Trying to simplify things...

Okay, I decided that rather than try to email everyone all the time with the info on what's happening with me during my year at Cambridge that I would just create an online journal. I'll try to post periodically with anything exciting thats happening, and if nothing exciting has happened, it'll be filled with the mundania of being an American in London.

So I've been in England for a whole whopping 10 days now, and things are finally getting settled in. We started lectures today, and it was kind of a shock dealing with a classroom with over 50 people in it... until the guy sitting next to me commented on how surprised he was by how small it was. Everyone comes from so many different backgrounds, and things constantly remind me of that. I'm one of 2 Americans in the program, so no worries about being able to fall into the trap of only talking to Americans... that wouldn't leave many options. I have to come up with a concrete research question by December, so now I'm "supervisor shopping" to find a member of the faculty to supervise me.

Cambridge itself has been lovely, although I'm beginning to realize that my umbrella needs to be a constant companion, even if I just pop out for a quick run to the grocery store, because sun can disappear into rain clouds in about two seconds. My rooms slopes and tilts at weird angles, because the house was built sometime in the 1700's I believe, but I suppose that just gives it character. Of course that seems young in comparison to the college chapel that dates from a 12th century Benedictine nunnery... makes me realize how young America is in comparison as a country since the college has a library opened in 1996 to celebrate its quincentennary... after all, only another 272 years and America can celebrate its quincentennary.

I'm still amazed by the opportunity that I have to be over here, and even sitting in lecture today it seemed rather surreal, but the past week has definitely hit home that I'm not in the US. From staring at rows of different laundry detergents that didn't include Tide or anything I was remotely familiar with, to being almost run over by a double decker bus after looking left, right, left to cross the street, to realizing that my money goes about half as far here thanks to the awful exchange rate (almost 2 to 1), to all the different accents I hear every conversation.... Luckily everyone seems very friendly. Well, more to follow....