Yes, it's been too long since my last post. Spare me. I've been busy with school. And friends. And playing Farmville on Facebook (thank god that addiction is over). But here I am, back in Kansas City, town of my birth.
Officially, I'm not done with the semester. While classes have ended, I still have two papers and two exams to complete prior to starting up again. I haven't even begun to think about completing those papers yet. Oh well, after Christmas.
Really, the last month and a half has been like the other months, full of work, writing, reading, and--yes--partying*. A few of the Americans (along with a couple of Brits and a Canadian) hosted a wonderful thanksgiving meal. Turkey and all. My responsibility was the cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, the supermarkets I went to were out of whole cranberries, so I had to buy the jarred stuff (no cans here, my friends!). I may have overbought a bit. With more-or-less a liter and a half of the stuff. Lets just say there's been a lot of straw-cranberry yogurt for the last few weeks. Being the night before a presentation, naturally I stayed up far too late, and was completely knackered by the time the presentation rolled around. Our group,instead of a traditional powerpoint decided to do it in talk-show format, with yours truly in the role of Oprah. It went off like a charm. Lots of fun.
Other than birthdays for friends, a few late nights, and a great Christmas meal, it's been lots of paper writing and reading. Though I've learned a lot this semester, theory-wise, I'm really to dive into more practical application next semester. Lets just hope the professors pull through.
So on the 14th, after a long night at one of my mates' house, I left for the states on a plane where the in-flight entertainment was malfunctioning. And boy, did the family next to me let the stewardess know about it. They got free Bloody Marys, I got a headache. Even trade, I suppose as I don't really like tomato juice. But, I was back in KC for a day and a half, then I left to see my friends in Chicago for a few. They held a rousing Christmas Cocktail party, replete myself taking off my trousers in the middle of the party (all in good fun, not drunken). So back to KC on the 20th for my parents' Channukah party, helping to paint the family room with my dad, and then Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow (yes, we celebrate both). On the 29th I'll head off to Vermont to spend New Years with friends and then down to NYC on the 1st to a wedding. Then to DC, then back to NYC to fly out. It's going to be fast and furious, but fun. But, I'm still looking forward to come back to Leeds and my friends there (though not to the mountain of work).
Hopefully in the next few days I'll get around to getting hoodies for my course (I'm slow on these things...sorry), and setting up my website--stephenanemeth.com. I've decided to take a new approach to blogging, and begin blogging again about whatever I feel like. Because, frankly, there isn't enough specifically about Leeds to excite me. So, I'll probably switch back to my other blog (thricetoldtales.blogspot.com) in the coming weeks. Or, you can go to the website once it's up and running.
Until then...MERRY CHRISTMAS, etc.
*I really hate that gerund. It's so non descriptive, since rarely am I actually going to a specific party. But, I often find myself doing the things that one does at a party when I go out (booze, dancing, saying inappropriate things, retracting inappropriate phrases, etc.) so I suppose it will have to suffice here for the sake of succinctness.
Showing posts with label Leeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leeds. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
One Month, One Post
It's been almost one month since my last post, but upon reading Paige's blog(ue), i am determined to write at least something to my slowly dwindling followers. Over the past month, I have certainly had the intention to write several times, yet friends, reading, or the overwhelming sense of there being too much to say has delayed me to this point. No more. Now, since we last left our hero...
Overall the move-in was rather painless. Aside from the unpleasant surprise of not having any plates/cups/cookware, things went rather smoothly. All I have to say is thank god for Wilkinson. It's more or less a midget Target, though without the good design. Luckily, glasses, cups, and plates can all be had for less than £1 per piece, so despite overspending on bedding, some comfort could be drawn from the 4 for £1 drinkware.
The first night, there was a "Pub Etiquette" social through the international office. Some lesson. More or less they said "don't push to the front of the bar, and order ale or lager." Gee, thanks for the tips. But despite the remedial lesson in alcohol consumption, I did manage to meet some new faces. Naturally, any time I heard an American accent, my ears perked and I introduced myself. Mind you, it's not as if I only talked to the Americans, but there's some commonality there, and many of them were grad students, so it was nice to find people my age, since many of the students at the pub were deceptively young. I ended up chatting with a few people, and we decided to head off to another bar--DryDock--which is, I kid you not, a ship on the side of the road. Too many pints later, I headed home with new friends in my phone and a sore liver.
International orientation continued throughout the week, with various seminars and meetups; some of which I attended, many of which I didn't. I think the week is primarily geared for people not from english-speaking countries, so much of the time was spent comisserating with my new friends. By the end of the week, I was registered, had done a tour of the city, and had a cadre of new friends, which inevitably led to many nights out at the pub/clubs. Typical freshman stuff. But all of it fun.
My flatmates had more or less all moved in (save for one) by the end of the first week, so we had the obligatory flatmate bonding over movies, food, and pints. All in all, I really enjoy my flatmates. All of us are quite different, but we all add perspective to the mix. Our final flatmate moved in the day before school began on the 28th. So five of us total, four of which are postgrads, three of which are from England, two of which are international, and one of which is a woman. Quite the diverse flat. We're like the UN, but with better style.
