, The Big Sleep and other detective based fiction. Thrillers. Light easy reading which is fun and exciting.
My first week of school went fine. Finding all of my classes was simple and easy enough. Except for my class at the Selly Oak campus which is about a 50 minute walk from the main campus. I have been given a bus pass for that course. However, I did not realize that there is more than one 44 bus. They all go to the same places but at different times. I got on the 44 going into City Center when I should have gotten a bus heading up Bristol Road, headed towards Selly Oak. I ended up there just the same but it was about 10 minutes later than I needed to be. I was on the bus for about 50 minutes instead of just the normal 10 minute ride between the main campus and Selly Oak.
It could have been worse. While I was late, I still managed to participate in a class of about 60.
The most interesting first class had to be my Cold War and Film course, not so much for the course itself but for what happened afterwards. It was just an introductory day in which we went around the table introduced ourselves, got the syllabus and left.
Afterwards though, I got to talking to one of my classmates, Victoria Lester. We went down to Selly's Sausage for a full English - which is massive I might add - and proceeded to have a five hour conversation which covered a lot of topics. I can't really remember them all. We didn't really plan on having that long of a conversation. It just happened that way.
My other courses are fine. Most of them are small discussion based courses. I enjoy them all and they are all interesting albeit some are more interesting than others. I'm not a big fan of my Voicing Women course mostly due to the fact that it is stuff written in and around Shakespeare's time. It's tough material to read.
I am enjoying my Thriller, Film and Theory course. That is a lot of fun. We are reading stuff ranging from Edgar Allen Poe, Sherlock Holmes, The Big Sleep and other detective based fiction. Thrillers. Light easy reading which is fun and exciting.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Bullring Pub
A week ago, myself and my flat mates all went out to the Bullring. This is a shopping center inside of Birmingham city center. It's huge. One side of it is covered in aluminum discs.
It's like any mall only a lot more compact and a lot more post modern. Some of the stores just blend together. I mean that quite literally. There are some shops which are just what they are... shops. For instance, there was a sports store we went to. Some were on a mission to find retro sports gear for a club night theme.
I was only there to find an alarm clock. I found one for 12 quid. For those of you who don't know, quid is a slang term for pound. It's not amazing. It just does the job.
Also, the Bullring is famous for a statue of a maroon-ish bull statue which stands outside guarding the front entrance. I forgot to take a photo but I have a feeling we are going to go back again.
Mark bought himself a mini table tennis set. It's now been resting on the kitchen table, which is quite small I might add, and will probably be there for the rest of the year. They play that game all the time. Sometimes whilst others are eating. The ball has landed in several peoples plates and it will probably happen again.
That night, we went up to Harbourne to go to a local pub called The Green Man. The food was quite reasonably priced as were the drinks. I found it interesting in that I spent more at the pub than I ever have at the club. It was a very good night to say the least. The food was also quite good too. I had gamon which is a grilled piece of ham with two eggs on top of it. It was a very good meal.
We also played the Pub Quiz. Essentially, everybody chips in £1 and each table is given a sheet. Then questions are asked. General knowledge. Sports. Movies and TV. That sort of thing. We came in second. That's not the first time we've had a pub quiz night. At the Pritchatts Park social, which is the campus sponsored bar for my village, we had one. My flat came in second that night as well. It seems to becoming a streak.
It's like any mall only a lot more compact and a lot more post modern. Some of the stores just blend together. I mean that quite literally. There are some shops which are just what they are... shops. For instance, there was a sports store we went to. Some were on a mission to find retro sports gear for a club night theme.
I was only there to find an alarm clock. I found one for 12 quid. For those of you who don't know, quid is a slang term for pound. It's not amazing. It just does the job.
Also, the Bullring is famous for a statue of a maroon-ish bull statue which stands outside guarding the front entrance. I forgot to take a photo but I have a feeling we are going to go back again.
Mark bought himself a mini table tennis set. It's now been resting on the kitchen table, which is quite small I might add, and will probably be there for the rest of the year. They play that game all the time. Sometimes whilst others are eating. The ball has landed in several peoples plates and it will probably happen again.
That night, we went up to Harbourne to go to a local pub called The Green Man. The food was quite reasonably priced as were the drinks. I found it interesting in that I spent more at the pub than I ever have at the club. It was a very good night to say the least. The food was also quite good too. I had gamon which is a grilled piece of ham with two eggs on top of it. It was a very good meal.
