Remembering 3.11.2011

Today marks the third anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that took countless lives and completely altered many more.  I was a high school senior in Tokyo and had just been released from my Friday afternoon homeroom class.  Everyone was dressed in costume for our annual themed Bingo Night later that day.  Bingo, of course, was cancelled.  The tremors were by far the worst I have ever felt, despite having lived in Tokyo, where earthquakes are a daily occurrence, for 17 years.  I felt like such a baby when I later learned how much worse things had been in northern Japan.

The media has not covered this tragedy recently as often as it had before, but the victims are still suffering and need help.  Northern Japan is mainly farmland, but many people avoid food from that region because of the possibility of ingesting something radioactive. This makes it very difficult for the locals to get back on their feet.  There are several more heart-breaking stories, like children living nearby the Fukushima power plant being diagnosed with brain cancer, and a horrifyingly large number of lives lost as a result of post-earthquake trauma.

Today I am keeping the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in my thoughts, and I hope to help them one day, somehow.

Countdown To Easter Break

Sometimes not so wonderful things happen. For instance, your laptop charger breaks while you are abroad and working on a research paper that counts for half of your final grade in your International Marketing class. Oops.

This is not the end of the world, though, because the University of Warwick's five-week Easter Break, which separates the Spring and Summer terms, begins on the 15th. I just need to get through this week by camping out in the library where I can borrow computers to complete my assignment.

Other than my charger breaking, and having to write this entry on my phone as a result, things are going well! I bought some English muffins--simply called muffins here--so now the sandwiches I prepare for lunch are extra delicious, I am pretty sure I did well on a group project for my Ethics class, and it is not nearly as rainy in England as it was when I first arrived.

As much as I am really beginning to feel a strong attachment to my new home, I am also looking forward to my break. I plan on visiting my parents whom I have not seen since early August (and will be able to borrow a laptop charger from them so I can write much more in my next blog entry).

It is around 6 pm. I am back at my dorm after spending the day in the library to eat a light dinner and take a little study break. However, I do need to return as soon as possible in order to claim a computer: the library is packed this week with students who, like me, need to borrow the university's technology.

Pancake Day

I am a die-hard Tokyoite.  I have spent over 17 years of my life exploring the concrete jungle.  I cheer on the local baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, (when they are not playing my father’s team, the Hanshin Tigers), and know the steps to the Tokyo Ondo, the traditional regional dance.

However, my American side is from New Orleans, and Mardi Gras has always been a big deal to my partially Cajun family.  While I have not yet had the opportunity to experience carnival season in The Big Easy, I have always had people nearby who celebrate it in some way, whether it be my mother waving around a handkerchief and second line dancing in the living room, or my USC peers attending Mardi Gras themed parties.

Mardi Gras is not celebrated here--or at least not in Coventry.  Frankly, this just seems wrong to me, so to fill the void caused by the lack festivity, I have been listening to tunes like Iko Iko, Mardi Gras Mambo, and Do Whatcha Wanna Part 3 non-stop for the last few days.  Today I plan on donning my purple woolen sweater and eating all of the chocolate I can get my hands on.

Instead of attending King Cake parties and watching Mardi Gras parades, folks here partake in Shrove Tuesday by flipping pancakes to use up fatty foods, like butter, before the Lenten fasting begins.  I guess it is considered Fat Tuesday here, too.  Pancake Day, as today is also known, is similarly celebrated in France according to my roommate.  Since I am in England, eating chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast seems only appropriate for my chocolate-filled day.

While it is typical for students in England to prepare their own food in the dorm kitchens, there are also a variety of eateries on campus from cafes to pubs.  There is even a convenience store within a three minute walk from my room.  I do not want to buy the perishable ingredients necessary to make my own pancakes, especially since our five-week Easter Break begins soon, so I am hoping to purchase pre-made pancakes somewhere.

Researching online for places that sell pancakes at Warwick led me to an interesting experiment: Dr. Mark Hadley at the University of Warwick found the equation for the perfect pancake toss.  I was 14 years old the last time I sat in a physics class, so I am (obviously) by no means an expert in the field, but Hadley explains his findings in a way that even I can understand.  

Long story short, one should consider a lot of variables when flipping pancakes and none of the eateries here that are open for breakfast serve them.  I might have to venture off campus for my chocolate pancake fix.  Please keep your fingers crossed that I find a way to have them.

Lastly, take a page from THESE NOPD officers and laissez les bon temps roule!

Update: the Warwick Student Union Facebook page just posted information on where to find pancakes today--The Dirty Duck pub and XANANAS restaurant!

Sent to Coventry; Went to Wales

In the US, if someone has been ostracized we say they were voted off the island or sent to Siberia.  I recently learned the UK equivalent of those idioms is “to be sent to Coventry.”  That being said, my stay here at the University of Warwick, which is technically located in Coventry, has not been bad at all.  A great thing about Coventry is its central location and proximity to popular tourist spots--many only a few hours away.

