Back from London!

I'm back in Coventry now after a four-day weekend in London! It was my first trip to the city, marking my first full month abroad. It's hard to imagine that I've been here an entire month already. That means I'm 1/14 of the way to my masters degree. Wow. Make time go slower, please? So much to see, so little time to see it in!

On Friday I took the train from Coventry to London Euston, which takes just over an hour (and costs more than $40 US with my student discount- ouch!). There I was met by Sherrie, my godmother, who has lived in the London area for a few year now. She and Jim, my godfather, were my hosts for the weekend. Sherrie was my London tour guide, taking me on a sightseeing bus to get my bearings in the city. We saw most of the 'big' sights, from Westminster Abbey, to Parliament, to Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, Big Ben... And we took a ride on the London Eye, which is, in my expert opinion, the best way to see the city. :-) It was amazing. It looks tall from the ground, but from the top- it's really, really, really tall!

Sherrie and I met up with Jim for dinner and then we went to see the Noel Coward play "Brief Encounters." It was wonderful. The actors were great- I really enjoyed their singing, and the way they combined video with the live acting was really interesting. And the story itself is a great one. For more: http://www.seebriefencounter.com/

On Saturday we took a scenic drive and ended up at Waddesdon Manor, a home built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the late 1800s. It's now a part of the National Trust (think National Park-like organization). I'm now a National Trust member, so I can get into any of the more than 300 National Trust sites. Seen the movie "The Queen"? some of the interior was filmed here, and some garden shots. More: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-waddesdonmanor.htm

Saturday afternoon brought us to a small pub very near the windmill seen in the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" as the workshop for Caractacus Potts. We sat in the very quiet country yard, sipping our drinks, and looking up the hill at the windmill. It was great!

That night I had my first fish and chips here in England. Mmmm! Yummy. And oh, the cider. Mmm, good. I love cider here. :-)

Sunday Sherrie and I went for another drive. This time, we saw William Penn's grave, a barn made out of wood from the Mayflower, The Burnham Beeches (amazingly beautiful woodlands), Cliveden (another National Trust property- the rich and famous used to frequent here, including the Astors)... and, here's the most exciting: Sainsburys! For those not familiar with all things England, Sainsburys is a grocery store. You don't know how excited I was to go in a "real" sized grocery store! The ones I can walk to in Coventry are small, and don't have a huge selection. And I needed two things: athletic tape (for blister prone toes), and color magnets (so I can wash white and black clothes together saving money doing laundry). Hooray, Sainsburys to the rescue. :-)

It was an amazing weekend, thanks in very large part to Sherrie and Jim!!! Three cheers for godparents who live in cool places. :-) I'll be heading back to their house for Thanksgiving in a few weeks, and Christmas, too!

I'll try to get some more photos up soon.

Another dose of Peace education

Well, it's the end of Week 2 of classes. And no, I'm not behind, or feeling (totally) overwhelmed. In fact, I'm a week ahead in my reading. And I've volunteered to give a presentation next week. Yep, me who hates throwing herself out there for fear that I'll mess up or say something wrong. Prepared speeches are ok. I'm off to London tomorrow morning to spend four days with my godparents- which means four days with no serious speech prep time. So I worked all evening researching the assigned topic: Are women more peaceful than men? One woman (me!) and one man from the class are each giving 5 minute presentations on that topic next week. No women were volunteering in class, so I put myself out there. I've read four journal articles since class ended at 5pm (yep, in 3.5 hours I've been pretty productive!).

I'm one of "those" women who feels that the long-ago proposed "Equal Rights" amendment is a waste of time and energy. I don't feel women need or deserve any special treatment. I'm a smart woman, and will ensure that I'm treated fairly. I don't want or need special protection. Does that sound ignorant or elitist? I hope not (well, elitism isn't such a bad thing after all- intellect should be admired). You're probably wondering- how does this relate to the assigned topic? Well, here's how: I don't like it when people assume that because you are one thing or another that you have such-and-such capabilities. A real-life example from today: I ordered a vegetarian pizza for lunch today. Different places serve different things on veggie pizza. I had no idea what I'd get for toppings (it's late- forgive me for comparing women to pizza. But hey, it kind of works). You never know what you're gonna get. People are unique. I don't like classifications.

