Things I miss ....

Mmmm ... Chipotle. And TexMex in general.

Going to a school with school spirit. Apparently that is a cheesy American thing. The only thing that unifies the student body here is a love of drinking.

Having a car so I don't have to walk for 30 minutes in the rain to get everywhere. The mazda isn't looking so bad now ...

The ability to buy groceries, cute clothes, home furnishings, hardware, sports equipment and office supplies all in one brightly lit, welcoming environment that is open past 7 p.m.

Living in the same time zone as my family and friends.

Salads just aren't worth it without my rasberry vinagerette dressing.

Where to begin ... having a clean bathroom, not having to wear flip flops in the shower, and the ability to mix hot and cold water in one faucet tap.

Also included in this list would be: The sun, granola bars, having a dishwasher, basketball season, Valentine's day candy hearts, the blatant commercialism of holidays, Starbucks that are open past 6 p.m., the SLC, Texas culture, and, of course, my family and friends.

Mmmm, haggis

One of the fun things about living in a different country is that you get to learn about and celebrate a whole new set of holidays. I bought a calendar here and was surprised to find things like Thanksgiving, 4th of July, MLK day, etc. were not on it. Instead I had random days like Bank holidays and St. George’s day marked in it. Hello, Meghan. They don’t celebrate America’s independence from Britain here. Anyways, the latest holiday I’ve had the pleasure of celebrating here is Burns day, in honor of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. I don’t remember ever reading his work in school, but maybe you do. He was the poet for the “common man” and they love him in Scotland. So Burns night involves haggis and mash. If you don’t know what haggis is, google it. That’s what I had to do. However, before you judge me for eating it, just think of what a hotdog really is and maybe it’ll change your perspective. After the eating of the haggis, the token Scot in our group gave a dramatic recessitation of his favorite Burns poem with the thickest Scottish accent I’ve heard yet. (Note: dramatic is a polite way of saying drunken, because well, the Brits like their drink). And that, my friends, is Burns night. Next on the holiday list: St. David’s Day (don’t know what that is) and Mother’s Day, which is on March 2 here.

Fun British story of the day: At my church small group the other night, one of the leaders was reading from a book by an American author. The author wrote that Martha (as in Mary and Martha) was a worrywart. As soon as he said "worrywart" everybody burst out laughing. Apparently, it is not a phrase used here, and they thought it was the most ridiculous expression ever. As my friend said, "It's not even a word!" This from the people who call the bathroom a loo. Who came up with that one?

The honorable Mr. Burns:

Eeeww. Haggis!

Wasting time

• Whoever decided that finals and essays should be taken and handed in after Christmas is evil. Aside from the 10 days I spent traveling, the other four weeks of my break have been consumed with school.
• I broke an umbrella today in the wind. I guess that's why most people don't even seem to carry them here. They just put their hood up and walk quickly.
• People here are as excited about the caucuses in the States as I am. It's fun to talk about politics. It seems the British know more about American politics that the average American does.
• They do not have peppermints in the grocery store here. I thought that was like a universal candy. They didn't have candy canes anywhere during Christmas either. I miss sucking on mints while I'm studying.
• There's an outdoor skating rink set up in the town square now. It makes me happy. After exams are finished, I'm going skating!
• I'm going to Liverpool on Friday with a friend. Time to go pay a visit to the Beatles!
• Next week, I have a Fulbright conference in London and Newcastle. We are going to meet members of Parliament and get a personal tour of the Houses of Parliament. I never thought I'd actually get to go inside! I also have to participate in a panel that week addressing the question, "Is Multiculturalism Dead?" I think the Fulbright organizers thought this would be a fun activity. Seriously.
• I think by the end of this year, I may actually have an idea of what I want to do with my life! It's coming to me slowly but surely.
• I read in a book that the UK and US are two countries separated by a common language. I'm beginning to think it's true. The times it hits me most is when I'm listening to students around me speak slang and when I'm at the grocery store. Food items have different names than in the states, especially baking goods. And when I ask for help, the clerk can't help me find what I'm looking for because s/he doesn't know what it is that I'm asking for.
• I'm done procrastinating. I have an essay to finish tonight.

Pictures

Here's a picture of everybody in my master's program.

(ps- I have had a lot of problems trying to post pictures on here. I can't move the picture and insert it where I want it to go in my post. Any bloggers have formatting tips?)

Mountain: 1, Meghan: 0

Happy 2008! This New Years was about on par with every other one. I watched movies in my pajamas and ate too much chocolate with my Canadian friend who was also in town for the break. It would be nice one of these years to actually have plans on New Years. To get dressed up and drink champagne and at least have the possibility of a kiss at midnight. Maybe next year! It's crazy ... I remember this time last year. I spent the night at a friend's house and as 2007 began I remember looking at the clock, thinking about graduation and wondering where in the world I would be ringing in the next new year. I never would have guessed it would be in little old Leeds. 2007 was good, and I'm thinking 2008 will be as well. This is the year I finish with school forever!

My Christmas break was wonderful. Except for a tearful moment on the phone with my parents on Christmas Day, I had a great holiday. Being away from home wasn't as hard as I thought, but that was probably because I was in such a wonderful place. I spent six days in Paris with Ashley, met her roommate and some of her friends, and leisurely soaked up the French culture. I really love Paris, and it's so much more enjoyable to travel when you are staying in someone's home rather than in a hostel. After Christmas, Ashley and I went to Vienna and then on to Salzburg, which was my favorite city of the two. The city is surrounded by the mountains and the view is just beautiful! Salzburg is near lots of ski resorts, and I have always wanted to go skiing in the Alps. Ashley couldn't ski because of her knee, and I was low on money and lacking in ski clothes, but I decided to just go for it and go skiing. Check something off my list. I couldn't pass up the chance. So, I took a shuttle out to a ski resort one of the days and went skiing by myself. The view up in the mountains was breathtaking, I can't even describe it. That was probably the best part of the day, because I soon ate it on the slopes. Granted, it had been four years since I went skiing, but the last time I went, I skied black courses. I never made it off the "easy" runs at Leogang. The mountains there are incredibly steep and the snow was really icy. I think I wiped out more times than when I was learning to ski. Whats more, I was the only skier on my butt that I saw the entire day. The Austrians learn to ski as soon as they learn to walk, so no beginner adults on the slopes like you see in Colorado. It was so embarrassing. I was tumbling down the mountains, and the classes of 4 year olds were zipping past me. People would slow down and speak to me in German. I assumed they were asking me if I was ok, so I just smiled and nodded. It's been four days since I went skiing, and I'm still sore. I also have a bruised right hip. But whatever. It was so worth it! I had so much fun, and being surrounded by the majesty of creation made all the pain fade away.

Now I'm back in Leeds and facing reality again. I have one more paper to write that's due Jan. 10. I haven't started any research yet. Nine days left to throw 3,000 words together on the role of the Internet in the development of global activism. Tell me again why I decided to go to grad school?

Happy New Year everybody!