Week 1

Disclaimer: This is a really long post and I haven't done a proper edit of it, so please forgive any egregious spelling or grammatical errors. I'll get around to editing it in a couple days.

This past week was my induction week into my program, which means that I go to a couple meetings and they give me an overview of the program. For everyone who is rather confused about what I'm doing here in England, I am doing a research master's in English Literature, with a specialization in Children's Literature. Because it's a research degree, I don't actually have any compulsory classes in children's lit, that would be a taught master's (which is somewhat similar to the U.S. MA programs, except it's also only a year long). Basically, I have to write three shorter papers totally 16,000-24,000 words and one longer dissertation which itself must total 16,000-24,000. The topics of these papers and my dissertation are determined by my advising professor and myself and I'll be meeting with my advisor this week to determine them (exciting!). I do have to take two compulsory "modules" as they call them here, on research at the graduate level, which I've heard are rather boring. More interestingly, every week, the students in the Children's Literature Unit (master's and PhD students alike) get together to talk about one another's papers and to get positive feedback on our research. Also, weekly they have speakers come to the university and give talks about various topics relating to children's literature (also super exciting!). Additionally, I'm sitting in on a lecture course given by my advising professor on contemporary children's literature, which I think will be really informative and help me understand the discourse. It's an undergraduate lecture that I'm only auditing, but, like most of the grad students studying children's lit, I've never had any formal training in the subject and am looking for whatever information I can get to broaden my understanding of the field.

So, that's what I'm up to in terms of school (sorry to bore you with the details, but I often get asked "when do classes start" when a more appropriate question might be "how's the research coming"). Now onto the more interesting bit: my travels around town. I had the great pleasure of befriending two girls during my induction meeting, Krestyna from New York City (also doing a master's in children's lit) and Hazel who is from England and has been living and teaching English in Newcastle for the past year and a half or so. After our induction meeting, we did what is expected of graduate students (and one of the best parts of graduate study, I think): we went to Starbucks and talked about literature over coffee. If Hazel is the model of British hospitality, then everyone must come here and meet such a person. She is wonderful and kind and indulgent of all of my questions about the town and the sights. She obligingly took Krestyna and I on a wonderful walking tour of the Tyne River (which is actually really close to the university, I was surprised to find). Pictures of that outing can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/alliscott/Week1?authkey=YMng-mIz1XI#.

While walking down from the university, we passed the Royal Theatre, at which the Royal Shakespeare Company will be performing in October (yay!). The streets and buildings are gloriously British and quaint, and monuments include one to Earl Grey (yes, I do believe the tea is named after him and he was from Newcastle-- I imagine he did other great things besides get a tea names after him, but I'm not quite sure what). When we reached the Tyne, I was awed by how beautiful the town is that flanks the river. The city, it seems, has taken great pains to beautify the surrounding with monuments, sculptures, and various art, as well as building striking structures like the Sage (see photo album). There are two bridges of note that connect Newcastle and Gateshead (the far side of the river from the university side, and the side that houses the Sage and the Baltic). One is the Millennium Bridge, which is a footpath and a striking modern structure. I only got photos of it during the day, but if you use google images, you can find pictures of it at night when it's all lit up. Also, it's supposed to be able to twist and lay on its side (I think to let larger ships pass...? But I could be wrong, maybe they just did it to look cool...will have to look into that). Also, there is the Tyne Bridge, which I believe is both for cars and pedestrians, and which I took a couple pictures of from my vantage point on the Millennium.

Also, in my photos, you'll see a picture of the Baltic, the modern art museum that features various changing displays. One of the weirdest displays of art I'd ever experienced was at the Baltic. The artist was Steve McQueen (and I know what you're thinking, I thought it, too, though I know he's dead. I thought, when I saw the name, that it was an exhibit about Steve McQueen, but alas, it was not). Instead, it was a pitch-black room that you must walk around. On the walls is some sort of reflective material (though it wasn't glass...we weren't supposed to "touch the art," but it was pitch black and we sort of ran into the wall...yeah). In the center of the room was a projection screen, on which were projected dots of moving light. Constantly being played was some sort of eerie track with sounds that could be footsteps, creaking doors, very Blair Witch Project, as Hazel commented. After we bumbled around in the dark for a while, trying not to run into other art enthusiasts, we found our way to the second part of the exhibit, which was a small, dimly lit room, and on the wall was projected the picture of a dead black horse. You could tell it was a film because the grass was waving in the breeze, but it was just, well, a dead horse. You can check out a photo of the dead horse and bits of the other exhibits at the Baltic on their website (http://www.balticmill.com/whatsOn/present/index.php). Maybe I just don't get contemporary art, but I thought it was rather ridiculous. It was interesting being in the dark and feeling creeped out, sort of displacing you from your comfort zone (I assume to be prepared to see the dead horse and understand it's meaning). But if the artist meant anything more than the standard modern mantra that life is meaningless, or something about the condition of man, or even something about the beautiful absurdity of death or some ridiculousness, I didn't see it. I guess I missed the point, but I had fun bumbling about in the dark.

