Day Trip
By Whitney Rice, Leicester, England
It was just supposed to be a simple day trip to a charming English town. It ended up being a day of disasters that summed up the wonky joy of study abroad with the Brits. The town of choice was Shrewsbury, which despite being named after a rodent, promised enjoyable traditional tourist recreation in the form of a castle and various teashops, etc. I should have realized the day was off to a sketchy start when the handle of the pull-chain toilet in my dorm came off in my hand (ah, British plumbing). It rained all day long, which was nothing unusual, so upon arriving at the train station in Leicester, the town in which I was studying, it was only natural to look like a drowned rat when I ran into (literally) a very attractive guy from one of my classes.
After finally getting on the correct train with my two friends from Germany, we settled back to watch the English countryside stream by and maybe catch a snooze. But no. Our train stopped at Birmingham, one of the largest train stations in England, and a calm voice came over the intercom asking us to please evacuate the train immediately. So we all piled out of the train into the drizzle to discover that our train was, in fact, on fire. To add to the chaos of the situation, the authorities evacuated the entire train station into the very busy streets surrounding it. Needless to say, it was some time before we got underway again, what with the firefighters and train employees and hundreds of confused tourists and irate businesspersons milling around in the rain, causing a huge traffic jam in central Birmingham.
Having obtained a fire-free train, we finally arrived in Shrewsbury and headed straight for the castle. We had read about its early Norman construction from the 12th century and were really excited to see it. For some reason that is yet unclear, this beautiful ancient castle had been transformed into...a regimental museum (read: Ode to British Imperialism). We decided to check it out anyway, and were duly fascinated by the guide who latched onto us and proceeded to describe in minute detail every single belt buckle and bayonet from the glorious campaigns of the British Empire. He could tell from my accent that I was American, and definitely thought he was the funniest guy ever when he took me over and showed me this American flag that had been captured by the British in the War of 1812.
I think the guide could tell that we were somewhat less than riveted by the 800th red uniform jacket and so he sent us downstairs, directly in the path of a wedding. Here we were, jeans, backpacks, and umbrellas dripping, squelching into a room full of pastel-clad bridesmaids and flowers, with the bride waiting to enter. So we squelched back out of there and into the rain with all possible speed, and were left to ponder the following questions: 1) Why on earth would have your wedding in the basement of a regimental museum? And 2) Could it have anything to do with the massive transportation snarl back in Birmingham? We may never know.
After all of that excitement, there was nothing left to do but go get some lunch and try not to get upset when my umbrella blew inside out. We took some pictures and bought some postcards, took a train back to Leicester, and then had to walk all the way back to our dorm from the train station because the buses were out of service. Despite it all, the whole day was a total blast, made all the better by the mishaps and misadventures. I had many interesting and fun experiences in England, but this one day seemed to sum up the wonkiness of living abroad for a semester. After all, collecting crazy stories to tell when you get home is half the fun of study abroad.
Whitney Rice visits Shrewsbury Castle in the rain.
Live
Love
Breath, stretch, yawn...
Expansion
My Semester Abroad
This word expresses my deepest feelings about my semester abroad. My experience in Angers, France and Europe stretched my being intellectually, physically, culturally, and spiritually.
First day in Paris
By Cody Jackson, Angers, France
Overnight flight, sensory shock, Gare Du Nord, hot, sweaty, with bags, calm but confused. French everywhere, French, French, French! I couldn't yet speak it.
Lost on the metro
Lost in the rain
I couldn't find the hotel.
Patient and angry, I stop looking.
Well, I found it and spent four days in Paris playing trumpet, jogging at dawn near the Sacre-Coeur, and hanging out in Montmarte with a Nepalese hippie.
Then to Angers.
Cody Jackson's language class in Angers.
I spent nearly a week in this old, gray European city with no one to speak with but the rains. I grew a lot. Then school. Class was fun, long, hard, easy, boring... it was class. I was the only non-Asian in my
class. Nevertheless, an English-speaking Thai/Indian man named Lek Dubey became one of the best friends I have ever had.
Outside of class was for hanging out downstairs, talking, waiting for the piano, studying politics in the periodicals. Meeting the French, having to explain my country, the war, the UN, and the buffoons we've elected. Hanging in the bars and cafes, learning the culture, drinking with my friends from Japan, Germany, Spain, Scandinavia, Taiwan, England, Ireland, America, Portugal, and more.
Over spring break, I spent two more days in Paris, then seven days partying with Spaniards and Italians in Barcelona. Only a few of them spoke any English or French, but the connections were coming from something greater and deeper than language. Then...rest.
Two days all alone on the Mediterranean Sea.
Standing on mountains, at the edge of the sea
I became clearly, as clean as could be.
I remember myself
That boy, just a child.
What radiant being,
And to see, I am he.
The end of my time abroad:
I offered my heart to a beautiful girl from China, but She wasn't ready, and I took it away.
I returned to my roots; meditation each day.
I met an Iraqi, we shared on the subway.
And then I returned, to home where I'll stay
I will always remember those incredible times When the boy you all knew set his old self aside. New realities emerged, expanding his view Then he reclaimed the old, which then fused with the new.
6
Jayhawks Abroad Fall 2003