One Week Down

I've completed one third of my classes now with the first week being over. Tomorrow I just have a lecture, so hopefully I can make time to just have fun and get some more of my first paper done. I got up really early today and got ready, which was a good thing because a fire alarm went off at about 8 o'clock. I went to the chapel which is our meeting place, and sat with the large group of tired angry people as they lectured us on how we didn't come down fast enough if there was a real fire. After that I went to breakfast and had nutella on toast for the first time; I now count myself among the nutella fiends everyone else here seems to be.

I went to The European Union class after breakfast and we discussed the 70's and 80's in EU development. We then talked about our "favorite European," meaning one person we thought was inspirational in the way they handled European integration. I didn't have a good answer with my limited experience, so I said Delors, a Frenchman I remember reading about over the summer who was a big proponent of supra-nationalism. The we each individually talked for a minute with Dr. Kewley about our proposed paper topics. He liked my idea about writing it on Italy, so I'm free to get going on that one.

I me Blake outside the room I have class in and we walked to today's lecture. It was called The Big Society and the End of Big Government, and was given by Dr. Philip Davies. He discussed David Cameron's pet project, 'The Big Society,' which I actually read about almost on a daily basis in Bellarmine's cafe when I was preparing myself for the ESU interview. He was a great speaker, and explained the problems with the Big Society very adeptly. Briefly, the Big Society is Prime Minister Cameron's goal of getting rid of big government and empowering local societies to volunteer and take more control over their lives and law making. Unfortunately he has very little support, even in the Conservative Party of which he is the leader.

I went over to lunch and for the first time tried a sandwich from the undercroft pub. It was really good, and then I headed to my room for a few minutes before British Politics. In that class we discussed WWI in Britain and Lloyd George. It was really interesting, I've been trying to learn more about Lloyd George after seeing his statue in Parliament and grave in Westminster Abbey. I walked from that class over to the library Dr. Buchanan showed me after the first class on Tuesday to get some books for my paper in his class. I checked out 6 books on Irish Nationalism and History, and now feel prepared to dive into that paper as well.

After getting a paragraph written and feeling accomplished, I went down for dinner. Before eating, I met some of the other History students and Dr. Buchanan for "Director's Drinks," where he as the program Director talks with us over wine. It was fun and I got to talk with some other students I didn't know very well yet. For dinner we had caesar salad and baked potatoes and cheesecake.

I went on a walk with nearly every other student down to a really pretty park after dinner. Eric, Bryan and I walked down together and when we got to a bridge going over a river, we saw some people punting (and struggling pretty badly at it, two of them almost kept colliding).  We all got great pictures and a really nice walk. After getting back, I stopped by this little cart that sets up outside the college on the street at night. They sell different kinds of "chips" (french fries to the untrained American). I got a nice, healthy order of cheese chips and took them to my room.

Tonight I want to make headway into my Irish Nationalism paper with the help of my cheese chips and good friends the Avett Brothers. If you are still keeping up with me after all these posts thank you so much. I love writing this as my journal and it makes me feel like its all worth it if you are enjoying it too.

P.S. While speaking with an Englishman today, he ended the conversation by lifting his glass and saying "Jolly good." That made my day.