After visiting Stonehenge, Lauren and I went to a dinner with our fellow international friends. They have a tradition of rotating preparing dinner for each other, making food specific to their home country and doing a little "presentation" about the food, their country, and some fun facts and things like that.
This week, we had a German feast which was something called quesospitzle (I'm not sure how to spell it, but I tried to write it how it sounds). It was basically home made pasta which came in thick spirals, made of flour, egg, and carbonated water, which was cooked with onions and cheese. It was very very good, and we all really enjoyed it. Then, for dessert, she prepared apples which she had cored and stuffed with a mixture of sugar and butter and egg and nuts and then baked. They were delicious. After dinner she told us a bit about where she comes from in Germany (Heidleburg), some popular dishes there and her favorite German music. It was a smaller dinner party including myself, Lauren, a girl from Finland, a girl from the Netherlands and two Germans. I seem to have a habit of forming friendships with people from the Nordic countries. I'm already looking forward to visiting there! My friend from Norway is going to help me find the Northern Lights when I go!
This past Saturday, a friend and I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for our international friends (which this time was a group of 16 people!) for our dinner with a USA theme. We made all the works: Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy. It really turned out well, and we were surprised that everyone seemed to like all the dishes we made. I really didn't think anyone would go for the cranberry sauce or green bean casserole that I had made, but I was plesantly surprised. After our dinner we talked a bit about the history of Thanksgiving, our hometowns and different cultural things that we thought our friends might not necessarily know.
It was interesting the questions that came up. They were very interested in what we thought about Mexican immigration and different issues like that. I was also surprised to know that everyone in attendance thought we had 52 states (I guess they figured the mainland had 50 and then Alaska and Hawaii made two more).
This upcoming week, I have a home volleyball game on Wednesday, which should be fun, especailly since it is our first home game. Then Saturday and Sunday are my concert days for the Southampton University Symphony Orchestra! I'm really excited. It's going to be a great concert, and bunches of my friends are going to come and support us. I hope that a recorded is made so that I can somehow post at least a clip of the performance.
Until next time,
Sarah
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
A Trip to Stonehenge!
This past weekend, I went with my friend Lauren to see Stonehenge and the town of Salisbury (which is the closest town to Stonehenge and also the home of Salisbury Cathedral). England has been bitterly cold for the past week or so, so it was a bit blustery out on the planes where the stones were. While at the market this morning the man whom I buy my eggs from told me that it hasn't been this cold for this long in England for at least 30 years. I'm guessing winter decided to follow me all the way from Michigan this year! Over the weekend the radiators weren't working in my dorm, so it was around 60 degrees in my apartment, which doesn't seem like that cold until you realize that it's around 14 degrees cooler than rooms normally are! Luckily it's fixed now, so I should start warming up!
The photo above is the Salisbury Cathedral which is quite old and also very impressive. The stone that was used to build it was donated from a woman in the community who owned a quarry and donated a certain number of years of harvesting from her quarry to the cause of building the Cathedral. As such, they built the church in an impressively few number of years (I'm guessing to take full advantage of the quarry). The photo below is of a bronze statue that was in front of the cathedral, which I thought was rather striking. The way that it was cast reminded me a bit of Giacometti, one of my favorite sculptors.
On the bus ride from Salisbury to Stonehenge, we got to hear a recording of a bit of history about the town and about Stonehenge. I have already mentioned that Southampton was bombed during WWII which is why it is less charming that it likely was at one time, but the tour taught me that after Southampton was bombed (since it was where most of the aircraft at the time was being manufactured, I believe the spitfire was mentioned specifically) those operations were moved to Salisbury. And it was lucky that they moved it there because Salisbury was being used as a landmark (due to the cathedral) to help the Germans find different targets. They would find the church, then follow the motorways and rivers to different cities of interest. This is why Salisbury was never bombed, because they so desperately needed it. I thought that was fascinating.Additionally, Salisbury was the major site of training pilots from countries part the Allied Forces. The airport, which we drove past on our way to Stonehenge was also the site of the first airplane fatality in England. The memorial is most often covered in flowers even to this day.
