Instructions: Please click on fig. 1.1 and view fig. 1.2 for full comprehension

  fig 1.1

fig 1.2

I came to England hoping for rain, clouds, and the cold. London was surprisingly warmer than expected, but upon my first step into the climate of Coventry, I was assailed by a piercing cold. But I’ve think that I’ve acclimated since I’m still wearing only one layer of clothing rather than three that I was expecting. Over the weekend, I wished for the cold and rain. And today is a wonderfully moody day. Hence, I’m actually writing a blog post, imagine that. (Now if just my other wishes will come true ;)

As I sat with my feet propped up on my desk (see fig. 1.2) and read Salman Rushdie’s Shame, I pondered upon the differences of my uni experience in the UK v the US. How is life going to change upon my return to the states? Will I be satisfied? Am I the same person as 6 months ago?

There are obvious answers to all these (and those not stated, yet lying in the unconscious) questions.

1) I will not be going out every night as I am used to here. I won’t be clubbing two nights a week. I won’t have regular cricket practice. I won’t go to the pub any time that I am bored in the evening. My school will definitely not have sponsored drinking game nights. People won’t contribute to discussions in class as readily (yes, I still am attending classes).

2) But I will still be satisfied I think. This is one of the first weekends here that I have actually stayed and relaxed. It reminds me of spending Saturdays in my room at school with a mocha and my schoolwork. Instead of going to packed, sweaty clubs with cheesy music every other song and virtually no hip-hop, I will be chillin’ with friends at their apartments, solidifying my growing love of Riversidians.

3) I will not be the same person. But I don’t think that this change is due to the process of living in another country; rather, that of simply not dying, thus developing further due to availability of oxygen and nutrients. Of course I’m not the same person as 6 months ago, neither are you, dear reader, although it could be contested that this is not a development, but a degeneration due to entropy. But I digress.

I wanted to conclude with a phrase similar to “two different spheres, two different lives” in reference to the drastic differences between these three months and those upon my re-entry to the states. However, that is too dualistic. There is an infinity of spheres, perhaps to the 23^rd power…

(yes, this started out much more coherent than it finished, I will give you that)

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