So, apparently it never really rains here, we happened to chose the 3 days where it pretty much feels like the U.K. only with American-sized storms. fab. nothing better than a touch of home... The Forever 21 is awesome though.
Bring on Cali!
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Tuesday 17 May 2011
NC--PA--LA--TX.
Studying done. Semester over. Summer is finally here.
The last few days in Granville were so sad. My friends made me a huge card, bought a Carolina bear and a cupcake from sugarland, and got all the people on our hall to sign it... So sweet of them, and it's nice to have some evidence of the life I have had out here, something to make me believe that the experience and he friends I have made are actually real!!
Finals were a bit of a blur of libraries, stress and far too much caffeine, and proved a completely different experience to that at King's (i.e. streakers and 10 minute raves). So glad they are done! Though I was sad to leave each exam knowing I'd probably not see any of the other kids again, or the professors. Feels very odd.
I tried to catch up with most people before leaving, class friends, my mentor Imani (though Im seeing her again in DC) hall friends, etc. So it was a gradual process of bereavement at least, haha. Imani and I went to Yo-Po, the best fro-yo place in Chapel Hill, and had a bit of a teary-moment in there. We must have looked like such idiots sat blubbing into our little cups, haha. But I really will miss her and her absolute craziness, along with most things here in the hill...
 |
| Ginger, Me with the giant card and cupcakee, Melissa, Anna and Ryan. |
Its also been Royal-Wedding hype ahoy around the States recently...In the last couple of classes a few people approached me to ask if I was excited, and if I was going to watch it, and how wonderful it all was....blady bla. It was quite exciting, except for the reason I saw it all live was due to the fact I had 3x 10-page papers due, and so was still in the Library at 5am when they began airing it... Got an A- on that one though! :)
I tried to catch up with most people before leaving, class friends, my mentor Imani (though Im seeing her again in DC) hall friends, etc. So it was a gradual process of bereavement at least, haha. Imani and I went to Yo-Po, the best fro-yo place in Chapel Hill, and had a bit of a teary-moment in there. We must have looked like such idiots sat blubbing into our little cups, haha. But I really will miss her and her absolute craziness, along with most things here in the hill...
Anyway, amidst the blurr of finals, packing, goodbye's and final parties, we actually left Chapel Hill. I can't quite believe it, and it's only because every day since then has been so jam packed that I think we haven't taken it in completely. Plus I know I'm going back for a day so it's not quite goodbye.
Fresh Prince'ing it up...
After a disastrous start of missing our mega bus, we ended up driving up to Philadelphia the Saturday after the end of term (!) with two other exchange guys, Sam and Lawrence.
We couch surfed with a guy there, Joe, which was amazing. He was great and showed us around town and best of all, freee accommodation. :) Philly was interesting. It's an odd city, with a lot of poverty which really struck us. There are cool markets, and we went and did the constitution stuff, seeing where it was signed etc. and went to the site of Rocky, running up the steps in true tourist fashion, and we even made it across the border to New Jersey, though it was slightly scary over there so we quickly returned, taking only Italian-made pizza back across with us. We also met up with two other Kings people who studied at UPENN this semester, Alex and Christine. The campus is beautiful, v. Oxbridge'y and although I think UNC has an incredible campus, you can tell that that school is private and has money...seriously.
We couch surfed with a guy there, Joe, which was amazing. He was great and showed us around town and best of all, freee accommodation. :) Philly was interesting. It's an odd city, with a lot of poverty which really struck us. There are cool markets, and we went and did the constitution stuff, seeing where it was signed etc. and went to the site of Rocky, running up the steps in true tourist fashion, and we even made it across the border to New Jersey, though it was slightly scary over there so we quickly returned, taking only Italian-made pizza back across with us. We also met up with two other Kings people who studied at UPENN this semester, Alex and Christine. The campus is beautiful, v. Oxbridge'y and although I think UNC has an incredible campus, you can tell that that school is private and has money...seriously.
Joining the already splintered international group, (it's crazy seeing how far everyone is across the states, there are people everywhere!), we left the boys behind there, as they drove up to Canada as Faye and I flew down to New Orleans to meet Jodie.
N'Orleans
New Orelans New Orleans New Orleans... basically what it says on the tin. Town of partying, tourism, and an all year round mardi gras feel. The tourisity feel to the place was quite overwhelming at first, as we felt as though we were being conned left right and center... We took a boat trip up the Mississippi which was cool, though overpriced and with little to see, really. But after a day or so we got a bit more used to it, unfortunately close to leaving.
It's interesting though, as a place evidently scarred yet living alongside the natural disasters it frequently faces. It was strange to speak to people who actually experienced Katrina, and see how they coped and what the atmosphere was like. Flooding to them is normal, one barman told me. Most of the buildings are waterproofed up to about 4 feet above ground level as that sort of flooding isn't a big deal at all to them. In fact the banks of the river were high whilst we were there and there was supposed to be an influx of water into the river coming soon after we left...
The French Quarter is also beautiful, in parts really feels like being in Paris or something. And there are buskers everywhere, which is awesome. When we got off of the plane there was a marching band in the airport, (!) and they gave us a tip off to get free entry to see a jazz band! So that was our first night there, pretty nice. It felt like we were just getting to know the place and know our way around a bit more when it was time to leave for Texas already...
Hanging out on that there Guadalupe, Austin.