The International Office at the University of Warwick hosts weekly trips to different parts of the UK.  Traveling this way is not the most cost-friendly, but it is extremely convenient as the buses pick up and drop students off on campus.  The only necessary planning is figuring out what to do at the destination.  Last week, I took advantage of this service and visited the coastal capital of Wales: Cardiff.

For some reason it never occurred to me how common Welsh is in Wales until I began wandering the streets of Cardiff.  All of the signs I read were in both English and Welsh.

Sign from Cardiff Castle.  Look at the stuff at the bottom: that is Welsh.

Another sign in Welsh with the Pierhead (left), Wales Millennium Centre (right), and Y Senedd--the home of the National Assembly for Wales--(far right) in background.

Cardiff is the filming location of the Dr. Who TV series.  I do not watch it, however many of my friends do.  When I shared some of the photos from this trip with one of my Whovian roommates in Columbia, she pointed out that I had photographed the Wales Millennium Centre, a building that has appeared on the show numerous times!

Wales Millennium Centre

Cardiff is also the hometown of Roald Dahl, one of my favorite authors.  Dahl, the son of Norwegian immigrants, was christened at the Norwegian Church which stands along Cardiff Bay.  The building is now the Norwegian Church Arts Centre and dedicates a portion of their second floor to Dahl.  There I found copies of Roald Dahl’s books in Welsh.

Norwegian Church Arts Centre 

Welcome sign (in Welsh, English, and Norwegian) inside Norwegian Church Arts Centre

Roald Dahl's Matilda in Welsh

A plaza nearby Cardiff Bay, formerly known as the Oval Basin, was renamed Roald Dahls Plass (Norwegian for Roald Dahl’s Place) in 2002.  It has appeared in episodes of both Dr. Who and Torchwood.  While Roald Dahls Plass was not the most aesthetically pleasing part of Cardiff, it was still inspiring to mill about a place dedicated to the man who conjured up James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Plaque at Roald Dahls Plass

Roald Dahls Plass

Meanings of foreign words can be lost in translation, but that does not make trying to understand them any less important.  In fact, words that are difficult to translate can be very revealing of a culture.  For example, the often used Japanese phrase ganbare means something along the lines of work hard, do your best, and hang in there.  However, ganbare has much more depth and even Japanese speaking bilinguals, like myself, have trouble explaining it to non-Japanese speakers.  When you truly understand the feelings and thoughts that are associated with ganbare, you understand the Japanese work ethic and collectivist tendencies.

The favorite word in Wales is cwtch.  From what I understand, the literal meaning is cuddle or hug.  However, there seems to be a more possessive meaning to the word.  Not possessive in a creepy way, but a you-are-a-part-of-me type of possessive.  I would need a much better comprehension of Welsh to fully appreciate cwtch.  I saw the word cwtch almost everywhere I went in Cardiff: painted on signs, embroidered on pillows, etc.  I had a lot of fun in Wales, but this new, loving word is by far the most interesting tidbit I gained from my trip, and researching the meaning helped me to have a slightly better grasp on the values of the Welsh.

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.

You Say Tomato

There is vast potential in the chance to immerse oneself in another culture which is a vehicle for personal growth and self-discovery.  However, it is important to keep in mind that one responsibility in this experience is actually studying.

British universities are run very differently from American ones in terms of testing.  The University of Warwick employs a trimester system with Autumn, Spring, and Summer terms.  Typically, a student will take classes in one term and take the final exams for those classes the following term after a five week break.  This sounds really great, especially as a student may spend the whole five weeks preparing for his exams.

Here is the catch: it is not uncommon for finals, which are simply called “exams” here as they only occur once per class, to be worth up to 100% of the final grade.  Better not have the flu on test day.

I am enrolled in International Marketing, International and European Employment Relations, Ethical Issues and Social Responsibility in Contemporary Business, and Managing Human Resources.  Of those four classes, I only have exams in three, so I am feeling a little lucky.  Procrastination, however, could lead to panicked frenzy because in the UK exams are do or die.

Fortunately, my classes are interesting.  Each class has a lecture that meets once a week for an hour or two hours.  (I have two, two hour lectures back-to-back on Mondays, so sitting for four hours straight is literally a pain in the butt.)  Some of my lectures are taught by multiple professors.  Other classes have seminars which are led by other members of the staff.  I like the seminars because I get to do more hands-on, group-based work.

It is going to take some readjustment to get used to meeting with my classes only once a week.  At Carolina our classes have multiple meetings in a week which compels students to revisit the course material several times.  Repetition is key when learning, so I need to plan my time at the library accordingly.

Speaking of courses, when I first arrived in England, the other students in my dorm asked me what my course was.  I was puzzled as to why they wanted to know which classes I was taking, especially as they are all first year students and are, thus, not taking my third year, or senior, classes.  It turns out course means major (not class) and classes are called modules.  Life has been a lot less confusing since I figured that out.

