Cornwall Weekend

On Friday, the whole BCA group got into the coach for our five hour trip to Cornwall for the weekend. We went to a fancy restaurant (the name of which I can't remember) on a golf course for lunch. Then we went to Lanhydrock House, a late Victorian House that included over fifty rooms to explore, a small but gorgeous chapel that is still used weekly, and lovely gardens surrounding the property.

Next we were driven to our hostel in Newquay, called the Surf Reef Lodge. Sandy and Denise had booked other arrangements nearby because the hostel allows only travelers who are thirty-five and under. Newquay is pretty much full of people who come there to surf or for bachelorette or bachelor parties (called "hen and stag" parties here). We had Friday evening to ourselves, so we decided to explore the beach and the town. The whole place was incredibly windy, but very beautiful. On our perusal of the town, we passed lots of stag parties, including one in which the future groom was dressed in skimpy beach garb.

Our first stop on Saturday was Land's End. Besides being a popular clothing store, Land's End is also the most south-westerly point of England. We only spent a half hour at this stop because it mostly involved looking off the edge of dangerous cliffs to the water beyond. Also notable was the Dr. Who exhibit and a miniature village.

Photo taken by Jessye Bostwick

Our next stop was St. Ives. This town caters more to people who are interested in staying for a holiday and shopping. From where we were shopping, we could see the docks and the water. Jessye and I found another charity shop where I bought a shirt and a belt. We were also encouraged to try the Cornish Cream Tea, which we did with delight. Cream tea involves tea and two scones with clotted cream and jam. Yum!

Photo taken by Michael Johnson

After St. Ives, we returned to Newquay and had the evening to ourselves. For dinner, a few of us went to Wetherspoon, a chain pub that I've been to in both London and Cheltenham. The pub was full of young women dressed in crazy costumes for various hen parties. When we got back, a few of us had a dance party in the main lounge.

On Sunday, we packed up and started our drive back to Cheltenham. On the return journey, we had our last stop of the trip: the Eden Project. I'm kind of still unsure about what exactly the Eden Project is, but it claims to be a charity that was created "to remind people of our dependence on, and connection to, the natural world."  Most notable were: the world's largest greenhouses, the giant sculptures made of old appliances and rubbish, the eateries with lots of organic foods, and the area with different displays and fun interactive stuff like a wall with probably a hundred old refrigerator doors with thousands of magnets.

 By the time we got back to Cheltenham, it was around 6 pm and we had only been gone for two and half days, yet it felt like we had been gone for weeks. I was glad to be back in my room and not on a bus. It was delightful getting to know people better, but it's also overwhelming to spend a weekend with thirty other people.

If I went again, I'd probably buy a cheap wet suit and surf board and hit the beach. Charles, our bus driver who was old enough to be mostly bald and have two grown sons, woke up early and went surfing while we were in Newquay. Impressive.

Cheers,

Emily

Orientation Week and Freshers Fortnight

Some general information about the BCA program:

Our group is comprised of thirty American students from various colleges in the States, mostly colleges or Universities on the East coast, that are attending the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, England. Denise and Sandy are the directors of the program. Denise is a professor (called a "tutor" here) at the Park campus of the University, and Sandy has her own hair-cutting business on the side. They are incredibly sweet and helpful - and delightful!

All of the BCA students live and take classes with all of the British - and otherwise - students. The program also includes weekend excursions, one of which I discussed in my last blog entry. Officially, the program lasts from September 15th to December 15th.

On Sunday all of the English students moved in the dorms. Each student in Regency Hall gets a single room with a bathroom. There are four floors (on one side of the building there is a fifth floor), and then each floor is divided into three flats. Each flat has around seven or eight students that share one kitchen. My "flat" has three American students: Jessye, Michelle, and Amanda (all students from Messiah). Then there are three British students (two girls and a boy). We've met them and they all seem nice, but hopefully we'll have more contact with them as the semester continues.

Orientation: 


This week, all of the BCA students are going through an orientation. The University of Gloucestershire (pronounced "gl-ow-stuh-sher") has four campuses, and we have gone to three of the four. Because I have two majors, I will have my English classes on one campus (Francis Close Hall) and my Communications courses on another (Pittville). From my dorm, Regency Hall, it takes about fifteen minutes to walk to FCH and around twenty minutes to walk to Pittville.

