Drink Life As It Comes, Straight No Chaser

Back in the US of A!

2006-05-24T17:50:00.000+01:00

I've been back since Monday night! Strange thing is, it feels like I never left. Being abroad already feels like it was so long ago, like a dream. I haven't had jet lag because my sleeping patterns were so off in the UK that they're pretty normal here. How... pleasantly odd?

I had a fantastic time abroad though. I know at times it was rough, but overall, I'm so glad I did it. If anything, it taught me to become more independent and self sufficient. It reinforced my belief that I can take care of myself. Plus, I got to see and do some pretty cool things. I'm also really excited to be back here so I can continue on to the next chapter of my life: my last year at NEU, the LSAT's, and applying to law school. I'm hoping to return to Europe next year, maybe in the spring? We'll see.

I keep having nightmares about not being able to fit everything into my suitcases to come home, even though I'm already home. Weird. The weather here has been beautiful, too. Yay!

In other news... I'm heading up to Boston to visit next Thursday thru Saturday. I'm trying to decipher the chinatown bus schedules from the Mohegan Sun. So as soon as I do that, I will be set. I'm going to visit MGH, UHCS, and my lovies. And the fountain at the reflecting pool is fixed! I am so psyched about that!

It turns out that Kev is staying in Boston for co-op. It was a very pleasant turn of events. I had already assumed that he'd be out of the country, or at least out of state for it, so I was already okay with that idea. I mean, we'd already been apart studying abroad, right? It'll be fun to have him in the same city again!

Hmm... that's basically it. I'm having a nice relaxing time in the EL so far... granted it's only been a couple of days, but it's been cool. I've seen my Kate*love, and that is phenomenal. I missed her like the dickens. I also got to see Brad and MegHan because they came to the airport when I got in -- what a fantastical surprise indeed! And today, I got an LSAT book, so I'm going to start looking through that. Emily comes home June 1st... I can't wait. It's going to be a good month at home.

I took tons of pictures of Edinburgh and London, so I will post those soon, I promise!

Happy Mothers' Day

2006-05-14T22:00:00.000+01:00

It never fails; I'm always uncomfortable when I'm around family. I think it's because I'm forced to be the good little Indian girl and not myself. There is much more to me than the Good Little Indian girl. Hell, I don't even look like her. I'm glad I'm going home on the 22nd instead of the 27th -- I can go home and be myself.

My 3 year old cousin is the first child in my history of working and being around children that makes me want to hide. She's cute and precocious, but disobedient and a smart ass all at once. In ways that are far from adorable. My aunt and uncle need to learn how to discipline her. Example: we went out to go grocery shopping and to a flea market. Ten minute walk, tops. She's done it before, she did it yesterday. But today, she starts throwing a fit, saying her feet hurt and that she can't walk anymore. Umm... yeah, no. Since I carried her halfway on the way there. My uncle indulges her, but she's too big to carry easily, especially when trying to carry groceries. After he puts her down, she starts to throw a tantrum again, and my aunt and uncle clearly don't know what to do with her. So I just grab her by the hand and march her home. She was so surprised that someone wasn't bending over backwards for her that she forgot about her tantrum. When I was little, I was afraid of my mother and never acted that way. My mom told me so on the phone today. But this one? Eugh. Good luck to my aunt and uncle.

Tomorrow, I've got a lunch and Oxford Circus frolicking date with Emily. Yay! Naturally, we're going to Pret, because I love sandwiches to an almost unhealthy degree. Mmm... Wednesday, we've got drinking/poptart plans at night, and Andy gets here on Friday night. Wheeee. I'm tired of being stuck in Hounslow. My uncle doesn't want to go out if it's raining or looks like it will. If all Londoners did that, nobody would ever go outside.

I don't mean to make them sound bad. They're really nice people. I mean, I grew up playing with my uncle when I was little in India. It's just that they're the quintiessential FOB family, and it makes me uncomfortable because I'm from an entirely different culture and mindset. I feel like I'm back in India.

Hmm... yeah, that's it. Can't wait to go home and see my mom :-)

Londonia... Again!

2006-05-11T23:39:00.000+01:00

Alrighty, after a week or two of hassle and contemplation, I figured out where I'll be leaving from, and when I'm going to London. Drumroll please...

Tomorrow, friday, May 12th, I'll be catching a train out of Wavery Station at 5:00PM, and will be getting into King's Cross station in London at 9:45PM. I will not be returning to Edinburgh. Instead of coming back the day before my flight, I'm going to be catching my Virgin Atlantic (or as Em would put it, Buttlantic) out of Heathrow on the 27th. Wheee!

The only reason I even contemplated coming back is because I didn't know how to get all my luggage to London. But as long as my train gets in after 8 PM, my uncle can pick me up at King's Cross, so all I need to do is get a taxi to Waverly and have the nice Taxi man help me get it to the platform. I've got a direct one way ticket, so no changes till King's Cross. It's also a first class ticket, because that's all that was left. Ohh my. Going out in style. My mom just told me to book it, since the 60 quid for the ticket is less than round trip fare between London and Edinburgh plus the excess baggage fee BMI would give me on my way out. For some reason, NEU booked us economy class tickets that won't allow more than one checked bag, weight limit of 20ish Kg. That is just nuts. They charge apparently 5 quid per Kg of excess luggage. I would be dying. So that is that!

So... Umm... I leave Scotland tomorrow. HOLY CRAP.

I'm excited to go home and get the next chapter of my life underway.

What Is Happening To Our Government?

2006-05-04T22:50:00.000+01:00

When I was 18, I told my father I wanted to be president. We were driving up to Boston and discussing politics. I remember him turning to me and saying, "No, you could never do that. Try something else." as if it were some sort of unfathomably hilarious declaration for his daughter to be making.

From the moment I was conceived, the only thing I probably had going for me in favor of presidential aspirations was that I was an American citizen by birth (as much as we may try to deny it, New Jersey is part of the United States). I am a minority and female. I don't have old family money that affords me connections and security. In fact, I don't have that much money at all. I went to public school, got into college based on my own merits, and worked hard for the grades on my transcript, which are not fantastic, but I am proud of them because it represents me. All of that is quite possibly the complete opposite of what the current president amounted to in the first 20 years of his life.

I just finished reading a Boston Globe article outlining the ways in which President Bush has been blatantly throwing legislature to the dogs. In his entire presidency, he has not vetoed any bills presented to him by congress, however; after signing each bill with a flourish, he has written up signing statements outlining how he interprets the laws he just passed. In these statements, he 'specializes' the law, declaring that several sections are unconstitutional and that he is not required to abide by them because of his executive power as the president and commander in chief of the army. These laws include those that protect the privacy of U.S. citizens. Many of these bills have been passed by congress in efforts to check the president's power, to require him to report when he wiretaps private phone lines or "before diverting money from an authorized program in order to start a secret operation, such as the ''black sites" where suspected terrorists are secretly imprisoned (Boston Globe)".

The list goes on and on, but those are just a few of the laws that he has 'reshaped' that have struck me. Signing statements have become more popular in the last several administrations. Regan, Bush Sr., and Clinton all submitted signing statements with many bills that they signed. The range is in the 100-250 for each president. But these presidents also vetoed bills that they had serious disagreement with. The Current president has passed every bill put before him, and has issued 750 signing statements. Congress is supposed to check the power of the president, as outlined and intended by the U.S. constitution, but since congress is in a Republican majority, it is reluctant to confront a president whose interests are tied with their own. Must I really go on?

