"Swing Dance"
"Come explore Scotland! Breakaway St Andrews Hill Walking Club"
"The Doctor Who Appreciation Society 'DocSoc'"
"The University takes NO responsibility for damages or injuries caused by personal electrical equipment within the residence."
This is just a taste of what is on my bulletin board right now. Also "Петрограда не отдадим!" but that's hardly relevant.
The most exciting thing I've done in the last week is gone swimming in the North Sea. Twice. Oh yes, once in that frigid, salty, choppy, take-your-breath-away cold water wasn't enough. The first time was kind of on a whim, after a run with John. It started with, "Hey, you want to go wading?" then, "Hey, you want to go swimming?" So we waded out in our running things (leaving our shoes on the beach), declared to the world that we couldn't feel our feet (John expressed concerns about "permanent damage"), then dove in on 3. We emerged to find people on the pier staring at us. I suppose we probably looked pretty stupid. We waded for a few more minutes, then (wisely) retreated to the beach to dry off. So that was my first experience. Perfectly harmless (albeit witless. Neither of us were dressed for it).
So, naturally, since I didn't do it right the first time I had to do it again, this time properly. Frederick, my German friend, invited me to go, along with another friend (Alex; he's from the Philippines!), and this time I donned my swimsuit and wore warm clothes. Frederick and Alex wanted to jump from the pier, and seeing as it was low tide, I thought this was a little reckless. So I volunteered to go down the stairs on the stone pier, swim the length of the pier, and try to decide if the water was deep enough for jumping. Of course they didn't end up jumping (it was ridiculously high, and even though I couldn't touch or see the bottom, I didn't trust it, and I wasn't going to dive to find the bottom). But getting in was absolutely shocking. The day before, the sun had been out and the air was relatively warm. This time was cold cold cold, nothing but cold around you and beneath you and above you and everywhere. It took my breath away and my voice quaked a little (a lot) when I called up to the boys to report on the depth. Swimming was actually a relief, because the moment you stopped moving, you began to realize how cold it was and how stupid the whole enterprise was. People up on the pier were taking pictures, which ordinarily I wouldn't mind, but in my cold-induced state, I was a little angry. I must have looked ridiculous, though, so I don't blame them for taking pictures, in hindsight. Anyway, I swam the length, then the boys went down another staircase and dove in. They stayed in for about 15 seconds each, then clambered out, shrieking. It was funny, and I would have laughed, if not for the circumstances. I'm not a very good swimmer, really. I can keep myself afloat, and move places, but not very quickly. And I'm kind of afraid of the ocean (as Laura can attest to), so I'd like to think of this as some kind of small accomplishment. Anyway, we all scrambled up the steps, got into our warm clothes, and congratulated one another on our stupidity.
The rest of the evening (this was Sunday) I spent with an Amherst guy named Aaron from our Butler group, eating an indoor picnic on his dorm floor. I really enjoyed our conversation, as we picked our way through topics ranging from diversity to the Spanish Civil War to the Roman Catholic Church. Geez, I really like talking about Catholicism. It's bordering on obsessive. Anyway, it was great to connect with someone who does the whole "liberal arts" thing that we put so much store by and compare experiences within the fold.
The night before (Saturday [I know this is out of order; bear with me]), I attended a bonfire with some friends on Castle Sands. It was, well, a little magical. The light from the fires was casting these spectacular shadows on the castle ramparts, and the fact that the entire scene was barely visible, cast in a dim orange glow, made the rest of your senses sharpen keenly. All the talk and laughter intermingled with the incessant swish swish of the waves, and the stars were only barely obscured by the smoke from the fires. The stars! They behave so strangely against the backdrop of the ocean. It's almost like you'd expect them to end definitively on the horizon, with nothing but the inky black of the water, but they don't. They kind of fade, so you can't tell where the sky ends and the sea begins. It's like looking out onto the edge of the world, with endless space both above and below you. To a landlocked Ohioan, the scene is a little mesmerizing.
