I’ll be back with more excellent oddities of the UK in a later blog, but for now I thought it proper to share some basic details about my time in Norwich.
Norwich – She’s a Keeper
Moving to Norwich was a bit of a blind date. I knew the city had a great university, and it’s Wikipedia page was impressive, but what was it really like? Our first encounter happened three weeks ago, and I’m happy to report that Norwich is a babe with personality. The city boasts a wide range of historical buildings and cobblestone streets, countless 200+ year old churches, a 35 mile walking trail to the beach, several microbreweries, an open market with over 80 shops and stalls, a Roman Catholic “Eco-Catherdral”, and miles upon miles of flat bike paths. Norwich isn’t drop dead gorgeous, but it’s the kind of city with whom you’d want to have a long and committed relationship.
IMPORTANT: It’s pronounced Nor-itch, not Norwich. Luckily I learned about the silent w before arriving.
Living Situation
I’m currently sharing a flat (british for apartment) with three other graduate students in the heart of downtown Norwich. We all have our own rooms and share a kitchen and two bathrooms. British Language update: Don’t call them restrooms, it’s loo, toilet, or bathroom. The flat is perfect. My three flat mates are all graduate students, I’m a ten minute walk from anywhere in the city, including the house of my gracious and excellent Fulbright Friend and his family, and every day I get a bit of exercise on my 20 minute bike ride to school.
University of East Anglia - Brutally Good
Brutalism on Campus
You can’t make stuff like this up. Basically it was the 1960’s, and some architects were trying to design university campuses that were the opposite of Cambridge or Oxford. So what was the solution? Cement. Lots and lots of cement. Last week when I commented to a professor that the center of campus was an almost soulless clump of fifteen building made of various shapes of hard gray mass, I was told that’s exactly how it should be. Brutal.
Tough to get the total brutalness from one photo, but I'm sure you get the idea.
I’m happy to report that cement does grow on you over time (not really though, it’s inorganic), and the campus also offers beautiful terraced residence halls and lovely paths around a large meadow and lake.
Master’s Program Details
As for the education quality, I've found the International Development program at UEA to more than live up to it's ranking as the 3rd best in the UK. Here’s a quick snapshot of the things I’ll be doing in my Master’s program over the next year
- Taking six classes, three for each three month semester (October to December, January to March)
- Studying like crazy during a month of exams (April)
- Doing research and possibly fieldwork and then writing a dissertation (May-September)
A Full Year Ahead
So outside of the above, what’s on tap for the year? Here’s a quick snapshot
And following this quick snapshot, here is the list:
- Exercise:Triathlon practice six days a week and yoga twice a week. Probably some triathlon races in the Spring, a half marathon in Edinburgh in March, and definitely a Survivor Man 10K obstacle race on Nov. 17th.
- Travel:Visiting Alissa at the beginning of November in Honduras, definitely going to visit Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle, Durham, Colchester, countless other UK cities.
- Food: So important! The food here is actually quite good. I'm cooking for myself every meal of the day, including a lot of granola and fruits for breakfast and a variety of vegetarian meals for dinner, consisting vaguely of whole grain pasta/rice, vegetables, and a plethora of beans. Don't worry, I'll have a blog in a few months about cooking and food.
- Work/Internships: I recently started as an intern at a local education and development non-profit where I’ll volunteer three days a week, and there is still an off chance I’ll do some weekend work in a local pub.
- Language:Continue to develop my Spanish 3+ hours a week, and have plans to start learning a third language (Probably German, Arabic, or French)
- Visits:I’ve bought an air mattress, and am prepared to host! My parents are coming over the Christmas and New Years, Nicole Schiffer will be here right after that, and Alissa will be visiting around April-ish. Definitely room for more friends!
Ladies and gentleman, it’s a month in, and things are positively smashing.
Much love from the UK,
Kurt
This is not an official US Department of State website or blog. The views and information presented in this post are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Programme or the US Department of State.
This is not an official US Department of State website or blog. The views and information presented in this post are my own and do not represent the Fulbright Programme or the US Department of State.