Snow, Strikes, and One World Week, Oh My!

I have never had a snow day, even though snowfall is an annual occurrence in Tokyo. As my international school was less than a three minute walk from the nearest train station (which was on a major train line), and did not offer a school bus so as to not be held liable in case of an accident, school was on so long as the trains were running.  I have countless memories of weekday mornings spent slipping on packed snow as I trudged through the the streets using an umbrella as a makeshift cane in an attempt to regain balance.

Last week the University of South Carolina canceled classes for two days due to an unusual occurrence of snow.  I was sad to have missed it, but my dear friends in Columbia kept me up-to-date on everything via Skype!  One of my roommates, Margaret, sent me this picture:

My campus is always beautiful, but there is something about the rarity of snow that made being in Columbia especially special.  She even took a picture of Flat Claire whom I had drawn before moving to England and had left in my roommates’ care for the duration of my study abroad experience:

While my friends back home were enjoying the strange weather, I was also experiencing something new: a staff strike.  The University and College Union (UCU) have been pushing for higher wages for for their underpaid members at several higher education institutions.  While the vice-chancellors (presidents) at the various universities, including the University of Warwick, have enjoyed large increases in salary, the rest of the staff have not.  In fact, their wages have not increased enough in relation to the current inflation in the England.  Therefore, on Thursday some of my lecturers and seminar leaders who are members of UCU went on strike.  While it is unfortunate for those involved in the conflict, this is definitely a very interesting time to be an exchange student in England.

Amidst all of the newness, I was also able to experience something that reminded me of my years at my international school: One World Week.  The University of Warwick has a large international student population, and, with globalization, we are all part of a community larger than that of our neighborhoods, so it is only appropriate to dedicate a week to understanding the world.  One World Week is the largest annual campus event with activities running all day and night such as the International Bazaar, a carnival, and forums with guest speakers (I attended a talk on privacy in the digital age with several speakers, including an FBI agent).  It concluded with a Super Bowl viewing party in the Student’s Union building, which I had to miss due to catching my first English cold.

The SU decorated for a One World Week event.

I was feeling a little miserable when I was ill.  
Thanks to FACEinHOLE.com for letting me create this masterpiece!

As of today, I have been in England for a month and two days. Living here is an incredible experience.  While I do have moments when I am homesick, it is surprising how much I have already gotten used to this new country.  Studying abroad, I have noticed, is similar to one’s first year at college (and away from home): you grow a lot in a short period of time.  I can tell that I am already much stronger than I was before: I have survived a cold in a foreign nation and I know many more things, too.  I look forward to seeing how I develop in the following months.  Studying abroad is not easy, but it is definitely worth it.