I know that politics is corrupt by definition. There is no ideal government, as I'm sure Marx can tell you. But this is a blatant defiance and ignorance of what the United States constitution stands for. By claiming all power to the executive office, President Bush is offsetting the system of balance that our government rests upon. We are not supposed to have just one source of power, we are supposed to balanced by the judicial, executive, and legislative branches. He is not only affecting the current administration but also influencing future administrations with his 'interpretations' of laws. I apologize to those of you who are supporters of the current president, but I just do not understand. I'd love to know what it is you see in him.

It may not be possible, but I would love to see a change. I would love to see someone elected to office who has integrity and the well being of his people in mind. Someone who earns his power through respect and the ability to see past his own beliefs, not with the influence of his family and money. Someone who has made mistakes and learned from them.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/04/30/bush_challenges_hundreds_of_laws

Penguin Weekend

2006-05-02T20:41:00.000+01:00

These past several days have been nothing short of fantastical. Kevin came to see me on Thursday night and left early this afternoon. After he got in, we went to The Southern for drinks, and then just came back to chill and get reaquainted. Friday, we slept in, went to Snax for some amazing paninis, and then walked down Nicholson, North Bridge, Princes Street, and just explored that area a bit. We found a fun little pub called Jekyl and Hyde, and I had a drink called Wrath (Jack, amaretto, pepsi), and I must say, I was pretty pleased. They had a drink for each of the seven deadly sins. It was very fun. It was also supremely beautiful and nice out the entire weekend, quite uncharacteristic compared to Scottish weather thus far. We were able to enjoy some excellent chill time in the Princes Street Gardens. It felt like being back in Boston in the South Garden by the Pru again :-)

The rest of the weekend was pretty great. My exams did not totally kill me. In fact, the Science and Society one went pretty well, I think. I don't think I like how the exams are just two essay questions, because it's difficult to gauge an entire semester's worth of material and learning into two essays. But I think I did alright. Developmental psych was on Monday, and though it wasn't easy, I wasn't completely lost and was skipping on my way back to my room because I was so happy to be done with that one. Kev was fantastic at keeping me de-stressed, just as I'd predicted. The rest of the weekend kind of blurs in my head, but we had an awesome dinner at Bella Italia, drinks and fun stuff with Marky at Centro, and froze our asses off on Calton Hill for the Beltane Fire Festival, which was not as exciting as I thought it would be. There were so many drunk people that I think I enjoyed the idiots who were making fools of themselves on the stage before the show more than I enjoyed the actual festival. It was quite interesting, haha.

I've got one last exam this coming monday, and then I am FREE. I am starting to realize just how soon I will be going home, and I have that funny antsy nervous feeling in my stomach whenever I think about it. Excitement and anticipation mixed with that surreal feeling of "I can't even believe I just did this". I also got the research assistant position in Professor Pearlmutter's lab! I now have my directed study and can co-op in the spring! I was so happy when I got that e-mail that I was acting like a total fool.

I'm going to go work on keeping myself awake so I can head to bed at a reasonable hour and sleep for at least 10 hours straight. I've been severely sleep deprived. But in a good way.

Hope everyone finishes up the last bit of their semesters with no fuss or severe mental damage!

PS- Kev got me the best earrings from Prague! A dangly spangly pair, and another that I don't even know how to describe except that they are perfect for me. What a smart boy :-)

(Pictures are of the Princes Street Gardens, Kev with a life sized Scottish Winnie the Pooh in the Disney Store, and me and the Penguin at Centro)

Happy Thursday!

2006-04-27T20:11:00.000+01:00

Today is April 27th. This time next month, my plane will be landing at Boston Logan Airport in an hour and half. How crazy is that?! I cannot believe that I'm almost done. I've got a lot planned for my last month here, so it won't be dull, either.

My camera is finally back in my hands. It took forever for it to be repaired and sent back to me, but now I can take more pictures of Edinburgh -- this place is absolutely gorgeous in the spring time. Whenever I am outside now (not often due to studying) I just marvel at Arthur's Seat looming in the background of Pollock Halls. I live in a postcard. This is glorious. I'm also going to the Beltane Fire Festival on sunday, so I hope to get pictures of that to share with everyone too.

This is a quick entry because I still have tons of articles I want to review and take notes on for my Science and Society final on saturday morning, and I am leaving to pick up Kevin at the airport in a hour. I'm so excited to see him here! I really want to show him around this place. First stop tonight is to The Southern for a few drinks. It's one of my favorite places; the bartender's are really nice, it's not a crazy crowded loud place, and the atmosphere is very comfortable -- low lit with candles and lots of comfy couches. And then tomorrow we'll probably walk around to the Royal Mile, Princes Street, George Square, and other stuff.

A lot more to follow after his visit is over, I promise :-)

I Am Exactly Where I Was 3 1/2 Hours Ago

2006-04-20T03:07:00.000+01:00

But in between 11:30 and now, I was at Liquid Rooms with Kelly and Cailin. It was an alright time. I mostly went because I needed to get out. I've been holed up in my room trying to study since I got back from break. I say "try" because I clearly have not been getting anywhere. There's so much material that I don't know how to know it all well enough to write essays on it. I wish we knew the topics that will be on the exams. In my Science and Society class, the professor gave us the topics, which is wonderful because I still need to study, but I know what to study. We covered a lot of ground in my psychology classes, and it seems ridiculous to base an entire semester's grade on two essays. I'm also freaking out because I've never had an exam like that. I'm used to multiple choice and short answer tests, which I like for classes that cover so much information.

Tomorrow, I'm going to lock myself up in the psychology library. The lecture slides and notes that I have aren't helping, so I'm hoping just to read all of the references and figure stuff out that way. Why is it that I know more about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (they had the baby by the way, guess it's not fake) than I do about this stuff? I really wish that professors taught in a more interesting way. Looking back on these notes, I find that they're not terribly cohesive or geared toward keeping the student interested. It's just information. If I end up as a professor, I've decided that I'm going to make it the class that students look forward to coming to. There's nothing worse than being eager for a class and then hating it, not because the material is boring, but the professor is.

Next week is freakout week. My first exam is next saturday, the 29th at 9:30 AM. I'll be okay for it, since it's Science and Society (that professor is pretty good). But I will have to make sure I'm prepared for Developmental Psych as well, which is that following Monday, the 1st, because Kev is coming to visit on the 27th until the 2nd of May. I really wish my exam dates hadn't gotten changed on me. They weren't even supposed to start until the 8th for me, and now they end on the 8th. In a way, it gets them out of the way, but damn, it kind of puts a damper on Kev's visit.

The Beltane Fire Festival is on the 30th! I'm so excited! I bought my tickets earlier tonight. I've been looking forward to this since before I got here. It's a celebration for the coming of spring that happens anually on Calton Hill. There will definitely be pictures!

Also, After my last exam (May 8th), Ethan is coming to see me! He'll be here from the 8-10. Then I believe I'll be heading to London for the rest of my stay to be with family that live in Hounslow, right near Heathrow. During my last weekend in Europe, Andy is coming to see me! I'm very excited.

I think that once the academic stress that has been eating me alive for the past 5 months is gone, I will be having more fun. Here's to hoping!

