Sober Chanting, Bigotry and Smooth Flying.

So I've finally grabbed myself a few minutes of time to update you all on how life is going/how my first week has been in the States.

Surprisingly, my flight went with zero hitches what so ever. Immigration was quicker than anticipated and arriving at my hotel in San Diego's Little Italy was as smooth as butter. Until I went to bed and my body clock decided to be jet lagged. But that subsided within my time spent at the hotel. Which, was pleasantly decent, which is more than can be said for Little Italy itself. If you just want somewhere to go eat, it's perfect. When you're alone, know absolutely no one or what to do, it's not that great a place. BUT, I did get my very first experience of frozen yogurt whilst waiting for the other Keelites to arrive.

Getting to SDSU was as equally smooth, just a bit of a ball-ache with my 4 bags, but I did it (with the help of Matthew) and arrived at my new "pad" at VA, number 25D.

So I arrive, only to find I was the first one there. Luckily for me that meant choosing the biggest room with the best bed. So all's well there. This is my side;

So then I knew it was too good to be true. It could NOT be that easy. Upon arrival I noticed the fridge/freezer were warm inside and obviously not working, nor was there a 'cool' setting on the thermostat, so after a couple hours of heaving 4 suitcases to our apartment, the concept of no AC wasn't a welcome one. Naturally I went and checked out everyone elses living quarters and various housemates. I came back late at night to the realise the shower also didn't work. Luckily, our apartment fairy fixed all three things within around 2 days.

To say my week was busy is an understatement. After various welcome lectures and many trips to target, dinners out with the Brits and a couple evenings attempting and failing to party hunt on campus, my feet were the most hated part of myself and I have a feeling it was mutual! I've experienced the delights of one of the most famous zoos in the world and I have also taken a little tour of one of the most expensive areas in CA. (Second to Beverly Hills obv.) I've attended a pep rally, my offical induction to the school so I am now an offical Aztec student (after reciting the declaration infront of a million people. By recite, I obviously mean mumble 2 words and mouth the rest) I've also just returned from my very first American class and loved it. 

Now I've been here a week, the one thing that sticks out to me most of all so far is... EVERY SINGLE stereotype you've EVER heard about california... is TRUE. The Greek system is full of jerks and bitches. If you're not pretty and stick thin, you're not invited to join teams (in this case it was dance but whatever, the principle is the same.) Everyone is clad in either shorts & t-shirts, or the SDSU clothing found in the campus shop. You are absolutely 100% expected to go "cray-cray" and join in with the school "fight song" (really it's just a chant that makes you want to die a thousand torturous deaths. For us Brits anyway!) along with joining in games at mixers and pep rallys. And you're expected to do all of this STONE. COLD. SOBER. yeah. 

So far, the focus of everyone has been to either hook up, hook people up, or party. Not one jot about studying. Not even from most of the academic staff. So it's easy to see why SDSU has been given it's reputation for parties rather than good academic standing, but apparently the academic side is growing. We'll see. Needless to say, I didn't want to believe life here would be so stereotypical, but it was certainly a culture shock. I wouldn't mind so much if the people were friendly. Spending 4 months walking on campus to only get glares and attitude filled responses wasn't my idea of fun for this experience, but I've never been one to let dogs lie when it comes to attitude and unnecessary bigotry. 

The internationals all seem lovely enough regardless of the americans. Obviously not EVERY american is as dimwitted and self centred but I know who I'm making friends with. I already feel like I've been here a month, but life is bound to pick up again now. It has been boiling every day, until about 8pm when the sun sets and all heat vanishes. Not such a silly idea to have packed my jeans and hoodie now is it? No.

For now,

A slow start for Carrskid,

Rowling's Apprentice.

It's the Final Countdown! (Der-der der, der...)

I now have exactly uno week left in the comfort of the UK. (Give or take a few hours) I have started to get the same question repeatedly by every member of both my family and my friendship group...

"When the f*ck will you p*ss off already?!?!" HA. I joke. It's become a regular occurance within my daily conversations to ask "are you nervous?" "Are you ready to go?" "How are you feeling about it now?" and quite honestly, I can say it STILL hasn't hit me. In my mind I've still got months left before it arrives. And then I realise in a few short days packed full of last minute flying visits from family members and get togethers, I'll be boarding my 12 hour plane journey, ready to take on San Diego alone.