In addition to the five courses I'm taking for my majors, I (and all of the other BCA students) will be required as part of the program to take a one-credit class about British Life and Culture. The class (called a "module" here) will meet weekly and will include various special speakers who have occupations and knowledge that is relevant to the course material. Today we learned about the British Educational System.

One major difference between the Universities in the US and the Universities here is the grading system. According to my handbook, the grading scale is as follows:

70 and above: A, Excellent
60 - 69: B, Good
50 - 59: C, Satisfactory
40 - 49: D, Sufficient for the award or credit

Denise also informed us that only 5% (!!) of students attending the University of Gloucestershire end up with A's. Many of the students in the program are coming from Messiah College, so Messiah has a conversion table already set in place for students returning to the college from this program. One student last year received a thirty-something which would be failing here, but when she went back to Messiah it was counted as a C+. I don't understand this, but hopefully Houghton will be gracious to me.

So far this week we've had tours around Cheltenham (pronounced "Chelt-num") and basic tours of the campuses. The rest of the week we will be shown more detailed tours of the campuses, including a tour of the "learning centre" (library).

This weekend we will be on an excursion to Cornwall.


Freshers Fortnight:


Because we're new students, we are encouraged to do all the stuff Freshmen do. But everyone seems to get into the events and activities of Freshers Fortnight. We were told about all the activities the other day, although I didn't really pay attention to the info. Monday was the beginning of the two-week party time, kicked off by a Disco. Apparently there'll be some guy from Britian's Got Talent who swallows things completely and then regurgitates them. In any case, the next two weeks will be full of activities. I probably won't be involved in too many of them, but apparently all Universities have a Freshers Fortnight each year, so I thought it was notable enough to blog about.


Cheers (which actually means "Goodbye," "Hello," or "Thank you" depending on the circumstance),
Emily

Warwick Castle

Saturday we all piled into our bus and made the hour long trip to Warwick Castle, our first group trip. Usually I try to make the effort to memorize the historical bits, but mostly I just took pictures and gaped at the many sites the Castle (and town) had to offer. 

My favorite things about Warwick Castle:

1: The wax figures and their "voices," which were hilarious recordings. In one of the room, there was a bed with the curtains drawn and there was a recording of giggling and smooching. I tried to pull the curtains back, but was disappointed when I discovered that the curtains were were glued to the bedposts (I suspect the bed was empty). I heard some kid asking her mom if she could try pulling back the curtain, but she was denied. I'm glad I'm an adult and could do that without getting permission first. My favorite wax figures were Winston Churchill and this guy smoking a cigarette. 

2. The trebuchet. There was a giant trebuchet demonstration. It only flung some sort of weight, though. My comrades and I decided we would ask them to bash something in or set something on fire with it next time.

3. The Peacock Garden. There were peacocks just strutting around with all of the ducks. 

4. How beautiful it was.

After touring the castle, me and a few other students went into the actual town. A few of us had a bite to eat, and then we wandered into a flea market. One of the girls - Jessye - and I went into a few charity shops and I bought a skirt and a record. 

All in all, an enjoyable first  group excursion.

Dinner and a Movie

Hello, my faithful readers (all two of you):


Although I am now settled in my dorm in Cheltenham, I will talk about an evening at the B&B I stayed at. 
     
Sue and Collin are the owners of the B&B I went to, and they have a twenty-year-old daughter named Kate. That weekend, Kate and two of her University friends were home for something-or-other, and Sue invited me to have dinner with them all at 6:30 pm. So at 6:25, I came tentatively down the stairs and followed a delicious smell and lively voices. Once I wandered into the kitchen, I was motioned courteously to a seat and introduced to Kate, Nisha, and Ana, who were roommates at Manchester.  
     
After tucking in to some spaghetti, a discussion began.


Nisha discussed a friend of theirs at Manchester who had a strange way of identifying herself: by her unfortunate birth date. "...and she always introduced herself by, 'My birthday is on nine eleven.' She's so odd!" This caught my attention. The events of September 11th are notable for those outside of the US?


