A week of life

So, it’s been a week. Here’s what I’ve been up to. Getting better all the time, though I still miss home muchly.

Wednesday:
I was going to go to an Archie Fisher concert, but the friends (Bria and Anna from FolkSoc) I was going to go with wanted to go for a walk in the (meager) snow instead. I grudgingly agreed to accompany them, and enjoyed annoying them with my grudging manner, dismissive of the quality of this snowfall (really just a dusting) for the rest of the night. It was fun spending time with them, though.

Thursday:
Not having class, being bored, and being curious, I decided to walk around the city logging all of the shops. A big task, yes. I got most of two of the main streets in my area, which is the only place I’m really concerned with. Eventually planning to get prices for stuff too, but who knows how far I’ll get with this project. I was going to have “American Night” with my friends (Emily, Lauren, Sarah, Kate, Caitlin, and Jon, all from the Arcadia exchange program, who now refer to themselves as “Team America”), but one of them had a last-minute second date with a guy he’d gone out with the night before. I watched Forrest Gump on my computer instead. Good movie, and really quite American in the bargain.

Friday:
I did very little. Slept in late, went to dinner, and was non-committal about joining my friends on their trip to Roslyn Chapel on Saturday, because I’d made plans to get coffee with another friend and didn’t know yet when that was.

Saturday:
Got coffee with my friend Dafni from the ISC. We talked for about 3 hours, and on the way back I learned that she lives very close to Pollock, where I live. Got back to my room, starting washing socks and getting depressed, then had a nice long instant messenger conversation with Alex Pressman in Madrid. I’ve been talking to her a lot; she’s fun to talk to. Afterwards, I got a call from Bria, and we decided to go for a walk. It was great, we walked all over talking about language, philosophy, and philosophy of language. She’s a linguist with a penchant for intellectual discussions, and I’m a philosopher with a penchant for linguistic discussion. Good fun, although we disagreed on a few fundamental points that led to some argumentative angst. I articulated some of my perspectives gorgeously, and have already forgotten how I said them. Oh well. I need something that records my every experience so I can remember stuff.

Sunday:
I lazed around most of the day, going to see the FilmSoc showing of Red Road (a Scottish film) in the evening. Can I just say, one of the most disturbing, depressing, realistic films I’ve seen? Though not too well-made. The story was very good, I think, but the script didn’t flow very well. Too little dialog, too much silence. Too unlikeable a main character. After the movie, I was really down, and talked to Jeff Bender on IM. It was wonderful to talk to him, and spontaneously in the middle of the conversation, I cried over the breakup. It was the first time I’d cried about it, and I really needed to. I didn’t get it all out, but it was good.

Monday:
I went to the ISC at 1ish, then to the library to download the new episode of Lost on BitTorrent (the dorm network blocks it, but the library wireless doesn’t). Watched Lost, which was good, then to dinner with “Team America”, which was the most comfortable meal yet with them. I felt and was acting like i do at Conn. Good times. I did virus and spyware scans, and read a lot in my book, as I had the day before.

Tuesday:
I went to my ISC shift and read. Walked with Dafni back to her flat before going to class. The new lecturer in Wittgenstein is such a stereotypical British philosopher: crazy hair, kinda awkward, talking slowly and not saying much. He’s nice, but I liked the other professor more. Came back, was really tired, went to dinner then to FolkSoc. I was actually dropping off just before going to FolkSoc. Stayed until the end (bad idea) at 12:30 (half twelve) or so. A good time, met some new people.

Wednesday:
Got up early for class, had a good one (I stayed awake and talked a bunch, the two of which are undoubtedly related). I got some stuff at Lidl (a grocer store), then came back to my room, read for a little bit, then went to sleep. I woke up around 6, having missed dinner with Team America, but I ate with a friend from FolkSoc, Clair, and her friend Susan, who knows one of Bethany’s friends from home.

So that’s that. I haven’t called the help desk about RESNET yet, but I will, and you’ll get a load of pictures then. I need to plan some sort of trip for sometime. I want to go to Ireland once before my big trip, because there’re so many places I want to see there. I think I’d probably hit Galway, Croagh Patrick, and something else in the west on this small trip, to be based in Dublin when I hit it during Spring Break.

I’m doing better here, feeling more comfortable, hanging out with friends more, and getting over the ickiness of the breakup. Staying in touch with friends at home, too, which feels good.

Oh, and I’ve gotten missed calls from two phones in the UK; should it be you trying to call me, let me know, or leave a voicemail.

I hope you all are doing well, and aren’t buried under meters of snow like some parts of the US are.

One Reply to “A week of life”

  1. You sound a bit homesick, but that is part of the experience of living in a foreign country. Seems normal to still feel sad about the break-up. Things can only improve. Just wanted you to know you were on my mind and that I enjoy reading about your adventures, although I do not always get the abbreviations. Let me know if you have decided what your plans are for spring break and when it is. I may be able to get you a bed in Paris, if you decide to go there. XOXO

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