Bridging the Gap

This week is the premiere of "Bridging the Gap," a radio show that will discuss the similarities and differences between U.S. and British Culture. The music will be comprised of mainly on the rise, unpopular artists and will be hosted by Dwight, Sean, and I. To listen in visit this website - http://www.livewire1350.com/ - and click on the listen live link on the top right of the page. Our show will be live every Friday night from 22:30 to 00:00 in England - for everyone in the states that's from 5:30pm to 7:30pm EST. When listening in you can send free messages to the studio - saying hi, requesting songs, or topics you would like discussed. We are looking for as much support as possible, but warn the masses - there may be an apocalypse.

First Week at UEA

My first week at UEA went very smooth. I really like my flatmates who are all very nice and friendly. Although my room is a little smaller than what I was used to at Dickinson or home, it is very comfortable with everything I need. Today I am finally finished unpacking, after moving tee-shirts and pants from my desk and the floor, they are finally put away properly. It took me quite some time to settle in because initially I was very interested in going into the City, checking out campus, and hanging out with friends. Although it took about a week and a half, the feeling of being finally settled is quite nice. I have quite a bit of laundry that needs to be done, and I am contemplating doing it in the kitchen sink, or paying the ridiculous amount for the laundry mat on campus that is some distance from the flat.

Also in the first week I have signed up for two societies, Men's Basketball and Livewire, the student run radio show. The Men's Basketball team is going to be a lot of fun, and hopefully we will play against some competitive. We have our first game Wednesday the 26th against a team of Lithuanians; I am not sure of their team name but I am sure they will be able to shoot the ball like most Europeans. The radio show will be hosted by Dwight, Sean, and I on either Thursdays or Fridays. We have signed up for a few time slots, and I will update for what our weekly time slot is. To listen online visit: http://www.livewire1350.com/ and click the listen live button on the top right corner. Our radio show is going to play both American and English music - unpopular on the rise artists - in the hope to bridge the gap across the Atlantic. We will also have segments of our show where we discuss differences in culture between the two countries, or more importantly, how we are actually not that different.

My first week of classes also went very smooth. Tuesday is my toughest day with between 6-8 hours of class. It will be important that I pay attention to UEA's awful online time schedule, which changes weekly and sometimes is unusable to make all of my academic commitments. UEA does not use a consistent weekly class schedule. Each week I could have class at different times, in different rooms, and by different professors. Understanding this overcomplicated system was somewhat of a challenge week one, but I think this next week I will have a better hang of it.

While Abroad Watch out for the Paparazzi

Outside UEA campus map

City Center bus stop

Center City from bus

Best sandwich place in town

Crazy man in town

Orange Cell Phone Store

Kitchen

Let's go Celtics

Bedroom

Market

Karaok 'N Roll

Once I was able to get over the initial culture shock from cars driving on the left side of the road I was able to take in the beautiful weather in London. Actually, the weather wasn't very nice, overcast and fog for miles. However, regardless of the crappy weather I was excited to be in England and what the ensuing parts of the day would bring. I am sure that my excitement contributed to my lack of sleep in the past 48 hours - I was only working on 3 hours of sleep but didn't feel an itch of fatigue.

Once we arrived at UEA the reality sunk in that I was in a new world, everything was different, or by the pound. After I threw my suitcases in my room, I decided that it would be best to not take a nap - mainly due to a combination of me not being able to from excitement, and a desire to fight jet lag - and we went into town. The town of Norwich is very medieval, packed with hundreds of shops, restaurants, and attractions. Even though I lived in a big city last summer, it was only for three months, so the city feel is still relatively new to my life. Although this is a nuance to me, I thoroughly enjoyed the couple hours we had going from shop to shop finding numerous deals and in the end only spending fifty pounds on a cell phone.

The day concluded with dinner at my professor's house and a visit to the blue bar, a student run bar on campus. We had a great time at the blue bar which was decently packed, considering that not many students have returned to campus, and it was a Wednesday night.

