Playing Catch-Up! – Paris, Albania, (Exams) & Coventry

Hello again!

Boy do I have a lot of catching up to do. My apologies for being extremely late in posing about my recent escapades. For some reason, I decided to do all of my traveling at the tail-end of December, right when my classes ended, and soon afterward, my exams began. The timing? Not great. Still wouldn’t change a thing; I had an amazing time.

First off I’ll talk about my visit to Paris with a friend I hadn’t seen since High School–Clivia! Clivia is from China, who I met on her year abroad in my high school, and now she’s going to university at a school in the US, and on her year abroad in Paris (so exotic, isn’t it?!) Additionally, a professor of mine from Sophomore year was teaching abroad in Paris, so she showed me around all over the city (so much so that my feet were screaming in agony at the end of the day) and helped me experience the best of French life (mostly wine and cheese)! Of course my friend and I also did the touristy things, like going to the Louvre (which is free if you have a student ID–so make sure you bring one if you ever visit) and the Eiffel Tower. We also had traditional French food, like duck and escargot, and visited the Parisian christmas market, which was beautiful, and I got a souvenir from! 

In light of recent events, the courageousness of the French people is admirable, and breathtaking. I was lucky enough to visit Paris at a peaceful time, and never did I imagine that events would unfold in this way. But even so, I am so amazed at the resilience of the French people, and of course their allies, in protecting freedom of speech and expression. I am amazed and proud.

For Christmas, I got to visit my family in Albania, and I was really glad to see them. It had been two years since I’d seen my dad’s side of the family, and even more for my mom’s side, so I was really glad to see everyone. Albania’s a beautiful country, if somewhat impoverished. My goal is to do research there after I graduate, but we’ll see how well that goes. In the meantime, here’s some photos. 🙂

However, while I was in Albania with my family, I also had to work on my papers and exams. Due to the way the way the English system works, students get about a month off after their classes end, and then they take exams and have papers due. In all honesty, I’m not sure if this system is preferable to that of the US. Generally UK classes have one or two exams or papers, and that is all. Usually the papers focus on only one week of the 12 that are spent teaching, so if a student doesn’t want to read or do work for the rest of the weeks, they don’t have to. I understand the whole independent teaching idea, but seeing professors only for 8 hours a week (sometimes less) seems a bit senseless if you want more guidance. However, that being said, I’ve had amazing professors so far, so I do consider myself lucky. I worked on my two papers and exam over the break, and turned them in while I was back, and afterwards I took some time off to visit Coventry!

Coventry was super fun, mostly because I was spoiled and got to relax. 🙂 We had a second Christmas dinner (proper English-style), which was both delicious and exhausting (I passed out right afterwards–and naturally a photo of me sleeping on the couch ended up on Snapchat). It’s great to have somewhere to go that’s like a second home, so I’m quite lucky! 😀

Now I’m back to Brighton, and for the first time since I moved here in September (for a few more days at least) I can relax in my bed, watch Heroes or Friends, and do NOTHING. Boy have I been looking forward to this.

On Friday I go to Ireland, so hopefully Sunday I’ll have another post up–with lots more adventures to share. 🙂

Best of luck to you all, and speak soon!
Eni

A Month in a Minute (well, post! : )

Hello to all my fabulous readers,
I can’t believe it’s been just over a month since my last post! Keeping in stride with cliches, I must admit that time truly does fly. I suppose the reason why I haven’t written in the past month is simple: not a lot has happened. I’ve discovered that there’s often a misconception about study abroad trips, especially longer ones: everyone assumes you’re visiting a new city and/or country every weekend, but unless you have an unlimited supply of funds, time, and lack of educational commitment, it’s hard to have such exciting things happen all the time. But that being said, October was a big month–my birthday and Halloween were both big celebrations!

