I know it's been awhile. This week has been my busiest yet, definitely. Very academically busy as well as not too much to report on. It's been was a solid four days of work, classes, and studying, and I'll be leaving early morning tomorrow for the Highlands!
Similar to the homestay this past weekend, the tuition of my study abroad program pays for one trip per semester. The trip is to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, and will include hiking, a few castles, sheep dogs (!), a whisky distillery, and Loch Ness. It's certainly been challenging with both weekends placed back-to-back, as classes are becoming demanding. I won't miss any classes when traveling tomorrow, but certainly everything has been condensed.
I've been enjoying Virginia Woolf and Creative Writing more, but both continue to prove to be challenging. I think they're worth it. I don't feel totally prepared or have the background knowledge for either, but the professors are involved, and a positive of the upper level classes is the smaller class sizes and individual attention. I do frequently feel like a fish out of water though. Today during my group's Virginia Woolf presentation, the five of us had agreed to just present in no particular order this time. I had began last time, and had plenty prepared again this week but didn't expect to begin. The other group members had performed more intense research into Woolf's private diaries, and I had believed that that would be the focal point of our presentation. I also felt less comfortable with the topic as it was quite a bit more challenging this week. When it was our turn we all were silent, with a few of the girls pushing for me to start. I began, and while I stated everything I had, my analysis of Jacob's Room, Woolf's own biography and relationship with her brother Thoby in comparison to her writing, half of me wanted to yell, "I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm just a U.S. student here for the year! Virginia Woolf confuses me!" Thankfully, this didn't happen. The presentation I think went well. The tutor (professor) engaged me in why I stated or believed what I did, and where my thoughts came from. This concerned me slightly, but I've found in English and the humanities there are not right or wrong answers. I explained further, and he commented that it was an interesting and well done analysis. Later on in the class too, it was nice to here from the tutor that Jacob's Room, and much of Woolf's work that we focus on is not easy reading. It's all over the place lacking plot, structure, and direction. I've found the academics here are challenging, but just with anything else in life, taking risks are necessary, and beginning the presentation with the analysis I had worked towards felt good.
I'd also like to take a moment to announce that as of tomorrow morning, my absentee ballot for the presidential election should be on it's way to the U.S. I think it would be better if I didn't take the next 46 paragraphs to describe the process of voting using a New Hampshire (a very old-fashioned state when it comes to absentee ballots...) presidential election absentee ballot in an isolated Scottish town on the sea. I will only explain that it was a week-long process, involved several envelopes, printers, referrals, stamps, signatures and verifications. And at one point, a secretary telling me no printer in the town of St. Andrews could accomodate the envelope size I needed. Several, actually dozens of times I almost said "Why am I doing this!? Just don't vote, it's too difficult! Not a printer in St. Andrews will actually accept the size envelope I need!" But, democracy and voting are important to me. And it all worked in the end. I'm mailing my ballot in for the one-month recommended mail-in and I hope my vote is accounted for.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a four-day golf tournament began today in St. Andrews. Several well-known golfers, as well as Michael Phelps and South African paralympian Oscar Pistorious are in town. I half-wondered last night as I walked to an evening event along the road running between the ocean and several of the golf hotels and bars if any of the competitors were arriving, as I saw a few limousines, a red carpet, and several kilts and bagpipers. Today the town has been busy and the golf section of town has been madness!
Everything with the kitchen mates has been going well! It's myself, a guy from north of London, who is a biology student, and then three male medical students from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. We've been eating our meals together more often, enjoyed a kitchen movie together the other night, escaped together from two overnight fire alarms in the same day this week, and had quite the foreign policy discussion last night, mostly with the Asian students inquiring if my American and Connor's British passport held any restrictions.
All is well here, I'm looking forward to three days in the Highlands, and will likely be updating when I return Sunday night!
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