Hull

Today, I am off to the very vibrant and bustling town of Hull.
I actually have no idea what's in Hull. Maybe it's the world's neatest small city.
There is a university there - thus my visit. I, and a few Marshall mates, are presenting on the Changing Role of the American Presidency - whatever that means! :)
Training into Hull tonight, since it's not exactly super accessible from Norwich. (Read: I have to ride three separate trains to get there.)
Lecture is tomorrow at 10, tea and coffee networking to follow.
Too much fun for words, people!! :)

A new citation!

Today’s lecture in “Tools and Skills in Environment and Development” was on Frames and Reframing, exploring how participants and stakeholders have different (conflicting) dominant discourses and lenses that impact how they see and process information. People tend to focus on information that fits well into their “frame” and ignore information that doesn’t. This isn’t anything new – but I now have a good academic reference and framework to use in the paper I am writing for Oxford’s Food Security Conference in April.  Hurrah!  Love it when lectures coincide with other things going on in life…

A Gorgeous Sunday Afternoon in Norwich

This Sunday has been utterly delightful and a rather lovely mix of productivity and relaxation.

This morning at the Octagon, we had nearly 20 kids in Kids' Club!  I get to help with the kiddos once a month or so, and it was my lucky day!  We did some crafts to celebrate springtime coming and played with lots of train track (the same kind Bubba and I used to spend delightful numbers of hours with that were so popular in Granna's lab!).
I came home and got a good bit of planning work done on some intellectual projects I'm juggling at the moment.
And then, off to Quidditch practice (I don't go regularly, but I was long overdue for a meet-up with a mate, and went to hold the hoops).
We then both attended a mate's BBQ - the sun was absolutely gorgeous; it was really nice to be outside for a good bit!  There are some pits by the UEA Broad (lake).  Lovely day with lovely people!
Laura and I adjourned inside when it got a bit chilly for "Doctor Who" viewing.  Found some specials I hadn't seen before, so that was truly excellent.
Now, making veggies for dinner and getting a bit more work done.

DEV Research Seminar

I'm giving a talk at UEA 22 March to help prep for my Oxford Food Conference presentation...it's official, since it's now online.
I should probably write that paper someday.  If only I didn't have these silly things called classes getting in the way of my learning...

Taxes

are not fun when one has multiple scholarships, a home, a foreign address, multiple jobs, multiple forms of "non-employee compensation", and is 22.
But I think I'm done.
So...take that, world.  Can't keep me down.

I would like to state that I am in complete support, at this moment, of just charging way more taxes on the immediate cost of goods (with "luxury" goods having bigger tax rates) and not doing any form of filed tax.  We'd save ridiculous amounts of stress each year, and US governments would save heaven only knows how much in regulation and checking up on all of these things.
But I am obviously greatly oversimplifying.  Just sayin', though...'twould seem to be so much simpler.

Happy Birthday, Kurt!

UEA's Fulbright Scholar lives in the flat across the hall from us.  Our flats trade off dinner parties - which involves moving our tables, chairs, and dishes back and forth constantly.  Haha.
Wednesday was Kurt's birthday; he hosted a party Friday night to celebrate.
Since he's recently made the decision to go vegetarian, we had delightful black bean and sweet potato burger patties, roasted squash and taters, a great salad, and homemade salsa.  And LOTS of dessert. Merey made chocolate cake, Kurt made peanut butter cookies and fruity granola bars, and there was also birthday cake.
I'm not sure if I should be eating for the next month...
:)

Glee Concert

One of my mates from the "Water & Enterprise" Programme is a part of the UEA Glee Club. They had a concert last night. I attended the "State of Fifths" and "Spartan Dischords" a cappella groups' concerts pretty regularly while at MSU, but this was quite a bit different.  There was a band, for one - of course, since they're not a cappella. But their solos were just that - solos, with only them, and maybe one or two back-up singers on stage, and the band playing everything.  It was fun. Two notes, though:
1. Not watching "Glee" anymore and not attending the Fifths or Dischords concerts has moved me right back into pop culture loserdom. Had no idea what was being sung most of the time, even as everyone around me was mouthing the words.  Ah, well.
2. Their programme listed song titles and soloists, but not composers/original performers. It is not fair of a group to perform "For Good" from "Wicked" and "Fine, Fine Line" from "Avenue Q" while having "Tonight" on the programme...and having it not be the song from "West Side Story".  Sigh.
But an enjoyable evening nonetheless, and a nice excuse for a "Water & Enterprise" reunion!