So, when I began reading this evening, the first article talked about how women have special abilities in peace building simply because they are capable of being mothers. And I wrote furiously in the margins- things like "is this author nuts?" and "NO! Wrong!" and "I'm OFFENDED by that!" Hahaha. Great way to start a project. Everyone is their own person, with their own values, beliefs, and upbringings. I think anyone has the capacity to succeed in whatever they try. The question remains, though- are there situations in peace building where women have an advantage? Perhaps. Should they? No way.

I'd welcome your thoughts--- are women more peaceful than men?

Photos

I've been asked for photos from several people, and rather than emailing them out, I put them together in an album online. Not all the photos I've taken, as I'm sure you'd be quite bored. But a selection of what I've been doing the last three weeks. There you'll find Windsor Castle (my first day in England!), Coventry, Stratford-upon-Avon, Birmingham, Leamington Spa, more Stratford, and a bit of the Cotswolds. I'm off to London next weekend, and will get those photos up when I'm back. 

You can find a permanent link to my photos in the links section to the right...  Look for "Hannah's Photos"  http://picasaweb.google.com/hannah.kali.johnson/EnglandSeptemberOctober2008# 

Back to reading in the rain... it's a beautiful day in England. ;-) 

A Taste of Peace Education

Well, I've officially survived my first days of class. I have three classes: Research Methods, Key Issues in Peace and Reconciliation Studies (KIPRS for short), and Theories and Practice of Conflict Transformation. That's a full 50 credits for the semester (yes, it's a very different system here than what I'm used to!). 

I figured I'd use tonight's blog posting to give you all a basic introduction to the field of peace studies. Whenever someone asks what I'm studying, whether it be here or in the US, I always get the same, somewhat dumbfounded look back at me when I say "Peace!"  The typical response is something like: "I didn't know you could study that!" Most people don't know that it is a real, legitimate field of study. 

So, what is peace? How do you define it? Do you think of peace as the absence of war? How about the absence of violence? When you think of violence, do you think of only physical violence, or do you think of things like psychological violence? How about poverty, and its effects upon certain groups in world society? The study of peace asks these sorts of questions.

Why am I studying peace? Well, for that, you must learn some terminology. Back in the '60s, a giant in the field of peace studies coined the terms Positive Peace, and Negative Peace. No, it's not a happy/sad type of positive/negative.   Negative peace is simply the absence of war. So, when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end (very soon I hope), the US will be in a state of "negative peace." Positive peace is where my interests begin. It would be a great day to have an absence of war. But it would be an even greater day to have an absence of war alongside equality, quality and accessible healthcare and education for all, housing for all, food for all. It is in this world of social justice that positive peace is attained. 

I'm often told that such a world is utopia- a fantasy that will never be achieved. But to those naysayers, I respond that peace, especially positive peace, is a process. And we all must do our part to contribute to this important world-wide process. We don't all have to be working on bringing peace to the Middle East and other areas in strife. But we should all be working on fostering peace in our own communities, in the simple form of participation in community events, working to solve local problems, or even just educating yourself. You see, the study of peace is an intellectual process. The more we know, the more we can share with others. The more we know, the greater chance we will learn from our past mistakes to create a better future for coming generations. 

This is not an easy task, nor an easy topic of study. And I'm honored to be able to spend a year of my life thinking about it, participating in it, and being able to take this new knowledge back home where it is so desperately needed. We have many, many, many domestic problems to solve in the US. We have way too many people without access to health care. We have way too many people graduating from high school without basic skills in reading and math. We have way too many people staying home on election day, not believing that they have a say in the way their country is run. This needs to change. And I don't even want to get started talking about all the things to be worked on in US foreign policy... 

I hope you enjoyed Peace Studies 101. Stay tuned for future lessons. 

I VOTED!!!!

How many of you can say that you have voted in every election you could possibly have voted? I can!!! I suspect most reading this share this distinction with me, as I know you are all smart people. But if you haven't, I'll spare the lecture, for now (you just wait, I'll find you and give you my lecture eventually!!!).  But no matter your voting record, make sure you get your ballot in this time. It's important. Very important.

As an overseas voter, I received my ballot via email this evening. As soon as I saw it in my inbox, I grabbed my keys and ran outside. Why, you ask? Well, because I don't have a printer yet- and I wanted to vote! So I went to the Graduate Centre where they have printers we can use. I printed all the files (seven of them! Three different ballot files, an envelope file, instructions, and a voter affidavit). And I raced home to vote! 

