new mates :)

Starting from the back: Sara from California - the only American I've met so far, Stephanie from China, Mari from Mexico, me, Vicky from Taiwan, and Miriam from India. grins Vicky and Miriam live in my flat, and we're becoming quite good friends! :)

Mari, Sara, Vicky, Miriam, me - waiting for the bus

Back row: Sara, Stephanie, Chieko from Japan (Osaka), ummm a girlfriend of Chieko's
Front row: Mari, Vicky, me, Miriam

Really wonderful girls!

first run

I went for a run yesterday afternoon... the result of not having done anything "active" (aside from walking, which just doesn't count at all) for about 2 weeks. I had so much pent up energy I couldn't sit still a minute longer. It was wonderful. Perfect weather, just cold enough to be comfortable in shorts and t-shirt and break a sweat but not die of heat exhaustion. Ran down to the lake and ran along the meadow clearing beside it. I was making my way to some trails I'd discovered the other day (which would have taken me into some beautifully ivied woods and out into a meadow rich with lushy grass, old oaks, and literally countless numbers of brown rabbits), but took a detour instead. A path you've never been on is just too irresistible to pass up. (hehe Life calling??) ;) Anyway, off I went, discovering that it curled around the end of the lake (past more rabbits) and crossed over a lovely river (more like a really big creek). The water was beautiful! Absolutely transparent, inky in the shadows, with the speckled suggestion of a pebbled bottom. Really hard to take your eyes off of (though necessary when running ;) ). As I ran I eventually made my way around what the football (soccer) fields and medical school, and back again to that same river, to which I discovered that there was actually a trail that ran alongside. I figured (hoped) it would take me back to the lake, and headed that way. Again, beautiful. On one side was the river, and the other was marshland - tall feathery grasses, fallen trees... and lots of nettles (eek!). There's got to be some way of harvesting them and using them... they're all over the place here, and normally such a nuisance. It's a shame to see something so plentiful just left alone and wasted (if it can in fact be used for something meaningful). Google, I suppose. grins So, back to the running. The trail did come out where I thought it would and I made my way back to my hall, tired, sweaty, and very very happy.

The End. ;)

Settling in to UEA

Hello everyone! So, I've arrived at UEA (last Thursday), and have now been in England for my first full week!! Hard to believe that ALREADY a week has gone by... I have a feeling these feelings of horror and astonishment ;) are going to be an ongoing theme for the rest of this year.

So far... I've met LOADS of other international students, and a lot of those being postgrads, as well as quite a few UK students that I've hit it off well with. There's even a girl (Hannah) who is from Norwich in my department (there are 6 or 7 of us in Rural Dev) who has invited me to go with her to church! We've hit it off quite well, and I'm really looking forward to not only developing a solid friendship with her, but with others as well (there's a Taiwanese girl, Vicky, who lives on my flat floor, and we've hit it off as well!). So all that to say, I don't think I'll be suffering for lack of friendships. :)
As far as the course of study goes, I couldn't be more pleased and excited! I think this is going to be a tremendous year of growth, among students (young and old alike) who are as passionate in their fields as I, and among staff who are tremendously engaged and supportive. God has TRULY blessed me in bringing me to this place. And for some icing on the cake, the campus itself is really quite gorgeous - lakes, fields, trails, marshes, rivers... millions of rabbits nibbling away on the lawn. I'm not kidding. I've never seen so many rabbits in my entire life!!! I think I counted around 30 or so? in an area the size of a basketball court. Holy crap! No wonder Beatris Potter wrote about Peter Rabbit in the Briar Patch (and no wonder the farmer was always so infuriated!)! ;) hehe

Well, assignments are already calling... grins I'll try and keep a running update posted, along with pictures.

I'm in England!! Spending the rest of this Wednesday with the Windus Family, then tomorrow Luke will be taking me up to Norwich... and I'll begin settling in to life as a grad student in the UK. grins I'm excited, and yes, nervous. :)

"L'âpres midi"

So, thanks to German friend Henning, I was introduced to the sheet music to "L'âpres midi", my favorite song from Amelie. I'm in love. I haven't enjoyed playing the piano so much in a very long time. And just in case YOU would like to hear this poetic music, here is the YouTube link. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moknkDqk0wE&feature=related

In other news... :) I'll be leaving for England on Sept 14, just a little over a week away. I can hardly believe it's almost upon me, and yet it seems so far away too. Perhaps it will sink in once I've boarded the plane... perhaps not until I've started unpacking in my Orwell Close dorm room... or maybe as I'm walking down the sidewalk to my first class. Jeepers I feel like a freshman getting ready for my first day at college again! ;P