Finally, we arrived at Stonehenge, which turned out to be smaller than I had thought it would be based on photos and such that I had seen before. It is also more impressive from an aerial view, because that way you can get a better idea of how they are in a very specific formation. It is hard to gather that from right on top of them. We got there about a half hour before sunset, which led to some really gorgeous photos! (See below.) There is so much mystery surrounding this ancient monument that it really gives cause to pause and think about how there is so much that we don't know even of our own pasts.
Wales and Essays
This past weekend, I traveled to Wales with the volleyball team for a tournament in Cardiff. Wales is a beautiful country, and I thought the landscape was really breath taking. I think it might be my favorite part of the UK so far, at least what I saw of it! It seemed like right as we crossed over the border from England to Wales, there were sheep everywhere! Apparently there are tons of jokes the English have about the Welsh involving sheep. I didn't hear any, but they really do have tons of sheep! It was also really cool to see all the signs in both English and Welsh--I had no idea how different the language would actually be!
I saw a castle on a hillside, but I was unable to get a good picture of it since it was foggy and dusk. If you look closely, you can see its two spires toward the top of the hill in the photo. It was really beautiful and grandiose, and I wish I could have done it justice in the picture.
In my courses, we are nearing the end of the first semester, so we are all beginning to think about our final projects. In my Art and Craft of Fiction, our assignment is to prepare a 6,000 word piece of fiction which has been inspired by one or more of the novels that we studied in class, followed by a 1,000 word critical commentary expounding on this inspiration.
I have already written my 6,000 and continued on to a little over 12,000 words as I am hoping to make the work novel length (which, is typically around 50,000 words). My story explores the fluidity of sexuality in modern society and the influence of past and present events in shaping the course of personal development and fulfillment. I have been inspired by Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and Vladimir Nabokov's "Laughter in the Dark." In my piece I have incorporated the use of very distinct and abrupt narrative flashbacks, as in "The Handmaid's Tale" however I have taken the Atwood-esque flashback and pushed it further, using not a distinct section of text, but also a change of perspective in the narrative. I chose this method over other methods such as that in Kazuo Ishiguro's "An Artist of the Floating World" which had very smooth discreate flashbacks. I found this technique confusing and prefer the stark contrast that Atwood employes. Secondly, I was influenced by the tone and minimalist style as in "Laughter in the Dark." I also attempted to incorporate humour and a narrative similar to everyday life.
In my Twentieth Century Body course, I am a bit nervous about our final assessment. We have to select any of the texts which we studied throughout the course, and we need to ask and answer a question about it in a 4,000 word essay. I am not sure which text I will select, but I am more uncertain about this essay due to its highly critical nature. Many of the texts we studied in class were rather difficult, and I am uneasy about selecting my own topic and question to discuss. My class instructor already offered to give advice on any issues that we had, so I am planning on narrowing down the text and question I will address this week and meeting with him to discuss. It will be challenging, but no doubt rewarding to complete it!
Until next time,
Sarah
I saw a castle on a hillside, but I was unable to get a good picture of it since it was foggy and dusk. If you look closely, you can see its two spires toward the top of the hill in the photo. It was really beautiful and grandiose, and I wish I could have done it justice in the picture.
In my courses, we are nearing the end of the first semester, so we are all beginning to think about our final projects. In my Art and Craft of Fiction, our assignment is to prepare a 6,000 word piece of fiction which has been inspired by one or more of the novels that we studied in class, followed by a 1,000 word critical commentary expounding on this inspiration.
I have already written my 6,000 and continued on to a little over 12,000 words as I am hoping to make the work novel length (which, is typically around 50,000 words). My story explores the fluidity of sexuality in modern society and the influence of past and present events in shaping the course of personal development and fulfillment. I have been inspired by Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" and Vladimir Nabokov's "Laughter in the Dark." In my piece I have incorporated the use of very distinct and abrupt narrative flashbacks, as in "The Handmaid's Tale" however I have taken the Atwood-esque flashback and pushed it further, using not a distinct section of text, but also a change of perspective in the narrative. I chose this method over other methods such as that in Kazuo Ishiguro's "An Artist of the Floating World" which had very smooth discreate flashbacks. I found this technique confusing and prefer the stark contrast that Atwood employes. Secondly, I was influenced by the tone and minimalist style as in "Laughter in the Dark." I also attempted to incorporate humour and a narrative similar to everyday life.