London Is For Lovers

2006-04-11T01:09:00.000+01:00

Glorious London, how I love thee. After having lived in a city for the last three years, I am able to see London in a different light than when I first saw it as a naive small town girl. The mystery of the tube and bus system unraveled before my eyes, streets on a map made sense in real life, and the bright colors, sounds, and life didn't seem so startling. It was definitely a good time.
Friday:
Jess and I took the train down from Edinburgh and arrived around 7:30 at night. Ethan met us at King's Cross and we traipsed to Argyle Square, which is a few steps away from the station. I accidentally tried to check us into the wrong hotel, but recognized the right one a few steps away on the same street. Our room was pretty nice, especially considering that we got it at about $30 a night per person and that it was in such a great location. We got dinner and went off to Piccadilly Circus to taste some nightlife. We went into a pub called The Hogs Head (yes, very reminiscent of Harry Potter, but only in name) that seemed to be plopped into a piece of Chinatown. Sadly, they would not let me walk out with my bottle of Stella. After a drink there, we went to meet Kevin in front of the big flashy pseudo times square screen. It was fantastic! We made it into the Luicester right before last call, and I was able to buy Kev his first (and hopefully not last) pint of Stella. Then we finally found some of his friends who were traveling with him and went to The Warwick, which had a great cellar atmosphere and pitcher drinks. Try the Golden Delicious, my friends. Sooo tasty.

After drinking and dancing, we all finally got our acts together and managed to get home. I cannot believe how expensive minicabs are in London. Thank god for Edinburgh. Kev came back with us, and I had a great time with him that night and the next day. We walked around the Kings Cross area and got breakfast, and then parted on the Piccadilly line -- he had to meet up with friends and catch his flight to Amsterdam and I wanted to go see my Uncle's family. But it was really awesome that we were in London together. Almost mind blowing because it was so cool.

My Uncle totally didn't recognize me at the Hounslow West station partly because i was wearing sunglasses and partly because the last time I'd seen him was 8 years ago. I finally got to meet my aunt, who is quite possibly one of the nicest people ever. And then my little cousin, who will be three on the 17th. She is a handful, but
according to my mom, that's exactly how my uncle was when he was a kid. It was so funny to see him playing with her, because that's how he'd play with me with i was a little kid. Having grown up with my uncle, it's cool to see him with his own kids. Time is a fascinating thing. I'm going to be staying with them my last two-ish weeks in Europe once my exams are done. I'm really excited to wander around London with my Aunt! It also made me not rush my visit this time because I knew I'd be back.
Sunday:
Sunday was lazy. We slept in, got breakfast, and then grabbed munchies and settled back into the hotel room. Ethan was sick, and I was getting sick, so it was a good way to spend the day. Batman and Robin was on TV! It was glorious. I met up with Emily for dinner. It was great to see how London had become a part of her. It made me realize that that's how I see Boston, and now, Edinburgh. We went to Wagamama, which is the BEST restaurant name I have ever heard. And they make kickass chilli chicken ramen. I suggest you all induldge. Em came back with us and hung out, and it was bliss. Saturday:

Life Outside of Spring Break:
Today, I returned to Edinburgh. On the 4 1/2 hour train ride, I read Smashed: Growing Up A Drunk Girl, which was a really, really good memoir. I also bought Sickened, an autobiography of a woman's childhood who was a victim of Munchausen By Proxy (by her mom), which Ethan told me was actually a small percentage of child abuse cases, but seemed to dominate media and literature. Cool. I am excited to read it, since we briefly studied Munchausen By Proxy in abnormal psych freshman year. But it may have to wait, because I start studying for exams tomorrow, and I am going all out for it. I managed a 69% for the semster in philosophy, so i am exempt. Yay!!! I'm really, really happy that I managed to get exempt and also do relatively well. I enjoy working hard as long as I get rewarded for it, just like any other person. I hope the same perseverance pays off for my finals.

I just got off the phone with my mom. We were catching up on gossip and my break. Apparently, my older cousin is finally getting married, and (gasp), it's a LOVE marriage. I am really happy for her, because this arranaged marriage crap is literally that; crap. My mother is a firm advocate of choosing someone you want to spend your life with, rather than having someone you don't know suddenly becoming your lifelong spouse. She told me that it is something that ruined her life, and she'd hate to see it happen to me. She is great. Apparently, a family friend in CT got married in January, and there was a big dinner party on saturday to meet his wife. My mom said they didn't seem like they belonged together, but they picked each other, so who knows. More remarkable were the young Indian women there with their American husbands. my mom and her friend thought it was great, and surprisingly enough, my dad did, too. These are all good things. Because I know I cannot guarantee I'll end up with an Indian guy. I'm lucky that my parents, or at least my mom, put my happiness before stupid things like race and religion.

I like that people don't stop learning and growing up once they stop being kids. It's quite reassuring.

(pictures are of London, my little cousin, and Jess's visit to Edinburgh)

Copenhagen, Bitches!

2006-04-05T18:18:00.000+01:00

I'm baaaaack...
Denmark was a lot of fun! I didn't do too much sightseeing (i hate being tourist-y), but I did get to walk around Copenhagen and see the Mueseum Erotica, go to a couple bars, and just have some fun. It was really great to see Kev, and I can't wait to show him around Edinburgh. When I got in late Thursday night, we went from the

airport to Mojo, a blues bar where Kev usually plays a set on Thursday nights. It was small, smokey, and perfect for the blues. It was fun to watch him play. I got to meet some of his friends, too. Friday, we just hung out, and that was nice. I missed just chilling out and not doing anything. Especially with him. So yay! The whole weekend was mostly laid back, going out a couple nights, meeting some of his friends, and stuff. Monday night, my last night there, we went out to dinner in Copenhagen to Chico's Cantina, which was GREAT. We had some kickass margaritas, nachos, and enchiladas. Mmm, so good. It was a really fun night; I almost peed myself from laughing so much. And I finally saw Madagascar, which was funny to my childish sense of humor. Those penguins rock.

It was cool how we saw how the other had changed (in good ways) during these months abroad, because neither of us had realized we'd really changed at all. He seems more uninhibited, and that's pretty excellent. I had a lot of fun.

Last night, my plane got into Edinburgh around 10:00 PM, and Jess was already in the international arrivals waiting for me. We hopped a bus, and then a cab to my place. We wanted to go out for drinks at The Crags, but it was closed. So weird. So we got chinese food and watched The Girl Next Door instead. We're probably going out tonight. It's nap time now -- we're doing laundry and are full from excellent food from Newington Coffee Shop. Mmm, yay. I'm hoping to show her around more tomorrow, and then, Friday...

LONDON!

It makes me a little sad b/c it means my fun is almost over and I'll have to study soon, but I'm also looking forward to all the fun I'll have -- seeing Em, my aunt and uncle, ethan, kev and his friends... should be spectacular

Alright, time to switch laundry, and sleep.

Honeymoon In Belfast!

2006-03-29T18:24:00.000+01:00

My trip to Belfast to see Ethan was the perfect start to my break. I got there around 3 in the afternoon on Friday and left yesterday afternoon. He took me to a restaurant called Thai Village for dinner, which was way good. I missed Pad Thai, so it was fantastical all in my mouth. It was really rainy and gross, so we stayed in and hung out -- it was really nice because we love to just chill together. Next day, we went walking around the City Centre, did some shopping, then went to QueerSpace to meet some of his friends, and then went to The Union Bar for some drinks. We both sang Karaoke and got free drinks; it was quite spectacular :-) We left there, picked up Chinese takeaway, and went back to his place to watch Heathers and hang out. No partying because he had a rugby game the next morning.

