Half-Term

Ah, bliss. Some of my friends had extremely adventure-packed weeks planned for half-term and I’m sure tomorrow night I’ll hear all about them and become quite envious. But for me, coming to my grandparents house with no major things planned was really lovely. I had my hot baths, sleep-ins and even a couple pajama days which I hadn’t had for two months at AC. Good home-cooked food, bits of shopping and essentially time with family was perfect for me and am glad I did come to Cornwall- I did was meant for Half-Term: rested. Ready to start the whirl-wind of AC again.

Looking forward to going back SO much! It’s crazy you don’t realize that you spend every day with people your age around you and just a week apart from them feels like a months. There will be some screams of joy and excitement seeing everyone again!

I know it will be an intense six weeks until winter break, yet I can’t wait J

Love, Abi

Anne-Sofie

So if you’ve read any of my blog you’ve probably heard me talk about Anne-Sofie. She is my Danish room-mate. We had the same side of the room, shared a hairbrush, an alarm, and went to bed at the same time. She became my first true friend here and I will forever appreciate her for getting me through the first month of home-sickness. Sadly, she’s deciding over half-term if she will be coming back. AC really isn’t the place for everyone, it’s fully understandable.  This is simply a blog to try and explain how close I’ve become to this girl after only two months. The relationships created at AC are something incredible.  I know already that no matter what she decides, I have her somewhere as a friend.

As half-term begins, I’m excited to have a week of calm relaxation with my grandparents but am dreading coming back to a three-girl dorm. Life changes, we have to take it as it comes.

Pictures

 Amnesty Head Shaving

 Karen from China, Geo class

 The lovely showering in action.

 <3

 Morgannwg is boss!

 This girl, makes my day. Shana :)

Guys dressing up as girls ftw! Einar from Norway :)

School Picture!

A better link if you can get to it:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=277265325638303&set=a.245213602176809.61685.166860356678801&type=3&theater

Birthday Weekend :)

Yes, I turned seventeen yesterday! My weekend was a lovely one, very unique and something that could only have happened at AC.

On Saturday during the day I went to Cardiff with Anne-Sofie where we had Subway (really craving them!) and watched Midnight in Paris. It was really nice to spend some time just sitting in the movies not having to think too much about anything.

That night… well the night before your birthday is quite something. I think it ended up  being even worse because it was a Saturday so many people were in the house and had time to prepare. Coming back from Gay Pride Sosh – I worse rainbow socks! - I was asked by Dmitry, a second year in my house if I was allergic to marmite or black pepper… oh why?

I then quickly changed into some clothes that I wasn’t too worried about ruining and went back downstairs where friends from Morgannwg and other houses were waiting. Two guys picked me up and brought me into the guys showering room where buckets of water were thrown on me with various things mixed in…however I didn’t smell terribly because of the amount of shaving cream that was then sprayed on me. This all sounds really disgusting but it’s quite a funny tradition. Afterwards hugging everyone while I was gross was quite funny.

I then went back into the dark dayroom where my roommates had spent the night making (DELICIOUS) chocolate cake and everyone sang me happy birthday.  It was really special.

For my actual birthday I woke up to Anne-Sofie and Proma making me pancakes. I’ve commented a few times on how much I’d been craving some really-American food: pancakes! They were so yummy, we even had a few with bananas.

The rest of the day I did bits of homework and pottered around, lots of phone calls also which was nice J I went to the Italian restaurant with 11 close friends for dinner and then went back to school to watch the Nordic National Evening.

All in all it was a perfect seventeenth birthday weekend.

Four more days of Codes and then half term!

Busy? Me? Never.

From an e-mail:

This week is Gender and Sexuality Focus Week!!!  Here’s what’s going on!

MON:

“ACCEPTANCE”  WORKSHOP

with

Siobhan and Arman

19.00-20.00

in Economics

TUES:

Dress as a Man Day

For the Bible Tells Me So Movie and Discussion

19.00-21.00

in Coffee Lounge

WED:

Dress as a Woman Day

DEBATE on GAY PARENT ADOPTION

19.00-20.00

in Great Hall

THURS:

“Feminism”  WORKSHOP

With

Merone and Uxia

19.00-20.00

in Coffee Lounge

“What If Your Dormmate’s Gay?”  WORKSHOP

With

Phalgun and Sam

20.00-21.00

in Coffee Lounge

NOTE: Workshop times may be changed due to Amnesty Head Shaving.

FRI:

CINEMA:

Coming Out in a Developing World,

Prayers for Bobby

and

Transamerica

21.00-onward

in Languages

SAT:

PRIDE SOSH!!

So as you can see today, being Wednesday we have quite a few guys walking around in flouncy dresses, enjoying the bitter cold on their bare hairy legs. Entertaining? I think so.

Also going on:

 Head Shaving for Amnesty is tomorrow night but unfortunately I have service so don’t think I’ll be able to go L Real shame because witnessing people putting money on shaving parts of peoples head would be quite something I think… Next year!

