Coffee Hour

As I'm rounding the end of this most massive paper that has been the current bane of my existence, I have learned several important lessons in the process of which I feel inclined to share:

The first lesson is the importance of choosing a topic VERY much in advance. I made that mistake earlier on this past month when I had a 5,000 word term paper to write. Because I was in the midsts of writing another paper, I made the mistake of not preparing myself for the following assignment. This proved very much fatal when the last two weeks before the deadline I realized that my topic was totally crap. Not to mention the material that I had accumulated for the assignment made the paper an inevitable walking disaster.

After learning that lesson, I soon learned there after the importance of consulting your topic with your student convenor. Because my professor was unhelpful I assumed that I was destined to try and figure out my paper for myself. My stress level was so high that I managed to convince myself that maybe I wasn't cut out for grad school. Thank God I had a convenor who brought me back down to earth and told me to write my paper and turn it in a week late. "Stay simple" was his advice and it has gotten me through and now I'm almost finished...

BUT- this "almost finished" paper was an extremely tiring process, which has resulted in my lack of sleep. (For those of you who have been waiting for me to write back thank yous for xmas gifts, my long delay has been a result of this paper.) In the midsts of writing it this past Wednesday I managed to spill tea all over my brand new laptop. So I learned another lesson...always save on a USB drive, or email your paper to yourself. Thankfully I had managed to the latter part of that advice or else I wouldn't be wasting time updating my blog. Instead I would be panicking, packing my bags in my head, and planning the school to kick me out to the Americas...

That said, I will be a much happier person once this paper is finally behind me. I just hope I remember what I've learned and try to stay more ahead of the game so that I don't end up in this mess again.

Nothing on earth can compare to the feeling of food poisoning other than child birth. I made the mistake of buying a microwave meal from the Student Union shop only to find that six hours later I would barf the whole thing back up. Now I know that sounds gross, but I'm sure some of you can relate to the pain of unrelenting food-sickness. It controls your body and causes your mind to think that you are actually going to die. At one point during the night I turned to my housemate and said, "Is this what death feels like?" at which point my housemate said, "no" but I think it was more so to make me feel better during the entire process.

By the next day my back and my butt felt like they were beaten black and blue. I walked like an old woman, was dizzy and slow and had trouble using the stairs. But that still didn't stop the fact that I have a book due Monday, so I sent my professor an email even though it will probably prove useless in the end.

It's now day two after the "big disaster" and I'm feeling much better now. During the night I slept well, I had cereal this morning and I even enjoyed some coffee. My only concern from now on is what I will eat if I'm in a rush for class, especially if the easy-bake meals cause my stomach to lurch or make me feel like I'm going to die.

...I guess I'll just have to start cooking...

I finally started my first day of class and so far I have an entire novel to read by next Monday along with a series of questions to answer along the way. I thought about buying the novel, but it looks like my only option is to borrow one from the library seeing as Amazon takes awhile to ship, especially if I decide to buy my books from the States.

Speaking of States, I've been told that there are several Americans going to school at Sussex. I can't say I've met more than two of them, but it's interesting to think that there are more out there.

Last night I went to an International dinner shin-ding in the center of town. International students were required to dress up in either their "home" town clothes or those of their liking. As expected some Americans missed the memo so they wore flip-flops and tank tops to the evening event only to be embarrassed by the fact that the Mayor of Brighton was speaking to the students.
Needless to say, the Americans wore appropriate attire in terms of dressing like an American college student.

But the night was fun and first couple drinks were free (even though on the medicine I'm technically not allowed to drink alcohol) and the music was good with a big ol' jazz band that played at the front of the room. The place the school rented out was also very nice, very large with tall, high ceilings. I felt kinda spoiled because the British students didn't receive this kind of treatment. But the international students also had to pay 4,000 more pounds to go to school, so in the end I don't feel so bad.

During the night I met several people from India and Bangladesh adding to the already large list of Bengali folk I have met so far since I've moved here. I've even learned a couple Bengali words along with a couple Japanese phrases thanks to Ayumi, one of my housemates.

Which brings me to another subject: My house is very international. My five roommates in total come from Sudan, Bangladesh, South Africa and Japan, making me the sole American. So far since I've moved here I've learned what it's like being a black woman growing up in the appartied (sp?) in South Africa, as well as an Arabic perspective of American media and politics through my housemate who visited the States. I must say, though, I find it rather exciting to hear another perspective other than my own. It really helps me to think outside the box, and who knows...maybe help stir some creative juices in order to write my next paper.

