Ugg

I’m freaking out… I have my first paper due tomorrow and only had 3 days to work on it and one of those was a Sunday which means I pretty much couldn’t do much… Ahhh

Summary of the First Week

This is going to be shorter and less detailed than I would have like but I'm copping out and tired of re accounting things...

First Day
Move in to my place and go the an OSAP gathering to meet people. It continues at a pub, the Red Lion. I get a meal for 5 pounds. A guy from a couple of tables over says looking at me "Hey man, you look like a chick." I kindly explain that I'm from America, the south, and of Scandinavian decent, basically implying I do what I want. He responds by telling me to get my shit together and that I'm in England now. That I should loose my rosy checks and look like a man. His two friends cackle as he gives me directions to a gay pub. I tell him to piss off. But I am shaken since i haven't even been in the country for 24 hours and end up slipping out and walking briskly to my place to go to sleep. It's on this walk that I realize the studs on the cuff of my jacket could serve a more utilitarian purpose that I thought of when I put them on if it can down to it.

Since then have basically be me like the start of a freshman year at a university far from home. Orientation consisted of talks and videos on British culture and recent history, just trying to navigate the city, and going to pubs. Good news I did find a skatepark in reasonable distance to walk if i have time, or catch as bus to. The weather that first week had been precisely of what you hear about English weather, but yesterday and today have been nice.

I started my primary study on friday and have a paper due tuesday.
Everything is epic here. Tomorrow if I'm not lazy I'll show you what the average day here is like for me.

Cheers!

Getting In

So all as with most, this adventure begin with a preface.

Our story starts out in the Columbia airport. Mom and Dad drive me in the van and as we get there Mom is impressed at how I can carry a suitcase, a ceder foot-locker, my back pack and longboard at once. My original air-route is Columbia -> Philadelphia -> London, but I check in and there is trouble with the Philly flight. So I get routed Columbia -> Charlotte -> Frankfurt -> London, but the booking person specifically says that if the plane to Charlotte doesn't leave at X time then just drive there. Sure enough I get to the gate and it's leaving 30 minutes after X... So I humbly about-face and walk back to the gate and tell Mom that we get to drive to Charlotte.

So we drive to Charlotte and I board a plane to Frankfurt. BUT so I could make the flight I was some how moved up to first class. This was my first experience flying first class and I was about to do it trans-atlantic. Needless to say the first thing that happens, after I sit down in my haggard jean jacket next to a snobby European businessman, is a flight attendant asks whether I want OJ, some coffee, or champagne. The glass of champagne was great. About 30 minutes into the flight I'm eating a rack of lamb with a good glass of merlot and just realizing one of my armrests is a flip out computer that has music, movies, and TV shows on it. That flight was wonderful anytime I wanted something all I had to do was press a button and *ping* someone would come out to serve me whatever I had just asked for. Sadly all good things come to an end eventually and the flight lands in Germany and there's snow everywhere except the runway. Clever Germans...

I get off trying to navigate the German airport and figure out where to go to get on my next flight and I begin to pass through security and they flip out. I did look rather wild with that jean jacket on, my hair being longer than ever, and a long board attached to my back, but I was like... "I don't speak German what do I need to do to get on my plane?" Apparently the problem was multiple things that the Germans didn't like too much... First my skateboard had to be checked as a separate bag. They did this by just slapping the same type of thing that goes around the handles of your suitcase just flat on the bottom of the board and threw it on a conveyor. Needless to say I laughed at the ALOT. (Even more when it can up the chut in the london airport and flipped right side up and rolled right across the floor away from me) The second thing being far more legitimate. I have a nice cigarette case from an antique shop that I use as a wallet. It has a nice big KGB seal on it. Needless to say they didn't think this was very funny, but that turned out alright and I do still have the case. The third was a joke but Germans have awkward standards for humor. I have this white bear with British flags all over it. His name is Thom of coarse, and a security lady took him out my pack and said "This is not allowed" then announcing it was a joke, it reminded me of Linda's German parents and mirrored their humor. Germans! But I ended up getting out of Frankfurt alive and into London.

Coming this week

Sorry I've been busy and hate sitting at the computer for long periods of time but I will have this up by no later than friday!

But here is the all valuable contact information:

address:
Ted Aslund
11a Little Clarendon St.
Oxford, UK OX1 2HP

email: taslund@erskine.edu