I rang in my 21st birthday with true English fashion–in a pub! Weatherspoon’s, to be exact, with my flatmate Rey, and it was wonderful–lots of nostalgia and excitement! Later that night we had a big celebration at my flat and went out in Brighton. I must admit that my birthday did inspire some home-sickness. Despite how excited it is to be somewhere new, I couldn’t help but miss my family and closest friends. But I really have been lucky. Despite being so far, so many of my friends have reached out via Whatsapp, Facebook, and Skype, and keeping in touch has been both easier and even more rewarding than I could’ve imagined. Despite these mixed emotions, October 17th was a fun and memorable 21st birthday experience that I got to celebrate with my new friends.

Skipping forward–Halloween! I was actually surprised at the huge difference in Halloween cultures in the UK vs the US. The analogy is direct to Mean Girls. Generally, in the US, people concentrate on having pretty, unique costumes (dressing more like Regina), whereas in the UK,  blood and fake burn marks are added to almost evert costume (pulling a more Cady routine). We had a social for my show choir which was super fun, and my friends wore some really interesting costumes!

And now? Well, I have been working on schoolwork mostly–I have a paper due next week, and another paper due the week after, but the day after my second paper is due I’m visiting one of my best friends in SPAIN! I’ve missed her to death and I honestly can’t wait to see Madrid. After that, I’m going to Paris to visit another friend that I’ve known all the way back from high school when she visited as a foreign exchange student. It’s been years since I’ve seen her, and I’ve always wanted to visit Paris too, so that trip is one I’m thrilled to be going on as well! Then afterwards, I’m going to Albania to spend Christmas with my aunt and little cousin for the first time in 13 years. It’s been 2 years since I’ve seen them both and I miss them to death. And I also got my cousin the best present in the world, so I have her excitement and surprise to look forward to.

Anyways, that’s all for now! I promise I won’t make you wait as long for my next post! ❤ Thanks for reading!

Happy living,

Eni

School & other bits

Hello wonderful readers!

I’d like to start off by saying this: they have broken me. I’ve officially started using British slang. Well, I’m not sure if slang is even the right word for it. This past week I’ve caught myself saying: reckon, bits, trousers (in my quest to avoiding saying pants, which means something very different here), loo, hob and a plethora of other British expressions. It’s safe to say, when I come home, you’ll all indubitably get sick of me. But I’ve also penetrated their language! My constant use of the word obnoxious (mostly in relation to myself) has made my flatmates love using it!

 

Also, I finally started school–wohoo! I also have a new favorite folder, mostly because it says “Sussex” and is pink.  In my love for you all, I’ve included a picture of it below. Side note: don’t let my colorful interjection discourage you from reading on! Contrary to popular belief, my obsession with the color pink won’t be the focus of this blog.

I was very excited to start school, even moreso than I was to start college! It’s quite different here education-wise, but not in the ways I would’ve imagined. For example, the teaching style is very similar to Michigan’s. We’re given readings we’re supposed to complete before the courses, and the teachers add onto what we were supposed to have read in the lecture the following week. I guess the biggest difference is how little class time there is. I only have classes 3 days a week, and only about 6 hours of class total, as opposed to the 6 hours a day that I had last year for 4 or 5 days a week. It blows my mind how much time I have on my hands, but I’ve been using it to participate in what they call societies (and we call clubs). I’ve joined two choirs, one classical, and one show choir. I love it!

But that’s by no means where the differences end. I went to the library last night to finish my work for Monday expecting there to be no empty seats to study in, but to my utter surprise, the library was empty! I found out later that Sunday is the day for lounging around and eating roasts, not for studying. That definitely came as a surprise.

I will also say: NOTHING prepared me for what I found out about first year university students: their first year scores DON’T MATTER. They just have to pass their classes with 40% in order to get credit and move on to year 2, but their grades don’t actually factor into their degree scores. Sadly, my grades do matter. But I don’t mind because my classes are awesome! I’m taking one on Europe’s transition from communism to democracy and it’s great! My professor is a little cute Polish man with an adorable accent (let’s hope he never sees this). I’m also taking a class on European Politics, and the lecturer is great. He also has an accent, but I like that they’re all speaking differently because it helps my abilities to understand different accents. In my last class I’m learning about short stories and creative writing, another one that I love, and will hopefully help me improve my blog!