Thursday morning began much earlier than I had anticipated. I was not sure where my initial full tank of gas came from in the morning, but little did I know how valuable it would be later in the day. The morning consisted of a very standard orientation, where you learn about all the services that will be provided to students and how the university is here to support you. Once this was over, we were given a quick and amusing crash course: How to talk to British people 101. This consisted of a few very valuable translations, that I predict will be messed up at one point, and many laughs will be had. The most typical translation I will mess up is the use of the word "pants." In the US, pants are simply jeans, khakis, or some other form of fabric that goes from your waste to your ankles. In the UK, pants are not typically made of jean or khaki - although I am not sure, and this could be false in some areas - and they only cover from your waste to your mid thigh. Pants in the UK, is their word for underwear. Shocking! Yes. This was day 2, and I could already see my inevitable doom. I would be talking to a Brit, and once we had finished talking about the weather, I would comment on how I liked their pants. This would then lead to either a slap in the face, or a good laugh. Hopefully the second is the outcome, and I develop a quick learning curve for British sayings.

The afternoon went by quickly. I picked up my student ID, got my bus pass, and went off the the grocery store. Nothing too exciting happened, besides our disappointment in the lack of grape jelly for our very "American" love of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Luckily, even though it wouldn't be the same, I was satisfied with some raspberry jam. Sean and I had some brief talks about importing some Smuckers grape jelly, then immediately stopped, and realized it probably wasn't in our budget. When we were done shopping we took the twenty minute bus ride home, and made dinner.

Finally, the day was coming to an end. Slight levels of fatigue plagued my body for a few minutes before the excitement kicked in from the largely anticipated "trivia quiz." The quiz, held in the Blue Bar, guaranteed that the winners would receive a prize. Instinctively I thought, it was probably a round of beers, or a UEA tee shirt - two prizes well worth my time and energy. From the very first question our team had a great feeling. This night was gonna be our night, we were gonna take first place. Once the first initial rounds were completed, we had a large lead on the competition. Little did we know, this cockiness would only come back in the next two rounds and lead to or demise. We ended up taking second at trivia night, by half a mark. Although we were disappointed we didn't get the grand prize of a free round, we got to pick the Karaoke song the winning team had to sing to claim their prize. After scrolling through the massive song list, we decided we would be half decent Americans and pick "Truly, Madly, Deeply," a Savage Garden hit from the 90s. Only one member on the winning team knew the song. The rest truly earned their prize. Once they had finished, we decided in good spirits that we needed to get this place started. Again, not too many students were on campus, but the buzz and energy had died down once the trivia was over and the winning group had collected their prize. It was Karoke time. I believe our team, although coming in second in trivia by half a mark, took Karoke night by a lot more than half a mark - singing around five songs, ranging from Marvin Gaye "Ain't No Mountain High," to Madonna "Like a Prayer." Our second night was completed, with great success, England here we come.

Last day at home

Although the trip for England doesn't start until the 11th, today is my last day at home. The journey starts a day early for me, as I stop in Washington DC for one final night in the states. As with previous nights in DC, this one should be filled with laughs and excitement. Although I will be parting with my friends and family for some time, the promise of education, excitement, and adventure will make the separation easier. Those I am separated from will not be forgotten, they will always be remembered. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am a real person, but that's  enough of that for now. On my last day at home I have a lot I have left to do. To get it started off the right way I am going to get some food. My last meal at home - Chili's. Honestly, it doesn't get any better than this.

I will keep everyone updated.

Mike

My First Scoop

Although I am slightly nervous as I am preparing to visit my first international country outside of North America, I am excited for the adventures that lie ahead. When I leave on January 11, 2011, I will be traveling with a group from my school, including two of my roommates. While abroad I am going to play international basketball in the FIBA league with a Dickinson Alumn, Dwight Dunston. Dwight is currently abroad getting his graduate degree in Creative Writing while he competes on an international level. As the new year approaches I will continue to update you on plans abroad, such as visiting my uncle Tom who lives in Ireland.

As you all know, there are new places out there, new cities to be conquered, and many games to be played.

Mike