In my Twentieth Century Body course, I am a bit nervous about our final assessment. We have to select any of the texts which we studied throughout the course, and we need to ask and answer a question about it in a 4,000 word essay. I am not sure which text I will select, but I am more uncertain about this essay due to its highly critical nature. Many of the texts we studied in class were rather difficult, and I am uneasy about selecting my own topic and question to discuss. My class instructor already offered to give advice on any issues that we had, so I am planning on narrowing down the text and question I will address this week and meeting with him to discuss. It will be challenging, but no doubt rewarding to complete it!
Until next time,
Sarah
Friday, November 19, 2010
Being American and Abroad
Before traveling abroad, I like to think that I had a pretty good idea about the attitude of the rest of the world toward the US--not especially positive. I realize that the US is a world power that has a tendency in getting involved, but before actually living abroad, I really didn't know the full extent of international feelings toward me and/or my country.
Yesterday, as every Thursday, I spent the hour between my two lectures grabbing a cup of coffee with my classmates and discussing a wide array of topics, one of which somehow feel on America. The people that I was sitting with included myself, one other American, a Canadian, and several British. I was surprised that the most vicious and passionate attacks on America and Americans came from my Canadian friend. Of the group of us, I'd have thought that the British would have had more to be upset over.
The Canadian told an impassioned story about a US soldier that she had a run in with in Korea. The soldier apparently pushed her away from a taxi she had gotten and demanded that he have the cab, since he was American. He carried on with swearing and yelling and demanding all sorts of privilege, while at the same time being upset that that taxi driver could not speak English. The story did seem a bit exaggerated, I thought, she tends to be over dramatic. But never the less, you cannot make generalizations about an entire group of people based on one person. That is completely illogical and ridiculous. So, I told her that just because one American was a selfish, self-important jerk, doesn't mean that we all are. I also pointed out that there are jerks in every country, including Canada. My British colleagues agreed, piping in that they know of many people that are from England that are just as nasty.
She also stated that Americans never leave the country and live in a bubble thinking that we're the greatest thing to happen to the world. I bit my tongue because I have to work with this woman for the rest of the year, but I wish I could have said that not everyone has the opportunity to travel the world. If it weren't for my fellowship, I would not have been able to have the experience that I have had. I know that before I came, I didn't have quite the same international view point, but I think that I was far from ignorant before I was here. That comment also got under my skin because I happen to know that she is here on her family's wealth. And she wants to talk about privilege and self importance? Criticizing someone because they haven't been able to travel and have a more well rounded international view point, is just as self-important and close minded as the soldier she ran into in Korea.
I recognize that every country has bits of its past that it isn't necessarily proud of, every person and every country has that experience. I didn't think of it in time, but if I had, I would have told them that whichever country has made no mistakes in its history, that country can criticize me for the mistakes my country has made. But, last time I checked, no one can stand in that position.
Another little bit that just made the whole conversation even more bothersome, is the overwhelming amount of adoption of US culture. If we are so despised, perhaps they should stop wearing Holister California shirts, or I heart NY shirts, or stop listening to US music and watching US television shows and movies. I find it overwhelmingly hypocritical.
After this heated discussion, the American insults didn't stop, not even in my next lecture! The topic of discussion was the role of literature in AIDS and how the diseased body is viewed in society. During the course of discussion it came up that the majority of the English (at least in my class) are of the opinion that the US developed AIDS as a biological weapon against Africa. I had never heard of this and was thoroughly offended, who wouldn't be? I asked why we would ever do such a thing, what would our motivation be? And the class simply responded: White Supremacy. I was dumbfounded. I couldn't believe that this absurd theory would have survived for so long. I wanted to point out that we were against White Supremacy in WWII, that we combated against those ideas with England itself. Did they conveniently forget?
Yesterday was a trying day, and the experience was all but positive. But all the same, I have come away with a sobering understanding of the difficulties of being part of a world power. That is something that would have never experienced at home, and I think it has changed me and my world view forever.