Another exhibit we saw was by Yoshitomo Nara. What he had done was build three small houses, through which the viewer walks and in which is displayed his art, which consists primarily of pictures of young girls with really big eyes. I took some photos of the exhibit, but this link really captures what it looked like (http://www.balticmill.com/whatsOn/present/ExhibitionDetail.php?exhibID=102). I don't think these links will be good for long, because the Baltic updates their website with the change of exhibits all the time. But I hope you do get to see it. It was really fanciful and surreal, but also very creepy (especially after reading Coralline, which I'll talk about in a moment).

After going to the art museum, we walked back into town to a teashop, where we enjoyed sandwiches and tea (Hazel and I had Rooibos, which was delicious). After walking all over Newcastle (ok, not ALL over, but a fair bit) we were really thirsty and hungry, so it was a great reprieve. We spoke of books we've read and about or upcoming research projects, it was great! Don't pretend you are jealous to tour an English city and then settle in to afternoon tea...it was glorious!

After a time, we met up with Hazel's boyfriend Josh at a pub by the train station called Head of Steam. It was very laid back and a really enjoyable environment. But as we got up to leave to find some dinner (about 7:30 or so) they were already playing the music much louder, I assume in anticipation of the large Friday night crowd that soon would descend upon every pub, club, and bar in Newcastle (of which there are MANY). When then found our way to a pub called the Strawberry (which is situated on Strawberry Place across the street from the Newcastle United home stadium). There I had, perhaps not surprisingly, Newcastle Brown Ale and fish n' chips. I'm actually a fan of Newcastle Brown Ale, but as it turns out, it isn't very popular here (of all places)! Most of the beers listed at the pubs I've never heard of, but I was happy to find a Newcastle to enjoy with my fish. (Slight digression: in case you are wondering, yes, I'm having trouble sticking to the Briticisms like I should... I say chips when I should say crisps, and I'm sorry, but it just feels wrong to ask where the toilet is, instead of asking to the bathroom or restroom... but I am getting better at saying "quid" instead of "buck" or "a few pounds" instead of "a few dollars").

As this is becoming a rather long post, let me just make a small note about the difference between a pub and a bar (because they apparently have both here). We went out on Saturday with some of Hazel's old work colleagues, and we started at a pub called the Goose, which is supposed to be a very lame pub, but it was one everyone knew or something like that and a good meeting place. I didn't find the Goose to be so very awful, save that most of the people where twice my age and they played really weird music, like Rihanna followed by the Bee Gees (shiver). We then went to a bar, and I swear I was in LA. Now I finally get why all the girls in Newcastle run about in skimpy clothes at night, even though it's like 46 degrees--it's so HOT in bars. It was just like Los Angeles, sort of pretentious and packed full of people and really just kind of awful. As Krestyna, Hazel, and I weren't really up for the party scene, we had but one beer each (didn't want to ford the crowd to go again, and Hazel actually only had a cranberry juice--when she ordered it, the bartender looked rather indignant....) and then set up shop in booth where it was impossible to hear anyone, even if they sat next to you. *sigh* Much prefer a calmer pub scene.

IN SUM! I've made two excellent friends here, have seen new and exciting things, and am diving head first into my research. All in all, a very productive week. I hope that you enjoy the photos and that I hear from you all soon.

TO FOLLOW: Tales of my new book purchases. =) Books including the alluded to Coraline by Neil Gaiman and other cool children's fiction that I come across, should any of you *cough* Desiree and Joanna *cough* care to read it.

Cheers!