Week 3

Hello!

I can't believe it's already been another week!  Actually, it's been a bit more than a week, but I was having trouble posting from the computers in the quiet room inside my house....apparently they don't like blogspot!  This week has gone by so fast.  Classes are in full swing now, along with service, activities, and everything else, so it's been busy.  For example, yesterday I: went to classes from 8:00-12:30 and ate an early lunch because I had last class free.  Then I went to pick up my laundry from the castle, went back to my house to put it away, and did some homework.  Then at 2:15 I went to a Dysparity training session, which is an organization that helps children with dyslexia or other learning difficulties.  They train Atlantic College students to work with kids, which is great because for a lot of them it is easier to learn from someone closer to their own age.  After that I went back to my house (thank goodness it's close to all of the classrooms!) and took a short nap outside by our tree.  It was very refreshing, but I was rudely awakened by my dormmate, Bridie, when she tried to take a picture and unfortunately for her made too much noise!

At 5:00 (this is still the same day but I decided to switch paragraphs because the one above is quite long), all of the first-years met in the Bradenstoke Hall to discuss our first Diploma Period.  Diploma Periods are unique to AC, and began last year.  Our fist one has to do with Human Interaction.  It is a series of conferences and workshops about Intrapersonal and Interpersonal relations that will take place Monday-Wednesday of the week after next.  I will tell you more when I know more myself!  Some of the workshops are led by outside speakers, but some of our second-years will be leading them as well, which will be really great.  Anyway, by then it was time for dinner, and straight after dinner I went to choir practice.  AC Choir reminds me a lot of the JCC, so it kind of feels like home.  A couple of my good friends from my house are also in the choir, which makes it even better!  At 8:00 when practice was over, some of us stuck around for a 'community session,' basically a meet-and-greet with some of the members of the Board of Governors of AC.  They have a meeting going on today so we were able to talk to them last night.  Before that, we had about 15 minutes, so a group of us went down to the seafront.  Wales is catching the tail end of a hurricane from North America, so the waves were sweeping up over the sea wall.  It was fantastic.  It was really great for my friend Ameed, who is from Palestine.  He hasn't been swimming in the sea since the Separation Wall was built very close to where he lives, cutting his neighborhood out of access to the sea.  He hadn't seen the sea for 10 years before coming to AC!

I'm pretty sure I went to bed some time after the meet-and-greet...and after we had a short birthday celebration for my American co-year, Luke...and after calling some people from home....and finishing some homework...I did sleep, right?  Well, I'm sorry to make my explanation of yesterday so long...I didn't know it would be so long when I started writing!  There is a lot going on here every day, but that's part of what I love about this place.  There are always people to do something with, to talk with, to go somewhere with.  I now realize that time will fly here...the first week has already proven that!

My newest dormmate, Yangchen (from Tibet), is settling in very well I think...she is so quiet, but sweet as anyone can be, and extremely studious.  She studies in the quiet room every night until 1 in the morning!  The rest of us have been trying to get her to go to bed earlier, but she always says 'it's fine, don't worry, I'll come to bed soon...'  So at that point all I could do was give her a chocolate bar and tell her not to get tired of studying too early in the year!  She plays this cool instrument that looks like a ukelele mixed with a giraffe...I forogt what it's called because the name is Tibetan, but she plays it well and it sounds really nice.

Well, I was lucky enough to have a free code this morning, but now I'm headed off to a double code of Spanish...I actually really enjoy that class because there are only 5 of us in it, which is a great opportunity to practice speaking. 

The last thing I wanted to say was some kind of acknowledgement of 9/11, which was especially important this year since it was the 10th year after the terrorist attacks.  Everyone at AC, from all different cultures, recognized the importance of this day not just for US citizens, but for the entire global community.  I wanted to share a story:  On September 11, 2011, Ameed asked me if he could read part of a sermon he had heard on Monday's assembly.  Ameed is Muslim, but he went  to church for the first time last Sunday and appreciated the sermon so much that he wanted to share it with the College.  The sermon talked about forgiveness and remembering 9/11, and even though it was written by a Christian for Christians, he read it to remember all the victims of 9/11.  That was a great experience for me and probably for everyone else in that hall.

Now I really have to go...I'll be late!  Until next time everyone!  Have a great week!

Madi