I made myself a nice dinner (fresh noodles with white sauce with chicken, red and green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and lots of garlic- mmm), and poured myself a glass (ok, two) of red wine, and voted! A perfect evening for this nerd. I'll go to the post office and mail it tomorrow (can't mail it today as it's 7pm and the post office is closed!). By the way, if you're wondering how I got an "I Voted" sticker if my ballot came via email, it's because I'm really, really, really nerdy and got it from the auditors office before I left. Yes, I carried it with me all the way across the pond. And I'll wear it proudly on election day.

Join me. Pour yourself a glass of wine and vote when your ballot comes. And if you are lucky enough to be able to vote in person on election day, save the wine for when you get home. :-)

Link Weekend: Rotary Inbound Orientation

I just got back from a weekend in Birmingham (north of Coventry) where I attended the RIBI Link Weekend (Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland). There were over 80 of us Ambassadorial Scholars and World Peace Fellows gathered together. I had an amazing time, and I'll write more about it tomorrow once I get some sleep. But for now, let me say, WOW!!! Every time I'm at a gathering of Rotarians I'm more impressed with the quality of people who surround me. I have met so many amazing people through Rotary- I feel more and more blessed to have the opportunity to serve as an Ambassadorial Scholar. To anyone out there considering pursuing a Masters degree who is passionate about serving their community in whatever way they can, apply for this program! You won't regret it.

Enjoy the photos. More writing later...


Me with my host for the weekend- Maggie, and Keilah, who is an Ambassadorial Scholar from Texas.

The view in Maggie's backyard with the fog. The countryside is absolutely breathtaking, even when the fog tries to hide it!

Lunch with Rotarians and other Ambassadorial Scholars in a pub in Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare-land!)

I love these old buildings. And I probably would have liked the beer garden, I'm not embarrassed to admit (the sign reads "To Beer Garden," if it's too hard to see in this small photo).

On the top of the very cold open bus touring Stratford. I think at this point we were on our way back to town from Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Mary Arden's house. It felt like a cold Washington winter. But we all survived.  :-)

Election: 2008

No, I'm not talking about the US Presidential election (though it is generating plenty of talk around here). I'm talking about the election for Pillar Box Hall Representative (Pillar Box is the apartment building I live in). Can you guess who was just elected one of the three hall reps for the year? Yep. Yours truly. Hahaha. The absolute last thing I thought I'd be doing here was serve on the student union. But alas, here I am, waiting for residents to come to me about complaints with lack of hot water, bad internet connection, broken doors (our front door is actually broken right now, so we have to call security to let us in- hopefully that'll end soon!). Should be interesting. Plus, we get two training sessions (where I'll get to meet people!), and we only attend two meetings per semester- so it's not like it's a major time commitment.

We're almost finished with induction (read: orientation) week. Today we were greeted by the Vice Chancellor, career department, and student union. Then my course group met for about 3 hours. We met with current PhD. candidates who were able to share their experiences (they all did the MA programme I'm in now), and we heard details about assessment (basically, 40% is passing here. 60% is average. 70% is unheard of. Apparently, I'll be distraught when I get my first essay grade back, as I've never, ever, ever, ever gotten anything close to those grades. The professors actually called me out when they explained it, saying that the American wouldn't like this. Darn straight!!! I hate the idea of getting a grade that low! Oh well. Guess I'll have to get used to it as it's standard operating procedure here.

Tomorrow is the sports and societies (read: clubs) fair. I'm thinking about trying cricket. One of my professors was explaining to me today that it was pretty close to baseball. I've never seen it played, so why not give it a shot? We'll see. Maybe I'll chicken out tomorrow. Oh--- and yesterday I found a website of a softball team!!! Unfortunately, their last game of the season was last weekend. But I'm going to email them and see if I can play next year. I brought my glove all the way here- it'd be a pity if I didn't get a chance to use it!

I'm off to Birmingham this weekend for a Rotary conference where I'll meet all the other Ambassadorial Scholars who are studying in the UK. We'll go on a canal boat trip, do a mock city council meeting with the Lord Mayor (I'm excited for this!), have a barn dance, and learn more about our responsibilities as Ambassadorial Scholars. Should be a great weekend. I think I'm most excited about the homestay, though- I'm staying with a Rotarian rather than in a hotel - so I'll get another taste of British culture! Next weekend I'm touring Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Cotswolds with the international student's office of my university. I'm so excited! Here's more information about the two places from my favorite travel writer, Seattle's own Rick Steves:
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/nlcots.htm
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/strtfrd.htm
I'll have photos from Birmingham to post next week! Have a great weekend, everyone!