Texas is not how I expected at all. Austin is such a lovely city, just not....texan how I imagined!! No cowboys, you know? Its clean and buzzing, and like London in that its very walkable, too. Felt much more at home here, and less bombarded with leering men (being three girls is so annoying sometimes), and people begging and shouting at you. We went up to the springs today and swam in part of the river which has been made into a huge natural swimming pool. One you get over the sensation of swimming around with algae it was great! We also hired canoes and paddled down the river for a while, which was so beautiful. The river was full of turtles and fish, we got up so close to some of them whilst gliding along in the boats! That again was surreal as we came to sections of the river where you could just see the city skyline, whilst being sat in a canoe on a river.... so strange.
Anyway, with a flight up to Denver tomorrow I am going to join the other two and sleep. Hope everyone's doing ok, and a very HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY to my lovely friend Gem, so sad I wasn't there to share it with you my dear and I can't wait to see you.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wednesday 4 May 2011
Tuesday 3 May 2011
LDOC.
I just finished my first American "final" [yippee] so thought I would catch up with actually having a bit of a life... Somewhat. Blogging and skyping home, and helping friends to pack . . . :'(
It went okay I think, exams are yet one more thing which send my two countries flying apart... You go to class like usual, sit like usual, have your bags like usual, chat like usual until the teacher turns up... My friend Buddy and I studied together last night and then this morning, firing back and forward essay ideas and questions which was v productive! So we walked in this morning and I had to go buy a blue book with the help of the American, you have to buy them from the student stores, and they are these A5ish size little books with blue covers just like the ones you use in primary school. With ruled, wide lines! So strange. We sat the exam which was 3 hours but people took 50mins-2hr15 to do it...
LDOC = Last Day of Class, for those of you as confused as I was when people started saying this all the time!!
The last day of classes was last week, this week is exam week. I can't believe it!!
There were major celebrations on the LDOC, I had a paper due at midnight which sucked, so just studied, but I came out of the library at 2am and the frat houses were going wild... I'll miss the craziness of the Frats even though they are generally awful things.
Even studying is a collective effort at UNC though, which I love. The night after LDOC there was a group of about 50 streakers in the center of campus, they ran down the 8 floors of the library Imani, Nick and I were in, then out into the pitt and into the coffee shop, then into the other library. We followed them in there, where they proceeded to do back flips and everyone sang the school song. Then we all just went back to work. So. Strange. But such are the lives of American college students, I am coming to see. I love it. So much better than dull old revision alone!!
Tonight there's a flash rave outside the library, where for about 10 minutes the students just go crazy and dance around. Last time there was a DJ and people dancing on the roof...
It's also been rather exciting around here with Bin Laden's death, too. I was just studying in my room when Anna came running in to tell me... There were people setting off fireworks in the corridor, and everyone was running about going wild as spontaneous parties began on Franklin. People just dropped their work to go out and party for the death of someone who has caused such an incredible amount of damage and pain. It was quite a spectacular night to be in the States for. We watched Obama's speech on TV last night, too..
The weather's been perfect and I have enjoyed my last couple of weeks revising with friends and spending time in the hill, despite the horrendous work load. I just can't think about leaving right now!
I wrote my final article in the DTH, too. It was on the theatre group Lab! who I wrote the front page'r with, and their plans for the next academic year. Strange to think that all this will still be going on and I wont be here!
http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/blog/canvas/2011/04/lab_theatre_preps_for_next_year039s_seaon
xxx
It went okay I think, exams are yet one more thing which send my two countries flying apart... You go to class like usual, sit like usual, have your bags like usual, chat like usual until the teacher turns up... My friend Buddy and I studied together last night and then this morning, firing back and forward essay ideas and questions which was v productive! So we walked in this morning and I had to go buy a blue book with the help of the American, you have to buy them from the student stores, and they are these A5ish size little books with blue covers just like the ones you use in primary school. With ruled, wide lines! So strange. We sat the exam which was 3 hours but people took 50mins-2hr15 to do it...
LDOC = Last Day of Class, for those of you as confused as I was when people started saying this all the time!!
The last day of classes was last week, this week is exam week. I can't believe it!!
There were major celebrations on the LDOC, I had a paper due at midnight which sucked, so just studied, but I came out of the library at 2am and the frat houses were going wild... I'll miss the craziness of the Frats even though they are generally awful things.
Even studying is a collective effort at UNC though, which I love. The night after LDOC there was a group of about 50 streakers in the center of campus, they ran down the 8 floors of the library Imani, Nick and I were in, then out into the pitt and into the coffee shop, then into the other library. We followed them in there, where they proceeded to do back flips and everyone sang the school song. Then we all just went back to work. So. Strange. But such are the lives of American college students, I am coming to see. I love it. So much better than dull old revision alone!!
Tonight there's a flash rave outside the library, where for about 10 minutes the students just go crazy and dance around. Last time there was a DJ and people dancing on the roof...
It's also been rather exciting around here with Bin Laden's death, too. I was just studying in my room when Anna came running in to tell me... There were people setting off fireworks in the corridor, and everyone was running about going wild as spontaneous parties began on Franklin. People just dropped their work to go out and party for the death of someone who has caused such an incredible amount of damage and pain. It was quite a spectacular night to be in the States for. We watched Obama's speech on TV last night, too..
The weather's been perfect and I have enjoyed my last couple of weeks revising with friends and spending time in the hill, despite the horrendous work load. I just can't think about leaving right now!
I wrote my final article in the DTH, too. It was on the theatre group Lab! who I wrote the front page'r with, and their plans for the next academic year. Strange to think that all this will still be going on and I wont be here!
http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/blog/canvas/2011/04/lab_theatre_preps_for_next_year039s_seaon
xxx
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