So we went to the game, and altho they didn't put Ethan in to play, it was cool to watch. The other team had a ton of international players, and they kind of kicked Cooke's (Ethan's team) ass, but it was okay. Those players are tough. It was really cold out and by the end of the game, it was raining. After getting some food and heading back to Elms Village (Ethan's dorm), I took a really long hot shower b/c I was still freezing for some reason, and we kind of just stayed in. I was really worn out for some reason. We ordered pizza, watched Breakfast Club, and Ninja Turtles. I passed out pretty early, oops. Monday, I met up with Ethan and some of his friends at the Madison Hotel for lunch after his first class. They were very cool people. After, we went to his philosophy lecture, which was more interesting than ANY philosophy lecture I've had at Edinburgh. The first part of class, we watched the first ten minutes of Apocalypse Now. Brutal. Then more walking around the City Centre and taking pictures (most are up on facebook, will try to upload to webshots sometime). Everything there closes by 5 or 6PM, and that is ridiculous. I thought Edinburgh was bad, but I guess I was wrong. We met up at the Union for drinks with some more of Ethaniel's friends who were really fun. After a while there, we went to one of the guy's apartments to drink some more. They set down a bottle of Jack in front of me. Hahaha. I love the Irish. Oh, I also had some uber fantastic paninis at Esquire while Ethan waged his happy war on the messy sandwiches. Bliss.

So the trip was great, aside from the public transportation being on strike in Belfast, which mean having to pay 25 pounds (about $50) for a cab to the airport, and then local buses in Edinburgh were also striking, so I had to take another cab from North Bridge to my dorms. Yuck. But aside from the ridiculous money I spent, I had a fantastic time! I love seeing Ethan, and I get to see him again next Friday in LONDON! Hoorah!

Today, I'm basically unpacking, repacking, running some last minute errands, doing lunch with Kelly, maybe walking around to take some pictures (Ethan gave me his camera to use for Demark, how great is he?) and probably go to sleep at a reasonable hour. I need to leave for the airport around 12:30/1:00 tomorrow. Oh. I should probably get a start on studying a bit... blah.

It was great to see how similar yet different Belfast was from Edinburgh, even though they are both cities in the UK. I found that Edinburgh is a place that is more tolerant of the queer community than Belfast. It was... interesting. Ethan and I got funny looks from people when we were walking down the street, and Ethan explained that it was probably because they assumed that we were lesbians and together. Even if we were, I don't understand why people would take something like that personally and take it upon themselves to be assholes about it.

Copenhagen tomorrow!!!

(Pictures are of The Europa Hotel -- most bombed hotel in Belfast, me in a telephone booth, and Belfast Town Hall)

Term Is OVER

2006-03-23T22:19:00.000Z

Today was the last day of class for me! That was really, really, REALLY fast. I mean, if we'd started later and had a week spring break, plus random days off like we normally do back at home, it would have been longer. But an 11 week term is short enough as it is, and then no breaks. It's a straight shot, and it flew right past me. I was so busy trying to keep on top of all my work (came nowhere close) and just focused on the day-to-day that I didn't notice that almost three months have gone by. I have a little bit more than two months left. I don't understand how this always happens to me -- time flies by it seems, and always catches me by surprise.

Although, these three months abroad have afforded me a much different lifestyle than back at home. I took it as a chance to experiment with my work habits/ethic, and to listen to myself over other people. As a result, I think my grades have been better, and my social life not so crazy. But it's not a terrible change. I don't miss waking
up for class in the morning completely wiped out because I was out late the night before, and only got 4 hours of sleep. I don't miss spending a ton of money on things I don't want to do just because other people want to do it (granted, it happens here sometimes, but not too ridiculous I think). And most importantly, I've had time to myself. I hope that I can keep up that habit when I go home. I have a tendency to neglect taking care of myself, like giving myself a day off from work or partying, letting myself sleep, actually going to the doctor when I'm sick, etc. It's been rather nice.

This past week has been a bit hectic, not only because I had to get the last of my essays done for submission, but also because I had to figure out my classes and schedule. This would have been something much more easily done if i were on campus, and in the proper time zone. I have come to appreciate e-mail a lot more than I used to. When I get back, I'll be a year away from graduation. This means I've got to start scouting out grad schools and make sure I'm ready for the GRE's.

A great reminder that even when you leave the country, the rest of life goes on. And may be a bit faster than you'd think :-)

Tomorrow at 1:50 PM, Easyjet is taking me from Edinburgh to Belfast to reunite me with one of my best friends, Ethan. I'm really excited to spending several days with him and see Belfast. He's gotten to come see me twice for two short one-day trips, and itll be a fun change to go see someone instead of being visited. After that, I'm off to Copenhagen to see Kevin, and the following week I return here to be visited by Jess, and together we're going to London to meet up with Ethan and some other friends who are in the area.

It's going to be traveling up and out the wazoo. I will be happy to be sitting still and studying in my room for the two and half weeks after I get back. Okay, maybe not that happy.

I need to go back to packing, and tidying things up before I head out tomorrow. (The pictures are from St.Patrick's Day, and the birthday party we had for Sonia, one of my friends from Spain)

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day Y'all

2006-03-18T13:43:00.000Z

I had my first St.Patrick's day in a place that is more crazy about it than in Boston. For some reason, 1 out of every 2 people I met turned out to be Irish, and from Dublin. When I asked them why they weren't celebrating in Dublin, they said, "Well, we're always in Dublin. It's nice to get a change". Good point. We started celebrating around 3:30 in the afternoon, and apparently, that was late. When we got to The Three Sisters, the place was overflowing with people and pints. It was a good time, and really cool to see everyone just partying together, even with people they didn't even know. I'm sure the social lubricant in their glasses helped a bit.

I got beer spilled all over my corduory blazer (I'm leaning toward Guinness), kissed by an Irishman, got asked, "parlez-vous francais?", been tailed by too many drunken men to count, and was even proposed to.

Gotta love it.

I really loved how they played songs like "Sweet Home Alabama" and the Irish national anthem back to back. It was just hilarious, and I loved it. After two pubs, around 10:00, I called it quits and left for home. There's only so much partying I can take. The rest of the group went on to an irish pub called Dropkick Murphey's (yeah, I know. I should've gone, but I was beat). Then onto some club. I caught a cab and was grateful to be sitting down, in my nice quiet, alcohol and drunken irishman-free room.

It was a good day, and a fun experience. Maybe next time I'll last longer :-)

Today, I've got to finish up my last essay. It's for my philosophy class, and I need to argue the point, "Should we be so skeptical of the external world?". I'm sure you can feel the enthusiasm for this one on my end. Barf. Oh well. I was struck by brilliance a few nights ago, and actually have a decent thesis and first page to work with. The difficulty of arguing with skepticism that the worst(best?) skeptic can just keep asking the question, "Well, how do you know that?" until a)your reasoning and wits dry up b)you want to punch aforementioned skeptic in the face.

I've also got to figure out my scheduling for my last year at NEU, as well as co-op/internship options. I need to find my own internship if I want a good chance at being able to only do a 4 month one. This lets me take a class and directed lab study summer I of 2007, and then two more whatever classes summer II (hopefully a minor?). Otherwise, I may have to opt out of a second co-op (boooo) and graduate by spring 2007 or try to get a directed study for the summer I portion of my co-op. It's all such a mess. I just want to finish at the end of August, so I can start graduate work in the fall.

Anyways, off to work. I can't believe classes are DONE next week. My last Science and Society class is tuesday, last Developmental psych lecture was yesterday, last Psych of Thinking and Language is monday, and that's it. Philosophy is rubbish and I don't really need to go the last lectures (yeah exemption!) and I have one 50 minute tutorial on thursday. Bliss.

Friday: Belfast and Ethaniel, here I come!

The Week Ends, The Week Begins

2006-03-11T21:38:00.000Z

I finally got an essay back... drumroll please...