First Day of School! :-)

Today was my first day of school.... ok, it was the first day of 'induction,' or another week of orientation. But at least it's with the students in my programme and our professors!!! But first, the photo to the left is of all of us Rotary folk at dinner last night in Birmingham. We all got together last night- three Ambassadorial Scholars (US, Taiwan, and Japan), one youth exchange student (Brazil), and Paul, our coordinator extraordinaire. We ate at a French restaurant, where I had the best chocolate thus far on my year abroad- it just keeps getting better and better! This was a molten chocolate cake with creme. Mmmmm. ;-)



It does rain here! I wasn't believing all the British people who insist that it does in fact rain. I still haven't used my umbrella, though. I'm sure I'll have an occasion to do so soon, though! This view is from outside my window.



Lunch-time! Hooray for my return to college student food. I don't do top ramen (or whatever its British equivalent may be)... rather I'm a PBBJ girl- peanut butter, banana, and jelly (blueberry). I also bought the British version of string cheese today. Hmm. Not what I'm used to. Not bad, but a bit more velvetta-e in texture than I expected. Oh- and while I'm on the food topic--- tried a British milkshake today. Another hmm. Milkshakes here are not ice cream based. It's milk, ice, and flavoring. I got hazelnut. It was kind of like an italian soda. Pretty good.



My first day of school photo. Mom always insisted on taking them when I lived at home, so here 'ya go, mom. Best I can do with a webcam. :-)


Of the 9 students who attended our first day of induction for my programme, we're from at least seven different countries. I can't remember them all right now- but ranging from Palestine, Britain, US (me!), Ethiopia, Uganda... wow! What a group. I can't wait to get to know them all better. We have a dinner with all the graduate students tomorrow evening, then an entire day of programming on Wednesday, including lots of time with our professors. We have a half day on Thursday as well. Next week is the first week of classes. I'll have class on Wednesdays from 9-11 (research methods), from 2-5 (Key issues in peace and reconciliation), and Thursdays from 2-5 (Theory and practice of conflict transformation). In January, I'll have class on Tuesdays 2-5 (Project Management), Wednesdays from 2-5 (Comparative Peace Processes), 5-7 (Research Design), and Thursdays 2-5 (Religion, peace and conflict). We're done on the 27th of March! Not the end of September as I'd been told by other university offices... Hmm.. I have housing here until Sept 5th, and by then, my dissertation will be turned in. So... I'll have to find a place to stay after then and until graduation. Or I could go home. Or I could travel, if I have any money left! I dunno. We'll see...

Today I signed up for my "NUS Extra" discount card. It's 10 pounds, or about $18. But you need it over here to get into student bars, and you get a 15% discount almost everywhere - most shops (including Primark, which is a lot like a Macys with H&M prices), and restaurants (with the card you can get a pizza and pint for 4 pounds, and other deals like that). I also signed up for the 16-25 railcard, which will give me 1/3 off rail tickets anywhere in Britain. And by doing so, I got free membership into the Youth Hostel Association for a year, which gives me a big discount on hotels (taking notes for visits, everyone??? Discounts are calling!!!). :-)

Week Wrap Up

Well, It's been a week since I arrived here in England. In the spirit of avoiding washing my dinner dishes (some things never change), I decided to post a summary of my week (don't worry, I'll do the dishes tonight, mom).

Lessons learned in 7 days:
-My name sounds better in French.
-European chocolate, no matter how 'cheap' the brand, is so much better than its' US peers.
-Stores in Coventry close early. Very early (5-7pm in most cases). Makes keeping 'to do' lists very important to ensure things are done before stores close...
-Most people I've met ask why I'd choose to come here, the center of England, furthest from the coast(s), from the beautiful Puget Sound. Well... here is definitely different, but it's not like it's Mars! There is a canal... ;-)
-Reusable shopping bags are a must. When you only have two shelves of a small refrigerator, there will be frequent trips to the market. No use in killing the environment with plastic bags every time.
-IKEA is still the best store on earth, and having it only a few blocks away (literally!) won't be good for my bank account. haha.
-Smoking is gross. The sheet amount of smokers here is really gross. Need water balloons to scare away smokers who sit under my window, smoking up a cloud that comes through my window (joking, as that would be a violation of my tenant agreement- but that doesn't mean I don't want to!!!)
-Every American student should study abroad- whether it's a semester or more- already my perspective has shifted (for the better!)
-I don't miss TV. But I am a bit disappointed that I can't watch Army Wives online- apparently Lifetime doesn't want those of us abroad to watch their shows- they've banned foreign access...
-I'll be really tired the days after presidential debates, as they're on at 2am my time, and you can bet I'll be up cheering on my team! ;-)
-The people I've met here who are British always call the US "the states." So much so, in fact, that when people now ask where I'm from, I've programmed myself to simply say "the states." I don't like it. Not really sure why though. It seems so trivial, but it gets to me!
-I love the sounds of organs in a church. You could get every note wrong and I'm pretty sure I'd still enjoy it. :-)

