Recap: Monday and Tuesday

Monday:

• Went to the International and Study Abroad Office in Friston Building around 10:00 because since I missed the first reception on Friday, I never got my welcome packet, which had my first class reading in it, as well as tickets I'd purchased to go to Stonehenge and the Globe Theatre and information about the college and the community. I did manage to find the building, but they didn't have my packet. They did give me the reading I needed to do, though, so I went home and read it, and remembered to eat both breakfast and lunch.
• Class today was from 1:00-3:00, although it'll be at 10:00 from here on out. And it was great! There are only ten of us, with only one guy, and I really liked the tutor. It's SO weird not to call her a professor, though--instead we're just supposed to use her first name. I think the class will be great, though--in a lot of ways, it reminds me of my class at Davidson when I was twelve, except I'm all grown up now, and the course is all grown up, too. And we have to read about two books per class! So long as I enjoy it, though, that's fine by me...and, I mean...the two books to be read for Wednesday were Peter Pan andAlice in Wonderland. I'm pretty sure I can handle that.
• The tutor, Therie (pronounced Terry) took us to Friston (again) to grab books. The mismatchedy-ness and well-thumbedness of them really endeared the little book selection to me. All those colorful dogeared paperback kids' books just sitting contentedly on the shelf--they seemed like such funny old friends.
• Had a snack of the rest of the soup I had had for lunch. It's all autumnal and cold here, and it makes me positively crave savories.
• Because of the above fact, spent an hour and a half on www.thepioneerwoman.com, bookmarking things I wanted to eat. They don't even have normal yellow cheddar here! And I want onions and spices and banana bread and cider and tacos and bacon and eggs and sweet potato casserole and sandwiches from Acorn and anything my mother makes besides that. But that's okay; it'll be a treat when I come home in December.
• Went on a tour of the city with the rest of the SIS kids. Soo fantastic! This is quite a city. It rained the entire time. It was cold. There were at least forty of us. But Brighton was as vibrant and quirky and conglomeratively colorful as I'm beginning to realize it always is, and our guides (Kai, Malcolm, and Louisa) gave us an excellent tour (LOTS of walking) before setting us free to eat. A girl from Denmark, a girl who's originally from Pakistan, the girl who's in Elon's Honor's Program with me, and I went from here to the moon getting misplaced in the neon-filled alleyways and puddles, but eventually found the ice cream we'd been looking for at a little pink shop called Cloud 9. It was fun...then we found the bus and it was empty, so the four of us crowded to the second floor and took the very front four seats. It's nothing but a sheet of glass in front of you there, which makes for a fascinating view of every light in the city flaming into frosty, misty starbursts in the drippy, foggy window.

St. Peter's Church something. It's undergoing renovation/construction, but it was quite a lovely building.

This is along the Laines--there are all these little boutique, one-of-a-kind, super artsy, bohemian-type shops all over the place. It's really colorful, and looks like a fun place to spend an afternoon.

More of the same.

And more...

Believe it or not, the Laines are quite famous. Also, they were quite wet.

Doesn't this place look cozy? I am making it a personal mission to go inside someday.

The Laines run into this Indian-inspired palace commissioned by King George IV in the early 1800s. It was his summer home, and now it's a museum. My pictures really don't capture it properly, but if you want to see it from the front, it's called the Royal Pavilion.

Here's a partial back view.

And a partial side view, too.

Ok, this is a particular favorite of mine: it's in a clothing shop, and the window display was positively dazzling. It's all antique sewing machines on dark wooden shelves. The building was on a corner, and the display covered both glass-sided walls completely, only stopping for the door. I have no idea where they found all those lovely machines and how much it cost to make such a display, but it totally made my day. Well, that and a notions store with a window display of silk, velvet, and embroidered ribbons that appeared to be straight from 1910.

View number two.

Here's the Brighton Pier (as if you couldn't tell from the fact that it says "BRIGHTON PIER" on top in flashing lit-up letters). It's somewhat famous; I only photographed the front half, but on the half further in the water, there's a mini amusement park. It's like Dowdy's, except working and over the water. Very vintage-looking.

This is a classic British pub. Is it not adorable? Apparently it serves a good steak pie.

And this pub is supposedly haunted. I think I'll not bother to find out, because as it is the mosaic over the door terrifies me.

Prettiest alleyway ever.

This clock is dedicated to Queen Victoria, and has a different portrayal of her (in a different stage of life each time) on each side. It's also in the very center of the city.

This is Cloud 9. Isn't it cute? All the chairs and tables are made of clear plastic, so it looks all bubbly inside.

And this is just a terrible picture. But we're on the bus inthe very front, although you may not be able to tell.

• Bed.

Tuesday:

• Slept in again.
• Went back to Friston, because I had a message that they'd found my welcome packet. FINALLY got it.
• Discovered the store in Bramber (which is where the post office and laundry room are). Got bread and peanut butter! Also a Coke in a can and a croissant for lunch.
• Hung out, read Alice.

Just as a point of interest: this edition (cover and all) of Alice is EXACTLY the same cover I have at home. Mine is hardback and this one is not, but besides that, they're identical. It was so nice to have the introduction and literary extras I'm used to, as well as the familiar cover and layout!

• Went along with two of the girls on my hall to the smaller store in York house (which is right next door to Norwich [pronounced Nor-idge] which is my dorm) and picked up some sugar and a small, crusty loaf of French bread, which I ate in its entirety afterwards.
• Read Peter.
• At 6:30, gathered with a bunch of other girls on my hall in the kitchen and made supper. Meaning we all made our own meals, we just did it at the same time and ate together. I made pasta, and mixed in tomato sauce, chopped ham, and mozzarella cheese. It was pretty good, although would've been better with sweet tea. Oh, North Carolina, how I do miss you and your favorite cold, sweet beverage. (And I do NOT mean milk, even though that's the state drink or whatever. Tea. It has to be tea.)
• Skyped with Mama, David, and Chris. Beat Chris at Chinese Checkers, actually. Hah.