As a side note I thought it might be nice to explain what I'm studying while at University. Though some of you are familiar with Anthropology, others seem lost when I bring up the subject. Anthropology (or in the States, "Cultural Anthropology") is the study of people, their traditions and their environment. For me I'm interested more so in the Anthropology of Religion (religion in terms of how it has developed and transformed through different cultures and societies). I find that my interests sometimes interfere with my religious beliefs because of my tendency to play devil's advocate. While on the one hand I find myself conservative in my beliefs, there are large parts of me that think differently than most common-place Christians. As a result, I find it harder and harder to find Christians with a like mindset and as a result my friends are primarily not Christian because I find they are more open to other ideas.

In the end, however, I'm hoping that throughout this year I can combine my interests in Anthropology with my religious beliefs, with the hopes of coming to some positive revelation, or at least something that's worth writing home to.

The countdown is getting shorter and shorter and already I'm starting to get butterflies in my stomach. Good butterflies I might add, but nonetheless they are fluttering.

Last night I had my Send-Off BBQ picnic and it went extremely well. Because I had told my mom to invite her friends as well the party divided itself into those under 40 and those over 40, but the groups managed to mix-n-mingle so that all had a good time.

I will say though, that I'm starting to get the beginning of school jitters. But randomly enough, an incredible Italian woman that came to the neighborhood picnic on Saturday told me not to worry. Apparently she is a fantastic palm reader and developed the art of palm reading from her mother and grandmother. She grabbed my left hand and told me not to worry about my trip to England. In the beginning she said I would have some difficulty adjusting to the British culture and whatnot, but that towards the second term things will turn up and I will do something "important." I'm also supposed to find "a man" who at first I won't think much of. Then over time our friendship will grow and I'll decide to stay in England.

Who knows if this will turn out to be true, but her husband says she's always been very accurate. I guess I'll have to keep you all posted assuming I ever meet the man of my dreams.

LIFE

Life can be a fantasy,
An over-acted reverie
But in reverse our dreams can be
A form of our reality.

X ME A QUESTION

X me a question
And I’ll tell you once again.
I’m sick of Xing questions
Without answers at the end.

You X me this, you X me that.
The answer’s still the same.
If you don’t stop Xing questions
I will go insane!

Even if you X me softly,
The fact that I can hear,
I’ll X you to oblivion
So no one will come near!

So if you X and do expect
An answer to be true,
I recommend you X a person
Who is nice to you.

L’HOMME.

I have fallen in love with a foreign man
Who only knows me by name.
Subtlety, I tried to watch his eyes
Yet protect myself all the same.

During the summer, I tried to reject
Curiosities inside of me
Looking the other way
Towards pictures, back to reality.

Practical approaches to something
That will never really bloom
Is how I tried to yield myself
From impending doom.

Doom that may not ever happen,
Rejection is what I fear.
My confidence was ever failing,
Never growing clear.

So why attempt to talk to a man
Who might never take notice of me?
Best to pretend that we are just friends:
That’s my philosophy.

Or better to say that I liked his brother,
Who died several years ago.
Yes, he the was the one I had fallen for;
Not his little bro.

An intentional move to try to relieve
Myself from a big mistake
Something that happened in high school,
A comment I tried to make.

Will I move on from this?
That is the plan; at least I hope I do.
Either way, I try not to think
Of the person whom this is to.

IRONY

The water tries to beckon me
From blue to grey, from grey to green
But my green eyes can all but see
The beauty that entices me.

Like sleeping in a colored dream,
My eyes are closed, I can not see
The life that lives outside of me
And that to me is irony.

YELLOW

Yellow is the color of the Sun
During the day,
Where the children like to frolic,
Like to run and like to play.

Yellow says to people
That I really like your smile
In the chance that they will talk to you
And ask to stay awhile.

Yellow also is the color of
The Moon, planets and stars
Where the telescopes can tell you
If there is some life on Mars.

Yellow also tells you that in April
There comes Spring
Where the dandelions and the lilies
Brighten everything.

But most of all the color yellow
signals lights of joy
To give each child happiness
To every girl and boy,

In hopes that they will brighten
Everyone and everything
And open up our hearts inside
To help and hear us sing.

(All by AEL)

In an email earlier today I received my first list of classroom assignments that consist of classwork of which I am supposed to complete during my first semester and winter term. After printing out the 31 page document, which consisted of classroom assignments for only one of my classes, I came to realize that in due course I will, in short, have no life. Already the list of required reading have titles that make no sense in English. The eight section break-down of the course work might as well have been written in various tongues. I can only imagine what it must feel like for the international students coming from non-English speaking countries when an American feels like she needs a dictionary to decipher her teacher's writing.