69%! How fantastic is that? All I need is a 51% on my next one, and I'm exempt from the final. Of course, I'm aiming for at least a 69 now, because I'd love to boost my GPA while I'm being exempt from a three hour essay exam on philosophy. Yuck. But that really makes me happy, because I've been working really hard to make sure my grades don't slip. I still need to get an essay grade back from Science and Society.

We went to Garibaldi's on Hanover Street for dinner on Thursday night. It's in the City Centre, between George and Queen's Street, which is the equivalent of Fifth Avenue for Edinburgh. Now, this place is Mexican restuarant, and at the front of the street entrance is a man dressed in a sombrero and poncho to greet all the patrons -- a Mexican wandering around Fifth Avenue! Haha, that alone was worth it for me. The food was pretty good, but the margaritas were better. There were more drinks to choose from on the menu than food. That's got to be a good sign, right?

Emma's friend Audrey came to visit last night. I went to the airport to help pick her up. It's just so funny to see all these foreign people come here... I don't know. Almost because I know what it's like for them. But they don't seem as shell shocked as I was. maybe it's because they're only here to visit. Either way, meeting these new people is cool -- Audrey's at Trinity in Dublin, where she's teaching French and studying (she's also from France). Apparently, the food in Dublin is worse than here. Emma and I couldn't believe our ears. haha.

I have a week and a half left of classes... is it just me, or was that really fast? I know I've said it before, but I can't wait to travel. It's going to be two weeks of glory before a few weeks of hardcore studying.

UK Pub Games Are Pretty KickAss

2006-03-08T23:16:00.000Z

Last night, Brian, Kelly, Mark, and I went to some pub by Grassmarket, near Lothian (aka, one helluva long walk). It was okay though, because I like walking through the city. Just like I like walking through Boston, especially at night. It's quite nice. Anyways, we went to a pub, and there happened to be a football match that night (Barcelona vs. IDon'tKnow) and it was very crowded. It made me think of football and Sox season back at home. We were the only ones not glued to the TV's. We got a couple pints (I had coke since I didn't want to screw with the antibiotics I was on) and settled down in front of one of the game machines. This is the sole purpose for Kelly and Brian wanting to go there. Mark and I were pub-game virgins at that point.

Now, I don't know what bars are really back in the states, but I don't think they have these marvelous machines. It's like a touch screen video game, mostly based on trivia and "skills". We played Mousetrap, Cluedo, Millionaire, and some weird crystal game... our favorite, by far, was Donkey Derby. Yeah, that's right. It was amazing! We managed to spend a few hours in there like it was nothing. We were kind of in the way of these two gentlemen's pool game, but they were really cool about. Score one more point for the really nice Scottish people here. One of them even helped us answer questions and answered some questions for us. He got just as many wrong as us, but it was pretty fun. He also put down a quid so we could all play again. How glorious!

After, we went to Kingfisher, this little food place. Now, the food here, as I've mentioned before, is a bit odd. Mark and I both ordered chips (aka, french fries), except his cost 2.20 quid more than mine, and had meat on top of it. Interesting. I, on the other hand, got my regular chips with red sauce (UK version of ketchup? More vinegar-y). We still don't know how the orders got mixed up. But I think that meat is the reason why he's home sick tonight with a minor form of food poisoning. Hoorah!

Anyways, that night went well. It was good time, but quite similar to anything I'd do in the states. Maybe foreign countries aren't as different as we think they are. Everyone makes their own fun, no matter where they are.

PS- that's me (cavorting around in Mark's Scottish hat)and Kelly. It's far too large for me.

I Conquered The Panini!

2006-03-02T13:43:00.000Z

I feel so incredibly victorious. I wish my camera were here so I could take a picture, but alas, it is not so.

I can't believe I got so worked up over a sandwich.

God Damn The Freshers' Flu

2006-03-01T11:51:00.000Z

I don't think I've been healthy for more than three days at a time since I've been here, and I've been here almost TWO MONTHS. I feel as if I am going to fall over. That's such a wonderful thing, isn't it?

It's a beautiful, sunny day today here in Edinburgh. It's quite nice, and days like today make you realize just how beautiful this place is, and also makes you wish that it were warm, too. It just feels so wrong to be bundled up in such frigid weather, but still be wearing sunglasses because it is so bright out. Although, I think my eyes hurt in the light because they've gotten used to the gloom. I'm sure that if I were in Boston, this amount of sunlight wouldn't bother me. Ahh, sensory adaptation. How I love thee.

So I have three full weeks of classes left as of today. It's not as if I've been in a coma for the past eight weeks, but it's still a shock to know that the term is almost over. Because of Northeastern, I'm used to starting early, but I don't normally finish classes until April, and then exams are all done in the same month. Here, term ends 23 March, and then spring break is from 24 March - 10 April. Exams start April 17, but as of yet, I don't have any exams until the 8th, 11th, and 12th of May, I think. But I am hoping to be exempt from one of those, and my Developmental Psych exam date is yet to be posted. I hope it doesn't screw up my travel plans. I'll find out on the 6th.

Have I written about our cleaning lady? She is quite something. My first monday morning here, I had the living daylights scared out of me when she came in at 9:30 to empty my trash. Yes, folks. I have a cleaning lady who takes out my trash for me every morning, monday through friday. And on tuesdays at 9:30 is my room cleaning, when she 'hoovers' and polishes. I make myself scarce for ten minutes and come back and find my room immaculate. It's crazy, really. I'm so used to doing that all by myself at NEU. What a difference. I'm assuming that all of this is normal here, because another friend told me that his cleaning lady comes twice a week (he lives in a flat). About her, he says, "oh, yes. she's nice, quite chatty". Ours is quite nice. Although, her brogue is quite thick, and sometimes I have to ask her to repeat what she's saying to me. But she's a sweet lady, and always tells me how bad she feels when she sees me leaving for class at 1:30, which is when she goes home for the day.

I've yet to meet a rude person here.

Well, ok. The lady at reception was a bit short with me, but I was being quite thickheaded and difficult.

I was thinking today of all the things I've gotten used to since I've gotten here:

- getting up early just to eat breakfast (since the dining hall closes at 10AM and doesn't re-open for dinner until 5)
- locking my door behind me whenever I leave my room
- walking 30 minutes to class every day
- sharing a bathroom with an entire floor
- asking a million questions because i don't understand anything, and not hesitating to ask them
- eating dinner at 5 or 6! I'm Indian. We don't normally eat till at least 8:30 or 9. But the dining hall closes at 7:30, so I had to get used to it.
- saying "takeaway" instead of "takeout"

Those are just a few everyday things. As I was walking back toward Pollock Halls today, I couldn't help but be awed by Arthur's Seat -- the enormous and beautiful mountain that my dorm is basically nestled under. It's really a magnificent view, and if it weren't right there in front of me, I'd wonder if it'd been photoshopped in. It looked glorious against the bright blue sky today. How often am I going to get to live at the base of a famous mountain?

I haven't climbed it yet, but am planning to in May, which is when i think there is a huge celebration and bonfire for May Day, I think. I'd post pictures, but I can't find the ones of Arthur's Seat, and my camera is still off being repaired. I'll do it eventually though. The first picture (if it worked) is one of Princes Street (can you see the castle in the background? craazzy) and the other is of The Royal Mile.

