Update Time

       So I'm running into a bit of a problem with the picture issue. There isn't any card reader in the computers here, so I'm going to see if I can either use another computer, or borrow a USB connector to post all the pictures I have. 

 I thought I might take you all through a typical day. Don't worry, I will try to leave out any of the boring stuff, but no promises. :D

-I typically get up around 7:30, which would be 2:30 for all you lovely United States-ians

 Breakfast is at 8. They serve the same typical breakfast-y things, buffet-style, but one thing I thought was a bit strange is that they serve baked beans as well! The first few days I didn't want to try it, but finally I gave in this morning, and actually it's pretty good. They taste very different from the kind in the US, kind of lighter, I can't really explain it. They also serve giant mushrooms with basically every meal. And of course, tea. :)

-Then at 9:00 I have my A block class, the Shakespeare. We're currently discussing The Merchant of Venice, which I enjoyed reading quite a bit. We do a new play every week. The professor, Simon Brown, is really funny, and the style of class is more discussion-based than lecture. I'm very excited, because The Cambridge Shakespeare Festival is doing The Merchant of Venice, so a few of us are going to see it on Monday when it opens.

-Class ends at 10:15 and most days I head over to the Plenary Lecture, which is done by a different person every day. The lectures range from "Understanding Stem Cells: Hope, Hype, and Reality" to "Are We Stardust or Nuclear Waste?" The Scholars class is required to go to 15 lectures and attach our notes and an analysis of each lecture for a grade at the end of the term. Today we went to "Understanding Major World Changes in the Next 50 Years," which was very interesting, and I must have taken about 4 pages of notes (so I could show Yahnatan what he said, bc I think he would find it most interesting of anyone).

-Plenary is over by 11:30 and I have 15 minutes to get to B block, which is the Elizabeth class. The professor there is fantastic, she just sits on top of her desk and does the entire class in a very conversational style. Every day she passes out these letters that Elizabeth wrote to different people, which really give you insight into who she was as a person. Also, the movie with Cate Blanchett is complete crap, and most of it's totally inaccurate. Sorry, for those of you who like it.

-That class ends at 1 and then I have about an hour back in my room where I have lunch with one of the scholars who I've been buying groceries with, and every day it's PB&J sandwiches. Then once C block is over a group usually heads into town to do some shopping until dinner at 6:30. Dinner ends around 8 and then we're free to do whatever. I've gone pub hopping a couple of times and I've gotten the chance to talk to so many cool people, it's been quite an eye-opening experience. Tonight there's some kind of jazz concert in the Selwyn Gardens as well.

Well that's about it. I will leave you with some more things I've learned.

1.) Knowing your geography is SO important! Teach your children, dang it! I felt so bad when I didn't know where Montenegro was, and part of the American stereotype is that the people are self-centered. Another part is that we're all obese, according to one French guy I spoke to, although he admitted that he had learned this was not true this week.

2.)  When you're in England, be ON TIME for all your classes. If you're even one minute late, some teachers won't let you in. Luckily I did not have to learn this the hard way. 

3.) The clothing here is SO much cooler and more varietied. No wonder people are better dressed.

4.) DON'T walk on the grass.

5.) If I have to eat a PB&J sandwich one more time I'll scream.

That's it for now. Whew! This was a long one. Love you all! Pics to come soon!