Safe to say, f*ck yeah I'm scared!!

I've spent the last week run off my feet getting the last few professional arrangements concreted, amongst organising to see those people I value most. Last night I finally sat and sorted through my things and finally, the proper excitement has begun to kick in. Better late than never. (Not to say that I haven't been excited all this time of course! But now it's becoming REAL.)

As expected, I'm determined to make the most of my 4 months in California extremely worth while and will be taking every possible opportunity thrown at me. (within budget) My university has very kindly awarded me with a £200 bursary to help me along my way. This works out at about $313. I plan to use this money to take a trip to Las Vegas and experience the incredible sights of the Grand Canyon, something which I have dreamt of doing for years for a number of reasons.

I'm sure you'll have guessed by now I'll be blogging alot more (by popular demand by a couple of my close friends!!) to keep track both for myself, and everyone back home, on what I'm doing out there so I have a way of sharing my experiences. Watch this space!

For now,
A VERY organised and slightly excited Carrskid,
Rowling's Apprentice.

One Day I'll Fly Away

How-do Guys & Gals.

It has been an unacceptable lengthy period of continuum I know, but life happens. I went on holiday and what not.

The time has come and gone. June 21st marked the study abroad confirmation day. This basically meant everyone who's signed up to the programme spent the ENTIRE day (actually, 9-5) waiting anxiously to not get a phone call. If we were in receipt of a phone call, that meant the world had ended along with various other apocalyptic metaphors. (ZOMBIES ROAMING THE EARTH - But I won't get into Florida's drug problem here :)

So, I'm sure, as outlined by the title of my post, an ode to Nicole Kidman's Satine, you've all gathered your assumptions. One day I'll get out of this country... One day THIS AUGUST! Yeah, so I'm definitely going. No more having to say "Well, yeah I'm hopefully going to San Diego..." or "If I get the grades."

And now I can actually panic :) woop!

Excuse me while I go look up flights and plan my 4 months of california livin' ;)

For now,
Carrskid,
Rowling's Apprentice.

Non-Lent Update

So, almost a month on and I have not stuck to a single thing on my list. Not one. I kept telling myself while I was at home that I'd start from when I returned to university. Then that turned into when I've finished university. So I'm officially making this a project failure. But, onwards and upwards to the next. This one I'm determined to see through.


I have stopped buying cheese though, which is a plus. At least, until I go back home.


Current failure,
Carrskid,
Rowling's Apprentice.

Not Quite Non-Lent

Following from yesterday's post, aside from being reduced to agony due to a certain type of tooth, I've decided to write my non-lent list. However, instead of this being a period of 40 days in which I gorge on something I love, I've essentially just re-started lent instead. Only not for 40 days and 40 nights, but for the period of time between now and my departure to the states. I can feel the wisdom coming on already.

So, my reasoning; I failed on actual lent this year and constantly find myself hating what I'm eating/doing with each days as of late. Here's my list:

1. Pizza

2. Cheese

3. Takeaways

4. Red meat

5. Puddings

6. Crisps

7. Chocolate (Don't normally eat it but when I get chocolate I actually like, disaster strikes)

8. Unnecessary daily Facebook checks - to be reduced to once every 3 days

9. Pressing Snooze - I don't wish to keep wasting half days due to sleep. (Exception: Hungover)

10. Carbonated Drinks

11. Sugar in my tea

12. Any other milk than skimmed

13. Oil

14. Late night snacking

15. Unnecessary use of hair straighteners

16. Finding new series online for the sake of procrastination

17. Relying on my phone so much

18. Having Facebook on my phone

19. Not blogging regularly

20. Not skyping/calling people.

So, as I sit drinking the last few glugs of pepsi, as of Monday, I'll be trying my best to stick to my own rules. Now that it's been published, it's given me the goal to stick to so I hearby give anyone the permission to penalise me if I admit to breaking them.

Normally alcohol would be pretty high on this list, but summer is approaching and I'm going to a country that I won't be able to drink in. At least, being a student, I should end up saving some pennies from this.

For now,

Carrskid,

Rowling's Apprentice.

A Pleasant Change of Opinion

Like most of the country, I've left university for a month of Easter antics and finishing of that small 6,000 word barrier between myself and completing my first year. Needless to say, I've given myself the first week off to do absolutely nothing, yet have failed in arranging any decent plans with friends. They all happen to be taking place amongst my 3 week essay schedule. We all know what will happen there.