I Can't Believe I'm Doing This Instead Of My Essay

2006-02-23T01:13:00.000Z

Although, it should not surprise me that I am the biggest procrastinator ever. It's the honors curse. I know that the work will get done by the due date, so I don't really stress out. Instead, I check my e-mail for the 50th time (which is entirely unnecessary, since I use the gmail notifier) and and avoid the work at all costs. I thrive under pressure I think. I'm glad I only have a few more years of education left. I hope. I much prefer my life during co-op than the one I lead as a student. Being here has given me a lot of time to reflect on that stuff.

Ethan came to visit yesterday with his dad! It was cool to show his dad around the city. It reminds me that I am no longer a stranger here. I was able to point things out, explain them... I actually sounded like I knew this place. That was amazing.I had no idea how much culture had seeped into me, via osmosis, until I say something and then think, "oh my god, I would never have known/done/said that in Boston!"

Ethan and I were discussing graduate school, while he was here yesterday, and we both want to go to Harvard. I think that would be a fun endeavor. I think I am more worried about paying $30,000 a year more than I am about getting in. But I am also worried about the latter to a lesser degree. I am most definitely applying for financial aid and scholarships, but I am also thinking that if I have a job or co-op with Harvard, they will pay for school for me. My old work-study supervison, Trevor, did that with Law School. It was a smart move. Ethan also suggested becoming a TA, which not only pays my tuition, but may also provide a stipend for living costs. That is a very tempting idea. I would probably have to pay for my first semester, and then nothing after that. I am going to have to do a lot of researching once I get back to NEU. I am also long overdue for a hearty chat with a career counselor. As much as the idea of working with kids and being a counselor appeals to me, part of me would love to be working at a magazine as an editor or writer. Something about all those words and pictures on glossy pages... mmm, beauty.

That was all so completely unrelated to Scotland. haha. Well, not totally...

I am continually amazed at how great I am at spending money. I think that I would be a terrible investor or banker. It always astounds me at how little purchases just add up to monolithic numbers that I would never come up with on my own. It's even more confusing because of exchange rates. I never know exactly how much I am spending.

It's very hard to live here in the UK and feel good about myself all the time. Everything is just so tall, skinny, and sleek that it makes one who is not those three things feel quite dumpy. I've started eating better, if only to make myself feel good about myself, and that helps. I'd like to be able to swim and keep in better shape, but it's too cold to be walking the 30 minutes back from the pool with wet hair. I've been sick since I got here, and I don't want to make it worse. I wish my immune system were back from hiatus. I miss it. But yeah... not feeling the best here, and I know I have no legitimate reason to be complaining. Oh my... this cannot be healthy.

Alright... I guess I should really get to work now. I think I am doing some Family Guy with Emma later once we get the bulk of our work out of the way tonight. SCORE.

!!!

2006-02-20T01:36:00.000Z

My uncle is moving to London for the year with his family!!! I GET TO VISIT THEM!!! I am so excited! They had a baby girl a few years ago and I've never gotten to see her. I get to meet my cousin! I AM SO EXCITED!!!

2006-02-19T22:15:00.000Z

I cannot believe that I paid 25 pounds for a skirt yesterday at Zara. I must really be ignoring the conversion rate. Once you stop converting here, life becomes a lot easier. Sure, you're still spending a fortune because it's about $1.80 to a pound, but at least you feel better about it.

I couldn't be happier.

So even though I went to bed at 3 AM last night, i was out of bed by 10:30. Can we say heinous? I couldn't lay in bed any longer and trick my body into going back to sleep, so I started taking notes and outlining my essay that's due on friday. I actually made a bit of progress, so I am pleased with myself. Then Emma messaged me and wanted to go to brunch, so we headed on over to the lovely JMC. I had a salad which was pretty good. That is going to be my staple from now on. It's one of the few foods there that I can eat without feeling bad and know it's healthy. Thank god. We sat there for over an our and was joined by another girl that Emma knew, and talked about the most ridiculous things. As usual. Our breakfast conversations are always high class and stimulating. It's nice to have friends here. I don't know how i did it my first two weeks here, when I was still getting to know everyone. I think that's the hardest part of the transition. Making friends.

And now, I am going to continue essaying. My eyes are so tired that I want to just lie down, but I want to get through this article. I have to have dinner with family friends that I've never met before around six. Long story, will explain it later. The thought of making myself presentable just hurts.

Visitors Make The World Go 'Round!

2006-02-17T21:50:00.000Z

Alright, well, the week is over. That was fast.

Ethan's visit was so great! I am so happy that I got to see him -- i've been missing him terribly. It was the best Valentines Day ever. And I get to see him again next tuesday b/c his dad is visiting him in Belfast, and said he'd bring him to Edinburgh! How insanely cool is that? I'm hoping to see him at the beginning of my break as soon as classes are done. My classes are so spread out that it's hard to travel in the middle of the week. Emily was also here with her fantastic friend Sara, and they got to see a bit of Edinburgh. They left today, and i hope they have a safe flight back. we had a grand time buying candy and flapjacks from my student union, haha. it was sooo good to see her. It was cool to see how they saw Edinburgh -- they all are studying abroad in the UK (Ethan in Belfast, Emily and Sara in London), and one of the first things Em said when we were walking down Princes Street to their hotel was, "oh, look! they have a Debenhams of Edinburgh! How cute!". I guess it's funny because why wouldn't London and Edinburgh have the same department stores? I guess we all think of England and Scotland being separate countries, but they are all still tied together. It's quite different. I never know if the shops and stores I see are chains or specific to the area. It was the same with the candy buying in my student union. They were thrilled to replenish their Flump supply for the trip home. Yeah, Flumps. I don't even know, haha.

I am definitely more than halfway through this term already. So scary! That was very, very fast.

Rayna sent me the best package ever - buttered popcorn jelly bellies! SO amazing! Getting mail here has kept me from being too homesick.

Well, i am sleepy. but i need to do work, so I am going to sleepily do some work. yuck.

Traveling and Hate Crimes?

2006-02-11T22:24:00.000Z

Kev and I finally managed to figure out travel dates this morning, so I am going to Copenhagen at the end of March! Yay! I actually got a much better deal than I thought I would through Travelocity... $222 baby! That's so much nicer than the $350ish i'd been seeing everywhere else. So I will be leaving Edinburgh at 4:30 in the afternoon and arriving that night at 10:25 :-) Very, very cool. And then I head back to here the evening of April 4th. Aaaand then... I think he is going to be coming here April 27th-May 2nd. We just have to find plane tickets that don't cost a bazillion dollars. It's a lot harder than it sounds.

Last night, Marky and I got Indian food from Noor on Nicholson. It was actually really good! We may make that a friday ritual. We caught a cab to Stereo (a club) to meet up with Ghazaul for her birthday, but she wasn't there. Turns out that she was waiting with some friends in Bristo Square, and some random drunk girls started hitting her and got into a fight with her for no reason. They called her a Paki (which is totally uncalled for, especially because she's Persian) and nobody stopped the fight. It was not cool, and after going to the police station, she just went home. I wouldn't want to party either. That is terrible though. I would never think that something like that would happen here. Mark was livid and wanted to go find those girls. Oy. So we went to Palmyra to have some kebabs where we got a combo discount b/c they love him and they think i'm pretty. haha. Then off to Southern to get a drink, and we went home. Okay night, but I wish Ghazaul's had gone better. I feel so bad for her. It makes me a little more wary of going out alone here, especially at night.

Right now, I'm eating sushi, listening to Jack Johnson, and contemplating looking up articles on JSTOR to do some reading for class. meh. oh well. So off to work with me, I guess.

PS-ETHAN AND EMILY IN THREE DAYS!!!

Happy 21st To Ghazaul!