But hey, that's just one of the many things I get to look forward to as I soon head overseas...aside from jet-lag, fatigue, and constant adaptation to an environment that is not my own.

Nevertheless, I will keep you updated as information comes my way. Who knows, maybe I'll even learn who my roommates are before I leave the country...

So the housing packet has arrived and it's finally hit me that I'm moving to England. Not that I didn't realize it before, but now it actually feels like I'm moving. Already I've put off emptying my suitcases from my most recent trip to the beach because I figure there's no point in unpacking if I have to pack again. Granted, I still need to wash my clothes, but that's why people wear perfume.

So instead of putting my clothes away I decided to browse through my housing envelope and its contents. On the first week of school Sussex has what is called "Freshers week" for the new students on campus. On the front cover there are pictures of really happy people looking relieved to come to school only to do loads and loads of homework. Even the people in the library photos look relatively amused to read about "The Ways of Financial Investments" or discuss about politics on the green.

That said, the student handbook has several events set aside for the International students on the first week of school. Coffee get-togethers and departmental seminars seem to be the relative norm. The school also provides tours to the center of town to show students where to shop for food at reasonable prices. There is also a tour that takes you to London at the end of Freshers week. But seeing as the schedules look like they last all day we'll have to see how I feel once that first week is over.

The one thing I wish the school would have sent me is a list of my roommates and my classes. Of course those things might come in the next few days, but I'm starting to get antsy from this delay in information. Sure, I may sound like a freshman when my only concern is not the cost of living, but what my roommates' names are, but it's that initial excitement that comes with getting to meet new people that can make the transition that much more exciting.

On a side note I've made a mental note that I would like to visit Liverpool while I'm in England for the year. In case some of you didn't know, I will be the first of my family in the last 100 years to live in Europe since my great-grandfather moved from Liverpool on a steamship to the Americas when he was 15. According to my mother he never went back to England, so in a way I feel like this is monumental in reaching back into my family's history that started partially in England. Already I've found it interesting to note how much I look like some of the people on campus, who might in fact be long lost relatives (hey. you never know). Just being there last December also made me realize how British my name really is: Ann Elizabeth Lewis. Does it really get any more English sounding than that?

But just thinking that some of my ancestors may have come from somewhere in Wales (where there's a Lewis Castle) or somewhere in Scotland (where there's a Lewis Isle) can really make my mind wonder at all the possibilities.

Who knows, maybe I'll do some investigative work during my spare time...assuming I have any, of course.

Three cheers to David Cheng for fixing my computer! I would be a mental mess with a whole lot less money if I had had to call Geek Squad.

Plus life doesn't get any better than when you watch your friend dance to Michael Buble while he fixes your computer.

Now I owe him dinner and a movie.

-Ann

Today I decided I'd start a little poetry corner for those interested in poetry, or for those who are bored out of their minds...

Here's a poem I wrote some years ago, but is one of many that I've considered publishing sometime later in life. Anyway, lemme know what you think.

Across the Seas of Calamity

Across the seas of calamity
I sit by the window and wait
Forcing my mind to concentrate
On things that have come up from late.

Broken hearts and broken dreams
Have taught me once again
To never give my heart away
To the boys I thought were men.

God has also taught me ways
Of beauty and of life
That no matter what can happen
One can grow from any height.

It just takes a lot of patience
And eventually you'll see
That life is so worth living
Right here, right on the sea.

~AEL~

I've just recently started getting interested in more indie-type movies/ music. The most recent indie film I saw was, "Once." The movie is about two musicians out of Dublin that create an album. I know...my description probably doesn't make it sound all that interesting, but trust me; it's worth the watch.

Here's a list of other movies I'm hoping to see:

1. "This Is England"
2. "Paris, Je t'aime"
3. "2 Days in Paris" (notice a theme here?)
4. Stardust (ok...so it's not indie...but that's besides the point)

As for new upcoming artists, here are few I would recommend:

1. Mika (first and foremost!:)
2. Sara Bareilles
3. GoodBooks
4. Amy MacDonald

Any other music/ movies suggestions are more than welcome!

Till then,
Ann

Let the countdown begin! Only four more weeks, folks, and I'll be on my way to England! Now the only question remains: Will I, or will I not lose part of my American accent?

Let the wagers begin;-)
Ann