Sue looks over at me. "Of course, Emily would know all about that." I nod. Yes, I know all about September 11th. I zoned out a bit. "...and now they think there will be copycats, so it's a very difficult situation." Wait, what? Copycats?


Collin says, "It was just a terrible idea to begin with, really." Oh. I realize they are not only talking about September 11th: they are also talking about the recent plans to build a mosque relatively near Ground Zero, and about all the hullabaloo it has caused. But I don't know what they're talking about with the 'copycats' thing, so I figure I'll Google it later. (Which I did do. Apparently more had happened since I left for the UK. Details here, if you don't know about it.)


I realize that the group of non-Americans know more about current issues in the United States than I do, and I have only been gone for two weeks. 


The conversation turns to Nisha's homeland, Ireland. Sue asks, "There was still a lot of violence as you were growing up, yeah?" Nisha nods. "Yes, since I'm from Belfast, there were some bombs that went off not too far from where I lived."  


"Do people generally know what you're talking about?"


"No, most people don't and I get annoyed when I have to explain it."


I just shut my mouth and listen, planning on Googling Ireland's entire history later. From a Reuters article: 


"Northern Ireland was torn apart during three decades of violent “Troubles” between loyalists, mostly Protestants, who want it to remain part of the United Kingdom and Republicans, mostly Catholics, who want it to form part of a united Ireland. A 1998 peace agreement ended the worst of the Troubles and paved he way for a power-sharing government of loyalists and Republicans. Violence has subsided over the years, but there are still dissident groups who occasionally plant bombs."  Link to the full article.


What I want to know is: if everyone knows in the UK knows about 9/11, why don't Americans know about all the bombings in Ireland? True, the amounts of casualties were different, but these political problems in Ireland have been going on for a long time, apparently. 


Sue serves us all dessert: bread and butter pudding, which is basically this dessert bread and each person pours a bit of cream on it. The topic changes again. "We're thinking of going to the cinema, if you want to join us, Emily." Kate sits back in her chair and looks up the listing on her phone. "There's Piranha in 3D." (Nisha says: "It's basically a porn under water in 3D." And that is that.) Kate continues, "Salt, but I don't want to see that. It's the one with Angelina Jolie." This initiates a ten minute discussion about how fake and awful and superficial Angelina Jolie is, and how natural and beautiful Jennifer Aniston is. Ana, quiet thus far, interjects, "Everyone says that the Brangelina kids would be the most beautiful Hollywood kids, but that's not true! Brad Pitt's and Jennifer Aniston's children would be so much cuter!" Kate comments on Angelina's plastic-surgified facial features. There is a general, forceful consensus about the superiority of Jennifer Aniston.


In the end, Kate drives the four of us to the cinema, which is located in "the Brewery" next to a few pubs. We buy tickets to see Tamara Drew, and settle in for our movie. Watching it reminds me that the desire for a first person narrative or a protagonist is really an American obsession, and that British films do not necessarily adhere to this mantra. (Watching it also reminds me that ratings are different in other countries, and nudity and graphic sex scenes are more acceptable in film and other pop culture stuff than in the States.)


About the film:


----
I sit there trying to decide who the protagonist is. Who am I supposed to like? I assume it is Tamara Drew, but no. 


Plot #1: Tamara Drew, who is often featured in ill-fitting clothes or no clothes at all, has sex with various men in the movie after getting a nose job. Andy, her first and only love pre-nose job, has meaningless sex with a local bar woman. Suddenly Andy wants Tamara (could it be the cute nose?). Tamara is too busy writing for an important newspaper and shagging a famous rockstar to notice. 


Plot #2: Two middle-school aged girls read magazines at a bus stop. They are obsessed with the rockstar that Tamara is shagging. One fifth of the movie features them running around throwing things at cars and generally wreaking havoc in the neighborhood because they are bored.


Plot #3: A husband and wife run a farm for writers who are on sabbatical. The husband is a famous writer who is gross and creepy, and cheats on his wife. His wife does all the work of running the farm, plus all the work for her husband's career. She ignores his cheating, confronts him, then takes him back, then suspects him again, then has it confirmed, then tries to deny it, then confronts him...


