Getting Settled Once Again

Hello! You found the compass!


       I made it to England! Land of the tea and the home of the crumpet! I’m settled in the comfort of my room in Seething Wells, the residence hall I was assigned. There is currently a large mob of what I assume are newcomers outside of my window, which looks out over the green space that we Americans call the quad. Last night, the people outside were quite loud and left the quad completely trashed; beer bottles were all over the tables and litter covered the grass. Take a wild guess as to what nationality these people are! Yep, tonight they loudly began chanting, “U-S-A! U-S-A!”

I wonder if they know that they are the reason the world hates us...

      To their credit, classes don’t start until the 29^th. I’d much rather have them get this out of their systems during fresher’s week than the final exam period. Personally, I’ll be going to a couple of local parties myself (but mine are contained in clubs, which are presumably not near where people are trying to sleep). One of these parties is called The American House Party. I look forward to the, ahem, cross-cultural experience of seeing how the Brits think the average American house party is run.  

This is the poster, so we're off to a great start.

    

       Anyway, despite being a bit disoriented and depressed for the first day and night (mostly due to time changes, lack of sleep, and my body turning against me in several ways), things are looking better. I’ve gone shopping with a core group of friends whom I’ve been in contact with for a few months now (thank you, email). The flat is starting to look like a home! Food is a somewhat rare commodity so far, but I have everything unpacked and put away, and there are posters on the wall! (Far Cry 2 and Borderlands, if you wanted to know.) Despite JUST meeting all of my flatmates and unpacking, the opportunity to switch to a much tinier room but save a decent amount of money in rent just came up. I’m still considering. The room is very small, but I don’t need much room, it would save me money, and I’d only have to pack up and move across the hallway into the flat next door. The main things holding me back are having to pack up and move again, and meeting new flatmates. I get along with the ones I have very well, but....yeah, I just did the math and saw how much money I'd save. Looks like I'm moving! Hobbit Hole, here I come!

Worth saving as many of these bad boys as possible, right?

     

       So, what have I done so far in Kingston? To be honest, it’s all a little hazy. I let my body go into robot mode and figure things out. The friends I went shopping with were all new here, so I showed them around town and pointed out places they should go. I bought basic supplies for my flat, went to a brief orientation, and…that’s about it, despite feeling like I’ve done so much. Shopping and attempting to sleep has taken up most of my day. Tomorrow I have my enrollment, another shopping trip to ASDA (British Wal-Mart, essentially), and a very fun evening at a pub called The King’s Tun. The international team at Kingston University has rented out the top floor of the pub just for us! We get a free drink, a free meal, and plenty of time to get to know the other international students. (For readers of my previous adventures: yes, the same thing they did for us when I was an undergrad!) 

      Right, well…I can’t think of many other things to update right now. I’m still mostly brain dead. My day began by attempting to put on my bra after my shirt. I've reached that point. Anyway, seeing as I'm sitting here trying to think of things to type, I think that means it's quitting time. I'll update again soon, of course. Until next time, cheers!