We also played the Pub Quiz. Essentially, everybody chips in £1 and each table is given a sheet. Then questions are asked. General knowledge. Sports. Movies and TV. That sort of thing. We came in second. That's not the first time we've had a pub quiz night. At the Pritchatts Park social, which is the campus sponsored bar for my village, we had one. My flat came in second that night as well. It seems to becoming a streak.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
My Flat Mates
I really like my flat mates. We are all very buddy buddy. We all get along fine. There are plenty of days in which we just sit around and talk for hours on end. There are ten of us. The kitchen, which is the communal area, can get pretty crowded from time to time.
There is Caitlin, she's a year younger than me. She's a French and Drama student. She's sort of like the mother hen of our flat. Basically, if you had a problem or needed a shoulder to cry on, she'd be there to see you through it.
Rod is 22 years old. He worked once he was done with secondary school for four years. He's into political studies and international relations. He loves to party. He can neck back alcohol like none that I've ever seen before. I played a drinking game with him called Centurion. The goal is to drink 100 shots of beer in 100 minutes, one per minute. I got up to 82 before I had to call it quits. Essentially, he's coaching me on how to drink like a Brit. Don't worry, I'm not spending all my money on alcohol. Just some of it.
Adam is an economics major. He's got flaming red hair. He's a nice guy. I had a nice long chat about Harry Potter with him one night after he got back from the club. He drunkenly made himself curry. It was quite amusing but it was still an enthralling conversation.
Laura is studying Italian and Spanish I believe. After a while it is hard to keep majors straight. She's a spitfire. She knows how to banter very well. She doesn't necessarily talk the most, but she knows how to get a good line or two in there. She is very humorous. She's also a very good cook.
Kerry is a quiet one. I haven't had too many conversations with her just because she's usually in her room. She's nice though. She's studying archaeology. The difference between her and the rest of my flat mates is that she doesn't really go for the whole club scene like the rest have. I'm not a big club fan either so I can relate. Also, she can play the violin pretty well. We could hear her playing for hours on end.
Mark is a physics major. Like me, he is also a third year student. Most programs here only last three years but his is a four year program. He is a student mentor which is sort of like an RA but without the power of writing somebody up for drinking in the dorms (which is okay here) or noise complaints. He's a nice guy. A fast talker. He's from London which is probably why. He does have quite the deviant mind though.
Maggie is also an exchange student. She's from Canada. She works out all the time and if memory serves correctly, she is also going to join a triathalon society or something like that. She's pretty nice but I haven't gotten the chance to really get to know her very well. She's very health conscious.
We do have a 24 year old post graduate living with us. His name is Adam and he's studying to become a medic. I talked with him a lot earlier but I don't see him much anymore because of how much work he's doing. His room is literally just tubs and tubs of books. The rooms also aren't very big to begin with. He's pretty much packed in there like a sardine. He's a nice guy though and we get along just fine. He's also not really into the club scene.
Then there is Harry. He's a first year who loves to club and rave like no one I've ever seen. He's nice when he's sober but I'm not really a fan of him when he gets drunk. At one club, he apparently threw up eight times in there. Twice in the toilet and six times on the dance floor either in the corner or in a glass before he got thrown out. While that's kind of impressive that he was able to do that eight times before he got caught, it's also not very flattering. Don't get me wrong though, he is a nice guy and he will be there if any of us gets into trouble. For instance, we all went out to the club Risa. I got lost in the shuffle after a few hours. He found me on the street and we all piled into a cab. If he hadn't found me, I don't really know how I would have gotten home. We have gotten a noise complaint filed against us, in no small part due to him shouting chants on weekdays whilst he's absolutely plastered.
There is Caitlin, she's a year younger than me. She's a French and Drama student. She's sort of like the mother hen of our flat. Basically, if you had a problem or needed a shoulder to cry on, she'd be there to see you through it.
Rod is 22 years old. He worked once he was done with secondary school for four years. He's into political studies and international relations. He loves to party. He can neck back alcohol like none that I've ever seen before. I played a drinking game with him called Centurion. The goal is to drink 100 shots of beer in 100 minutes, one per minute. I got up to 82 before I had to call it quits. Essentially, he's coaching me on how to drink like a Brit. Don't worry, I'm not spending all my money on alcohol. Just some of it.
Adam is an economics major. He's got flaming red hair. He's a nice guy. I had a nice long chat about Harry Potter with him one night after he got back from the club. He drunkenly made himself curry. It was quite amusing but it was still an enthralling conversation.
Laura is studying Italian and Spanish I believe. After a while it is hard to keep majors straight. She's a spitfire. She knows how to banter very well. She doesn't necessarily talk the most, but she knows how to get a good line or two in there. She is very humorous. She's also a very good cook.
Kerry is a quiet one. I haven't had too many conversations with her just because she's usually in her room. She's nice though. She's studying archaeology. The difference between her and the rest of my flat mates is that she doesn't really go for the whole club scene like the rest have. I'm not a big club fan either so I can relate. Also, she can play the violin pretty well. We could hear her playing for hours on end.