Anyway, back to reality. I have started classes, and I'm very pleased with 2 and disappointed by the last. Here are my modules:
MO3017: Life of the Mind: Key Texts in European Thought, 1512-1697
PY2002: Metaphysics and Science
PY1105: Ethical Controversies
That's right: no Vikings, no Russian. I'm disappointed that I didn't get Vikings; it filled up before I got the chance to sign up (the woes of having a name that starts with "S"), but I think I will be very happy in Life of the Mind. It's really more appropriate, considering I want to do my comps on something within intellectual history. Metaphysics and Science is very exciting so far. Spacetime! Let's change how we think about it, philosophically speaking! My only reservation is Ethical Controversies. It's 1000-level, and I had no idea how basic 1000-levels could be. It is truly a course for students who have had absolutely no exposure to philosophy, in any form. I'm going to see whether I can't switch out, maybe to logic, which is a 2000-level course and something I think I would find more interesting. Or maybe something completely different. Like Greek. Never done that before.
This is getting lengthy, and it's my bedtime. If you've made it this far, I hope you don't regret it. Until next time...
Tuesday 29 September 2009
Saturday 26 September 2009
Tuesday 22 September 2009
"Weroff to the pub craw, aight??"
I've been here at St. Andrews for a few days now, and quite a bit has happened. We're in the midst of "Freshers Week," which is essentially Orientation, plus a relentless, week-long party. There has been a pub-crawl every night, but if that's not enough for you, individual halls host vodka bars and wine parties and different societies throw raves and their own pub crawls. They say it's a good way to meet new people. The "social lubricant" aspect of alcohol has been emphasized ad absurdum.
Like I said in my last post, I'm living in a largely freshmen dorm (making these vodka bars all the more bizarre; reslife (or their equivalent) seems to enjoy nothing more than saturating the freshmen class with hard alcohol, all in the name of camaraderie). I've met quite a few Americans, both transfers from American schools and those who have enrolled for the full 4 years. I've also met students from Germany, Poland, Holland, Slovakia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Surprisingly I've met more students in the arts than the sciences, and history in particular is a popular major.
I've enjoyed the freshers activities so far. Last night I attended a Celtic dance lesson and today was a lesson in stage-fighting with the university theatre society. There were also poetry circles, organized by the Poetry and Cake Society, out in St. Mary's Quad, which is the center for the divinity school and a considerably beautiful quadrangle. I also attended the book discussion on The Reluctant Fundamentalist, but attendance was wanting, and the discussion a little lackluster. Outside of fresher activities, I've been spending a lot of time outside (the weather has been beautiful: windy, but clear and crisp), and even attempted to fly a kite on West Sands. I found a 99p kite at a children's store, and needless to say, it was a flop. But I had gone with a friend and we salvaged the situation by going on a long walk to enjoy the beach.
But while these activities are very diverting, I'm anxious to start the academic year. A regular schedule would be a welcome change of pace (and maybe classes will sober up these crazy freshers!). I think I've decided to take 2 philosophy classes and an upper-level history (the Vikings course; yikes!), and Russian will have to take a backseat. I talked to a representative from the Russian department, and she said that I would be placed in a 1000-level course, with little to no recourse for advancement. Perhaps I will join the Russian Society instead, so I can keep up my Russian without the commitment of a class. I'm chafing a little under the limitations of the academic system here; it just isn't feasible to take more than 3 classes, it seems. But ah, perhaps I speak too soon, and I will grow to like it. We'll see.
Until next time, "be well, do good work, and [please] keep in touch."
Like I said in my last post, I'm living in a largely freshmen dorm (making these vodka bars all the more bizarre; reslife (or their equivalent) seems to enjoy nothing more than saturating the freshmen class with hard alcohol, all in the name of camaraderie). I've met quite a few Americans, both transfers from American schools and those who have enrolled for the full 4 years. I've also met students from Germany, Poland, Holland, Slovakia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Surprisingly I've met more students in the arts than the sciences, and history in particular is a popular major.
I've enjoyed the freshers activities so far. Last night I attended a Celtic dance lesson and today was a lesson in stage-fighting with the university theatre society. There were also poetry circles, organized by the Poetry and Cake Society, out in St. Mary's Quad, which is the center for the divinity school and a considerably beautiful quadrangle. I also attended the book discussion on The Reluctant Fundamentalist, but attendance was wanting, and the discussion a little lackluster. Outside of fresher activities, I've been spending a lot of time outside (the weather has been beautiful: windy, but clear and crisp), and even attempted to fly a kite on West Sands. I found a 99p kite at a children's store, and needless to say, it was a flop. But I had gone with a friend and we salvaged the situation by going on a long walk to enjoy the beach.
