It's homework, y'all!

Okay. You know there is beginning to be a problem when the thoughts in your head often come out in a totally different accent to the way you actually speak. I'm starting to hear things in "Southern" - and I've only been here for three weeks.

Three weeks to the day, actually. Isn't that exciting?

Anyway, I know I've been pretty inactive with this blog, but there's just been an awful lot going on. I'm going to try and keep this short (but that probably won't happen), talking about what I've been up to - and then I'll post a few interesting factoid blogs later in the week.

So firstly, let's pick up where I left off in my last entry. The first few days of classes were pretty introductory, with professors just trying to get to know their students and giving a brief overview of the class. And then things got really intense, really quickly. By the second of each of my classes we were being assigned huge chunks of reading and even papers in the case of my creative writing class! Yet somehow, I managed to keep up with all of that enough to feel within my depth.

The work itself is not particularly difficult, it's just that for a lazy English student like me the workload is totally different! At home I'll spend 6 hours a week in class and then spend the rest of my time reading, marking up texts and doing otherwise ungraded work that serves only to spark discussion in class. Here, the homework is handed in almost daily, like being back at school, and pretty much everything is graded. And then there's the reading on top of that. It's all a bit of a shock! Though, at least I feel like I'm keeping busy. (And I'll tell you, walking into class and sitting in those crazy tables-and-chairs-joined-together contraptions is like walking onto some kind of American High School movie set! Wacky, man.)

Speaking of assignments, I turned my first "proper" paper in on Thursday (1st September) and got it back this week. I don't think a B+ is so bad at all! I've decided I'm going to aim to pass, and not try to over-achieve this year. I'm usually guilty of this, and often it just makes me stressed. I'm going to enjoy this at all costs!

Anyway, aside from school work there has been little else going on. This weekend was a day longer than normal due to Labo(u)r Day. A group of us went to an American Football game on Saturday, which was good fun but rather long and hot (don't worry, I'll dedicate a post to this on it's own at some point). We dressed up in UNC colours (a certain shade of Carolina Blue) and even got facepaint and free transfer tattoos for our faces! It was great.

 

Melissa (Rachel's mentor), me, and Rachel (with whom I have had many a tea party since arriving. Rachel studies at Nottingham Uni, although originally comes from Luxembourg!)

I also had my first real American pancakes - and they were delicious.

Bluberry, yum!

 Myself and the wonderful Nnedi (Rachel's roommate)

Oh-so-tasty, but very incredibly impossibly sweet!

On Tuesday (last week) I also went to my first Aikido session. Saskia and I decided to give one of the martial arts a shot, and aikido won out (partially because it was cheaper than the rest, and partially because it sounded awesome). Aikido is a Japanese martial art with a main focus on defense. A lot of the moves we have learnt so far have involved basic footwork and how to fall without doing damage to yourself when attacked. We have also learnt a couple of "release motions" - so if I ever get attacked, provided that my attack is the same height as me and gives me time to get into position, I'll be able to get away... Ha. Okay, so we're just starting out. It's a pretty good workout though! After the first session I was in so much pain -- many of you probably saw me moaning on Facebook. Last night's session was more mellow, so I'm not feeling it too badly today, which is pleasant! I really enjoy being part of some kind of club, because it gives more structure to my week. The only problem so far is how different it is to Tae Kwon Do, which I practiced for a few years. Many of the things I was taught to do in TKD is, well, basically it's wrong in aikido. The footwork is taking some time to correct. But it's all good fun, anyhow!

I'm also getting ready to do some volunteering for a group on campus called Helping Paws. It's basically an animal volunteer group, and the volunteers go to shelters to spend time with all sorts of animals. It's mainly dog based, but that doesn't mean anything. Apparently they've worked with chickens, sheep, pigs and even goats before! I have my training for that next Monday, so I'll give y'all more of an update on that when I come to it.

But here is an adorable picture of one of the volunteers' dogs. Nala is 2 months old, and a black labrador mix. She'll be at every meeting, loving people to death.

I'm incredibly conscious about how long this post is getting -- but you guys totally asked for it!

Anyway. For now I'm going to leave you to digest all of this rubbish. I'll be back in the next couple of days to talk about things like UNC sporting events; living with a roommate; the wonderful time I had at Hayley's birthday celebration (Sunday 28th August) despite only having known her for a week; Schooling here at UNC; Food -- and many other lovely American things.

I hope you aren't bored yet! I know Becky and Sarah (and Danni?) will be expecting some kind of mythical beast mention, or for me to ramble about dragons, but I'm going to veer off track a little bit and talk about Sherlock Holmes instead (it totally counts):


Interesting Fact: There is a teacher here at UNC whose name is (I kid you not) Professor Moriarty! My life is now complete. <3 (Or at least as complete as it can be without my bestest English friends and the actual ability to own/become a dragon/unicorn/mermaid/witch...)

Okay. Now it's time for my nap. :)