My Life From Across The Pond: Blogs Can't Keep Up With Real Life (Highlights from the past week and a half)

Through the volunteering office here at Sussex, I found an exciting opportunity called the Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife Project. Its an established community garden type project that specifically reaches a hand out to young people of troubled or disadvantaged backgrounds, or those who don't do so well in school (here they say "vulnerable" people.) Working together in the garden, these kids have the opportunity to build positive relationships with each other and others, and inhabit an educational, supportive and fun social environment. The project itself has been around for over a decade. And the garden is a dream - dozens of raised beds, a greenhouse, fruit trees, bee hives for making honey, a handmade stone oven for baking and even a little house/treehouse with a wood-burning stove and couches! It is in this little house where the tea and biscuit breaks occur.

My first day at the garden there was a torrential downpour, so thank heavens for my sturdy raincoat! Everyone was so interested in the fact that I am from Seattle ("You came all the way from Seattle just to see us?" and "Which coast is that on again?") which I thought was pretty cute. So inquisitive! And apparently the director of the program was in Seattle for the WTO protests. It takes all kinds.

Here is a conversation I had with one boy, who was probably 14 years old or so, while we were walking to unload a shipment of manure:

"Your name is Rose? My social worker's name is Rose!"

"Really?! That's such a coincidence because I want to be a social worker too someday."

"Well, she's pretty annoying. Always talking about how sorry she is for me and blah blah blah"

"Yeah, that is annoying. Not very helpful, huh? I hope I'm not an annoying social worker."

"No, I think you'll make a good social worker."

I left the garden feeling elated and positive, despite being soaked to the bone and smeared with cow manure and mud. No wonder no one stood near me on the bus...

http://www.seedybusiness.org/index.shtml

Last Monday I went climbing for the first time in a few weeks, with the Sussex Mountaineering Club. The club has equipment, and the fee for the wall was only 6 pounds (for unlimited time - we were there for 4 hours.) There was a HUGE and extensive wall and a separate wall just for bouldering. This place was top notch, let me tell you. But its funny, I'm used to climbing with other girls and seeing lots of girls climb, but being at this gym I realized that in the real world, there aren't too many women climbers. I mean it makes sense, but being at Smith I didn't really think about it. There were some other girls in the club, though, who were really nice and helped me make sense of the grading system. Afterwards, we all went out for a drink at an adorable little English pub. As a welcome measure, someone bought me an ale - which was not bad! I also got tricked into eating "pork scratchings" which is a traditional pub snack apparently. All it is is fried pork fat!

After not climbing, this session made me sore for days afterwards... but I'm so excited to climb again and climb with cool people!

Yesterday (Saturday) was quite a day. I went on a day trip to Oxford - it was absolutely beautiful, but I felt like such a tourist! I met up with a friend from Smith, Emily, who lives in Morris with me and who is studying abroad at Oxford. We went to a teensy cafe (the sizes were teensy as well) and then to her house where we talked about traveling together for part of Easter Break. I love making travel plans! I then got really excited. I guess for most of my time here I've been really excited. A good sign!

Then night fell and I went to clubbing for the first time here. Although severely underdressed (I have some shopping to do) I had a great time until someone bought me a Jagerbomb (Redbull and Jagermeister.) Me + half a bottle or more of champagne + Jagerbomb = HOT MESS. I can't emphasize that enough! The night ended with me getting us kicked out of the club because I was puking, then getting kicked out of 2 taxis before we finally made it home at around 4 am. I lost a sweater, which is a bit of a bummer, but better than losing my wallet or something along those lines. I passed out on my bed still in my clothes, and woke up at around 10 feeling surprisingly un-hungover! Luckily the people I was with took good care of me and made me drink gallons of water, so I guess that's why. Hands down, this is the drunkest I have ever been in my life. Ah, youth. When I'm old, I'm going to look back on this and laugh so hard.

I am now properly initiated into the Brighton club scene.

Here are some photos:

Last Saturday we (international students) went on a trip to London! It was really grey and windy and cold. Remedied by a Nutella and banana crepe and Earl Grey tea. We were going to go inside the national gallery, but then we just walked around (and took pictures outside of it.)