But while these activities are very diverting, I'm anxious to start the academic year. A regular schedule would be a welcome change of pace (and maybe classes will sober up these crazy freshers!). I think I've decided to take 2 philosophy classes and an upper-level history (the Vikings course; yikes!), and Russian will have to take a backseat. I talked to a representative from the Russian department, and she said that I would be placed in a 1000-level course, with little to no recourse for advancement. Perhaps I will join the Russian Society instead, so I can keep up my Russian without the commitment of a class. I'm chafing a little under the limitations of the academic system here; it just isn't feasible to take more than 3 classes, it seems. But ah, perhaps I speak too soon, and I will grow to like it. We'll see.
Until next time, "be well, do good work, and [please] keep in touch."
Saturday 19 September 2009
Thistle do fine.
Hi friends!
I've successfully traveled 5 hours into the future, and I'm pretty impressed with recent developments. Four flights (Dayton-Philadelphia-Newark-London-Edinburgh) landed me in the capital city of Scotland, with a couple dozen other time-travelers who took the group flight. Luckily we encountered no difficulties, and arrived in Edinburgh bleary-eyed and impressionable: perfectly conditioned for Orientation with the IFSA-Butler staff. We checked in to the hotel (fabulous; they even had a complimentary rubber ducky in the bathroom). After dinner, a group of us set out to explore the city.
Edinburgh is a beautiful, winding, intensely interesting city. In the center of town stands the Edinburgh castle, dating back to King David I in the 12th century. The ramparts were built right up to a cliff edge, with a sheer drop of at least 50 feet. Imagine scaling that, with medieval siege technology. Around the castle are the Princes Gardens, built and cultivated after the draining of the Nor Loch in the 18th century. "Loch" is misleading, as it wasn't so much a lake as a giant cesspool, located in the valley below the castle, where human and animal waste was dumped since the Middle Ages. Apparently by the 18th century, when it was drained, a crust had developed over the surface that was so thick that a grown man could walk upon it. The valley now boasts a lovely green space, with trees, trails, and squirrels. The valley also divides the city into 2 parts: Old Town and New. The Old Town is on the same side as the castle and the royal mile. The layout of the city is typical of towns developed during the Middle Ages; topsy-turvy. There are plenty of alleyways, called "closes," which is short for enclosure. They lead to courtyards with apartment building forming the perimeter. and you have to the careful wandering through the closes, as you can sometimes run afoul of the startled pigeon. New Town is across the valley, and is called such because it was planned and constructed in the late 18th century. It it set up on a grid system, sporting Georgian architecture, so it's much easier to navigate and everything is symmetrical.
My favorite spot in Edinburgh is King Arthur's Seat, which is a handful of hills and cliffs near the Holyrood Palace. Standing on the top of any of the hills affords a great view of the city, though it's quite a trek to the top; most of the time you're just scrambling on rocks and slippery tuffets of grass. There are no safety rails, and most of the paths seemed to have grown organically as people have picked their way up the slope. This struck me as very different from the states; a similar location would have been covered with guardrails, plastered with warnings and prohibitions, and there would have been a good deal of litter. King Arthur's seat was pristine, and almost wild. There was a kind of purple heather and groves of low shrubs clinging to the cliffs. It felt almost like a younger world up there, especially in contrast to the city below.
The people in my abroad group are all in all pretty fabulous. Most come from the east coast, but there are a handful from the midwest, including someone who goes to Oberlin and another to Marietta. We'll see how well we keep up friendships during the semester. We're scattered all over campus and over many departments, but I'm sure it will be nice to be seeing familiar faces as we commence into the school year.
Now St. Andrews: I've only been here since this afternoon, so I'm not that well acquainted yet, but I can say that I love the town. It's small, but of course compared to Gambier it feels positively bustling. A few people from my group and a freshman from Edinburgh that we met got sandwiches and picnicked on a lawn beside some ruins of a cathedral. We did some shopping, then returned for dinner and our "compulsory" hall meeting. The one thing that is rubbing me the wrong way at the moment is the seemingly strict dormitory rules: we need to sign out in the evenings, report visitors, and we're not allowed to put anything on the walls. Hmm. The dorm I'm in, University Hall, seems to be primarily freshmen, which I'm not entirely pleased about either. After last year in Leonard, I don't think I can stand being coddled by a reslife staff that is largely younger than me. But we'll see how that goes. The freshmen sure are excited, though.