2006-02-09T08:54:00.000Z

Tonight, we went out to celebrate Ghazaul's 21st birthday at The Abbey. It was fantastic, because I was also able to celebrate the fact that my Philosophy essay was finally handed in. YAY! That essay was such a nightmare. The lectures in the class are not the most helpful, and almost all of the available lecture topics hadn't been taught yet, or had been taugh the previous semester. I picked John Searle's Chinese Box, and I think it turned out pretty well. I guess we'll have to see. I still don't know how their grading system really works here. I could have done my best, and still get a 45% for all I know. But if I manage a 60% average on both essays this term, I'm exempt from the final! Would that be amazing? I Know that I don't want to take that exam. And a 60 average would be around a B+/A-. Not my preferred grade, but I'll take it over an exam. I'm a terrible test taker. The essay submitting was so strange. There was an essay box to turn them in to, and we had to mark our tutorial number on it. Naturally, I had no idea what mine was, and I think because I'm a visiting student my name wasn't even on the list. After a while, the really nice guy there just told me to turn it in and that he'd figure it out later. Absolutely no one was in lecture this morning because I think they were all frantically finishing their essays, haha.

Anyways, we went to The Abbey and had some drinks. They have a video game that is basically gambling with pretty pictures. Mark and Brian were captivated by it, and I've got to admit, it's pretty addictive. We finally tore them away from the machines, but not before they'd lost several pounds.

I am always amazed at how these bars and pubs don't carry half the drinks we are all familiar with in the states. I will have to wait until I get back to have a margarita. Or an amaretto sour. I mean... after I turn 21, of course.

British Humor Is Weird

2006-02-07T03:43:00.000Z

I spent at least an hour today looking for postcards or Valentines' cards that I could send to my friends from home, and I must have gone to at least five shops. There were really, really bad ones that were supposed to be funny. Something about doughnuts, hamsters, and someone's mome... and then there were grotesquely mushy ones that even the most romantic of people would deem inappropriate to send.

I finally found some semi-normal ones in a shop off of Buccleaugh Place. I never know the shopkeepers just want me to buy something and leave as fast as possible. They all sem nice enough though.

One thing I've been wondering for a while now is why all of the food shops here advertise that they sell hot paninis, yet, upon request of said sandwich, they look at me as if I've got three heads. I have no idea what is going on. Maybe it's an early afternoon thing? Or maybe morning? Nevertheless, I think that by the time I do manage to break the secret of the panini, I will be well on my way back to the states.

It's quite tragic, really. All I want these days is a sandwich. And I don't mean their 'savoury cheese' and chicken and cucumber things. I knew the food here wasn't great, and that is was going to be different. But this is ridiculous! And the caf here makes Stetson East look like Top of the Hub. And I don't even like Top of the Hub! (Their drinks are pretty good though

Glasgow!

2006-02-05T05:18:00.000Z

I went to Glasgow today! It is supposed to be a much more "Scottish" place than Edinburgh. Apparently, there are so many international people (especially Americans), here that it really isn't a Scottish city at all. I really do enjoy that this place is so similar to Boston though. The architechture is absolutely beautiful. However, Glasgow was just as nice. I was inside a cathedral that was built in 1197! That is OLD. We also passed the oldest pub in Glasgow. Or so it claimed. A really nice guy on the ttrain was talking to us, and he happened to be a tour guide. He reccomended that we take the double decker tour of Glasgow. Unfortunately, the people who came with us were a bit on a drag, and they made the entire trip very boring. Once they left, we had a lot more fun shopping and walking around the city. I'd like to go back and enjoy the night life there once term is over.

I've noticed that the people here are a lot nicer than Americans. Nobody here is nasty or mean. I hope I don't get too used to it, or else I'll be in for a nasty shock when I get back to the states.

Mmm...Traveling

2006-01-31T18:15:00.000Z

It's been over three weeks since I've been here. Why does it feel like longer? This past week has not been overly exciting. I went and explored further down Princes Street with some friends and attempted to go shopping. I say "attempted" because either everything was ridiculously expensive, or didn't fit. European sizes and styles aren't the most flattering on an "American" physique, haha. At least I'll save money by not buying clothes here.

I can't wait until march, when I can start doing some major traveling. I was planning on going to Glasgow for the day this saturday, but I don't want to go by myself. So long as Mark is still going with me, I'm game. I'm not feeling too privy to getting lost in Scotland, haha. The week after is reading week, it seems, for everyone but me. I was planning on flying to Amsterdam with Mark for that weekend but it's too expensive to leave on a friday night after my classes, and to get back on Sunday night before classes on Monday. I may just postpone that trip until later for my last couple of weeks in Europe.

I'm really excited to have visitors! Emily and her friend Sara are coming from London in two weeks, and then Ethan is coming from Belfast the weekend after that. It's all fantastic.

I need to figure out my travel plans ASAP and book my flights before they get too expensive. I can't believe it costs over $300 to fly to Copenhagen! Insanity.

I've met some fun international kids here. Emma is from Bulgaria, but is here through Bucknell, where she goes to school. I met two kids from Spain last night, too. They were really funny and nice. I would love to visit Spain, but that will probably have to wait :-)

You Don't Expect Me To Eat That, Do You? Oh. You Do.

2006-01-28T04:16:00.000Z

I don't believe I'll be properly satisfied with food until I'm back home again. No matter what I try, it always seems to lack something. eugh. I just lose my appetite entirely when I think about having to eat. I cannot wait to go home and have my mom's cooking. My dad called a little while ago, and told me that he'd talked to some friends he has in the UK. They basically told him that UK food in general is pretty terrible, but that I'd managed to pick one of the worst places for food out of all of them. I'm beginning to understand why we get student discounts at all the pubs...

I think I'm falling behind with my reading. I guess I'll be going straight to the library once this class is over. I would be a lot easier if we just used books, but that would be incredibly expensive here. How do people have this kind of money? I spent £8 (approx $16) on chinese food last night. Back at home, you get twice as much for $16. I'm going to have to just suck it up and deal.

2006-01-21T01:06:00.000Z

Okay, this week has flown by! I don't know how I'm going to write these journal entries, what with all the readings and essays I have to do. Life is also settling quite nicely here, and I find that I am less at odds with this place. I know that's a good sign, but then, I'll have nothing to write about!

I can't get over how young everyone here is! I was talking to Fiona (girl next door to me) and she was telling me that in Scotland, they start college a year before we do in the states. I'm living among 17 year olds! No wonder I feel so old and out of place. However, if I meet anyone from England, they should be at least 18, because they start later. It's all sorts of confusing. I've never felt old before, and now, I'm the old lady. Strange.

The reading here is ridiculous. Their style of teaching is very "do it yourself". It would be so easy to slack off here, except I'm afraid that if I slack off, I'll be screwed for exams. I really need to do well here, or my GPA is going to plummet. It's tough, because here, it's pass/fail, and they only need a 40% to pass! I need at least a 60%, whivh apparently, is near impossible. I love it. Oh well, my Science and Society class is about to start...