So, this week I've found myself watching notoriously boring daytime television and compulsively checking facebook at least once an hour. The devil is now I have an iPhone, it's too easy to check up on everyone else not having a life, even when I purposely shut my laptop down. I know, same old story as everyone else. BUT, by literally having nothing to do in this first week, it's made me realise that once I do start the ball rolling on these essays, the procrastination only made me bored so I shouldn't really do it. (Here's for hoping.) It has also made me appreciate university. Huzzah! About time and all that.

Yes, I have become yet another name on the list of people who started off complaining about uni, contemplated dropping out and ruining their lives, to then stay and love it by the time the sun comes out. But, what can I say, better late than never. So I'm currently feeling pretty lucky with the opportunities that lay ahead of me in the coming couple years, and it's taken looking at certain individuals and the mistakes they've made, pointing and laughing as we all do, along with the prospect of getting out of England for 4 months and some other exciting social developments, to get me to love my current life.

So, that said, 3 WHOLE LONG WEEKS at home until I get to go back. YAY...

For now,

A very bored Carrskid,

Rowling's Apprentice.

Retail Happy Boost

At the moment Waterstones is having a promotion in order to boost their sales. Obviously, having one on my campus and being a sucker for not wanting to have them go bust, I complied. It involves collecting 10 stamps, one for every £10 spent, to then receive a "free" £10 gift card. So essentially, you're paying £100 for a £10 gift card. Normally I wouldn't be silly enough to pay for their prices but being an English student I didn't mind so much buying a couple of my required texts in exchange for stamps.

So I got down to 7 stamps and then thought I'd get the last three with books I've been wanting to buy for months.

This just so happened to fall on the publishing date of the standard paperback version of Rothfuss' The Wise Man's Fear. It was originally published back in November, but I'd bought the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle series, The Name of the Wind, in standard paperback form (and if you've seen the ridiculous difference in size between the two, you'd understand why I waited!) That and the fact I still can't read the second instalment until precisely the 11th May. The first book had me gripped from the beginning and if you love fantasy novels of wizards with a bit more oompf, I highly recommend you get your mits on it! (Official review still to be made once I've had the delight of rereading it for your purposes. And my own :P)

I also decided to get the first book in Riordan's second series of children's books, Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero. Despite being at the age of 18 when I read them, I thoroughly enjoyed the Percy Jackson books and love the film! Naturally I was very excited to hear they're making the second book into a film in 2013. So for a few months I've been deliberating whether to give his second lot a go, but again, this shall have to wait until I have finished university (in a few weeks time may I add! Scary stuff.)

As for John Green, I have a copy of all but one of his books (An Abundance of Katherines) and I have to say so far, I've been less than thrilled with his work. Having said that, I'm 19 and studying literature. But having always been a sucker for adolescent fiction with a gripping plot, Green just hasn't pushed my buttons. Still, I thought I'd give his newest publication, The Fault in Our Stars, a chance and hey-presto, I got my gift card.

Fourthly, I went to Smiths and purchased the flowery item in the bottom left corner. Just for my general ramblings. I'm currently in possession of 5 different journals and still not one of them is for my writing. I just haven't found the perfect bound for my ideas just yet but they are floating in my brain patiently waiting.

For now,

Carrskid,

Rowling's Apprentice.

California Dreamin'

So those of you who know what's been going on will know exactly what I'm about to say. For the rest of you Earthlings, I shall fill you in.

Around a month ago (Feb 14th to be precise) the section of students from year 1 wishing to go on exchange for a semester abroad got told where they'd been placed. Now, we all had to pick 3 choices from the list of over 60 partner universities stretched from North America, Europe, Africa to over in Asia and Australia. So, naturally, I think I can speak for the entirety of the exchange module when I say we weren't expecting to get our first choices so it was crucial to get our 2nd & 3rd ones right.

After a very long and draining elimination process I dwindled the pile of possibles down to my three. These were; San Diego State University, Brock University (Ontario, Canada) and the University of Southern Maine.

So there I was, casually going about my non-conformist's day, when my friend text me to let me know the list had gone up. 2 days early! So obviously everyone's rushing to get to the office just to see where they got and I'm there walking along thinking "hell yeah, Canada here I come."