On a lighter note, I am traveling with the volleyball team to Cardiff, Wales tonight for a small tournament tomorrow. I don't anticipate playing in the games much, but my dear friend from Norway will be there, and we're determined to see as much of Cardiff tonight as possible! I found a picture of a castle there online, and I'm hoping we can see it while we're there. Also, on Sunday, I'm going with some friends to see Much Ado About Nothing. I'm quite excited! I'm sure it will inspire me to plan my trip to Avon and the Globe Theater. :)
Until next time,
Sarah
Yesterday, as every Thursday, I spent the hour between my two lectures grabbing a cup of coffee with my classmates and discussing a wide array of topics, one of which somehow feel on America. The people that I was sitting with included myself, one other American, a Canadian, and several British. I was surprised that the most vicious and passionate attacks on America and Americans came from my Canadian friend. Of the group of us, I'd have thought that the British would have had more to be upset over.
The Canadian told an impassioned story about a US soldier that she had a run in with in Korea. The soldier apparently pushed her away from a taxi she had gotten and demanded that he have the cab, since he was American. He carried on with swearing and yelling and demanding all sorts of privilege, while at the same time being upset that that taxi driver could not speak English. The story did seem a bit exaggerated, I thought, she tends to be over dramatic. But never the less, you cannot make generalizations about an entire group of people based on one person. That is completely illogical and ridiculous. So, I told her that just because one American was a selfish, self-important jerk, doesn't mean that we all are. I also pointed out that there are jerks in every country, including Canada. My British colleagues agreed, piping in that they know of many people that are from England that are just as nasty.
She also stated that Americans never leave the country and live in a bubble thinking that we're the greatest thing to happen to the world. I bit my tongue because I have to work with this woman for the rest of the year, but I wish I could have said that not everyone has the opportunity to travel the world. If it weren't for my fellowship, I would not have been able to have the experience that I have had. I know that before I came, I didn't have quite the same international view point, but I think that I was far from ignorant before I was here. That comment also got under my skin because I happen to know that she is here on her family's wealth. And she wants to talk about privilege and self importance? Criticizing someone because they haven't been able to travel and have a more well rounded international view point, is just as self-important and close minded as the soldier she ran into in Korea.
I recognize that every country has bits of its past that it isn't necessarily proud of, every person and every country has that experience. I didn't think of it in time, but if I had, I would have told them that whichever country has made no mistakes in its history, that country can criticize me for the mistakes my country has made. But, last time I checked, no one can stand in that position.
Another little bit that just made the whole conversation even more bothersome, is the overwhelming amount of adoption of US culture. If we are so despised, perhaps they should stop wearing Holister California shirts, or I heart NY shirts, or stop listening to US music and watching US television shows and movies. I find it overwhelmingly hypocritical.
After this heated discussion, the American insults didn't stop, not even in my next lecture! The topic of discussion was the role of literature in AIDS and how the diseased body is viewed in society. During the course of discussion it came up that the majority of the English (at least in my class) are of the opinion that the US developed AIDS as a biological weapon against Africa. I had never heard of this and was thoroughly offended, who wouldn't be? I asked why we would ever do such a thing, what would our motivation be? And the class simply responded: White Supremacy. I was dumbfounded. I couldn't believe that this absurd theory would have survived for so long. I wanted to point out that we were against White Supremacy in WWII, that we combated against those ideas with England itself. Did they conveniently forget?
Yesterday was a trying day, and the experience was all but positive. But all the same, I have come away with a sobering understanding of the difficulties of being part of a world power. That is something that would have never experienced at home, and I think it has changed me and my world view forever.
On a lighter note, I am traveling with the volleyball team to Cardiff, Wales tonight for a small tournament tomorrow. I don't anticipate playing in the games much, but my dear friend from Norway will be there, and we're determined to see as much of Cardiff tonight as possible! I found a picture of a castle there online, and I'm hoping we can see it while we're there. Also, on Sunday, I'm going with some friends to see Much Ado About Nothing. I'm quite excited! I'm sure it will inspire me to plan my trip to Avon and the Globe Theater. :)
Until next time,
Sarah
Monday, November 15, 2010
A Weekend of Volleyball
This past weekend, I traveled with my volleyball team to Bath (to support the men's team) and then to Leeds (to play in the Student Cup qualifying tournament). The Student Cup is a tournament that all universities in England compete in, and this was the first tournament to determine which teams would continue on to the semi-finals. The highlight of my trip was seeing Stonehenge from the window when we drove past. (See photo below, all those little dots around it are people looking at it on foot) It was incredible to see such a historic site so close to the motorway--I absolutely cannot wait to see it next week! I had read that people were petitioning to have the motorway moved further away as to not disturb the site as well as to make it a more serene experience for those who visit it. But until now I had no idea how close the cars actually got to it! I tend to agree with the movement to move the freeway further away.