Classes started on the 28th (I think), after a day-long orientation to our program, a short group activity, and a trip out to Hebdon Bridge to see an old mill which was converted into a sustainable tourist attraction. It was nice to get back out into the countryside for a short hike, and getting to know my coursemates better was certainly beneficial, though, remembering names was not exactly the easiest thing. Thank God for facebook.
There are maybe 80 of us on the programme overall, but we're all in various sections, each varying in size. My section, Business Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility, has 12 people in it, many of us international. It's quite nice, too, that many people have worked for a bit, so I'm not the oldest person in my class (though I'm certainly in the running for that title).
Classes, thus far, have been rather uneventful. Most of us in the overall programe have about 60% of our classes together, so it's been nice to form a community. Since many, if not all of us, have the same Introduction to Sustainablility class, it was good to have others to commiserate with during our first essay: "What is Sustainable Development?." Now please, answer that in 1000 to 1500 words, using academic references. Ugh, what a disaster. Either way, I'm really enjoying the time with my coursemates. We all went out for a night after the essay was turned in (evidence of which has been appearing on Facebook). It's been nice to have a community within my course whom I can hang out with, as well as those outside of my course.
Other things I've done: went to see "Caucasian Chalk Circle" with a friend of a friend (who's now simply a friend), did several nights out, went to a proper Italian dinner, meet up with a friend from high school, saw a documentary at school, and, oh yes, rock climbed.
That's right. I'm a climber now. I have the shoes to prove it. And the chalk bag. So far I've only been on a few trips with the Mountaineering club, but it's been great fun. I like a lot of the people in the club, and though I'm quite terrible at the actual climbing, they're all very helpful to a novice such as myself. I'm sure pictures will follow at some point. Just this past weekend, we went to Northumberland for a weekend trip to climb a few crags. Though I fell off more often that I'd like to, I'm slowly getting a hang of the technique, and soon, I should be able to lead...something. We'll see.
Obviously, that's not the most comprehensive overview of all that's happened, but it'll have to do for now. More on life here later. Not much later hopefully.
Oh, and I saw The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus tonight with a few friends. Interesting movie, though more for the art direction than the actual acting. Still, I liked it. But I have weird taste in movies, so take that for what it's worth.
Overall the move-in was rather painless. Aside from the unpleasant surprise of not having any plates/cups/cookware, things went rather smoothly. All I have to say is thank god for Wilkinson. It's more or less a midget Target, though without the good design. Luckily, glasses, cups, and plates can all be had for less than £1 per piece, so despite overspending on bedding, some comfort could be drawn from the 4 for £1 drinkware.
The first night, there was a "Pub Etiquette" social through the international office. Some lesson. More or less they said "don't push to the front of the bar, and order ale or lager." Gee, thanks for the tips. But despite the remedial lesson in alcohol consumption, I did manage to meet some new faces. Naturally, any time I heard an American accent, my ears perked and I introduced myself. Mind you, it's not as if I only talked to the Americans, but there's some commonality there, and many of them were grad students, so it was nice to find people my age, since many of the students at the pub were deceptively young. I ended up chatting with a few people, and we decided to head off to another bar--DryDock--which is, I kid you not, a ship on the side of the road. Too many pints later, I headed home with new friends in my phone and a sore liver.
International orientation continued throughout the week, with various seminars and meetups; some of which I attended, many of which I didn't. I think the week is primarily geared for people not from english-speaking countries, so much of the time was spent comisserating with my new friends. By the end of the week, I was registered, had done a tour of the city, and had a cadre of new friends, which inevitably led to many nights out at the pub/clubs. Typical freshman stuff. But all of it fun.
My flatmates had more or less all moved in (save for one) by the end of the first week, so we had the obligatory flatmate bonding over movies, food, and pints. All in all, I really enjoy my flatmates. All of us are quite different, but we all add perspective to the mix. Our final flatmate moved in the day before school began on the 28th. So five of us total, four of which are postgrads, three of which are from England, two of which are international, and one of which is a woman. Quite the diverse flat. We're like the UN, but with better style.
Classes started on the 28th (I think), after a day-long orientation to our program, a short group activity, and a trip out to Hebdon Bridge to see an old mill which was converted into a sustainable tourist attraction. It was nice to get back out into the countryside for a short hike, and getting to know my coursemates better was certainly beneficial, though, remembering names was not exactly the easiest thing. Thank God for facebook.
There are maybe 80 of us on the programme overall, but we're all in various sections, each varying in size. My section, Business Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility, has 12 people in it, many of us international. It's quite nice, too, that many people have worked for a bit, so I'm not the oldest person in my class (though I'm certainly in the running for that title).
Classes, thus far, have been rather uneventful. Most of us in the overall programe have about 60% of our classes together, so it's been nice to form a community. Since many, if not all of us, have the same Introduction to Sustainablility class, it was good to have others to commiserate with during our first essay: "What is Sustainable Development?." Now please, answer that in 1000 to 1500 words, using academic references. Ugh, what a disaster. Either way, I'm really enjoying the time with my coursemates. We all went out for a night after the essay was turned in (evidence of which has been appearing on Facebook). It's been nice to have a community within my course whom I can hang out with, as well as those outside of my course.