We’re taking our all school photo today at 4:30! Everyone is to bring their flags and dress in their national costumes. I have a kayaking service that ends at 4:15 so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to get my pirate costume on in time, but I have my flag ready to go if I have to run up there in my wetsuit!

I went to my first Sustainability Council meeting last night J as I’m an Eco-Rep in my house with another first-year named Luke we are required to attend the meeting that’s held about every three weeks. Our others jobs are to make sure the recycling is being done properly, lights are being turned off and simply make others aware of how to be more sustainable. (So far this is our job…I’m sure there will be more to come, project-wise). Coming from an island that has such poor practices in recycling, I find it really exciting on the amount of things I can now put in the bins and know they’ll be re-used somehow. Got to share my enthusiasm!

We mainly spoke about the issue of Meat-Free Mondays. Though that isn’t the official name, it’s what the students have bequeathed it. There are meat-substitutes put into the lasagne and such… which I find a bit creepy because the first time I ate it, I didn’t even realize. I think it would simply be better if the school made food that was meant to be vegetarian from the start, instead of trying to make a meat-ful meal with no real meat. We’re trying to figure out a way to become more sustainable in the food that is brought into the school but keeping the student-body (the majority of the guys) happy. Hard task.

It’s official! My 2012 Project Week will be in Rome! I’ve never been to Italy so am extremely excited to be a complete tourist for a week and visit some of the most amazing places. When I get the itinerary of what we’ll be doing each day I’ll put it up. I’m so happy I got into it. Thirty-five people were chosen but more than 60 I’d say signed down. Yippeeee!

This week I must have exchanged over a hundred e-mails with my parents over train tickets, English Essay corrections and general nuisances. It actually amazes me, in particular with my mum who has been booking several train tickets for me, how much they manage to get done for ME while they still have a full day of work. My appreciation is monumental. <3

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. It’s getting colder. Oh boy. I’m actually quite disappointed at this supposed Autumn. Nothing. Few leaves changed colours to reds and oranges; they’re either still a dull shade of green or have completely fallen off the trees. What is this? I want to experience all of the season’s people. I’m doing pretty well so far though with it getting colder; I have to complain about being cold at least once a day though… it’s only fair.

Lots of Love,

Abi

Lazy Weekends

Ahhh the closing to another weekend. The start of another week.

Since last weekend was quite a lot of hustle getting to Exeter and spending time with best friends I decided to have a really simple weekend. Glad that I did! It’s been mostly sweat pants (back home it would be pyjamas but sweat pants are close enoughJ). Friday night I went out for a bit to celebrate one of our second year’s 18^th then SOSH afterwards. There was a Disney marathon being played in our house that night, so after SOSH I was sat on one of the back couches with one of the second years in our house, Kristian, talking more than watching the Lion King. Ended up falling asleep on the couch next to him- wooooooo crazy Friday night! Just what I needed though.

Saturday I had lunch with my tutor at his house with his wife, the other tutees in my group and her tutees also. We spend a lot of time meeting with our tutors as they get our monthly reports* and will eventually write our teacher references for university. However we hadn’t had any time to just sit and speak socially so I found the two hours of croissant-eating, sandwich-making really worth it. We even met their two guinea pigs and cats!

I had planned to get all of my homework done on the Saturday and be super productive but, plans change, and I’m glad they did. So Saturday was the Open Day for the British students to come and see the campus. A lot of first and second years had signed down to give tours for these groups of people but I knew I had a lot of work to get done so I didn’t. However one of my second years came and told me that there was a girl who goes to school in London but is actually from the Grand Cayman that was there with her dad and asking for me!  I went down for a couple of hours to meet her and show her around the campus. It was really nice to see another Caymanian, sadly she’s 14 so wouldn’t get to be my first year. Though passing down the baton to her would be pretty sweet too.

Night time I ended up participating in the Disney marathon as Pocahontas (my favourite) was playing. What they do is put a blanket up on one of the walls in the Day Room and bring in a projector to watch the movie.

Finally today I’ve been getting that work done. Gotta do what you gotta do. Most of the day was spent on a 1500 word-English Literature Essay. Proud to say the first draft is done bobo XD This week will probably be quite hectic of tests and such as our first monthly grades are due in on Friday. Baghhhh.  Next weekend should be a good weekend as it’s one of my friends, Isabelle from Amsterdam 17^th on Saturday and my 17^th on Sunday! YAY!

Head Shaving!

Okay! So every year in October the Amnesty International activity at our school raises awareness and money by head-shaving. There are about ten people this year who are doing it. Including one of my friends:

http://www.justgiving.com/Maisie-Brett

Check it out and donate! :) I will talk more on it when it actually happens which is in about a week.

Happy Friday,
Abi

Pictures :)

I realize I don't post enough pictures! Here are a few:

 My corner :)

 School stuff

 Three of my first years in my house :) James from Liverpool, Nick from Cardiff and Balazs from Hungary

 Gabi my room mate from Canada/Columbia :)

Great photography skills... Gabi, Anne-Sofie from Denmark and I <3