Other than Stonehenge, the scenery was beautiful, especially with the Autumn leaves finally turning! It was tough to get a good picture going so fast and having to take it from a window out the bus, but I think the following picture gives you an idea. There were rolling hills, quaint little farm houses, and beautiful green pastures (The grass here is green, almost like in springtime at home, but I suppose it does rain quiet a lot.)
The first leg of our journey consisted of supporting the men's volleyball team at a tournament they had at the University of Bath. I didn't get to see any of bath during the few hours we were there (which was disappointing), but what I did see made me excited to come back!
The following picture is one I took of the men's team during a match. Southampton is the team with the red jerseys on the opposite side of the net. They are really quite good, much better than the women's team, I must say. And from what I've experienced, volleyball is a much bigger men's sport in the UK than it is in the US, where it's generally a women's sport. I was surprised to watch them play with such incredible enthusiasm! Their team had more cheers than the women's team. One of the cheers I found particularly entertaining: If the opposing team served or spiked the ball over and it was out of bounds, the men's team huddled up and then chanted: "That ball was out! How far out? This far out! (And then extended their arms widely.)" They would do this even if the ball was just a centimeter out of bounds.
After watching the men's team, we headed off to Leeds where our tournament was held the following day. The van ride was around 5 hours long, and it was a tiring day. Our tournament, which was on Sunday, was a particularly disappointing and frustrating day for me. Southampton decided to bring two teams to the tournament. They called us Team 1 and Team 2, but it was fairly obvious that we were the A team and B team. I was placed on the B team, after a week of the coach not putting me on a team and telling me that he "hadn't decided which to put me on yet." Which was a little disappointing, but I figured I would have fun traveling around England with the team and getting practice.
After we arrived in Leeds, I learned that the tournament was divided into two pools, a highly competitive pool and a less competitive pool. To my surprise, my coach had signed up the B team for the competitive pool and the A team for the less competitive pool, "in order to insure that the A team would have a better chance of winning." Last time I checked, that was unsportsman-like and also border line cheating, so needless to say I was a little bit frustrated by this. On top of that, since there were two teams and only one coach and our games were necessarily going on at the same time, we didn't even get a coach for our games. The entire B team felt like the reject team, and we lost every game, completely demoralized. Needless to say, I was a little bit happy when I learned that the A team got second place and likely didn't qualify. To me, that was a perfect example of karma.
I'm trying to not be upset by the whole situation, because I did have a good time getting closer with my friends from Norway and Cyprus, but it is still a bit discouraging to know that that is the way my team and university apparently operates. There is another game this coming weekend in Wales, but I think I might opt to not go and travel somewhere else on my own so that I can actually see the city, culture, and arts there rather than sit on a bench and on a bus for a weekend.
I apologize that this post isn't as light hearted as others, it was a tough weekend for me! Hopefully much happier posts are in store for the future! :)
Other than Stonehenge, the scenery was beautiful, especially with the Autumn leaves finally turning! It was tough to get a good picture going so fast and having to take it from a window out the bus, but I think the following picture gives you an idea. There were rolling hills, quaint little farm houses, and beautiful green pastures (The grass here is green, almost like in springtime at home, but I suppose it does rain quiet a lot.)
The first leg of our journey consisted of supporting the men's volleyball team at a tournament they had at the University of Bath. I didn't get to see any of bath during the few hours we were there (which was disappointing), but what I did see made me excited to come back!
The following picture is one I took of the men's team during a match. Southampton is the team with the red jerseys on the opposite side of the net. They are really quite good, much better than the women's team, I must say. And from what I've experienced, volleyball is a much bigger men's sport in the UK than it is in the US, where it's generally a women's sport. I was surprised to watch them play with such incredible enthusiasm! Their team had more cheers than the women's team. One of the cheers I found particularly entertaining: If the opposing team served or spiked the ball over and it was out of bounds, the men's team huddled up and then chanted: "That ball was out! How far out? This far out! (And then extended their arms widely.)" They would do this even if the ball was just a centimeter out of bounds.
