The Club Fair...

A very hot day yesterday, but not humid, which was a nice change. After my first class I headed to the Club Fair and signed up for a few things - History Society, IRC (International Relations Club), and I picked up a form for the Relay for Life team. 

The picture doesn't do justice to the detail

The college had also brought in a couple of spray can artists - for anyone who has been to Europe, you've probably seen them on the street painting large pictures. These however, are much smaller - postcard size. I asked the guy for a night time city theme and to the right is what he came up with in 5 minutes. 

My money for the whitewater rafting trip next weekend has been acknowledged, so expect some photos of the mountains, trees and rivers in a week's time. 

The Reading Begins In Earnest...

The earlier night and the ten hours of sleep that followed was the perfect way to get back into the swing of things. I have also moved meal plans so that I have three meals a day during the week now, and for $200 less than I was paying - I don't know why I didn't spot that sooner. I think the lack of regular eating was also a factor in my tiredness yesterday. 


Today was a lazier start, reading 'Grapes of Wrath'. I've got to say that when you've just skipped out on breakfast and you're reading about starving people in the dust-bowl  your empathy with the characters goes much deeper. 

My second class with Miller on the Early Republic followed, and I is nice to now know how several of big names in American History actually fit into the History. With his undying wit, Miller produced the backhanded remark towards the British losing the war that I had been expecting. (I think he was quietly relieved when I laughed it off.)

After lunch, I picked up another couple of books and began reading another book for a closer deadline. Then at 3pm I met up with Abby to play squash. Although we weren't the smoothest pair to ever play on a court, it was a novelty to play against a fellow lefty and we became much better in the hour or so. One thing that I hadn't anticipated is that whereas back home if you leave a sports centre you are met with the cool afternoon air that refreshes you, when it's over 30 outside, the discomfort of leaving a court increases ten fold. Leaving out the sweaty details, the subsequent cool shower was just what I needed. 

Two more hours of reading up on John Winthrop's Puritan dilemma followed and then dinner for another catch up with people. Meal times are definitely the socialising centers of the day. 

A Wetter Wednesday...

With my schedule already feeling rushed because I'm starting classes a month earlier than usual, today felt quite long with the three classes spread from 10:30-4:30. The 91% humidity didn't help matters and it is my excuse for nearly drifting off in my film class at the end of the day, and why I did nod off during the opening chapters of 'Grapes of Wrath' when I returned to Worcester. However, most of my books have arrived, so I can continue some reading for the deadlines that lie ahead. 

I also went some way to solving my lack of snacks yesterday by making a trip to Walgreen's with my resident chauffeur Sean, Sean's roommate Sean, and Sam. Today, I advanced the situation further when I discovered that my lowest desk drawer is deep enough to stand up a Pringles tube in. 

I've decided to change my eating regime somewhat and eat healthy food in the morning outside of the dining hall (not literally on the bench) - such as the Nature Valley bars, and then use my two meals for lunch and dinner. The middle of the day is when I seem to be most hungry. 

Tonight I am going to do some writing, which I have been neglecting since I arrived, and have an earlier night. 

Meeting Miller...

Today was a much quieter day for lessons, with only one class 11:30-12:45 with Dr Kenneth Miller; a very funny man, whose mock serious tone could break anyone into a smile.  After seeing what is coming up in my classes, the outlook for the 15 weeks is:

• 1 final
• 1 midterm
• 1 quiz
• 3 discussions
• 8 papers

The lack of several large exams in nice and the papers aren't too long, so I will hopefully plough through okay. Tomorrow the real classwork begins, so my attitude may change by the next post. 

Setting Out Into The Past...

Today was the first day of classes and I had all three with Dr. Richard Striner, a man who wears classic suits and speaks with a Tom Hanks accent that naturally projects wisdom. 

Equation for a Happy History Student:

Richard Striner = Voice like Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks + Talking about the past = Robert Langdon
Robert Langdon for a History professor = Happy History student

Sufficed to say, the exams here are no where near the pressure they are back home. In fact, as it currently stands, I don't technically need to take any finals this term if I don't want to. Nevertheless, the workload for essays is still heavy and I will soon be familiar with Miller Library.

With that in mind, all the required books for the term are in the process of being shipped, or have already been dispatched. That's one hassle out of the way. 

On another note, contrary to the popular opinion back home that I look upon a fitness centre like a dog does its next bath, I have inquired, and will being joining, the competitive squash ladder when it is up and running in the next couple of weeks. And, people are constantly convincing me to go to the gym with them, so one day I might even find out what all the scary contraptions in there are for. At the moment it looks like somewhere that Ivan the Terrible would go to relax.

