The human cannon ball

I went to the circus last night. Not like Barnum and Bailey's circus at Reunion Arena. This was like a proper acrobatic freak show that took place in a big, white tent in the middle of Leed's park. It was the Moscow State Circus. It was definitely entertaining, but I felt like it had some residue of the Soviet era attached to it. Like these were the people who were assigned the job of "circus performer" by the communist regime in order to cheer people up and show the outside world that the USSR wasn't really a bad place to live. The performer's clothes and equipment were worn and faded and the men didn't smile much. The clowns made jokes about vodka. They did the whole illusionist thing sawing a woman in half. I have to say, even though I know it can't be real, it still confuses me how they can do that. The trapeze artists and the rubber woman were my favorite though. I don't know how you learn to do the things they did without killing yourself in the process. Pretty amazing. Anyways, it was a fun break in the middle of an otherwise school dominated weekend.

Good intentions

I start off my days with such good intentions. Then, somewhere along the way I end up spending two hours on YouTube instead of reading articles for my dissertation. I need discipline. In so many areas of my life ... school, quiet times, working out, healthy eating, cleaning. Realizing you have a problem is the first step, right? So I am going to change this. Really.

My computer crisis turned out not to be as bad as the HP guy told me it was. I got everything fixed, hopefully, and didn't lose anything after all. Yay! I have a month left before my warranty expires, so if something still is wrong, it better happen soon.

Now, to switch topics. Nothing bothers me more than seeing English butchered in the written form. (Actually, that's not true. Lots of things bother me more ... poverty, slavery, racism, abuse, seeing drunk guys peeing on buildings as I do nightly in Leeds ... you get the picture.) Never have I seen it so abused as I have this year. I think it is because text messaging is really popular here so everybody uses shorthand and abbreviations. Also, a lot of my friends speaks English as a second language, so when they try to use slang it can just get confusing. For instance, this week I received an e-mail inviting me to "port-luck" from my Singaporean friend. Take a look at some of the most egregious messages I've received:

Itz a Friday after all so therez no better time 2 start a get2geda than sunset.

Now shez out with anoda piece 4rom da Archives.

No shakes about it. Happi Niu Yia, da Chinese Way.

W8 4 me.

Like nails on a chalkboard.

Fun British phrases of the day:
good fun: Yes, we learned to play cricket. It was good fun.
give it a go: I've always wanted to learn, so I thought I'd give it a go.
I hear these phrases at least five times a day. They make sense, but we don't really use them in America. Wonder why.

The unthinkable has happened ...

My laptop is broken. I realized that besides being robbed, losing a family member, contracting a fatal disease, or having my identity stolen while overseas, this is just about the worst thing that could happen to me. (It always helps to have some perspective). Seriously though, it's a pain. I'm afraid I'm going to lose all my essays and dissertation work, photos, and music. Plus, since I use Skype to talk to my family and friends, I have basically lost my ability to communicate with people back home. I spend more time on my computer than I do in class or interacting with people in the human world, so it literally feels like I'm losing a best friend. My laptop knows me. Hmmm ... on the other hand, maybe this is the best thing that could have happened to me.

Other than that, life is looking up. God is good.

The February blahs

I have decided that the most encouraging thing in this world (besides knowing Jesus) is the knowledge that time goes on. It's a guarantee. One of the only things you can count on in this life. Right now, I want to go home. Winter without a car sucks. I don't feel like I belong anywhere yet. I am ready to be out of a dorm and in a house again. School is tough. I realized that I haven't really had a good hug since I said good-bye to my parents at the airport in September. I need one. July seems like forever away. But it will come. And until then, I choose to trust, live, learn, and have fun. I've always believed that happiness is a choice. It's been easy to think that because I have found happiness to come naturally in my life. But now it's a little tougher, so it's time to put my belief into action. I will be happy. I won't complain. And I will try to walk by faith and not sight, because right now I still don't understand why God gave me this opportunity. I feel like I've failed somewhere along the way because things haven't gone as I imagined they would. Maybe I entered into things with unrealistic expectations.

Take a deep breath, Meghan. It's going to be ok.

Now faith is being sure of what is hoped for, and certain of what is not seen. Hebrews 11:1

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.