The highlight of my week was definitely on Saturday. One flatmate had a birthday party, which was super fun. I also had some friends coming in from out of town for the party, so along with another flatmate of mine, all of us explored Brighton pier! We ate burgers, slurped smoothies, and played arcade games like idiots. It was great!

I guess that’s all for now! It’s time for me to stop procrastinating doing my reading by writing this blog (although this digital gold is definitely valued way beyond procrastination, and possibly my real homework). I hope you all enjoyed my musings! I’ll refer you to the comments box for any questions, concerns, or whimsical and/or random comments. I’ll also make sure to write again soon, and hopefully have some great adventures to tell you all about!

 

Happy living!

Eni

You Mean it’s Week 3? – Coventry & Sussex

Hello everyone!

I’ve been so busy the past couple of weeks I (almost) forgot to update you all! It’s been a whirlwind, it really has. I was in Coventry for a week, and we visited a chocolate factory (Cadbury’s) and it was DELICIOUS! We also went to Harry Potter World (life = complete), and Warwick Castle! It was phenomenal.

Adjusting to being in a new country was different than I thought it would be. I don’t feel out of place per se, but it does feel different. It’s as if someone went inside my room and moved all of the bedroom furniture by 6 inches. It’s a noticeable difference, and feels different, but it’s close enough to what you’re used to, so you don’t feel uncomfortable or out of place. I guess a big part of the reason why my adjustment has been more simple is the wonderful people I’ve met.

In Coventry, everyone was so excited to meet me. My friend and his mom were great (especially his mom) and I also got to meet a ton of people at the pubs and club, and they were all way more friendly than the “British reserve” I was expecting. When I meet new people, I like to get to know them and talk to them for extended periods of time, and it seemed like they were all on the same page as well. Honestly, they were great. We even had a onesie party (which was AMAZING) and made me feel more at home than ever (probably also because I was wearing a Michigan onesie, hehe!)

In Sussex, I’m living in a flat with 5 other people, and they’re great. They’re the friendliest and coolest people I could’ve ever wished to live with, and we’re already great friends. Brighton is beautiful (and I even had Fish & Chips by the seaside!) The biggest difference between Coventry and Brighton is the activity. In Coventry there seemed to be cars, but not a whole lot going on in the town beyond that, but in Brighton I’ve had a hard time slowing myself down and resting because there are SO many activities!

Their Welcome Week vs Our Welcome Week. Where do I begin? Welcome Weeks at Sussex are nonstop, events during the day and night (some school sponsored, and some not school sponsored.) The biggest difference is the drinking culture. Everyone here is over 18, which is the drinking age, and there’s a lot of casual conversations about alcohol. It’s a way more open dialogue than I could’ve ever imagined.

The accents–I LOVE THEM. And strangely enough, they like mine too! I’ve only met a few Americans so far, but I tend to stick with the locals. There’s a few words we always laugh at the differences between–aluminum (alumeeneum), tomatoe (tomaaato), pedophile (peeedophile), and some words that I’ve begun using that I never imagined I would. For example, we might ask, “Do you think?” and they say “Do you reckon?” or  we say “I feel very (or pretty),” and they say “I feel quite…” The language differences are subtle, but they’re there. And there’s some words that we just don’t ever say (as I’m sure you’re all aware.) Probably my favorite word that I’ve been introduced to is “SOUND!” in place of “Awesome” or “Cool” or “Sick.” The list of mannerisms goes on as well, but one thing I want to make abundantly clear: THEY ARE OBSESSED WITH TEA. Repeat: This is not a drill, a little white lie, or even an exaggeration. They drink tea every morning, and it’s so adorable. I love it. And they drink it with milk! When I come back, I don’t imagine I’ll have an accent, but I may use some of their words. And you are all welcome to make lots of fun of me.