In a nutshell: Tamara Drew, prancing about in skimpy shorts, tempts and then sleeps with the husband (along with almost every other male character in the movie). Andy sees that Tamara is shagging all these men, and he is disgusted, although he continues to have (graphic) sex with the bar maid. After the husband is suddenly killed by a stampede of COWS, Tamara and Andy immediately get together and are happy. There is no mention of inner beauty, and the viewers must assume that nose jobs and random sex lead to happiness. The end.
----


Side note: the next day I was reading the newspaper and it contained an article about how Gemma Arterton, the actress who played Tamara Drew, did not want to be a "piece of ass." We applaud her stand, but question her timing. Full article here.




As the four of us walk around after the movie, two of the girls light up their cigarettes and they all ask me about sororities. I go to Houghton, obviously, so I try to answer as well as I can. They ask me about many "American" things, and assume that if I live in New York then I must live in New York City (common misconception). Kate asks, "Are Universities in America really like they are in movies?" Um. I don't know how to answer that. Kate: "And where can we get some of those red caps?" Ana: "Yes, I'd like some of those!" I looked up redcaps on Urban Dictionary later. 


We trudge out of the Brewery, serenaded by a large group of drunk ("pissed," as the English would say) men who are meandering around the pubs and singing "la la la" to some ridiculous, previously agreed upon tune. As we walk, I think about how smoking is more common in the UK, about British conceptions of Americans, about American conceptions of Americans, and about how little I know about my own culture - or about any other culture, for that matter.


Clearly, I have a lot to learn this semester.

Reviews of Where I've Stayed

Since I've stayed in three places since I've gotten to Europe, I wanted to take the time to review them all and compare them. Possible ratings: Appalling, Poor, Tolerable, Good, Excellent, Exceeds Expectations. Categories: security, cleanliness, comfort of beds, location, friendliness of staff, friendliness of fellow travelers, breakfast, showers, price.

HOSTEL IN EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

"The Hostel"

Security: Excellent. We had to use our room card in order to get into the building, and we had our own room so there was no danger of getting our things stolen. Other guests may rate security as "good," considering they have to watch out for other travelers. 

Cleanliness: Good. Whenever I went to the bathroom it looked like it had just been cleaned. A few suspicious hairs in the shower, but overall mostly clean. Our room appeared clean.

Comfort of beds: Good. It was a bunk bed with a large bed and a smaller bed, so two people had to share a bed. Each person got a pillow, and there was a comforter with a cover on each of them. I hadn't heard of this before, but apparently they are used so that the comforter doesn't need to be washed after each use.

Location: Good. It was right across from the bus station, which was excellent, but it was blocks away from the center of the town. We walked many miles each day.

Friendliness of Staff: Excellent. Although they weren't exactly approachable (one staff member reminded me of Trinity from the Matrix), they readily answered questions and provided assistance when needed.

Friendliness of Fellow Travelers: Tolerable. We didn't chat a lot with the other travelers. Interestingly, there was a wide range in age: some people our age, few middle aged men, a family, etc. Some people appeared quite snobby, but I guess that can't be confirmed.

Breakfast: Good. It cost one pound (many hostels have free breakfast) and included: coffee, tea, milk, two kinds of tasteless cereal, toast with jam. Boring but not too bad. 

Showers: Good. The shower I used had two options for strength of the water. When I had it going full blast, it couldn't do one temperature- it went from bitingly cold to scorchingly hot every few seconds. I had to reduce it to a trickle to get a temperature I could tolerate. Showers did include dispenser with a liquid that claimed to be a body wash and conditioner.

Price: Excellent.

Perks: hairdryers, wi-fi, pool table in lounge, were able to put suitcases aside before we could check in,  entire hostel looked pretty modern and attractive

Downsides: No outlets in the rooms, tiny window with chain on it, strange crazy-looking person lurking about the entrance

Would stay here again? Yes.

HOSTEL IN LONDON, ENGLAND

"The London Eye"

Security: Good. We had a code to get into our room, which was fine because we had booked our own three person room, again. There was also a code to get into the rooms part of the building, which was comforting.

