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After just over a month in the UK, I am finally "orientating" (yes, that is how it is pronounced here) myself to life in London.
Being Academic: The work of a postgraduate is decidedly more self-directed than undergraduate and although it was dauntingly frustrating at first, I have finally figured out how to sythesize and direct the resourses available to me.
There are four compulsory courses this term and I have opted to take one additional course as well. These include: The Museum- Critical Perspectives, Collections Management and Care, Museum Management, Museum Communitcation, and Archaeology and Educaiton.
In addition to three days worth of courses, the program also arranges weekly museum visits around the UK and London. Theses visits have made getting to know the members of my program extrememly enjoyable and engaging and gives us all an opportunity to speak with professionals in the field as well as published authors. To date we have been to the following museums:
-Weald and Downland Open-Air Museum (in West Sussex)
-Kew Royal Botanic Gardens
-London Natural History Museum
-Victoria & Albert Museum
-British Museum
All have been fantastic (although I am partial to the NHM) and I am gearing up for our next visit- the Museum of East Anglian Life in Suffolk! I am currently five weeks into the program and still enjoying myself despite the fact that work keeps intensifying.
Getting Involved: Being back in London means that I am also back at the Petrie Museum, where I completed an internship last summer. The director has given me a great opportunity to assist in managing events and make a small amount of money in the process! This Wednesday we are hosting a Halloween showing of the Mummy (1932).
I have also been occupying my time playing violin with a local orcheatra south of London, called Blackfriars, as well as rehearsing and performing with the UCLU orchestra, an audtioned ensemble for UCL students.
After only four rehearsals we performed our first concert this past Saturday evening at Holy Trinitiy Church in Sloane Square, which I am told is a "rather posh" area. The program included Beethoven's "Eroica" Symphony as well as Cherubini Requiem in C minor, performed with the UCLU choir. Following the concert, I went out for coffe and dessert with a few friends who had come to support! Despite the limited amount of rehearsal time, our conductor assured us that the concert "got the year off to a cracking start!"
With the concert behind us we have begun to work of Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5- During our first reading of it we were told not to act like "rushing trolls" and the viola's were given an opportunity to play melodically not to be the "three-headed monsters of the orchestra"
All Around Town: Exploring London on the weekends has been quite a treat and I have been making the most out of it by traversing to farmers markets (great fresh fruit and vegetables) and festivals with a few friends. So far we have investigated all the major tourist attractions, walked along Southbank, haggled at Portabello Road Market... A few weekends ago we ended up at the Bloomsbury Festival, right near UCL and got to try on helmets that looked like insect heads. I believe we found them in a booth promoting the study of disease carrying insects, but we were so excited by wearing the helmets that we didn't pay attention to the promotion.
A group of my museum studies collegues and I have also been regular Thursday visitors to the on-campus pub, Phineas'. Sometimes to meet and discuss lectures, but most often to participate in the pub trivia quiz. It makes for an enjoyable night and we have started to win some money (£40) out of it! Since the money has to be distributed between us somehow we are considering using it for some sort of social gathering.
As I now have a bicycle, it has been easier to adventure out in my local area which has led to the discovery of a beautiful regional park called Lea Valley. The park has a river-side trail right next to the Lea River where there are boat houses tethered in a marginally-sized marina. There are also a few bridges connecting the riverside to trails along a vibrant marshland. Having such a natural landscape so close provides for a great way to get away from the busy sounds of the urban area.
Cultural Experiences: One of my friends, Jingwei, a UCL postgraduate from China, and I have been exchanging cooking nights so that we can experience traditional foods. In September, he invited me to a celebration he and a few friends were holding for the Mid-Autumn festival. When I arrived I was given a fork, until they learned that I knew how to use use chopsticks. Instantly I had more sets of chopsticks than I knew what to do with and soon discovered that using chopsticks is infinitely harder when you have the undivided attention of nine native chopstick-users!!
Check out pictures in the album entitled "Mind the Gap" (I have a few more to add yet, but they should be on their way soon!!)
- comments
Jen G. Carolyn- It sounds like you're having a wonderful time! You are soooo busy! I miss you here in the USA- Mercyhurst, and Baldwin, are so empty without you!