After watching the men's team, we headed off to Leeds where our tournament was held the following day. The van ride was around 5 hours long, and it was a tiring day. Our tournament, which was on Sunday, was a particularly disappointing and frustrating day for me. Southampton decided to bring two teams to the tournament. They called us Team 1 and Team 2, but it was fairly obvious that we were the A team and B team. I was placed on the B team, after a week of the coach not putting me on a team and telling me that he "hadn't decided which to put me on yet." Which was a little disappointing, but I figured I would have fun traveling around England with the team and getting practice.
After we arrived in Leeds, I learned that the tournament was divided into two pools, a highly competitive pool and a less competitive pool. To my surprise, my coach had signed up the B team for the competitive pool and the A team for the less competitive pool, "in order to insure that the A team would have a better chance of winning." Last time I checked, that was unsportsman-like and also border line cheating, so needless to say I was a little bit frustrated by this. On top of that, since there were two teams and only one coach and our games were necessarily going on at the same time, we didn't even get a coach for our games. The entire B team felt like the reject team, and we lost every game, completely demoralized. Needless to say, I was a little bit happy when I learned that the A team got second place and likely didn't qualify. To me, that was a perfect example of karma.
I'm trying to not be upset by the whole situation, because I did have a good time getting closer with my friends from Norway and Cyprus, but it is still a bit discouraging to know that that is the way my team and university apparently operates. There is another game this coming weekend in Wales, but I think I might opt to not go and travel somewhere else on my own so that I can actually see the city, culture, and arts there rather than sit on a bench and on a bus for a weekend.
I apologize that this post isn't as light hearted as others, it was a tough weekend for me! Hopefully much happier posts are in store for the future! :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
A Rainy Day in England
Today is by far the most dreadful day in terms of weather that I've had in England so far. It is raining in buckets, and the wind is incredible. It is about 30-40 mph sustained with 50-60 mph gusts! And on top of that, I ride my bike to get everywhere, so it feels even stronger. This morning I felt like a weather channel correspondent. (The picture is the view from my apartment window.)
Tomorrow I am going to see the Rober Glasper Trio at the theater on campus, which is a jazz trio with piano, drums, and bass. It should be a great concert, and I'm hoping to gather a group of my friends to come with me!
I've also made plans to finally visit Stonehenge in the next couple of weeks, which should be incredible, I'm excited to see it. In addition, I have made plans to attend a campus performance of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" with some of my course mates. And finally, I planned out a trip with a bunch of friends to visit Oxford the weekend before I return home for Christmas (with spending the last day in London so I'm there for my flight). I'm hoping we can find a way to get into Oxford University, but we've heard rumors that you can't get in unless you're a current student. Maybe it has something to do with the Harry Potter craze since a lot of the film was shot there. I anticipate that both Oxford and London will be beautifully decorated for the holidays, and I'm really excited for the trip.
On a different note, I have been working on some drawings, and once they're more complete, I'll post some pictures! :)
My orchestras are drawing ever nearer to our concerts, only three more rehearsals until the big day! :) Hopefully I'll be able to snag a recording to put up on the blog for anyone who is interested, but I think they are both going to be great performances!
Until next time,
Sarah
Tomorrow I am going to see the Rober Glasper Trio at the theater on campus, which is a jazz trio with piano, drums, and bass. It should be a great concert, and I'm hoping to gather a group of my friends to come with me!
I've also made plans to finally visit Stonehenge in the next couple of weeks, which should be incredible, I'm excited to see it. In addition, I have made plans to attend a campus performance of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" with some of my course mates. And finally, I planned out a trip with a bunch of friends to visit Oxford the weekend before I return home for Christmas (with spending the last day in London so I'm there for my flight). I'm hoping we can find a way to get into Oxford University, but we've heard rumors that you can't get in unless you're a current student. Maybe it has something to do with the Harry Potter craze since a lot of the film was shot there. I anticipate that both Oxford and London will be beautifully decorated for the holidays, and I'm really excited for the trip.