What I've accomplished the last week:
-Moved. Twice. Once with two large suitcases, and two carry ons. Once with two large suitcases, two carry ons, a coat, two purses, and two bags of goodies the university gave me. Without a lift (read: elevator). Don't ask.
-Been to Oxford (and saw my IQ spike).
-Been to Windsor Castle
-Attended a service at the new Cathedral (where I heard the organ music!)
-Enrolled.
-Gone shopping. A lot. Nothing touristy (yet), only necessities like sheets, a frying pan, plates, etc. Oh, I guess I did splurge on the wine and a bamboo plant. But everyone needs a plant, and everyone deserves wine. :-)
-Met new friends from (literally) all over the world. Thailand, Nigeria, France, UK, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, US (only a handful!), Brazil... the list goes on.
-Gone to my first Rotary Club meeting abroad. Had a great time, and while it had differences from those I've attended in the US, (mainly the size- the smallest meeting I'd attended in the US was probably about 60 people, the meeting here had four! Though there will be more next week who were on holiday last week- still, that's a huge size difference!) There were many similarities, too! Happy bucks, for example (though they don't call them happy bucks).
-Made it on the train to Birmingham all by myself to get my computer fixed. About a 45 minute train ride away.

Plan for next week:
-Dinner in Birmingham tomorrow with two other Ambassadorial Scholars (one from Japan, one from Taiwan).
-First class meeting on Monday morning. Everyone from my programme will meet then to find out when our classes are.
-Next weekend I'll be staying with a woman who has donkeys, dogs, and sheep in a small village outside of Birmingham while attending my inbound orientation with lots of other Ambassadorial Scholars and Peace Fellows. Can't wait to meet them!
-Think more seriously about the HostUK programme. I can apply to go stay with a British family anywhere in the country for a day or a weekend to experience British culture. I know I want to do it, now I just need to figure out where in Britain I'd like to go! Any suggestions out there? I'm thinking the Lake District? Or further north? Or south? How 'bout east or west? haha.

It's 9:00pm, and Lady Godiva is dinging. Curious? Check this video out. I didn't shoot it, but before all that activity, the bells ring to indicate the time. And that's about three hundred feet from my window. :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRZ5BZemk4M

That's about it for now. And mom, I did my dishes. ;-)

I LOVE MY FLAT!!!

Hip Hip Hooray! My new flat is amazing. Soooo much better than the temporary housing. First of all, it feels sanitary. It smells new! Great desk set up- drawers, shelves, pin board.... and my bed is lofted, which leaves me with a TON of room! And, it's a double sized bed- nice surprise! Plus there's extra room with the bed- a nightstand, and it's got room above the bed so I don't feel like I'm trapped in a box! The ladder is angled just enough so I can put all my suitcases into the biggest, and put them there out of the way. Not much hanging room for clothes, so I may buy a coat rack. Plenty of room for it!

There's no wireless here, and the ethernet cord isn't nearly long enough for me to take the computer far enough to get a photo of the bathroom- but if you can imagine a really spacious airplane bathroom, that's what it looks like. I like it- decent sized shower, not much storage space, but there are two towel racks, and a small shelf.

The kitchen is just down the hall. There's (if memory serves) six small refrigerators. Three are for veggies (only drawers in them), three normal. A microwave, hot pot for tea, a toaster, and, drum roll please!!!! A stove and oven! Yes!!! I can cook!!! Can you tell I'm excited? ;-)

I'm off shortly to IKEA, as the bed is bigger than the bedding they gave us at the temporary housing. And I need towels, a small garbage can, hangers... oh, and a hair dryer. I'm sick of the "I just got out of bed" look that my hair has when I let it air dry. ;-)