Evidence that I really am in York!

I thought it might be high time I tried to post some pictures.

 The Minster

 A lovely sign outside of a cafe

 The corner of the Minster and the front of St. Michael le Belfry's (baptism site of Guy Fawkes)

 Statue commemorating the crowning of Constantine in York

 Minster from the city walls

 Part of the Walls

 The abbey at Whitby (a bus ride of a couple of hours away)

 Whitby!

 Marie Antoinette's, home of beautiful cakes and homey sitting rooms

 Half of Whitby from the pier

 Captain Cook

 Back at York, the Minster at sunset

 Reflection of the Minster in the windows of Bennett's, a cafe

 A bicycle outside the public library

Some ruins outside the public library

It's been another busy couple of weeks here: turning in school work, getting tea with friends, preparing for events week with the Christian Union, and enjoying some lovely weather. It was definitively spring last week; I wore a dress and flip flops one day. More and more things are blooming all the time, and I think it's safe to say ice cream and milkshake sales throughout the city have been on the rise. Yesterday, I availed myself of the warmer temperatures and sunshine and went to the museum gardens to read. The fresh air refreshed and revitalized, and the only dubious aspect of the gardens was the swarms of pigeons. Today it turned cool, and the clouds and wind were back, but such is the nature of spring.
All has not been sunny and pleasant since I last wrote. I was shocked and greatly saddened to hear that Professor Jennifer Young died a week ago due to complications related to premature childbirth. She was my First Year Seminar teacher, and thus one of the first people to make me feel truly welcome in the Hope College community. I respected and admired her all the more as I got to know her through other classes and conversations. She was cool, and encouraging, a vibrant, passionate soul. Without her support and friendship, I might not have declared an English major. To say she affected my life in a positive way is a gross understatement. She is, and will continue to be, deeply missed. My deepest sympathies go out to her husband and her baby, Solomon.

Sisterhood of the 19th Century Literature Students

This is a momentous evening. I submitted my first assignment that will be graded. It was a 3000-word essay discussing Jane Austen and Charles Dickens' use of the endings of their novels Mansfield Park and Oliver Twist, respectively, to make commentary on the society in which they lived. This essay has occupied a chief place in my thoughts for at least two weeks, so I'm delighted to have it written, revised, revised again and out of my hands. My flatmate Maria, from Poland, is also in 19th Century Writing, so we convened in the kitchen for a session of peer editing and trying to ensure our Harvard referencing is beyond reproach. Maria is one of my heroes; she has an MA in English Literature, and at this moment is reading a book for her PhD across the kitchen table. I think I may have gotten the better end of the peer-editing deal. After we checked and re-checked these magnificent essays we've been sculpting for days, we turned with anticipation and awe to Moodle to submit these things 16 hours before the deadline! What did we do first, in that moment when our screens cheerfully informed us that our submissions were successful? Watched a Looney Tunes video on YouTube, of course! A dinner, late, but made more delicious by the freedom and lightness we felt after submission, followed.

Other highlights?
Friday last I went to dinner at Bella Italia with some friends. I tried a lovely rosé wine and quattro stagioni (four seasons) pizza that blew me away. I do believe the pizza had mozzarella di buffala on it. When I got back to my flat, I found some friends watching "Bright Star" in the kitchen and joined them. It's a beautiful film about Keats.
Last Saturday, I spent a lovely evening with a friend after a long day of writing. We went to Nando's, a Portuguese chicken restaurant, which was a most delightful experience. You can choose from a range of heat levels for your chicken. I had a "hot" quarter chicken with a side of sweet potato mash which was amazing, as well as a few of my friends chips (meaning fries, to you Americans out there). We also indulged in some dessert. We shared a custard tart, and a little tart thing that was like a macaroon in pie crust. After dinner, we went to a pub and caught some live music while enjoying some cider. To end the evening, we watched "Remember Me," which was good, but expect a sad ending. As great as all this was, the best part of the evening was undoubtedly the company.
That's all for now from York!

