Tuesday 26.09.06
Cos they don't do "course materials", I had to make a trip to the library to see if my luck was better today in locating those books I needed:
Impressive, but is a statue really necessary in a library?!
Entrance into the Economics section - there are double doors and I was wondering why when I was walking through them. Once I got inside, I knew why. It was DEADLY quiet. There were people in there but no-one made a sound. Was really bad cos I was wearing shoes that made those "click-click" sounds and as I was walking, people would look up.So after photocopying what I needed (the stupid books were on those 3-hour loans so I couldn't take them out of the library) I had to haul-ass to my tax class. I really don't like that class as the people aren't really friendly and everyone basically gets to class right before it begins and leaves immediately after.
Then the horror begins - I had to trek the Waterstone's (a bookstore) to buy my textbooks which I was dreading cos there was a pack of legislation that I needed for tax and that consisted of four books which equals MEGA-heavy. I had to buy another book and I was already carrying one I needed for later on (alternative dispute resolution), so I ended up having to carry all this with me:
I got a coffee in the bookstore and sitting there, I wanted to cry. I, being a strictly no-backpack-wearing person, would have to carry all that in bags, through peak hour on the tube and also walk home as well. Oh, and I forgot to take a pic of the coffee. I only got a medium latte but that was the biggest glass I had ever seen!! Looked like it had nearly a litre of milk in it (and speaking of milk, they sell it in pints over here, which I thought was quite amusing, as I had always associated pints with beer).
So in the arvo, at 4, I had my ADR class. The people in this class were more friendly than the tax losers and when I got to the classroom (early), there was another dude there already and he started talking to me. Then another chick came in and she started talking as well (she was a French exchange student so it was hard to understand what she was saying. Nevertheless, I was like "Woah, I actually have a chance to have a normal conversation!" For those of you who don't realise, besides speaking to my family here, friends from home (over the net), I basically don't have a reason to speak so actually saying words out of my mouth and having someone at the other end listening felt so good.
When everyone was here, we had to do the whole introducing the person next to you to the class thing which I was actually looking forward to as it would be easier to talk to everyone from now on (oh, by the way, the class, like tax, is also very small. I think they don't admit very many people into law every year, probably just over 100). We had to say one interesting fact about ourselves and this one dude had said that he had been kicked by an emu. Everyone laughed and a lot of them looked at me (this was after I had been introduced and so they all know I'm Aussie). I'm thinking, "Why are you guys looking at me?! The last time I've seen an emu was when I was like in primary school!" But overall, I really enjoyed this class, which is encouraging as I am a type of person who either really likes a class or really hates it. And I was so proud of myself, I actually asked a question!!! Hahaha Deb will know what I mean when I say I don't usually say anything in law lectures . . . ever . . . most of the time cos I never do my readings and all my energy is being used to keep me awake. There is no space in my brain left to think of an intelligent question to ask.
Then the time which I was dreading arrived - home time. Lugging those books home is up there on my "10 worst lifetime experiences" list. By the time I set foot inside the front door, my fingers were all red and swollen from the plastic bags and I was sweating all over.
Wednesday 27.09.06
Today I tried to start doing some readings:
Books and folders scattered everywhere . . .Oh I forgot to post something about Sunday (24.09.06) - I made my first two shopping purchases since getting here! I'm so excited:
Classic brown-leather heels: very scholarly-looking (looks great with my Tsubis)
A Sally Smith purse - was getting sick of my Fendi one and this one matches my handbag that I have back in Sydney!!The thrilling excitement of shopping was just enough to get me through the two hours of church I had to endure afterwards. I try to make it seem like I'm thinking deeply but in reality, when I close my eyes during church, I'm nodding off.
A lawyer with his briefcase can steal more than a hundred men with guns.
- Don Corleone, in The Godfather
3 comments:
Oh dear. It doesn't sound like u're having too much fun at uni over there. Well, I guess the English are living up to their reputation of being cold and reserved. Trust it to be the tax students to be the more unfriendly ones though. But it mite not be so much of a loss for u. They're prolly also the more boring ones. Over time, and with ur infectious personality, they'll prolly find that they can't help but warm to u. I can't believe that u dun get course materials over there - God, how much photocopying do u have to do?? Haha - and I can't believe u asked a Q in class. U must be so proud of urself. Unlike me. I'm still pretty much brain-dead in class. Hahaha - I can't help laughing abt ur falling asleep in church comment. I will say nothing further. Ooh, and I loved the brown shoes that u bought. I have so been looking for a pair like that but can't find one here. If nothing else, it looks like there's good retail therapy in London. Hope things start looking up for u. I'm sure they will - u just have to hang in there!
Hahaha thanks Deb. Hahaha you should have heard me mentally debate with myself, whether or not I should say sth in ADR. It was like "Is it a stupid question" When should I ask? Is it relating to what she's saying? Oh god, was if she does the whole I'll-answer-your-question-by-asking-
you-another-question thing?!"
The traumas of being a law student! I still go thru that mental debate everytime in class but I always end up deciding to err on the side of caution and not say anything, unlike u in ADR. Those law lecturers can be downright scary and they do tend to answer questions by asking questions in return (which u don't have an answer to) - it's like going round in circles. But I say bravo to u, well done for breaking that vicious cycle. Don't let some smart alec loser beat u to the punch (which always happens to me by the time I decide that it's safe to ask a Q).
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