On a different note, I have been working on some drawings, and once they're more complete, I'll post some pictures! :)
My orchestras are drawing ever nearer to our concerts, only three more rehearsals until the big day! :) Hopefully I'll be able to snag a recording to put up on the blog for anyone who is interested, but I think they are both going to be great performances!
Until next time,
Sarah
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Happy (belated) Guy Fawkes Day!
This weekend, I had my first opportunity to celebrate a British Holiday--Guy Fawkes Day! It was very much like our Forth of July, complete with lots of fireworks, sparklers and huge crowds. Last night, I went with some friends to the firework display in downtown Southampton. The fireworks were blasted off of a platform in the water (between us and the Isle of Wight), and luckily we had good weather (although, a bit chilly!) so it was a really great night!
We got there before sunset, so I got the opportunity to take some really neat shots right before the sun set over the water. My favorite is the one of the chips (i.e. French Fries) stand. The clouds look so cool!
Today, I'm getting ready for a volleyball game in Portsmouth, it's national league, so it should be a tough game. National league is usually to a bit of a higher playing standard than most other leagues.
Also, I forgot to put up a gorgeous picture that I took of some moss in London. :) I tend to be focused on little details (I guess that's the writer in me?), so I have all kinds of pictures of moss and spiders and snails and things like that... I'm starting to get better at doing landscapes and such since they're so beautiful here. :) But, here it is, I hope you like it!
Talk to you soon,
Sarah
Friday, November 5, 2010
Poet in Residence!
Hello!
Today is Friday, and that means I get a break from the business of the week. This past week, on Tuesday, my Creative Workshop Class hosted a poet in residence: Lavinia Greenlaw, who is a professor of poetry and Creative Writing at East Anglia University, which for Creative Writing and poetry in England, is a more prestigious university to attend than Oxford or Cambridge. She gave my class (which only has 12 students in it) a lecture on using imagery in poetry and also on utilizing those skills in larger pieces of prose. I must say, I think I learned more in that two-hour lecture than I have in the entire week! She was absolutely inspiring. One of the poems we discussed that I particularly admired was a poem called "Her Little Turquoise Scarf" by Selmia Hill:
When I found her little turquoise scarf
I got a pair of scissors from the drawer,
split her little turquoise jungles open
and sent her parrots screeching to the floor.
On first read, the language sounds so natural, it's almost conversational in form. But when you look at it closer, you realize that it indeed has a regular meter, and even a rhyme! (drawer/floor) The tone I think is incredibly effective at conveying the anger of a discovered affair, and the metaphors are striking. I also learned from Lavinia's discussion of this piece that the use of an image or metaphor does a better job of communicating a complex emotion rather than actually describing it.
During her talk she also had us do a really interesting activity where we considered a place connected with our past or childhood. We then wrote down words to describe this place, but then set those words aside. Then instead of just describing the place as we normally would, she had us consider the actual sound of the place's name. We mapped out the sound in a graph, indicating how sharp and emphasized the syllables were etc. Then, we had a free write period in which we described the place based on the shape and sound of the word. It really created a much more colorful, textured description than we would have necessarily written on our own. Below is the bit I wrote, about my childhood cottage at Big Star Lake in Northern Michigan:
Undulation is in the name--Big Star Lake. It pulls, it pushes. It swallows you up and spits you back out. A factory, punching out buttons: one blue, three red, another yellow. Vacationers come here, little buttons themselves, wielding bottles of tanning oil, grocery store novels, and noisy maritime contraptions. A week or maybe two later, they go home, a bit sandy, a lot burned, but not as different as they had hoped. If you lie amongst the grass blades struggling out of the sand, you can hear it pulse: the whirring of boats, the gurgle of wake, the screeching of children: the pushings and pullings of summer.
In my Art and Craft of Fiction class, I had the opportunity to read to the class a piece which I have just begun work on, which I will likely shape into my dissertation at the end. I am really excited at the response it got in class, and I'm encouraged to keep going. I thought it was funny that after class, several of my British friends in the class came up to me and told me how they thought my accent made it even that much better. I have been experiencing the reverse as well! Whenever one of my classmates reads something aloud, I wish they'd read my work too, because I have the feeling it might sound more distinguished! :)
I don't want to speak too soon, but I might be taking a painting or drawing course in the art school next semester! I'm really excited, and I'm hoping that it works out with my schedule. The art school is in Winchester, which is the next town north of Southampton, so I'd have to take the train there, but I think it would be completely worth it! That and, I love Winchester. It is the stereotypical quaint little English town. And I hear, it is somehow connected to King Arther, but I have to investigate that.