After dinner we went to Shannon's to play Munchkin's and after working our way around the wordy rules, we were in the flow and understanding the nature of the game - it's basically mocking the concept of Dungeons and Dragons, something I realised when I was forced to fight a Level 8 Gazebo. 

A Week At Washington College...

After waking early, forgetting that it was brunch today and not breakfast, I managed to clean the clothes that I had previously thought were ruined. Next time I will know not to just throw the clothes into the dryer, successfully drying the detergent into the my shirts (cue text from exasperated mother). But, after a proper wash they are clean once more and back in the dryer. 

A relaxing afternoon meeting Addison and his friends moved swiftly to the All Campus Picnic at 6pm. The food was great - especially the crab cakes and once the sun went down we had a great firework display from one of the fields. A shout-out for Shannon's genius at putting on part of the 1812 overture from 'V for Vendetta' during the show. 

After the fireworks, I went back to Sean's to watch 'The Last House on the Left' - not the most cheerful end to the week, but at least I can say that I've watched it. 

The week of orientation is over and the work must now begin. I didn't get lost around campus, I wasn't left to eat alone in the dining hall, and I always had someone to chat with - for a good reason. So, before I sign off on these long and busy past seven days, I would just like to thank everyone who helped move in the international students, show us around and make us feel at home:

Student Guides:
Liam Aquino
Anqi Bai
Adele Bovis
Chris Carrara
Raquel Gomez Fernandez
Shannon Kirby
Andrea Ritsch

Student Peer Mentors:
Caitlin Macnamara
Hilary Badger
Marcela Morales-Quezada
Jeff Birkemaier
Melody Bishop
Patrick Cahill
Brandon Citrano
Jimmy Comotto
Todd Cooley
Sarah Coyle
Allison Davis
Jared DePermentier
Francesca DiPaula
Michael Festa
Kellyanne Ford
Shaneta Ford
Molly Gallagher
Sean Granata
Sam Gross
Emily Hall
Allison Halt
Drew Hobbs
Paige Kube
Greg Lee
Charles Logan
Robbie Mix
Obella Obbo
Joshua Rogers
Jenna Rogge
Hilary Rosenburg
Phaedra Scott
Abby Thomas
Blair Towers
Katie Wellington
Sarah Winters

Finally, a huge thank you to Kate McCleary and Theresa Capule for helping us with the application paperwork, getting us over to the states and to Washington College. Without you we would still be stranded back home. 

As much as I would like $215, these shout-outs are on me :)

I look forward to a great year at Washington College!

Messing About In Boats...

Today was our first day of true release for induction schedules and we relaxed in style. After breakfast we met up and walked down to the farmers market in town that happens every Saturday. (I was very annoyed that I forgot the camera, but I will be mooching photos off other people at some point, so stay tuned for picture updates.) The market sold everything from clothes to cushions, food to flowers. There, we met up with Sean, Sam, Fran and Shannon, and went to 'Play it again Sam' for some drinks. I had that all important cup of tea, despite the temperature pushing 30 and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. 

From there we headed down to the dock and waited for the others to join us. Annoyingly Lenka and I had to break away at 12:00 to have our adviser meeting, but it gave me a chance to change, get the camera, towel and sun cream - good job I did as I was one of the few who didn't seem to get burnt. 

When we returned, the BBQ was burning, tended by Chris, the food was out and the kayaks were on the water. I had some food and drink and then set out onto the Chester River, not letting the skeleton of a catfish deter me, but armed with my water gun for protection. Kayaking was great and I headed back out, paddling solo after the water balloon fight. The a couple of tall ships, jet skis and other craft were out on the river, so I could catch some immense ripples in their wake. 

I paddled alongside one of the ships and caught the attention of an elderly and as is the American custom, she asked where I was from. Having told her I was from England I proceeded to joke that I had indeed kayaked the whole way - I was in an ocean kayak after all. After she commended me on my achievement, not quite grasping the quip, I made for the jetty and spent the remainder of our time there vegging in the shade. So far I have only acquired one bite on my arm and I will just have to hope that no more critters got me today.

Once we had returned to campus, I showered away the sun cream and smell of catfish and sorted out some bits and pieces before dinner. After we had eaten, I went with Sam, Dale and Caitlin to Walgreen's for them to stock up on Aloe Vera for their burnt limbs, whilst I Reveled (pun intended) in the sweet aisle and bought some dark chocolate M&Ms that we can't get back home. 

Checking Out Chestertown...