Other things I've done: went to see "Caucasian Chalk Circle" with a friend of a friend (who's now simply a friend), did several nights out, went to a proper Italian dinner, meet up with a friend from high school, saw a documentary at school, and, oh yes, rock climbed.
That's right. I'm a climber now. I have the shoes to prove it. And the chalk bag. So far I've only been on a few trips with the Mountaineering club, but it's been great fun. I like a lot of the people in the club, and though I'm quite terrible at the actual climbing, they're all very helpful to a novice such as myself. I'm sure pictures will follow at some point. Just this past weekend, we went to Northumberland for a weekend trip to climb a few crags. Though I fell off more often that I'd like to, I'm slowly getting a hang of the technique, and soon, I should be able to lead...something. We'll see.
Obviously, that's not the most comprehensive overview of all that's happened, but it'll have to do for now. More on life here later. Not much later hopefully.
Oh, and I saw The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus tonight with a few friends. Interesting movie, though more for the art direction than the actual acting. Still, I liked it. But I have weird taste in movies, so take that for what it's worth.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Moving In
So, after the zoo, gardens, drinking, and kittens (not in that order), I finally made my way to Leeds on Tuesday. Thankfully the ride back was much easier. Tons of space on the train for myself and my bags, and no delays. Delightful, really. I made it into the train station, dropped off my bags at the left luggage, and walked up to my leasing office to get my keys to the flat.
When I arrived, after a little confusion, I had keys in hand. Since I didn't have my bank card yet, because they forgot to copy my passport visa, I had to go to the bank and get a bankers draft. Fortunately, Danny, the chap who helped me the first time was there to scan in my visa and helped me get a bankers draft for no charge. Shockingly, the teller had a really good sense of humour, which made the whole experience--dare I say it?--enjoyable. With bankers draft in hand, I went back, paid my deposit, and gave them checks for the entire year. I guess they just cash it on the first of the month. Which actually seems to be a far more efficient way to do it. There was a weird thing with getting the keys. Something about them being unsure which keys were the right ones, so one of the guys from the office drove me to the flat to make sure I could get in and out. Nice man, and it was good to actually know where I was going. My first impression of the flat was that it was nice and clean, a bit like a small dorm. We have built-ins, so it kind of reminded me of the dorms at American. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a bit different from what I was expecting.
On the way back down to collect my luggage, I was hoping to stop in the Primark to get some cheap sheets. Unfortunately, while I saw the bags, I couldn't find the store. And, stupidly, didn't think to ask anyone. So, I went to British Home Store (BHS) to go get some sheets £125 later, I was ready to make my bed. So I overpaid. Egh, it was bound to happen. I grabbed a cab and took my bags and sheets, pillows, etc., back to the flat. My flatmate, Chris moved in, but didn't end up staying the night due to some mix up with the office. All in all, after my delicious (yeah) sandwich from the Sainsbury's up the road, I did a little exploring of the neighborhood. There's a mosque right near me, as long as a few grocery stores. The pubs mostly seem to be on the side streets, but there's a great park right next to my flat, and I'm only 10 minutes away from the uni! Score.
There's more to update, replete with descriptions of the flatmates, new friends, and all the fun that is international orientation. But that'll have to come later. Until then, cheerio!
When I arrived, after a little confusion, I had keys in hand. Since I didn't have my bank card yet, because they forgot to copy my passport visa, I had to go to the bank and get a bankers draft. Fortunately, Danny, the chap who helped me the first time was there to scan in my visa and helped me get a bankers draft for no charge. Shockingly, the teller had a really good sense of humour, which made the whole experience--dare I say it?--enjoyable. With bankers draft in hand, I went back, paid my deposit, and gave them checks for the entire year. I guess they just cash it on the first of the month. Which actually seems to be a far more efficient way to do it. There was a weird thing with getting the keys. Something about them being unsure which keys were the right ones, so one of the guys from the office drove me to the flat to make sure I could get in and out. Nice man, and it was good to actually know where I was going. My first impression of the flat was that it was nice and clean, a bit like a small dorm. We have built-ins, so it kind of reminded me of the dorms at American. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just a bit different from what I was expecting.
On the way back down to collect my luggage, I was hoping to stop in the Primark to get some cheap sheets. Unfortunately, while I saw the bags, I couldn't find the store. And, stupidly, didn't think to ask anyone. So, I went to British Home Store (BHS) to go get some sheets £125 later, I was ready to make my bed. So I overpaid. Egh, it was bound to happen. I grabbed a cab and took my bags and sheets, pillows, etc., back to the flat. My flatmate, Chris moved in, but didn't end up staying the night due to some mix up with the office. All in all, after my delicious (yeah) sandwich from the Sainsbury's up the road, I did a little exploring of the neighborhood. There's a mosque right near me, as long as a few grocery stores. The pubs mostly seem to be on the side streets, but there's a great park right next to my flat, and I'm only 10 minutes away from the uni! Score.
There's more to update, replete with descriptions of the flatmates, new friends, and all the fun that is international orientation. But that'll have to come later. Until then, cheerio!
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