I’ve learned that their courses are probably graded more harshly than ours, which is definitely a comfort to me…In the UK the first year doesn’t get factored in the final scores for the students. Isn’t that crazy?! They just have to pass, and it’s only their 2nd and 3rd year classes that matter. That being said, I have to take 2nd and third year courses so I’m a little nervous, but I only have THREE DAYS of class. I have Thursdays-Sundays off, so there’s really no reason for me not to do well as long as I live in the library. Also, we had the University of Michigan’s equivalent of “Festifall” called “Fresher’s Fair.” I signed up for a bunch of “societies” (clubs), including the Drama Society, the Musical Theatre Society, two different choirs, the Model UN, the Political Society, the Liberal Democrats, Sketch Comedy, the Horror Movie society, and the Girl’s Rugby society. (Ha–for the record, I didn’t sign up for the Rugby team because I lost a bet.)

Tomorrow is the Brighton Pier Party where we’ll get to go on the pier and go on all of the rides! Truly, I can’t wait. Tonight will be spent buried in books, so please wish me luck, as I will need it. Sorry this post is so lengthy! I will attempt to keep you updated better in the future. Thanks again for reading!

Happy living!

Eni

Ready to go!

When I looked at this disaster, I have to say at first it was a bit overwhelming trying to figure out how to make it fit. But in the wise words of Tim Gunn, I knew I had to “make it work.” So, here is how it began:

After 3 (yes, THREE) days of packing, organizing, cleaning, blood, sweat and tears, I finally packed most of what I wanted into my bags.

None of this would have been possible without the help of my co-worker Mike, who tipped me in on the ingenious idea of rolling up your clothes before packing them (note all of the rolled clothing in the blue suitcase). I would also like to thank my sister for helping me fling our clothes across the room as we sorted out which ones we wanted, and my mom for organizing everything I left over (she’s truly a saint; there was a lot of crap).  And here is the end result:

Thank you for everyone that made these images possible! I am ready, with two days left to go! 🙂

 

packing up my life in 2 suitcases

Hello my dearest reader!

I know it’s been a while since my last post, and I apologize deeply for depriving you of my travel-prep escapades! I will work tirelessly to right this wrong. As of late, my life would be described akin to driving 85mph on the highway. Even though I’m physically moving so quickly, my attention is focused on small things like watching the speedometer or going to work every day that I don’t really realize how fast I’m going through time. In this hypothetical way-too-close-to-real situation, it feels like I just got on the highway four months ago at the start of the summer, and in 8 short days I’ll have driven across the Atlantic.

But it doesn’t feel that way at all. In fact, I doubt I’ll feel like I’m leaving until after I’ve arrived in England (and woken up dazed and confused in a bed that doesn’t feel like my own, which I will shamelessly prophesize happen more than once). Ironically, the ramp and exit are easy to think about, but it’s the present I have a hard time focusing on (and by present I mean the mountain of clothes that has suffocated my sister’s room and even spilled into my parent’s as well as the myriad of errands and tasks that, much as I try, I can’t keep avoiding!)

OK, I’ll take a step back and clue you into what my rambling is referring to. This past weekend, in addition to celebrating my adorable little cousin’s birthday, my sister and I went through the process of sorting all of our clothes… exchanging and dividing them with our own special barter system (way better than money, if you ask me). The end result: absolute (stylish) chaos. I have no idea what’s where or where’s what or what I need or what I have, or, anything really. I just keep telling myself (through clenched teeth) that this part is half the fun! With the airline I’m flying, I’m allotted one free suitcase (because naturally one 4 by 2 ft box is more than enough space necessary to travel). I’ll have to pay $100 for an extra bag (love them airlines, right??) so I have to fit my whole life in two suitcases. All I have to say to this is: Challenge Accepted.

In the upcoming week, I plan to:

• Complete the aforementioned challenge.
• Go to the bank and give my mom access to my bank account so she can wire me my money while I’m abroad (and I kid you not, trying to figure out banking and exchange rates is even more complicated than applying for a visa!)
• Address the summer reading I’ve managed to ignore all summer and whose call sadly can’t be silenced no matter how hard I try.
• Go to the dentist and orthodontist (clearly what I’m most looking forward to).
• Photocopy my passport, visa, Sussex acceptance letter, etc. (you need photocopies, more photocopies, and photocopies of your photocopies).
• See my friends before I go! And spend some time with my family, I guess? (I probably should, considering I won’t see them for a whole year :)…oh yeah, and sleep. I can’t wait to sleep, sleep, sleep!
• And last but not least, fly!!! (Although maybe driving would be more fun!)

