~ Sceopellen ~

As usual, the modicum of self discipline I believed to have is virtually non existent, and as a result, I have again failed to write. I shall try to be better.

Due to my idiot status, I have decided to take six courses this term – a bad idea, but an interesting one! As such, I am rushed off my feet, and seem to never quite have my nose far from a book, but it’s all part of the fun I suppose. On the other hand, I’m keeping up to speed, enjoying life here (despite the cold) and happen to be doing quite well, at subjects i’ve never done before, which is a lovely boost.

I get on swimmingly with my roommate most of the time, despite the odd glitch. Most of those glitches happen to be about religion, as she is a conservative Catholic and I am… not. Really and completely not. It’s fascinating, and often very beautiful, but the unfortunate superiority complex of many, and ability to harm others via their views is quite another matter. Apparently, I am going to hell in a rather glorious, shiny fashion. This is what comes from living in a conservative Catholic residence, complete with nuns. Oh, and the nuns can be unpleasant and grumpy as hell too.

Luckily i’ve found some good people here outside res and am going out tonight, despite having the unfortunate position of being nicknamed “mummy” within the residence and rather depressingly beginning to resemble the grad student I live with. We have study dates. It’s a long story!

I’ve discovered a penchant for terrible films, ballroom dancing and african music – not that those weren’t already there. I am involved in several dance classes and water polo. Wonderfully, i’ve been invited back to secondary dance classes by my ballroom tutor, who apparently believes that I have a modicum of talent! Exciting!

Exam results from last term are still not all in, but mostly. All above average, and at a RHUL equivalent of a 70. Even philosophy, which I thought i’d done terribly on, left me with a rather respectable 68.

My lecturers both last term and this term are all fantastic, enthusiastic and actually willing to speak to their students – in full, interactive conversations! I think it’s a miracle… This term, i’ve done some course switching, and am taking:

Anthropology of Religion – great course with a lecturer from Cambridge. Really enthusiastic and kind – we even went for tea and discussed the Ox-Cam rivalries! Doing extra work for her class as we speak, and might even be able to help out with some research.

Medieval Books – hard work! Being given a manuscript, and told to write a dissertation about it. Actually, longer than a dissertation back home. It’s good practice, although not in my field.

Conservation (based at the ROM) – lots of chemistry, which I had thought i’d given up at 13… Fascinating though, and although it’s not massively hands on, it’s wonderful to be able to dig around the conservation labs at a massive museum!

Religion in Context – great course, although taught by a PhD student who is clearly not used to the whole teaching thing. Quite sweet actually. The material will get better as time goes on I feel, but she does know her stuff.

Holocaust after 1942 – taught by one of the foremost experts in the field. Just had an incredible seminar with her, and still am reeling from it a little. That’s how education is meant to be. Wonderful.

Literary Studies after Modernism – tough. Creepy. Very creepy. Lots of Robbe-Grillet and Borges. Very different from everything i’ve done before, and certainly not something offered at home, but fantastic experience. Just very heavy on philosophy!

I’m also helping out with a conference with the Theological Society of Canada, organising bits of that – hopefully i’ll be able to get more of a foot in the door later by doing so.

Lastly, and i’m not quite sure how this is going to work, i’m submitting an article for publication in a journal in June. You never know – if you don’t try, you don’t succeed. And it’s on a subject i’ve not done before. Sounds like just my kind of challenge!

So there are the adventures to date! There have been many challenges, and quite a few days when where I really wanted to be was home, but overall, there’s still so much to look forward to! Before flying home, the plan is to travel through Edmonton and to Vancouver, over the Rockies. I’m planning on heading up to Ottawa for reading week, and will be meeting my great friend Leah in Toronto. I’m going winter camping in a few weeks, and on a gaslight tour of Toronto on Saturday, a dinner on Sunday and am apparently being dragged to a sorority rush on Wednesday. Not quite sure what i’ll make of that, but we’ll see. I don’t see myself turning into Miss Legally Blonde…!