In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Well it's another beautiful day here in Manchester.  It is, actually - when the sun shines here it is quite lovely, and since it doesn't show itself too often, you definitely appreciate when it does. My running path I've mentioned along the river in my neighborhood is quite pretty on days like this, although I felt more like I was running hurdles than jogging along the path, so many puddles to hop!  It's always wet here, no matter how sunny the day. Also, I have a new favorite bird* - the Magpie!  I just like the word and I had heard of these fantastically-named creatures and now I see them everywhere and they really are quite pretty.  

Speaking of hurdles, my first academic hurdle has been crossed - I've finished my first assessed essay (say that 5 times fast!) and my first debate today.  No grades back yet, of course, but it's a nice break for mid-term. Next week is reading week, meaning no lectures, and I will be doing just that - reading.  But Friday most of the people in my group will be congregating post-essay-turn-in for beers.

  Presumably lots of beers.  And since the new academic me is also totally lame and hasn't gone out more than once or twice in my whole time here, I'm pretty sure I'm going to join in.  I hope I can still hang...ha. 

Um...what else to catch you up on...I mentioned before I went back to the USA for a wedding and probably spent more time en route than I actually did in Phoenix, BUT, I was amazingly productive on the way there and amazingly tired and hungover on the way back and slept the whole entire way.  So it worked out fine and the wedding was awesome and so much fun and it was wonderful to spend so much time with the Ohio girls and their babies.  There were lots of babies. 

But, back to this side of the pond (just wanted you all to see how easy it is to get on a plane and come over the Atlantic! No pain whatsoever!)

Hint Hint, people.

...a few new cultural insights:  

X-Factor.  It's American Idol.  Obviously, right down to Simon Cowell and the slightly flighty airy-fairy female judge, in this case ex-Footballer Wife Cheryl Cole, and over the top production numbers, etc.  But for some reason, unlike American Idol, I found this pretty entertaining. And I now love Harry from boy band sensation One Direction.  He got mobbed at a Tescos by a bunch of teenage girls the other day and apparently trampled on the ground and everything.  They love nothing if not their tween boy bands over here.  

Harry!

XFM - my new radio station of choice.  Not surprisingly, a great set of shows and DJs.  Other than maybe Morning Becomes Eclectic in LA, I never listened much to the radio, especially to hear much of anything good, but this is great and actually plays new music, too.  The xx, Kings of Leon, Kasabian, Temper Trap, Gorillaz, The Cure, The Killers, The Coral and Arcade Fire were all in the last playlist.  Kinda like listening to my iTunes on shuffle.  Not bad...

http://www.xfm.co.uk/onair/playlist/recent

Wayne Rooney - not really an insight, but it's been big news over here - last week he threatened to leave Manchester United (The best Football Club in the world, supposedly) potentially for Man City (huge inter-city rival and also a good club in the league.  Man U supporters do not like Man City supporters.  At all.), This would have, apparently, caused the coming of the apocalypse, or at least some very, very unhappy football fans to riot or smash bottles or head butt innocent passersby or whatever. Anyway, Sir Alex Ferguson, Man U manager and God of Football (apparently), dealt with the situation, despite Mr. Rooney's recent philandering with hookers, etc., by offering him something like an extra 250,000pounds a WEEK to stay and he accepted (duh).  In case you were all on the edge of your seat wondering about English Premier League.  It beats thinking about Ohio State football, anyway.  I can barely think about that Wisconsin game.  But I digress....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbgr-RDHCRI

One last, ridiculous, thing I realized this week when writing my essay is that I actually started to get confused on how to spell correctly (as in, the American way).  I had to look up if we use z or s in, say, criticize.  (We use "z").  I mean, some I don't have trouble remembering - labor/labour, check/cheque, etc.  but since I'm mostly reading academic journals written in British English and my profs are all Brits, and I'm generally all a bit mushy in the head at the moment, it has become hard to remember.  Thanks to the interwebs, though, I have a handy chart to which I can now refer. PHEW.  I am nothing if not a competent speller.  And I promise not disorientatedly start writing about aeroplanes and car tyres or my new favourite programme on TV...because some things are just silly.

Until next time!

*Old favorite bird - Puffins!