Yesterday we had a free morning, which was a chance to try and move along the process of letting out my student room back home, and also speak with my parents about the last few days. 

Following lunch, Caitlin gave us a tour around Chestertown with the other peer mentor groups, so I now know where to go get a good cup of tea, which is a lifesaver. We walked down to the pavilion at the waterfront, where we will be taking out boats and kayaks today, but more on that later. 

After the waterfront was the C.V. Starr Center, which I think I will go to, having heard the words "discuss history" and "publishing opportunities" in the same sentence.

We arranged to take the swim test at 5pm so that we could go out on the water, those of us who wanted to headed to the pool. The test itself was eight lengths (four laps) followed by five minutes of treading water to prove that we don't simply give up on life if we fall out of the boat. -  Frankly, if I was treading water for five minutes and everyone else on the bank wasn't making the effort to help me, then I'd be culling some Facebook friends when I got back to Worcester. 

After dinner, we headed over to Decker to watch the mentalist Banachek. - For people back home, he's the US version of Derren Brown. The show was good, with some people believing the act more than others. As a skeptic on such things, I was quite surprised when the guy in front of me leaped out of his seat and made for the door when Banachek bent a fork with his 'mind'. In his final act with knives, I was kind of hoping that he would push down on a real blade. Partly because the event and the picture to go with it would have spiced up this blog post no end, and I was glad when Sean told me that he had been thinking the same. (I still can't believe that Sean isn't a Senior, let alone younger than I am - you're great at what you do!)

Looks like it's going to be a much warmer day today, so I think I will take down sun cream just in case my whiter than white skin cannot take all the UV that America has to offer.

(If anyone is wondering, I charge $5 for a shout-out on the blog.)

A Fresh Start For The Freshmen...

A final long day of induction activities yesterday, with all the Freshmen arriving in the morning and moving into their dorms - I did make the effort to introduce myself to the new guys on my corridor, but I think they were still a little shell-shocked and I didn't get much out of them. 

After lunch we had our peer mentor meeting, mine with Caitlin and then we moved onto the President's address amongst other speeches on Hodson Green. (I suppose I could have watched form my room if I wanted to.)

We had free time until dinner, after which we had Playfair and if I thought the Freshmen I had met were shell-shocked earlier in the day, they certainly were during that hour and a half - a big thanks to our excellent peer mentors for keeping their energy levels so high for so long.

Following Playfair was the frank and hillarious 'Sex Rules!' talk from comedian Maria Falzone and finally, I met Baker, my RA, for a brief chat about hall regulations and to check over the room. 

Hopefully a more relaxing day today!

A Trip To Annapolis...

Today saw the last of our international induction sessions (I think) and then a trip for the exchange students to Annapolis. 

After a 45 minute drive with Liam's steady hands at the wheel, we arrived at the Annapolis Visitor Centre. From there we were guided by Shannon through some of the historic district and to the waterfront. 

From there we split up and following Shannon, we made our way to the naval academy in the town. 

Thanks to Shannon's fiancé's friend Theo, our tour was filled with interesting facts and insights into the academy and its history. For example, the speed of light was first calculated and is commemorated there and the academy also played an important part in gaining naval dominance in the War of Independence.

Finally, we finished up in 'Chick & Ruth's Delly', and you know the place must be good when 'Man vs. food' has featured it. 

The promised thunderstorm came just as we were leaving and made for an impressive lightning display as we crossed the bay bridge on our way home - unfortunately, my photography is not good enough to capture moments of lightning. 

(Lots more photos on Facebook)

Work Hard Play Hard...

Yesterday didn't feel as long as Monday did, I think because we had a range of smaller sessions that broke up the day, but it was a lot warmer. We had an insight into what the classroom environment in America would be like, which was mostly what I expected - smaller classes with discussion and informality. We also had some useful advising from Theresa on our J-1 visas and I opened a US bank account.

But, the day wasn't all about work. After dinner we moved onto the lawn and played some icebreaker games as a big group,  including rhythm master, the sun shines on me, and splat, the latter of which I failed miserably. However, I did find out that there is one other twin in the group and a few lefties. 

When we moved inside I learned how to play cornhole and I don't mind saying that I wasn't half bad by the end of the game. We also got the moves to several American dances, which wasn't as successful as cornhole, but I only trod on one person's feet - sorry Dale. 

A Room With A View...

Realised that I haven't put up a photo of the world outside the window yet:

Looking out to Hodson Dining Hall

Monday And The Mall...

I can't believe that it's only Monday. After all that we've seen and been told, I feel like I been here for weeks. But, despite the tiredness I am determined to keep up the daily updates during induction week whilst the events are still relatively fresh in my mind. 