Other English terms/phrases I have encountered include: chips (fries), crisps (chips), alright (what’s up), postbox (mailbox), lorry (truck), lift (elevator), and phone box (phone booth).  Plus a lot of words are pronounced differently.  A word of advice, watching TV shows like Sherlock and Misfits could help if you’re planning on spending an extended period of time here!

The other day I tried Skittles and Mars milkshakes with my roommate, a law student from France.  Skittles and Mars bars are from England, so I thought it would be appropriate for us to taste-test the two drinks.  The Skittles drink tasted a bit like strawberry au lait, a popular drink in Japan, gone wrong.  It had a slightly sour aftertaste which will not have me coming back for more.  Happily, the Mars drink tasted just like what one would imagine a liquified Mars bar would.

The University of Warwick is a little far from a lot of the touristy areas of England.  However, walking around the campus is fun and a source of novel experiences.  For instance, I found this fire engine (fire truck) parked out by one of the buildings:

You call 999 when in an emergency in England!

Other interesting facts:

• English trivia night consists of a lot of American songs from the 70s and 80s.
• The dairy in this country is absolutely amazing. I've had the best grilled cheese sandwiches here.

Claire in Coventry

Hi!  I am Claire, a junior at the University of South Carolina double majoring in International Business and Human Resources Management, and minoring in Japanese.  I was born and raised in Tokyo where I attended a small, international girls’ school, so the move to South Carolina a few years ago was like a mini-study abroad experience for me.  I definitely had to learn a lot in a short period of time.  It was scary to move to another country at first, but with the help of relatives nearby, my parents’ support, and well-disposed, benevolent friends I eventually became accustomed to life in Columbia and have come to consider it one of my homes.

Now I am on a brand new adventure: I will be studying at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England until the end of June.  The University of Warwick was established in the 1960s.  Despite being a fairly young institution, the university is well known in England for its strong math and science programs, and was recently ranked 3rd in the Top 50 Under 50 QS University Rankings which compares universities from around the world.

I am going to be honest: I was stressed about moving to England at first.  Don’t get me wrong, I think this opportunity to immerse myself in another culture is awesome, but having to do life things (like finding my way to campus, opening a bank account, buying a phone, and picking out kitchenware) without my usual support group seemed really daunting.  In order to feel more in control of my life, I planned everything I needed to accomplish once I arrived in England (almost) down to the very second.

Then, winter storm Hercules happened.  I was originally supposed to fly out of the US on January 2nd and arrive in London the next day, but my flights were rebooked three times due to all of the snow.  While I feel lucky to have  snagged a flight out to England as they were high in demand, my flight landed in London the same day classes began at Warwick, so I was unable to attend my first lecture or follow through with all of my other plans.

The storm's affect on my perfectly planned schedule, however, was probably one of the best things to happen to me.  It made me realize that, as much as I want to, I simply cannot micro-manage my life.  Things happen.  You’ve got to roll with the punches...to get to what’s real.

Okay, I am stopping with the Van Halen.

While I would love to write about all of the super cool English things, since I only arrived in the UK on Monday, January 6th, I do not really have enough material to do that just yet-- I have been spending the majority of my time running errands and trying to settle in.  I did, however, see the stereotypical red double-decker bus in London when I was on my way to Coventry; too bad my camera was packed away in my bag!

Anyway, I went to a Sports Societies fair yesterday.  Societies in the UK are equivalent to student organizations in the US.  The University of Warwick is on a trimester system, so during their first term they had “Freshers Week" to introduce new students to the university.  However, as it is currently the beginning of their second term, the Students' Union chose to host a smaller event: just the Societies fair which they called "Refreshers".  Even though I am really not a sporty person, I thought I would go check it out.  I dragged one of the other Carolina IB majors studying here along with me.  Nothing really caught my eye, but I did take this fancy picture of the Students' Union building (no editing done here--the clouds were honestly that color):

Afterwards, I met up with yet another USC IB student and went to the nearby Cannon Park Shopping Centre.  This place is home to several stores, but two that I frequent are Tesco and Seoul Plaza.  Tesco is a superstore chain and the one near my campus (pictured below) has a large variety of relatively decently priced goods.

Seoul Plaza is my favorite.  It specializes in Asian foods, which I realize is not very English.  However, I think it is so cool that there is a well-stocked Asian food store within walking distance from campus.  It even has a whole section dedicated to Japanese cuisine (my comfort food).

It looks like this on the outside:

And like this inside:

The University of Warwick, like many British universities, does not offer meal plans to students, so I will be cooking a lot.  While I hope to try making some meals traditional to this area, I am also very excited about being able to prepare Japanese dishes!

Now that I know where to shop, have many of the other important necessities figured out, and have met with my Personal Tutor (a faculty member whom I can turn to whenever I need help), I just need to get my textbooks so I can really dive into my studies.  Then I get to travel to the places here I have read about all of my life.  Wish me luck!