It is 2.20am and I am just back from a day trip to Stone Mountain, Atlanta. It was organized for the international students at Valdosta State by the Baptist Ministry group on campus which was so kind of them. I had so much fun there but now I am so tired. I have a lot of school work to do tomorrow so I thought I should write in the blog now rather than sleep in and not have time to.
So our day started at 8am and we started the four hour journey to Atlanta. Once there we went to the Varsity which is one of the largest fast food restaurants as regards the size of the building. I think it is only in Atlanta and they have t-shirts and hats for sale which is rather crazy. I had onion rings (they have grown on me since being here) cheese burger and also a large drink so I could get it in a plastic cup and take it back for a souvenir.
After lunch we hit the shops. There were all these NASCAR racing cars about and their different sponsors such as McDonalds and Kodak. Most had lots of freebies so needless to say I picked up a couple of things.
After shopping we headed to Stone Mountain which is the largest block of granet in the world. At the woodland area on the mountain we met other international students from different universities in Georgia. I managed to speak to a couple of people, one girl was from China and was very nice. We all ate together and there was a live band to play good ol' Southern music. I am always in the mood for Sweet Home Alabama! After dinner our Valdosta group went up to see the stone in all its glory. They had a patriotic carving of leaders from the Civil War on a part of it. Around the mountain was a little old Western village type place. There was a blacksmith shop with a man going presentations and an example of an old fire 'engine' which was just a couple of barrels on a cart. It was all decorated for Halloween with pumpkins and hay scattered around. Also all of the buildings were lit up and covered with tiny fairy lights. It was just beautiful I could have spent all day there.
After our wonders we sat and watched the laser show. It was projected onto the side of the mountain and were little anomations outlined in different colours which went along to music. It was so much fun, I sang along to most of the songs although there were a few that I didn't know. There were a couple songs about America and I enjoyed listening to them. Made me think if there are any modern songs about being proud to be a Scotsman. I can't think of any but that might be because I am so very tired.
After the laser show it was time for us to head back to Valdosta. We watched Shreck on the way back which is always funny no matter how often I see it and has such a good soundtrack.
Well now I am off to sleep. I hope that this makes sense as in my sleep deprived condition I am not too sure it will.
Saturday 27 October 2007
Friday 26 October 2007
Well it has been a busy and rather stressful week. This is the week to register for classes next semester. This is done online and started monday for seniors through thursday for freshman. This system meant that the classes I had planned to take were all gone by the time I was allowed to register. I am pretty happy with the way things worked out but it was a horrible stressful time. I had to find other classes to take the night before registration and try and work out the time schedual too. So the classes I have chosen are:
Introduction to Engineering
Algebra
Sculpture
Drawing
I think they will all be pretty useful for my architecture course next year.
So it is Halloween in America and some people are going a little bitty crazy. Others are not at all as they don't celebrate it so it is a little odd. I shall be trying to find a costume in the one and only Walmart this evening before I meet up with some friends of mine. I can't say how awake we will all be as last night/morning was a little tiring. This was because of the alarm in my hall going off at 3.30 am, waking us all up. Then after hovering in the cold for roughly an hour we were all told to go inside the gym next door. So, I was there until around 6.30am before walking to the dinning hall for breakfast which stared at 7. So I was not in my dorm until 7.50 this morning. Thus, I am extremely tires, my human communication teacher did not help matters at all so now it is 2.30pm and I am going to my bed.
Introduction to Engineering
Algebra
Sculpture
Drawing
I think they will all be pretty useful for my architecture course next year.
So it is Halloween in America and some people are going a little bitty crazy. Others are not at all as they don't celebrate it so it is a little odd. I shall be trying to find a costume in the one and only Walmart this evening before I meet up with some friends of mine. I can't say how awake we will all be as last night/morning was a little tiring. This was because of the alarm in my hall going off at 3.30 am, waking us all up. Then after hovering in the cold for roughly an hour we were all told to go inside the gym next door. So, I was there until around 6.30am before walking to the dinning hall for breakfast which stared at 7. So I was not in my dorm until 7.50 this morning. Thus, I am extremely tires, my human communication teacher did not help matters at all so now it is 2.30pm and I am going to my bed.
Tuesday 16 October 2007
fall break
Hey Ya'll
Well this weekend and Monday and Tuesday (my fall break) have been so much fun.
Friday was another GRSP Conclave with the students from the scholarship. Of all 71 of us 67 students came to Savannah which is a great turnout. I was so excited to see everyone again as well as a little nervous as I was ill and couldn't go to the previous conclave so I was frightened that people wouldn't have remembered me but of course everyone was lovely and I had a ball. We arrived a little before dinner on Friday night so the Valdosta crew went on a little walk along the river front which was just so beautiful. Once we had eaten the burgers, hot dogs and 2 and a half cookies in my case, we all went on a ghost tour. I was a little scared that it would be like the ghost tours back home with people dressed up and jumping on your back however it wasn't like that at all. A woman drove around 40 of us on a bus around downtown Savannah telling us lots of stories of sightings of ghosts in the different old Georgian houses.