Cleanliness: Appalling. Literally half the walls in the shower rooms were covered with BLACK MOLD. The toilet got horrendously clogged every single day that we were there, and we couldn't use it until someone came to "fix" it. Sometimes it was clogged and messy around the toilet probably due to someone throwing up from drinking too much beer. We found a cockroach crawling in our room, which didn't bother me too much since cockroaches don't bite. Danielle figured it came from the kitchen. More on that under breakfast.

Comfort of Beds: Appalling. It was like sleeping on a rock. I woke up feeling more sore than when I went to bed. Technically it was "tolerable" since I had no other choice, but I've never slept on something so uncomfortable. Small pillows and an old comforter, again with a cover over it.

Location: Good. Contrary to the title, you cannot see the London Eye from the hostel. If you walk down two blocks, you can. We liked the walk, since it led us to the bakery where we started buying our breakfast every morning, and the Chinese restaurant where we bought a full English breakfast a few times.

Friendliness of Staff: Excellent. They were all very approachable and friendly. Mostly professional, except when Hannah went to buy water late on Friday evening and couldn't get the attention of the guy working the desk who was actually playing alcohol-related games with travelers (not physically at the desk, obviously).

Friendliness of Fellow Travelers: Excellent. If someone was looking for social life, this hostel had it. All travelers were in their late teens or twenties. All were excited about the beer available in the hostel. Other guests chatted with us in the common area.

Breakfast: Appalling. We were excited about the free breakfast, and so went down to the gross-smelling kitchen to get some toast. After I buttered four pieces for us, Danielle said, "Oh, oh--" and pointed out the mold on every piece. We ditched the toast and bought delicious bakery items each morning instead (for around a pound each).

Showers: Poor. As mentioned, there was the black mold taking over the walls. And the showers were like those sinks where you have to keep pushing a button. The person showering had to push a button every twenty seconds to start it again. I'm not rating it as "appalling" because the temperature and water pressure were actually both good.

Price: Good (cheapest place we stayed at).

Perks: Free wi-fi (the password was "beerisgreat". Desk Guy's comment? "...which is available for purchase behind the desk. For those over eighteen," with a look in Hannah's direction), snacks you could purchase, (very expensive) internet, one refrigerator available for residents, outlets and small lamps in the room for each guest, unpleasantness of our room encouraged us to stay out longer and experience the city or socialize with other guests.

Downsides: The free wi-fi only worked if I plugged my computer into the outlets where the computers were plugged in, scary health issues, couldn't sit up in my bed because it was a triple bunk bed.

Would stay here again? Only if there are no other options.

BED & BREAKFAST IN CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND

"The Battledown"

Security: Excellent. I was given keys that work on the front door as well as on my room. 

Cleanliness: Exceeds expecations. My room is cleaned for me every day when I'm out doing things in Cheltenham. My bed is made, and the free snacks are replaced each day (biscuits, crackers, tea, hot chocolate, etc).

Comfort of Beds: Exceeds expectations. I have six pillows (two are decorative) and what I think may be a queen bed to myself. Incredibly comfortable. Warm, although I found an extra blanket in the closet. I'm such a sucker for a comfy bed. And I love, love pillows!

Location: Good.. It takes me a while to walk into the town, but it's near a Tesco (grocery store) so I can get things when I need them.

Friendliness of Staff: Exceeds expectations. The couple that owns it, Sue and Colin Jones, invited me to eat dinner with their daughter and her two friends visiting from Manchester University. Then their daughter invited me to go to the "cinema" with her friends. Sue asks me how I'm spending my days and offers suggestions on how to get to places and what places to go.

Friendliness of Fellow Travelers: Tolerable. They're all old people. They haven't talked to me yet and I'm okay with that. 

Breakfast: Exceeds Expecations. It's all included in the price I paid. They offer yogurt, cereal, fruit, homemade jam for the toast. But then Colin comes to each table and gives a menu with various choices on it (included is a full English breakfast, a vegetarian breakfast, or the "lighter options" like one that includes smoked salmon, pancakes, and more!). This morning I got a full English breakfast, but asked for a smaller portion because I was still full from the dinner Sue served last night. Traditional English breakfast consisted of, if you're curious: baked beans, tomatoes, egg, mushrooms, sausage, bacon (Canadian-style), and toast. I was also served a pot of tea. 