City Wanderings

2006-01-19T21:10:00.000Z

A few nights ago, a friend and I decided to go walking around the city. It was GREAT! We went through to Prices Street and Lothian and managed to get lost, which is the best way to discover a new place. I loved the Princes Street area. It felt a lot like Boston in the sense that it was pretty and shop lined - a great place to walk around at night, which is one of my favorite things to do, night or day. I felt very at home there. I think I will be spending a lot of time just wandering and becoming gamiliar with this place. The fastest way to becoming un-homesick is to make a new place like home. At first, I very much resented this place, I think because I realized that I really, really did not want to start over. But I picked a place where it's easy to become comfortable because it's very similar to Bosotn. There is not much culture shock here. I think that if I'd picked Paris, there may have been. Then again, I do know quite a bit about French culture, so who knows. I'm well acquainted with British English because that's what is spoken in India, so that isn't hard at all. Half the time I forget I'm in another country. Feels like another state, or Canada, haha. Although, the food here is not so fantastic. I wish I had my own kitchen so that I'd eat what I wanted. I miss ooking. The dining hall is not my thing, and I don't eat at the same hours that they are open.Oh well, I must assimilate and appropriate!

Good Times In The Main Library

2006-01-17T22:58:00.000Z

Ahh, I'm in the library, studying hard. I would never have done that at Northeastern. It's much different here. Everyone is in the library all the time -- studying, making copies, finding bookbs, using the microlab... very different for me.

I think that I am settling in much more. I mearn a little bit each day to help make my everyday routine easier. I finially broke down and asked how to get into the mail room. The lady was really nice and showed me how (I was right to try my room key, but I'd turned it in the wrong direction). The cleaning lady is really nice, too. She felt bad that I was leaving for classes at 2:30 while she was getting ready to leave. I found the Pantry on our floor, and it's pretty nice. I'm going to try and keep food in my room so I don't have to keep running out to buy things.

I also have all my things unpacked and put away. That really helped to make this feel less like a weekend trip. Once my suitecases were gone, it felt a lot better. I still have more organizing to do, but I'm on my way!

Tonight, after my 5PM class, I'm heading back to grad dinner at JMC (I still need to figure out their weird point system) and then I'm going to go explore the city further, beyond Princes Street. It's my goal to know as much of this city as possible. I also want to figure out and familiarize myself with the bus routes here by the end of the month. Once february is here, I will be traveling, and I'll need to know how to get to the airport, etc.

I think that the reason why this place felt so strange to me is because I have a lot of time (due to not being in class for as long combined with not having a solid group of friends yet). That felt wrong in comparison to my life in Boston, where everything was rushed, and there were not enough hours in the day. I'm learning to like this. I'm taking my time and thoroughly doing my readings, and having time to take and post all the fantastic pictures I'm taking. I can actually properly keep in touch with friends and family... that never happened at NEU.

I think that with the workload here, being social is the hardest thing. I don't want to be up late on weeknights, save things till the last minute, or feel unprepared. My academics are first o my list of priorities because my grades transfer back, and that doesn't leave much time for partying. I guess that's what my weekends are for! I need to remember to call the British kid I met last week to do dinner or something.

PS- I got mail today! It was glorious!

Three Cheers for JMC... barf.

2006-01-15T19:45:00.000Z

Sunday brunch in the dining hall. Because of the mess up with my housing, I'm living in a dorm instead of a flat, and therefore am on a meal plan. I feel like a freshman. It's funny, becaues I've never lived in a dorm room before. I've had suites or apartments since my freshman year. This is like the freshman year I've never had.

Yesterday, it was really nice out! It's been pretty gloomy all week. So naturally, I was inside all day so that I could finish my reading assignments. It's nice that there are no regular assignments here- it's all reading on your own that is left up to you. At the same time, it's easy to get lazy and not do it. I can't wait until tutorials and seminars start so that I know exactly how to do this.

A Few Days Later...

2006-01-10T04:27:00.000Z

Okay, so I thought I'd give myself a few days before I wrote again, hoping I'd be in a better mood for it.

Looks like it's going to take longer than a couple of days. Beh.

I finally got a mobile, which is nice. The first thing I did was call my mom. I didn't realize I'd missed her so much. It'd only been a day and half. In a place that is totally unfamiliar, it was nice to hear her voice.

Things around here are slowly becoming familiar. The weather is so depressing! It's cloudly and hardly ever sunny. It's not icy cold like Boston. At least, not yet. It's pretty windy though, very strong. I can hear it beating against my window. I hope I get used to it. Either that, or I hope it gets nicer out.

Classes so far are okay. Here, we just take books out of the library, do the reading there or make copies of the readings. It save money, but is hard to manage when there are so many other people needing the same book at me. I've been learning to adapt to the UK's system of doing things. Slowly but surely.

The one thing I can say is that everyone here is so nice! I've yet to meet someone who is rude. Granted, the woman at reception is a bit short with me, but I don't blame her. I just went in there with my accomodation forms and didn't know what the hell I was doing. But I finally that done, too.

I thought NEU had a lot of red tape, but this place is even more confusing! I've been running around everywhere trying to ger my stuff sorted out. I have my meal card finally, and now I know where my mailbox is, although, the mail room is locked shut. So weird. I have my appointment with Dr. Lynn Collins tomorrow after Philosophy. He's my Director of Studies (DoS). Maybe he can explain to me how tutorials work here.

I wonder if I can change my plane ticket if my classes are done early. Someone I met today was like, "What? End of May? But term is over in March!". I'm going ot ASAP. What will I do here for two months?! Once exams are over, I'm out of here.

Still no internet. And the weather outside is positively treacherous. Looks like I won't be going to the microlab at Holland Hall to check my e-mail. I hope that things get better once I settle in. I know I need to give it at least a week or two, but it already feels as if it's been forever since I got here. Emily told me it took her a while to adjust as well. Let's hope that's the case.

... But I Was In Boston A Few Hours Ago!

2006-01-08T08:31:00.000Z

I never want to have a journey like that ever again. Transferring luggage from terminal 4 to 1 in Heathrow was an absolute nightmare. Moving my luggage, period, was heinous. Thank it's over.

This all feels very surreal to me. I'm sure part of it is that I've been awake for 29 hours, but this does not feel real. I am almost dissapointed by the campus. A part of me was probably hoping for another Boston. This place seems a bit more different. I'm hoping that once classes start, I'll get into the swing of things. I just need to meet the right people and get settled.

Even though housing screwed up and gave me a single dorm room instead of a flat, I'm liking the dorm room alright. Plus, the dining hall is next door, so I don't have to walk far in the cold. Score. I am really going to miss cooking though.

I'm going to get some sleep. Orientation is tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll get stuff done. Resnet is supposed to take approximately two or more business days to set up after I fill out paperwork. I don't know what to do for post, either.

Once I've got my e-mail and cell phone set up, I'll be much happier. I't tought to be out of touch with people who keep you grounded. It would've been nice to have a friend here. Granted, I made several friends today, but it didn't click. I need to give them a chance though. Maybe I was too tired. I met a handful of non-Americans! Yay for me :)

Pre-Departure Crazyness

2006-01-04T05:24:00.000Z

I have no idea how I'm going to get all of my packing done. ow am I supposed to git all of that stuff into two suitcases?! Thank god for vaccum bags. I can't believe that I'm leaving in three days. Not even three days. I made the decision to go abroad a year ago. Now that it's time to go, I'm in a completely different place in mentally and emotionally. I definitely am excited as all hell to be going. But I don't want to leave everyone and everything behind. It's a win/lose, love/hate situation. This is the hardest part about relocating. Once I'm there and setted, I'll be golden. I'll be so thrilled that I probably won't want to leave. Fantastic.

I'm definitely looking forward to living in Edinburgh. The city looks and sounds beautiful. I can't wait to start classes, either. Once that starts, Iknow that time will fly by, just like when I was on co-op. Six months flew by before I knew it. This won't even be five full months, plus, plently of trips to see Ethan in Ireland, Emily and Jess in London, and Kevin in Copenhagen.

So why am I still so apprehensive about this?