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Saturday 28 September 2013

Rain, rain and more bloody rain

It's been raining a fair bit. Well, it hasn't stopped raining in about 26 hours, we are now officially an island, there is no way off this campus. All roads have been close and it's still raining! To be honest i've been asked whether it reminds me of home... Well actually no, after a lot of thought (yes this is what i've ended up thinking about, sad isn't it?) after a lot of thought i've decided the best is to describe british weather is that it just is. It's a little rainy sometimes, a little cloudy sometimes, a little misty sometimes, and, on rare occasions it's a little warm. But it's never really anything, in scotland at least when it's cold it's actually cold, us brits just put on a jumper and head inside to write a strongly worded letter to the weatherperson.

I've joined all my CASs, right now, i'm signed up for football league, Model UN, HIV/AIDS peer educators and wilderness. Restorative justice sounds really interesting because it's all about helping young people who have committed a small crime realise what they've done and helping them to understand it. Not all those who wander are lost, so i'm really excited for wilderness because it will give me the chance to learn loads of new skills including first aid training.

Not for the first time on this blog will I say "america's a strange place". Don't get me wrong, I love this country, but it's very strange. For example I was looking for closed top mug to have tea in lessons (got to stay awake somehow) and instead of that I found children's toys then, two isles down, I found guns. Yes, the big pointy-shooty things. I mean, it's probably easier to get guns than it is alcohol, cigarettes or even spray paint! I bet at secret santas they hand out guns instead of other stuff, with a clip limit instead of money limit!

It's a short post I know but it's just to update you before i'm off to MEXICO TOMORROW! I can't wait, all will be explained after I get back in about a week, until then I probably won't be able to communicate.

Jake

Friday 6 September 2013

Let the classes... begin

Classes have officially started, (well they started on monday but i've only just got round to writing this). So classes have officially started! I have some pretty cool teachers, although monday was odd. It wasn't normal timetable because they wanted us to go to every class on one day so each one was 30 minutes long. Now teaching a whole lesson in half an hour isn't the easiest. Especially starting the whole course... so I can't exactly tell you much about the subjects. What I can tell you is all of my teachers achievements, with all due respect, I can now say which of my teachers have degrees, which have been to other countries to volunteer and which graduated from a UWC... So I guess it was a productive lesson, for them. 

Only one teacher has creeped me out so far, an English teach. I don't know where he came from, nor who or what he was. Basically there's this party on the first night every year called the culture shock party, and this english teacher was standing at the back, not saying anything and dressed in clothes that wouldn't have been out of place on downtown abbey. After speaking to him I can confirm he's lovely, just at that moment it was slightly un-nerving.

A lot will be happening in the next couple of weeks, I had wanted to go climbing on sunday but there's a big football game between first years and second years. I haven't received my GCSEs yet... my parents are sending them to me (don't want them reading them first). Anyone who doesn't know what GCSEs are, there are exams you need to take to go to university, those exams are called A-levels. To do A-levels you have to do GCSEs, so i'm getting my results soon... I hope. Of course, all my friends have theirs, and, as usual most conversations went like this:

Me: How did you do in your GCSEs? 
Friend: Not that well, but better than I thought I guess....
Me: I'm sure it wasn't that bad, what did you get?
Friend: 6A*s, 4As and a B
Well, I may as well just leave now.

Today (friday) was an amazing day, in both my social A and spanish classes we met 2 members from the 'Seri tribe'; a tribe native to mexico, it was great finding out all about their lives and how they live. There are about 900 members of the tribe left, they also speak their own language, only about 300 people in the world know this language. Possibly the most interesting was finding about these sort of baskets they make, it's such an interesting process they go through, and because of the process it takes months and even years to make them. The baskets are so tight that you can hold water in them... it's insane to think this whole other culture lives with so few people knowing about them. Their language is unique apparently, so if it dies out then it will be gone completely!

Tomorrow i'm going on a day hike of about 8 miles, then in the evening there's a party called the 'patio party' so that should be interesting... 

Jake

Monday 2 September 2013

The 5 Ds of dodgeball

America, the land of freedom, opportunities... and as it happens, disappointments. Today I was pretty excited; not because I got a postcard from my brother, not because I picked my out of school activities... no, today I played dodgeball for the first time. Imagine the film Dodgeball, it was nothing like that and there lies the start of my disappointment.

Firstly, I thought we'd watch the dodgeball video from the film, you know, to make sure everyone knows the rules. That didn't happen, how are you meant to play dodgeball if you don't know the 5 Ds; dodge, duck, dip, dive and... dodge. Don't expect funny costumes either, I was really excited to see all the americans out in the hilariously terrible kits. Didn't happen, but it was all set up like the typical dodgeball game i'd seen in the film. Now if you've seen the film you'd know they do special moves... don't even bother trying to do them, first time I played I was like; "well if vince vaughn can do it so can I", not true. I was hit almost before the whistle was blown, before I could even run without so much of a scream of "for frodo!" All in all though it's a really fun game, just don't go expecting to play ben stiller... or even hit someone.

The last few days have been a blur of stuff but so much fun, we went to the largest permanent camp in the world to get to know everyone basically, there were some good workshops; ultimate frisbee, gender circles etc. But the best part was playing a game I haven't played in ages called Kings, especially because I got to annoy every with my rules.

After we came back we had to pick our CASs or Creativity, Action, Service and our sport. I've decided I want to try and take technical theatre, HIV/AIDS peer education, model UN, restorative justice, football (we'd play in a league), swimming and also to work on the non regular stuff like in a youth detention centre every month, do castle tours every so often and to work in the campus store once a week. That, plus my lessons is essentially what I want to do for the next year. When I go into my second year i'll have to lead a CAS. For those who don't know what subjects i'm doing, i'll be taking English literature and language higher, Spanish ab initio (beginners), Social anthropology higher level, Chemistry standard level, Maths standard level and Theatre higher level.
I started classes today, after a slight problem with my timetable, that being that I had no idea what was going on, but it was a pretty good day! I'm so excited for the next 2 years and can't wait to get started on everything.

Sorry it wasn't the best post, i've been very busy with stuff, and, new mexico goes from blue sky to thunderstorms in seconds so I sometimes lose internet connection.

Jake