Meet the Flat (and Other Points of Interest)

I apologize for posting so seldom. My excuse is that I'd rather be out experiencing new things rather than sitting in front of my computer telling about what I've experienced.
Now for some overdue basic information.
Living Situation: I live in a university-owned flat (or apartment) with four other girls. Maria is from Poland, and is studying English Literature. Cecilia is from Mexico, studying Literature and Theatre. Jessica is from Calvin College (yes, Hope and Calvin under the same roof, and getting along quite well!), and Jenny is from Juniata College in Pennsylvania. I spend a lot of time with Maria and Cecilia, cooking and doing homework, as well as going into town. Today, I went to a market with Maria and our friend Maria (who is from Italy) where we were tempted beyond endurance by Turkish pastries, French cheese, and Italian chocolate. We had a very decadent afternoon of studying and munching when we returned.
Classes: I am taking "Writing the Caribbean" which is very intriguing and recalls some of the things discussed in my "Intro. to Global Politics" course at Hope. I also have "19th Century Literature" and "Literature, Space, and Place" (which is 19th and 20th Century American Lit). I think classes are going well so far. Here, we spend fewer hours in the classroom than in the U.S., so I spend much of my time reading outside of class.
Books I've read so far:
A Small Place - Jamaica Kincaid
Journal of a West India Proprietor - M.G. Lewis
Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman
The Awakening - Kate Chopin
What's up next:
The Long Song - Andrea Levy
"Goblin Market" - Christina Rosetti (a poem)
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Other News: Lindsey, the other girl here from Hope, and I have been attending the Christian Union. It has been amazing to meet and talk with others who share our beliefs and to encourage each other. There are so many lovely people in CU, and this is where we are making most of our British friends. It's hard to make friends with the British students in our classes since they seem to have already made their friends, and while they may talk to us in class, that tends to be the extent of it. We've also been attending Sunday services at St. Michael le Belfry (where Guy Fawkes was baptised). We've been to an event hosted by St. Mike's for university students which was fantastic: free dinner, prayer, and meeting new people, some of whom go to the other university in York.
One of our favorite activities is sampling the various cafes in town. Bennett's, a lovely place right across from the Minster continues to be our standby, but we've also discovered that Coffee Culture and Cafe 68 on Gillygate are delightful.
Last weekend, we went to a concert in which a guy we met in a fudge shop was playing. It was a wonderful mix of soulful jazzy music, a comic guitar duo, a drum ensemble, and rocked out folk music. Definitely a unique experience!
That's all I can think of to share for now! Feel free to suggest things about which you'd like me to share.

One Week Down

A little more than a week has passed since I began my journey to York. My traveling buddy and I flew out of Chicago Monday night last week, arriving in Manchester, from whence we took a bus to the school. After hauling my suitcase up a narrow flight of stairs, I was in my new room for the next few months. Since arriving, life has been a whirlwind of welcome week sessions, tours, exploring, and generally trying to settle in. Through all of this, I've met many fascinating people from around Europe and the world who are also international students. I haven't met many British people yet, but I'm sure this will come in time!
One of the highlights of my time in York so far is Evensong at the Minster, the giant cathedral in the city centre. The choral music is awe-inspiring, the Minster, with its vaulted ceilings and intricate carvings of stone and wood wondrous. Going a few times to this nightly event has been an amazing reminder of God's majesty and glory.
Another highlight has been wandering around the city exploring! There are sections of the old medieval wall that can be walked, and one of the first things to cross my mind as I looked out over the wall was, "This must be what it's like to stand on the walls of Helm's Deep!" (another reference to The Two Towers, in case you're not familiar with The Lord of the Rings). The city is also full of fantastic little shops and coffee and tea places.
Classes started yesterday. I think it will be a delightful semester!
That's all for now!

A Logic Test

Today I started packing my suitcase to go to York on Monday. At first, this was intensely stressful, as I surveyed my clothes sprawled across the living room floor. After organizing the chaos into piles, I started to feel better, and once I put in my headphones and put my mp3 player on shuffle, everything seemed much more manageable. Relaxing under the influence of Relient K, the soundtrack to "The Two Towers", and Mumford and Sons, among other things, I started to see how all these piles could fit together into that one bag. Once all the strategizing and stuffing was completed, it was time for the fateful weigh-in. My sense of triumph was complete with the result of 44 pounds! Now I can take more shoes!
 While packing, I also had the chance to reflect upon the fact that I am really going to England... in six days. Through a long sequence of planning, working, and organizing, I have been blessed with this amazing opportunity. Even as God has led me through the process of applying and preparing, so will He lead me into this new adventure. Off I go, in the confidence of the presence of the One who will never leave me nor forsake me. Praise the Lord for leading me into this dream!