In my last post, I mentioned the idea that we might return to Whitstable on a sunny day for a different experience and better pictures. Well, the next morning a bright, blue and sunny sky taunted me as soon as I hopped out of bed... fortunately, Leigh Anne's housemates and a few of their friends had already planned at trip to Whitstable for the day and we decided to join. Half of them walked there and the others planned to take a bus later. We joined the bus group and, since it was a Sunday and buses begin running to and from the city to the University later than usual, decided it would be quicker to walk into town and catch a bus than waiting around on one here. After thirty minutes of fast-paced walking and a near sprint at the end that left us panting and sweaty, we ended up waiting on a bus that not only left Canterbury twenty minutes later than scheduled, but also made a stop at the University before heading off to Whitsable! Our luck with public transportation the past few weeks has been off and on... ultimately there's a lot of wasted running which either results in us sitting and waiting on the bus anyway, or being left behind in diesel fumes because we're just not fast enough. Scheduled times, for all things, are such a tease in this country!
But so it goes... we spent a bit more time walking along the seaside Sunday than we did Saturday, after chatting for a bit at an outdoor cafe, and were lucky to have went on that particular day, as there was an open-air market with all sorts of fun things to look at. I adore all of the vintage items one can find here and would love to start collecting something from each place I go... ideas? Postcards are too easy, and bracelets too expensive! In all it was a lovely and relaxing Sunday.
Mondays have become my designated day for errand running since I have no class and the stores are much emptier and less hectic. I've been waking up much earlier than I'd like to and decided to take advantage of my spare time before getting groceries last Monday by making a stop at the Dane John garden grounds, the Canterbury Castle, and the cathedral since it was absolutely gorgeous outside and I've yet to share any of that with you.
The rest of the week consisted of school. I've been doing fairly well keeping up with my readings, but need to start thinking about my papers that constitute half of my final grade and are due throughout November. Each department is quite strict with their guidelines for papers and to simply turn in a paper is perhaps the most difficult part! Most lecturers ask that you submit one electronic copy via e-mail, then two hard copies, which you have to take to the department's specific office at a specific day and time, where you complete a submission form and get a receipt of submission! So tedious.
I went to my Reading and Writing Poetry class on Wednesday in quite a nervous state - it was a workshop day where we pass out copies of our work to the rest of the class and after you read your poem aloud, the rest of the class gets to critique it while you sit there and take notes... but my piece got a few laughs and an overall good review, which was such a relief, especially since I feel like I'm among professionals here :)
I made my way to my library a few times this week... I have a method now of finding books I want, since I still have no idea how they're ordered on the shelves. I search the titles online and write down the codes, then wander about until I find the right section. This doesn't always work, but I usually stumble upon something I like anyway. My first trip, looking for Simone de Beauvoir, led me to William Blake and Sylvia Plath, which I thought would last me the week, but after finishing two days later I went back and came home with Pablo Neruda and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I love having time to read!
Craving our American food fix, Leigh Anne and I hopped a bus to town on Friday afternoon and went to a Kebab place, which was the absolute most awkward restaurant experience of my entire life. This worker would NOT stop staring and even when he finally disappeared, we glanced out of the window and there he was, cigarette in hand, looking at us. At one point, he was gawking, chin-in-hand behind the counter and I couldn't help laughing out loud. We have probably accumulated a hundred stories that involve Europe's strangest men and our unfortunate ability to catch the attention of all of them instead of the pleasant kind that make for a dreamy, storybook kind of study abroad adventure.
We got out of dodge and walked slowly, taking in the bustling city, stopping in at an antique sale and looking in bakery windows, wishing calories didn't exist. My ears picked up on the sounds of an acoustic guitar and melodic singing in the distance and I insisted that we had to find its source before we left town... thank goodness we did! In his bright red pants and hobo gloves, Jonny Walker won us over. We kept staying for "just one more song" and eventually decided we would stay until he left. In order to do this, we had to consume outrageous amounts of hot chocolate (this was seriously our diet Friday-Sunday) and keep moving around... it was unbelievably chilly!
We became quite fond of the Cafe Rouge, a little place just next to the area he was playing... it was perfect since it offers outdoor seating. After wrapping up his Friday night, we helped him count his change and pack up, then went out for a drink there. His music and humor are wonderful qualities, but the fact that he looks like Bob Dylan makes it even better. He told us he'd be in town until Sunday and so, of course, we spent hours over the next two days parked under the tree where he played and hanging around after he was done. Anyone who knows me knows that if there's music that I enjoy being played somewhere, I'll happily stay in that very place until it's gone. It just doesn't get old! Besides, being able to hang around someone who makes their living doing what they love and hear all about it in between sets is probably one of the most inspirational things that could happen while I'm here.
We were also lucky enough to be in town while the Canterbury Festival began... we saw lots of dancing and other musical acts, as well as the parade!
Last night was my first decent night of sleep in ages... the weekend had us up and going (searching for genuine pubs late at night, house parties with instrumental Beatles music in the background, unexpected conversations about life's most pressing issues, burning Jonny Walker CDs for some extra money) until 4 a.m. on average. It's pretty wondrous what snoozing can do and I need more of it in my life!
Today, it's back to reality... while I was in town to run errands, I half expected to hear the folky music echoing in the streets and pass through crowds of out-of-towners, but it was rather desolate and quiet, save the crunching of leaves by people on their way to work and occasional gusts of wind. I suppose I need the chill time this week though, to get things done. I'd like to get ahead since next week is a break from school and Canterbury... we're heading to Liverpool and LONDON!
I hope all of you are making beautiful memories and being inspired as well.
Until next time,
Aly
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