Showers: Excellent. I have my own bathroom, and it's all lovely. They provide me with lots of soaps and lotions and even cotton balls and Q-tips. The towels are changed every day.

Price: Excellent for the kind of care I'm receiving. Obviously more than the cheap hostels I've been staying with.

Perks: TV with cable "Sky" TV, free snacks provided in my room, pot to heat water with, closet, hosts that go above and beyond, free wi-fi that works perfectly, all very aesthetically pleasing, garden and seating outside in the back.

Downsides: The guests are NOT partying at all hours of the night (or at all, really) and I'm quite fond of the hosts so I try to be quiet. I'm not sure when I need to be quiet, but I start at around 9:30 to be sure. I'd rather not have to worry about that, but it's extremely minor.

Would stay here again? Absolutely! 

London, England

Our activities in London:

- St. James Park

- Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace

- Trafalgar Square

- National Gallery

- Westminster Abbey

- Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, walking along the Thames

- Tower of London

- Tate Modern

- Shakespeare's Globe

- St. Paul's Cathedral

- Postman's Park

- British Museum

- Covent Garden

Edinburgh, Scotland

Greetings from Scotland!

I only have a few minutes on the computer in the lounge of the Hostel, so everything will be shortened until I have more time to update later (and upload pictures).

Danielle, Hannah and I flew out of the airport in Newark on Friday to arrive in Scotland at around seven in the morning on Saturday. Although Danielle had planned a few activities, we all felt the exhausted from the jet lag for most of the day. The first day, we:
- Visited Scott Memorial
- Toured Giles Cathedral
- Visited the National Museum of Scotland
- Shopped in the Royal Mile

We ended up going to bed at 6pm, sleeping for four hours, waking up at 10pm, and going to sleep at 1:30 am. Then we woke up at 7am the next morning and we're back on our regular sleeping schedule. Word of advice for travelers: force yourself to stay up as much as you can, and then sleep a solid twelve hours or so.

On the second day, we began the day by having breakfast at our hostel for one pound. Throughout the day, we:
- Hiked up to (and picnicked at) Arthur's Seat
- Toured the Palace of Holyrood House
- Bought trashy souvenirs from shops and classy souvenirs from street vendors
- Ate at Wetherspoon

On the third day, we:
- Had breakfast at the hostel
- Toured Edinburgh Castle
- Ate at the Queen Ann Cafe
- Shopped

Although it would appear that we didn't do much, in reality we walked many miles each day and were exhausted beyond belief at the end. The following are some of the observations I wrote down in my notebook.

Words and terms:
- chips: french fries
- bang your hooter: honk your horn
-Sky TV: cable TV
- toilet/loo: bathroom, restroom
- boot: trunk of the car
- bonnet: hood of the car
- pants: underwear
- trousers: pants
- fanny: vagina
- "thank you for your custom": "thank you for your business"
- Way Out: Exit
- loch: lake
- wee: little, small (used in the States but not as often)
- biscuits: cookies ("digestive biscuits" are common)
- pram: short for "pramulator," a baby carriage
- concession: money off, discount, for elderly people, young people or students
- charity shop: thrift store
- queue: the get in line for something, to make a line, a line
- ice lollies: ?
- advice slip: receipt
- What, Not Butter!: I can't believe it's not butter!
- Nappy: Napkin
- "mature" cheese: sharp cheese
- prawn: shrimp

Common clothes/garb:

For the women: tights or slacks with a long shirt or with a dress OR skinny jeans, with boots OR flats. On a cold day, add a trendy jacket either longer or shorter (not in the middle), in black, grey or brown.
For the men: Pants with dress shirt and sweater.

Food:
- bangers and mash: sausages on top of mashed potatoes
- nips and tatties: a kind of root vegetable with mashed potatoes
- scone: looks like a giant biscuit, served with jam and clotted cream during afternoon tea
- pasty: a flaky pastry with food inside (we had one with onions and cheese, but most contain meat)
- haggis: traditional Scottish dish that is a sheep's stomach with lots of leftover meats and oatmeal


So those are the cold, hard facts. When I can get my computer adapter to work, I'll update again with actual thoughts and a few pictures.


(As I heard several times today:) Cheers,
Emily