Wastewater!

Thai Pub

Thursday was a very long day of classes: Lecture on water security 9-11, seminar on interviewing techniques 11-1, reading for class, meeting at 2, and a double seminar 3-6:30 (we watched and had discussion sessions on two different films).  Needless to say, I was ready for a bit of a break.  Other students and I had made a vague plan to go hang out in the Grad Bar after class, but by the time everything was done, we were super hungry.  So after much back and forth, hemming and hawing, splitting up and regrouping, we ended up at a pub right by my house that is also a Thai restaurant.
It is not as good as Thai Princess.  But it was pretty good.  And given that one of our movies took place on the Mekong River in Thailand and its neighbors, I was definitely in the mood for Thai.

This afternoon, we're touring the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Norwich. Time to go hang out with the sewage!  One "fun" thing to do - track where your flushes go at http://flushtracker.com/.  You can watch your flush travel to local treatment areas, essentially in real time.

Public Transit

I am slowly beginning to figure out the bus system. Very slowly. Given American’s obsession with cars, I am not used to cities of this size having really good bus systems that are reliably good.  It’s rather delightful, but it takes a bit of getting used to…and I’m still trying to figure out the difference between bus routes 25 and 25A, both of which get me close to my house.  Maybe one day I’ll figure out which is actually more efficient; for now, I’m just enjoying the fact that getting on whichever bus is closest to me gives me a fun and often new view of the city.

The first several times I rode, I forgot that I was on a double decker and never went up to the roof.  That has finally been rectified!  Though as I’m typing this, I’m on yet another route I don’t really know.  So we’ll see when and how I get home!  : )

If this is posted online, though – you can assume that I made it!  I don’t have internet right now, so I can’t make this public until I arrive at Mary Chapman.

In the meantime, you get to hear about observations from the bus.

We just passed “Eaton Park,” someplace I haven’t seen yet as it’s a bit off the beaten track for students.  But it includes lots of grass and a really lovely pool with an almost Parthenon-like building reflected in the water….that’s on the list of things to explore!

Norwich Market!

One of my favorite parts about living in Mary Chapman Court is the fact that I walk by the Norwich Market on my way home from school each day. This means I am able to stop at the colorful stalls and buy fresh produce cheaply from local vendors every day…it’s quite wonderful.  The tents have just about anything you could want: pet supplies, luggage, cell phone accessories, key makers, cheese and herb specialists, used DVDs…

I think it may be one of my favorite spots in the UK, even after I’ve seen everything else.

Auditing is Awesome

Auditing natural science courses is absolutely wonderful. Today in “Climate Change: Physical Science Basis,” we heard about how dendroclimatic reconstruction works. Dendroclimatic reconstruction involves using trees as a proxy for direct temperature measurements, exploring tree growth (measured by ring width and densities) in trees whose growth is dominated by temperature fluctuations.

I have missed my natural science courses for several years at Michigan State University when I shifted into all social science classes.  (Social science classes are absolutely fabulous. This post should in no way be taken as a dismissal of the value and utility of the social sciences.)  It is nice to be back in these kinds of lectures. Even nicer? I’m allowed, via auditing, to simply absorb knowledge and enjoy indulging my curiosity rather than fighting to ensure I memorize the “appropriate” facts necessary for the exam.

Life is good.

Final Course List for Fall

I have finally hammered out my class schedule for the fall semester and which courses I will be auditing.

I will be taking for credit (i.e., all lectures and seminars are mandatory, I do the coursework, I get a grade, it goes on the transcript): Introduction to Education for Development; Research Techniques and Analysis; and Water Security Theories and Concepts.

I will be auditing (i.e., attending lectures and seminars as they interest me, doing coursework only if I feel like it, not receiving a grade, and putting on my CV rather than transcript): Climate Change – Physical Science Basis; Social Analysis of International Development; and Climate Change Policy for Development.

I’ve given the course descriptions for most of these before, and I think they’re fairly clear with the titles.  But do feel free to ask any questions.  I have now attending at least one session for all of them except SAID (we love our acronyms here at UEA almost as much as the United Methodist Church does), but I am formally auditing and no more will be added or taken away!

Octagon Unitarian Church

See more about the church here.