I think I'll be going out tonight and explore the town a bit more. The beach! I can't believe I'm living by an ocean!
By the way, the flower of Scotland is the thistle.
I've successfully traveled 5 hours into the future, and I'm pretty impressed with recent developments. Four flights (Dayton-Philadelphia-Newark-London-Edinburgh) landed me in the capital city of Scotland, with a couple dozen other time-travelers who took the group flight. Luckily we encountered no difficulties, and arrived in Edinburgh bleary-eyed and impressionable: perfectly conditioned for Orientation with the IFSA-Butler staff. We checked in to the hotel (fabulous; they even had a complimentary rubber ducky in the bathroom). After dinner, a group of us set out to explore the city.
Edinburgh is a beautiful, winding, intensely interesting city. In the center of town stands the Edinburgh castle, dating back to King David I in the 12th century. The ramparts were built right up to a cliff edge, with a sheer drop of at least 50 feet. Imagine scaling that, with medieval siege technology. Around the castle are the Princes Gardens, built and cultivated after the draining of the Nor Loch in the 18th century. "Loch" is misleading, as it wasn't so much a lake as a giant cesspool, located in the valley below the castle, where human and animal waste was dumped since the Middle Ages. Apparently by the 18th century, when it was drained, a crust had developed over the surface that was so thick that a grown man could walk upon it. The valley now boasts a lovely green space, with trees, trails, and squirrels. The valley also divides the city into 2 parts: Old Town and New. The Old Town is on the same side as the castle and the royal mile. The layout of the city is typical of towns developed during the Middle Ages; topsy-turvy. There are plenty of alleyways, called "closes," which is short for enclosure. They lead to courtyards with apartment building forming the perimeter. and you have to the careful wandering through the closes, as you can sometimes run afoul of the startled pigeon. New Town is across the valley, and is called such because it was planned and constructed in the late 18th century. It it set up on a grid system, sporting Georgian architecture, so it's much easier to navigate and everything is symmetrical.
My favorite spot in Edinburgh is King Arthur's Seat, which is a handful of hills and cliffs near the Holyrood Palace. Standing on the top of any of the hills affords a great view of the city, though it's quite a trek to the top; most of the time you're just scrambling on rocks and slippery tuffets of grass. There are no safety rails, and most of the paths seemed to have grown organically as people have picked their way up the slope. This struck me as very different from the states; a similar location would have been covered with guardrails, plastered with warnings and prohibitions, and there would have been a good deal of litter. King Arthur's seat was pristine, and almost wild. There was a kind of purple heather and groves of low shrubs clinging to the cliffs. It felt almost like a younger world up there, especially in contrast to the city below.
The people in my abroad group are all in all pretty fabulous. Most come from the east coast, but there are a handful from the midwest, including someone who goes to Oberlin and another to Marietta. We'll see how well we keep up friendships during the semester. We're scattered all over campus and over many departments, but I'm sure it will be nice to be seeing familiar faces as we commence into the school year.
Now St. Andrews: I've only been here since this afternoon, so I'm not that well acquainted yet, but I can say that I love the town. It's small, but of course compared to Gambier it feels positively bustling. A few people from my group and a freshman from Edinburgh that we met got sandwiches and picnicked on a lawn beside some ruins of a cathedral. We did some shopping, then returned for dinner and our "compulsory" hall meeting. The one thing that is rubbing me the wrong way at the moment is the seemingly strict dormitory rules: we need to sign out in the evenings, report visitors, and we're not allowed to put anything on the walls. Hmm. The dorm I'm in, University Hall, seems to be primarily freshmen, which I'm not entirely pleased about either. After last year in Leonard, I don't think I can stand being coddled by a reslife staff that is largely younger than me. But we'll see how that goes. The freshmen sure are excited, though.
I think I'll be going out tonight and explore the town a bit more. The beach! I can't believe I'm living by an ocean!
By the way, the flower of Scotland is the thistle.
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