This weekend, I am traveling with the women's volleyball team to Portsmouth for a National League Volleyball game. It is only one match, so I'm not sure how much playing time I will get, but it's always fun to travel and compete with the team. I'm hoping that my jumping training program will start to improve my hitting skills soon! Next weekend, the volleyball team has a tournament in Leeds, and we will be spending Saturday in Bath on the way to Leeds. I'm really excited!
Until Next Time,
Sarah
Today is Friday, and that means I get a break from the business of the week. This past week, on Tuesday, my Creative Workshop Class hosted a poet in residence: Lavinia Greenlaw, who is a professor of poetry and Creative Writing at East Anglia University, which for Creative Writing and poetry in England, is a more prestigious university to attend than Oxford or Cambridge. She gave my class (which only has 12 students in it) a lecture on using imagery in poetry and also on utilizing those skills in larger pieces of prose. I must say, I think I learned more in that two-hour lecture than I have in the entire week! She was absolutely inspiring. One of the poems we discussed that I particularly admired was a poem called "Her Little Turquoise Scarf" by Selmia Hill:
When I found her little turquoise scarf
I got a pair of scissors from the drawer,
split her little turquoise jungles open
and sent her parrots screeching to the floor.
On first read, the language sounds so natural, it's almost conversational in form. But when you look at it closer, you realize that it indeed has a regular meter, and even a rhyme! (drawer/floor) The tone I think is incredibly effective at conveying the anger of a discovered affair, and the metaphors are striking. I also learned from Lavinia's discussion of this piece that the use of an image or metaphor does a better job of communicating a complex emotion rather than actually describing it.
During her talk she also had us do a really interesting activity where we considered a place connected with our past or childhood. We then wrote down words to describe this place, but then set those words aside. Then instead of just describing the place as we normally would, she had us consider the actual sound of the place's name. We mapped out the sound in a graph, indicating how sharp and emphasized the syllables were etc. Then, we had a free write period in which we described the place based on the shape and sound of the word. It really created a much more colorful, textured description than we would have necessarily written on our own. Below is the bit I wrote, about my childhood cottage at Big Star Lake in Northern Michigan:
Undulation is in the name--Big Star Lake. It pulls, it pushes. It swallows you up and spits you back out. A factory, punching out buttons: one blue, three red, another yellow. Vacationers come here, little buttons themselves, wielding bottles of tanning oil, grocery store novels, and noisy maritime contraptions. A week or maybe two later, they go home, a bit sandy, a lot burned, but not as different as they had hoped. If you lie amongst the grass blades struggling out of the sand, you can hear it pulse: the whirring of boats, the gurgle of wake, the screeching of children: the pushings and pullings of summer.
In my Art and Craft of Fiction class, I had the opportunity to read to the class a piece which I have just begun work on, which I will likely shape into my dissertation at the end. I am really excited at the response it got in class, and I'm encouraged to keep going. I thought it was funny that after class, several of my British friends in the class came up to me and told me how they thought my accent made it even that much better. I have been experiencing the reverse as well! Whenever one of my classmates reads something aloud, I wish they'd read my work too, because I have the feeling it might sound more distinguished! :)
I don't want to speak too soon, but I might be taking a painting or drawing course in the art school next semester! I'm really excited, and I'm hoping that it works out with my schedule. The art school is in Winchester, which is the next town north of Southampton, so I'd have to take the train there, but I think it would be completely worth it! That and, I love Winchester. It is the stereotypical quaint little English town. And I hear, it is somehow connected to King Arther, but I have to investigate that.
This weekend, I am traveling with the women's volleyball team to Portsmouth for a National League Volleyball game. It is only one match, so I'm not sure how much playing time I will get, but it's always fun to travel and compete with the team. I'm hoping that my jumping training program will start to improve my hitting skills soon! Next weekend, the volleyball team has a tournament in Leeds, and we will be spending Saturday in Bath on the way to Leeds. I'm really excited!
Until Next Time,
Sarah
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