So Imagine my shock when I see this picture;

Name: Antonia Carr

Partner University: San Diego State University

And suddenly I get a whole new meaning to the "holiday" of St Valentine. To say I'd put SDSU down thinking I'd never get it, but still putting it down to say I'd at least tried to get there... My year has been truly made!

So now I'm in the middle of the official application process (I had to do an initial process to apply for the exchange) to SDSU itself and come the 22nd that will be sent off and I'll be waiting on my acceptance letter and visa papers. This gives me ample time to browse through my new purchases!

Naturally a travel guide of the state was a must. So is a travel journal to document and record the whole thing! I've also made the decision to start a vlog so my folks and friends may keep up with what I'm doing. Though this wont start until the process properly starts! My term starts on the 20th August though so it'll be coming round fast!

Until then, I've taken up a new habit of listening to any song with the word "California" or similar in it's name/lyrics. This has formed the catalyst of many happy moods!

For now, 5 months and counting,

A very excited Carrskid,

Rowling's Ecstatic Apprentice!

Backdated Birthday!

Part 1

So, just over a month and a halfish after my birthday, I finally have time to share with you what a joyus event turning 19 was. (Trust me, there's good reason for the delay which you will just have to wait to find out about!)

My birthday naturally had to be split into two parts this year, I was home for my mum's birthday but had to return to university for mine. BUT, this meant I got to split my presents out over the weekend and was also able to have a birthday cake! It happened to be a rainbow cake which, I personally was more excited about than my actual birthday!

However, that was nowhere near as exciting as knowing I would be getting this rather sexy specimen collection of books, which, I had no choice but to open early. They have remained at home and so naturally aren't on my shelf. Which is probably a good thing considering I've had to now take ALL my books off of said shelf due to the predictable less than par student accommodation I current rent and the subtle moisture seeping from my walls. I can't wait to move!

I know, This is the sexiest set of books I've ever owned. I miss them dearly while I'm here at university and often forget I own them. IT's a nice reminder and jolt of happiness to return home to seeing this waiting for me! Despite various people out in the Amazon universe stating they've had problems with the adult versions of Harry Potter, mine appear to be perfect :D How could they not be really?! Following the Harry Potter theme, I also received this amazing necklace from my sister which now has pride of place around my neck constantly. It has replaced Tiffany. But the anything HP related, would. I'd actually spent quite a long time browsing Etsy.com and seen this longing for it and never thought my sibling would have had the same idea. Forever grateful! :)

Part 2

After this already exciting intro to my birthday, I then returned to university the night before the day and luckily, it happened to fall within refresher's week! Still had lectures but they happened to be the introductory ones so managed to spend most of the day shopping and finding something to wear for the night time shinnanigans. Little did I know while I hopped off to attend said lectures, my friends decided to get me the pretty dress I'd intentionally set aside to buy after uni :D I also finally got the giant badge I'd missed out on having on my 18th. Plus jelly belly jelly beans.

I was then also delightedly surprised by my housemates giving me a Tinkerbell mug, it's pride of place currently on my makeshift "dressing table" rather than my shelf. I'm avoiding any chance of my things being ruined by the dreaded burnt orange walls that encapsulate my current life!

So, I can quite honestly say I was pleasantly surprised about spending my birthday over in the west side of the country rather than in the east and had a fantastic few days with some of the best friends and family in the world!!

Naturally, my shelf of interesting things subsequently became bombarded with an array of assorted colourful pieces of card. Normally I don't care much for cards as people only tend to look at them once and then find their way into with the bin or very dark draws for years on end to then be thrown away when the mass 5 year clear out happens. This time, I was very thankful for their presence!

For now,

Carrskid,

Rowling's Apprentice.

Thinking

My dad suggested I search this in Google for a little inspiration on a very big matter playing on my mind. It speaks in many volumes, but I think perhaps I've a different interpretation than the one he was hoping for. Consequence of giving a poem to an English student for guidance.

If you think you are beaten, you are

If you think you dare not, you don't,

If you like to win, but you think you can't

It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost

For out of the world we find,

Success begins with a fellow's will

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are

You've got to think high to rise,

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man,

But soon or late the man who wins

Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!

- Walter D. Wintle

For now, and still thinking;

Carrskid,

Rowling's Apprentice.