Mark is a physics major. Like me, he is also a third year student. Most programs here only last three years but his is a four year program. He is a student mentor which is sort of like an RA but without the power of writing somebody up for drinking in the dorms (which is okay here) or noise complaints. He's a nice guy. A fast talker. He's from London which is probably why. He does have quite the deviant mind though.
Maggie is also an exchange student. She's from Canada. She works out all the time and if memory serves correctly, she is also going to join a triathalon society or something like that. She's pretty nice but I haven't gotten the chance to really get to know her very well. She's very health conscious.
We do have a 24 year old post graduate living with us. His name is Adam and he's studying to become a medic. I talked with him a lot earlier but I don't see him much anymore because of how much work he's doing. His room is literally just tubs and tubs of books. The rooms also aren't very big to begin with. He's pretty much packed in there like a sardine. He's a nice guy though and we get along just fine. He's also not really into the club scene.
Then there is Harry. He's a first year who loves to club and rave like no one I've ever seen. He's nice when he's sober but I'm not really a fan of him when he gets drunk. At one club, he apparently threw up eight times in there. Twice in the toilet and six times on the dance floor either in the corner or in a glass before he got thrown out. While that's kind of impressive that he was able to do that eight times before he got caught, it's also not very flattering. Don't get me wrong though, he is a nice guy and he will be there if any of us gets into trouble. For instance, we all went out to the club Risa. I got lost in the shuffle after a few hours. He found me on the street and we all piled into a cab. If he hadn't found me, I don't really know how I would have gotten home. We have gotten a noise complaint filed against us, in no small part due to him shouting chants on weekdays whilst he's absolutely plastered.
Classes
They do registration a bit differently here. Instead of everything being online for registration, like at the University of Iowa, they have face to face meetings. So, if I want to register for a film course, which I did, I would have to go up to the American and Canadian Studies department on the fourth floor of the Arts building and talk with one of the office staff.
I did a lot of running around in the first few weeks here. Registering for classes.... excuse me, modules, attending inductions, signing up for the film society, buying books, food and drinks.
The courses I'm going to be taking are
Death and the Moving Image (Term 2)
Theatre and Cultural Politics
Voicing Women (early women's writing)
John Donne and Metaphysical Poetry
Thriller, Film and Theory
American Musicals in the 20th Century (Term 2)
Cold War Film
All in all I'm looking forward to all of my courses. They all sound intriguing at the very least. I also like the way in which they will be assessed. One giant paper due at the beginning of next term which I shall write over Christmas Holiday rather than two or three smaller papers scattered throughout the course of the year.
There is also a lot of reading. I mean... A... LOT of reading. However, I'm looking forward to it.
Also, the courses only meet once a week or twice if there is a screening involved. Most of the course work is independent reading and studying. It is different than back home. This will definitely shake up my college experience and my study habits.
One last note, my Theatre and Cultural Politics course actually meets on a different part of the campus than the main one. The main campus is in Edgbaston. It's sort of like the Iowa campus in that there is just one big blob of buildings. The Selly Oak campus, which is where my Theatre course is, is a good thirty minute hike away from the main part of the campus. But all is okay because as a student, I have a free bus pass for the 44 buss which will take me there and back with no worries.
I did a lot of running around in the first few weeks here. Registering for classes.... excuse me, modules, attending inductions, signing up for the film society, buying books, food and drinks.
The courses I'm going to be taking are
Death and the Moving Image (Term 2)
Theatre and Cultural Politics
Voicing Women (early women's writing)
John Donne and Metaphysical Poetry
Thriller, Film and Theory
American Musicals in the 20th Century (Term 2)
Cold War Film
All in all I'm looking forward to all of my courses. They all sound intriguing at the very least. I also like the way in which they will be assessed. One giant paper due at the beginning of next term which I shall write over Christmas Holiday rather than two or three smaller papers scattered throughout the course of the year.
There is also a lot of reading. I mean... A... LOT of reading. However, I'm looking forward to it.
Also, the courses only meet once a week or twice if there is a screening involved. Most of the course work is independent reading and studying. It is different than back home. This will definitely shake up my college experience and my study habits.
One last note, my Theatre and Cultural Politics course actually meets on a different part of the campus than the main one. The main campus is in Edgbaston. It's sort of like the Iowa campus in that there is just one big blob of buildings. The Selly Oak campus, which is where my Theatre course is, is a good thirty minute hike away from the main part of the campus. But all is okay because as a student, I have a free bus pass for the 44 buss which will take me there and back with no worries.
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