Today began with our first breakfast in the dining hall, followed by a couple of brief talks by President Reiss and the VP of student enrollment. After moving from the dining hall we split up to get our college ID's, complete our immigration sign in and visit various areas of the campus, which was bigger than I had originally thought. 

After lunch, we spent a couple of hours with representatives from different departments in the college recruiting students for work throughout the year - I'm still undecided on a part-time job and will see how the first weeks of classes go so that I can try to gauge my upcoming workload. 

Thank you Kate for the photo!
(It's not all mine)

Then, at three we set out to Christina Mall to have dinner and collect any essentials that we needed. From what most people have said, tonight will be a much more comfortable night's sleep. Refraining from grabbing what I considered at the time to be "essential" items and over-spending, I came away with the last few items and I feel much more settled having done so. 

The biggest novelty that I have neglected to mention, was that we travelled in yellow American school buses. For any US students reading this, it may seem quite strange that I found it so noteworthy. But, for anyone outside the states, yellow school buses have been epitomised in US film and so to actually get to ride in one was a bonus. 

Welcome To Washington College!...

Well, this is the first blog post written from my desk in Worcester Hall at Washington College. Having met many people and remembering most names, I cannot help but feel that there is more pressure on these posts being a worthwhile read now that most people recognised me from the blog. It is slightly disconcerting to have people greet you by name before you've said a word - I don't know how celebrities do it.

But, moving back to the day itself. The ride from the airport was great for views across the river and seeing the immediate area around Chestertown. Arriving at the Global Education Office we were helped by the willing group of peer mentors as we signed in to get our keys and then move our things into halls. (Now I know that many of them read the blog I must must pay them the compliment).

The initial rush was followed by me spending a great deal of unpacking and rearranging the room so that it had the right flow and look. Not to boast, but I think I pulled it off pretty well. 

After getting the feng shui of the room just right, I sat down to dinner in the dining hall (where else?), which was followed by several relaxing hours of chatting, story telling and cultural comparisons with the others Returning to Foster Hall, we had a final eat and greet over pizza before I returned to Worcester and to make sure the wifi was working. The fact I am writing this answers the question. Now, I am about to roll into bed and rest before the busy days of orientation ahead. 

Hampton Sweet Home...

After a 17 hour trip yesterday, a ten hour sleep in a comfy queen-sized bed hit the spot perfectly. Leaving the house at midday we made it to T5 in good time. I was dressed in my "don't I look smart, please upgrade me" attire, but sadly no such upgrade came about. Check-in went smoothly, the flight was quicker than expected and there were no issues going through security. The only slight hitch was that half of the bags had been sent to a cargo bay and not No. 16 carousel. But, after the half hour wait at the bags, and then walking several lengths of the terminal, we found the correct pick up point for the hotel shuttle and within ten minutes we were in our humble abode for the night. 

Now, feeling refreshed and hungry, there is a very welcome buffet breakfast waiting downstairs and a final bit of travelling before we reach Washington College. 

More Tea Vicar?...

After the family farewell and my book reminding me of dear old England, I was taken out for one last taste of tea and scones before the months of coffee and cookies that lie ahead. - For anyone who was wondering, it was at the Grosvenor Hotel in Stratford and well worth it!

As I write this, we are commencing with the booking of my plane seat with 24 hours to go. The bags are packed, minus toiletries and gadgets, and the paperwork has been triple checked. Now all I can do is cross my fingers for no screaming children and as a bonus, there is no one in front of me to let back their chair and throw my meal into my lap! 

A Family Farewell...

With a week to go before the gears go up and I can thoughtlessly throw my seat back into the unfortunate traveller behind me, the family came together for a final group farewell. A big thank you to my mum for the surprise suitcase cake, and to my aunt and uncle for their travel reminder of English life and all the delights it brings.

Tip: As well as the college health insurance you will need a more complete student travel package, so that you are covered for your flights and any time away from the college. 

With reminder emails from BA, things being thrown at the suitcase and the travel cash card delivered, the final countdown is definitely underway!

Two Weeks To Go...

With just under a fortnight remaining before I leave England's green and pleasant lands for the U.S of A, plans for the next academic year's festivities are already underway! As a Brit, nothing sounds better than starting off the new college year with a good old-fashioned picnic to meet new people and start making connections.

However, before I can kick back and relax with cucumber sandwiches and lashings of ginger beer (or America's equivalent), I must decide what I am to take with me. The list has begun and I am hoping that two suitcases will suffice.