Absolute chaos today. Back and forth to school twice. Wrong times, angry loan advisors, squirrely librarians, student id cards, photo copiers, job applications, resumes, bad internet connections, bad intranet connections …. Anyway, I won’t go into it.
In the end, after walking and sweating and walking and screaming (inwardly, not sure how a giant scream in the library would have gone over) strangely things seemed to work out. Loans were processed. Tuition will be (half) paid. ID card not only in possession but has 45p on it and was used to check out Shelley biography, Joyce biography, Oppen, Austen, etc. 3 jobs applied for. Tofu and Oak cakes were bought. And I now know where the PS stacks (ie American lit) are. And I discovered the insanely un-user friendly world of the university’s intranet, including my uni email. AND even discovered all on my own how to print a document in the campus library from a memory stick. I know, impressive isn’t it. Phew!
Oh, and Christien’s guitar arrived today!!!!
And I came home to lentils over baked potatoes. (By the way, the potatoes (from the Farmer’s Market) are really really tasty and only £1 for 5 lbs. (that’s about $1.60 for 5 pounds of good local potatoes). Can you imagine what food we will be eating lots of?
For all that the walk to school is lovely. I’ve had some questions about it and think I will photo-document it soon. At least half the walk is actually through parks. In fact Singleton Park, which abuts the university, is huge and has an ornamental garden in it, among other things. Brynmill Park, just above that, has a pond with swans, geese, and seagulls. On my way home (1st time) today, a woman froze in terror as a squirrel rushed past her, up a tree. Are there really not any wild animals in Europe?
Tired now. Tomorrow will be exhausting too. Meeting with Stevie, then another PhD student, then there is the afternoon Swansea history walk, which from what I hear ends up at a pub … so it might be a late one.
With all that there is a lot going on back home right now … and it is taking up the background part of my brain, as well as most of my heart ….
Monday 28 September 2009
Sunday 27 September 2009
beginning
It’s almost 11 a.m. -- which in America means 7 a.m. to 4 a.m.
So here the sun is out, shining through the front window. And in New York it’s about sunrise, and in Los Angeles everyone is sound asleep.
It’s a little like having a secret. Or like being awake extra early on xmas morning, pre-sun, pre-siblings, pre-parents. Waiting in the darkness. Here the day has already begun to be whatever it is going to be. There it is still nascent. And part of me is here, and of course part is there.
But of course as those wise Marx Brothers (I believe) once said, “How can you be two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all?” And that about sums it up. I think this past week has been a daze. Notice the qualification, “I think.” Not even sure about that … I am trying to pay attention to it all. Also trying to pay attention to my paying attention … but I think sometime about a week plus 24 hours ago (sitting in Kirsti & Chris’ living room, bags at the ready, nervously awaiting the drive to the airport), as Christien said, “my soul left the room.”
So the “plan” to go to Mumbles today has been ditched in preference to a day of rest. Proper for a Sunday, after all. And in any case, can one really do everything in the first week? So instead, later, we plan to get a giant order of chips and walk down to the sea and walk along the water for a bit. And perhaps a beer … which we actually have not done yet. No pubs yet, but 3 indian restaurants.
In some ways it’s the little things that I want to mention most … like the enormous paper-wrapped parcel of chips with salt and vinegar (thought I’d hate vinegar, love it). Or our new addiction to Nairn’s Course Oatcakes (vegan, wheat-free crackers). Or having to remind ourselves constantly to look RIGHT first when crossing the street. Or enormous packages of Darjeeling tea.
There was a lot of running around back and forth at the school this week. Enrolling, etc. Chaotic. And in between times wandering around town trying to find where things are. It will continue this week. Banking and various forms here and there. Hopefully I will get my library card. And a tour of the library (like a lot of University libraries it is entirely mystifying at first glance).
Looking forward to Tuesday afternoon—Nigel Jenkins, who is the poetry professor here, will be giving a walking tour around Swansea, complete with history and stories.
More, there is a lot more … but I want to get his posted with a couple of pictures, and then send out an email to let everybody know about the new blog. In the end this seems more private than facebook—because only those who I want to know about it will ….
So here the sun is out, shining through the front window. And in New York it’s about sunrise, and in Los Angeles everyone is sound asleep.
It’s a little like having a secret. Or like being awake extra early on xmas morning, pre-sun, pre-siblings, pre-parents. Waiting in the darkness. Here the day has already begun to be whatever it is going to be. There it is still nascent. And part of me is here, and of course part is there.
But of course as those wise Marx Brothers (I believe) once said, “How can you be two places at once when you’re not anywhere at all?” And that about sums it up. I think this past week has been a daze. Notice the qualification, “I think.” Not even sure about that … I am trying to pay attention to it all. Also trying to pay attention to my paying attention … but I think sometime about a week plus 24 hours ago (sitting in Kirsti & Chris’ living room, bags at the ready, nervously awaiting the drive to the airport), as Christien said, “my soul left the room.”
So the “plan” to go to Mumbles today has been ditched in preference to a day of rest. Proper for a Sunday, after all. And in any case, can one really do everything in the first week? So instead, later, we plan to get a giant order of chips and walk down to the sea and walk along the water for a bit. And perhaps a beer … which we actually have not done yet. No pubs yet, but 3 indian restaurants.
In some ways it’s the little things that I want to mention most … like the enormous paper-wrapped parcel of chips with salt and vinegar (thought I’d hate vinegar, love it). Or our new addiction to Nairn’s Course Oatcakes (vegan, wheat-free crackers). Or having to remind ourselves constantly to look RIGHT first when crossing the street. Or enormous packages of Darjeeling tea.
There was a lot of running around back and forth at the school this week. Enrolling, etc. Chaotic. And in between times wandering around town trying to find where things are. It will continue this week. Banking and various forms here and there. Hopefully I will get my library card. And a tour of the library (like a lot of University libraries it is entirely mystifying at first glance).
Looking forward to Tuesday afternoon—Nigel Jenkins, who is the poetry professor here, will be giving a walking tour around Swansea, complete with history and stories.
More, there is a lot more … but I want to get his posted with a couple of pictures, and then send out an email to let everybody know about the new blog. In the end this seems more private than facebook—because only those who I want to know about it will ….
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