Stratford-Upon-Avon

Last Saturday a bunch of the international students were invited to go on a bus trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon. It was an interesting experience being clumped together with other people who did not claim English as their first language. When I got the email about the trip, I suddenly realized, "I'm an international student!"

Jessye, Chelsea, J and I decided to go on the trip. We woke up and began the forty minute walk to Park campus at seven-something in the morning on a chilly day. We saw...

Where Shakespeare was born:

The town:

Where Shakespeare was buried:

A small, white bunny in the park:

A rainbow:

Funny road signs:

And much, much more.

Cheltenham Literature Festival

The Cheltenham Literature Festival is, according to its website, one of the greatest literary events in the world.  I went to seven of the events. Although I started writing detailed descriptions of the stuff discussed at each event, I realized it would take a long time to type up my notes and many people would find it boring to read, anyway. If you'd like to know about a specific event, send me and email or comment and I'll gladly oblige.

Overall, I was ecstatic to be able to be involved. I wish I could come every year! The events go on for two weeks, and the festival features notable people in literature, art, film, and science.

After each author's name, I've included their most recent work. In parentheses, I have added the book I've read by that author already. Sorry about the blurriness of most of the indoor photos- I kept my flash off to avoid being rude.

AS BYATT, The Children's Book (I read Possession)

PHILIP PULLMAN, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (I read The Golden Compass and The Ruby in the Smoke)

Photo taken by Amanda Blank

DAVID ALMOND, My Name is Mina (I read Skellig)

& GERALDINE MCCAUGHREAN, Pull Out All the Stops!

CELIA REES, The Fool's Girl (I read Pirates!)
 & MARY HOOPER, Fallen Grace

AUDREY NIFFENEGGER, The Night Bookmobile (I read The Time Traveler's Wife and started Her Fearful Symmetry)

HIGHGATE CEMETERY 

with Audrey Niffenegger and Catherine Arnold

SIMON PEGG, Nerd Do Well (I watched Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz)

Oxford and the Cotswolds

Another BCA trip! We met outside at 9:15 on a slightly overcast but overall dry day. First, we drove through a few of the Cotswolds, including Winchcombe, Cleeve Hill, Stanway, and Broadway. The Cotswolds are considered the heart of England, and Cheltenham and Bourton-on-the-Water are two of the Cotswolds I've already seen. We stopped in Broadway and looked around the town and had breakfast.

Next we drove to Oxford. Other than the optional planned activity to Christ Church, we were free to do what we wanted in the city. When I traveled with Danielle and Karen a few years ago, we went to Oxford so I saw quite a few things then. I was happy to return, though, because I didn't remember it completely, and there are quite a few things I didn't get to see the first time around.

First we went to the Ashmolean Museum. There was a special exhibit on the Pre-Raphaelites and Italy which I was excited to see since I had already been in the museum four years ago when that exhibit wasn't there. I happily scaled the three flights of stairs up, and discovered that it was for ticket holders only. We only had a few hours so I decided not to pay to see the exhibit. 

Next we went to eat lunch at The Eagle and Child pub, a location at which Lewis and Tolkien used to meet and discuss their writing - and gossip, I'd like to think. The place was packed, so we had to find somewhere else to eat. This is another place Danielle had us visit a few years ago, so I was okay with just looking around. 

I forgot to take a photo of this. This is the photo I took in 2007. 

Karen and Danielle are lurking near the doorway, there.

I went with Jessye and Cassie (two lovely girls from the BCA program) to a shop that sold many delicious things. While our paninis were being cooked, we stood to the side. I happened to glance down and discovered a twenty pound note! Just in case you don't know the conversion rate, twenty pounds is equivalent to $31.91 in US currency. I stood there for a bit to see if anyone would come back for it, and then gleefully, yet hesitantly, pocketed it.

After finishing our lunch, we began the walk across the city to Christ Church. Along the way, we went into fun shops such as Octopus, looked at the wares of various street vendors selling scarves and earrings and hats, and watched all the street performers from musicians to living statues.

When we got to Christ Church, most of the group was gathered there awaiting Denise (well, BCA) who was generously buying our entry. Christ Church is now most known for being the film location for various scenes in Harry Potter. We walked through the halls first, and then hit up the Great Hall. Cassie complained that it was rather dim in there, and I voiced my disappointment in not seeing the floating candlesticks. I sat in one of the chairs briefly so I could get the whole experience. The tables were set, and although food did not magically appear and I was surrounded by other tourists, for a moment I felt like a real Hogwarts student.

After that, we wandered around more and grabbed some snacks in a small cafe and did more window shopping. Eventually we met back at the museum to drive back to Cheltenham. We were in Oxford for only four hours, so I definitely plan on going back and seeing more of the city. 

Next week I'll be blogging about the Cheltenham Literature Festival. I've gone to two events so far, but I've booked five more, so I'll write about all of them in one entry. 

Missing you all (assuming you are a person I know and love and not a random blog-peruser),

Emily

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.