Thanks again faithful reader for, well, reading! I’ll be posting again soon, probably the day I leave. And I promise to keep you all updated on the plane and the journey (as I’m sure you’d expect nothing less)! Until then, try to control or at least manage your overwhelming thirst for more blog posts (but seriously, I can’t wait to update you all soon!)

Happy living!

Eni

18 days and counting

Hello dearest reader!

So, if you’re perusing through my ironically titled blog (I finally made a joke about my name, yay!) I’m guessing that you’re interested in hearing all about my British escapades at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. What I can promise you is entries jam-packed with pictures and tales of all the places I visit, both beautiful and average, as well as ridiculously awkward foreigner stories and nutty adventures, with some sprinkles of deep thoughts and meditations on the nature and meaning of life.

 

A (brief) run down of my year abroad, thus far, includes:

• Traveling all over the UK for the first 10 days with my best friend and his beautiful, wonderful mother Jane! To my knowledge, the road trip includes Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, potentially Ireland/Scotland/Wales, and a chocolate factory! (I bet you’ll never guess which one I’m most excited for…)
• Starting school (wait, I actually have to go to class?)! So far I only know what classes I’m taking, but not necessarily where they are…or when they are…or what books I should read beforehand, or what books the professors say I should get vs the ones that I actually need. Let’s be honest, all the syllabi lie.
• Visiting my aunt and little cousin in Albania for Christmas that I haven’t seen in two years (and possibly meeting with some contacts for my Fulbright application the following year)! I also haven’t seen my homeland in the wintertime for a good 12 years or so, thus, that in itself should be quite an adventure. My hope is to get from the airport in Tirana to my hometown of Pogradec in one piece. I’m kidding, or at least, kind of… if you’d seen the mountains that you have to drive up and down and around, you’d understand my humor and concern. The trip is treacherous and the opposite of fun even at the peak of Albania’s glory in the summertime (and when the beautiful scenery is a nice distraction). Who knows what the trip will be like in the harshness of winter? Still, it will be an interesting and fun memory I’m sure I’ll be impatient to be looking back on.
• Having my sister visit for spring break (better block that whole week out now–who even knows if England can handle two of us…) We’re going to celebrate her 19th birthday in the UK, which, perhaps less exciting than celebrating in Canada, should still be buckets of fun!!
• Oh yeah, classes, exams, the usual (currently the aspect of my study abroad trip that concerns me the least). Apparently the UK has a really awesome and frustrating feature included in their academic calendar–each semester the students get a month study period in between classes ending and exams beginning. The purpose of this break is to allow students a chance to study, but apparently a lot of people just travel, which is simultaneously pretty awesome but really frustrating since we are provided with a huge (fake) break. Then again, at this point, I’ll continue in my unending optimism and convince myself that I’m quite sure I will conquer it and have an awesome time.

And last, but most certainly not least, throughout the year, Hurricane Eni will be leaving her mark upon a multitude of other countries in Europe with the companionship of her American (and foreign) friends that she hopes will be visiting her. Such travel hopes include the following countries: Spain, France, Germany, Finland, and Italy (but if money allows, this list would ideally be inexhaustible).

 

The trip is now 18 days away, and between my two jobs and trying to complete summer reading for next year, I must admit that keeping my eyes off the countdown has thus far been my greatest difficulty. Packing and logistics are out of my mind until I finish work on the 28th and then hurry to get my life together and leave on the 3rd!

And now, my faithful reader, you have made it to the very end of my very first study abroad blog. Thanks for reading! Just FYI, If I could reach across the computer and hand you a cookie, or another desirable treat, I so would. 🙂 Expect another post around when I finish work to start packing (and the tone of my writing to be far more frantic). I’ll make sure to keep you all updated.

Happy living!
Eni