After the tour, the five of us from Portobello went to the host parents house. They were very sweet and had bought bourbon creams and shortbread for us as there is an actual Scottish shop near them. We talked until we fell asleep and then had to wake up a few hours later to go to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. It was a very interesting museum and they had so much information on WW II and different things on display I think I would have needed a day in itself to take everything in.
After that we went to Tybee Island to walk the 178 steps up the lighthouse which gave the most incredible view. It was so gorgeous there I could have been there all day too just watching the world go by. Then we all headed to the beach house of one of the Rotarian's. The beach was lovely and the sea was nice although once in it I didn't want to get out as it seemed so cold. Everyone had a lot of fun at the beach and the house it was just the most wonderful atmosphere.
Sadly enough after the beach we all went home, slept and then had to go our separate ways Sunday morning. However the fun didn't stop there for me. My Colombian friends host father took the four of us studying at Valdosta to a place called Jekyll Island which is where a lot of people go on holiday to escape from the world. It was very pretty and had a lovely beach however cactus plus flip flops equals problems but thats another story.
On Sunday night I stayed over at a friends house which was lovely. Her parents own 100 acres so we went around on the golf buggy through the pine trees and by the lake. It was so pretty. Her father made the most amazing steak for us and I brought them some shortbread which her mother loved. I was also so happy to find that they had Nutella and there is a shop here where I can buy it so that is amazing. When I left on Tuesday her mother had bought me a jar as a gift so I am extremely happy.
Monday my friend and I went on the almost 4 hour drive to Panama City, Florida which is the most beautiful beach. On the way there we bought some grapes, fig rolls candy called Air Heads and lots of water. We also dropped into a Dollar Store to see if they had a bucket spade which they didn't so we just bought cups to make our sandcastle.
At the beach we sunbathed for a while, went into the outdoor swimming pool of the hotel next door, sunbathed some more and read a little before building a 'sandcastle'. This took us from around 12 till 5 and then we thought it best to pack up and grab a bite to eat at Pineapple Willy's. This is the place to eat on the beach, we managed to get seats outside so we could see the sunset. We shared some alligator bites. They tasted a little like chicken but had a hint of fish and were really tasty.
We got back to her parents house around 11 so I stayed another night as it is about an hour and a half away from the campus. In the morning I met my friends sister and we all went with her mother to a cute town called Boston for lunch and a little look around its antique store. Then we went on a little tour of Thomasville so I could see the old oak tree and some of the pretty houses there. Back at the house my friends father was going out on the tractor for an hour so asked if we would like to join him. We both had a shot of driving which was fun although I was not born to be a farmer it seems.
So that was my fun long weekend. I am a little sad now that it is all over and school starts tomorrow. I think I needed that break though so I am glad that it turned out to be so much fun.
Well this weekend and Monday and Tuesday (my fall break) have been so much fun.
Friday was another GRSP Conclave with the students from the scholarship. Of all 71 of us 67 students came to Savannah which is a great turnout. I was so excited to see everyone again as well as a little nervous as I was ill and couldn't go to the previous conclave so I was frightened that people wouldn't have remembered me but of course everyone was lovely and I had a ball. We arrived a little before dinner on Friday night so the Valdosta crew went on a little walk along the river front which was just so beautiful. Once we had eaten the burgers, hot dogs and 2 and a half cookies in my case, we all went on a ghost tour. I was a little scared that it would be like the ghost tours back home with people dressed up and jumping on your back however it wasn't like that at all. A woman drove around 40 of us on a bus around downtown Savannah telling us lots of stories of sightings of ghosts in the different old Georgian houses.
After the tour, the five of us from Portobello went to the host parents house. They were very sweet and had bought bourbon creams and shortbread for us as there is an actual Scottish shop near them. We talked until we fell asleep and then had to wake up a few hours later to go to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum. It was a very interesting museum and they had so much information on WW II and different things on display I think I would have needed a day in itself to take everything in.
After that we went to Tybee Island to walk the 178 steps up the lighthouse which gave the most incredible view. It was so gorgeous there I could have been there all day too just watching the world go by. Then we all headed to the beach house of one of the Rotarian's. The beach was lovely and the sea was nice although once in it I didn't want to get out as it seemed so cold. Everyone had a lot of fun at the beach and the house it was just the most wonderful atmosphere.
Sadly enough after the beach we all went home, slept and then had to go our separate ways Sunday morning. However the fun didn't stop there for me. My Colombian friends host father took the four of us studying at Valdosta to a place called Jekyll Island which is where a lot of people go on holiday to escape from the world. It was very pretty and had a lovely beach however cactus plus flip flops equals problems but thats another story.
On Sunday night I stayed over at a friends house which was lovely. Her parents own 100 acres so we went around on the golf buggy through the pine trees and by the lake. It was so pretty. Her father made the most amazing steak for us and I brought them some shortbread which her mother loved. I was also so happy to find that they had Nutella and there is a shop here where I can buy it so that is amazing. When I left on Tuesday her mother had bought me a jar as a gift so I am extremely happy.
Monday my friend and I went on the almost 4 hour drive to Panama City, Florida which is the most beautiful beach. On the way there we bought some grapes, fig rolls candy called Air Heads and lots of water. We also dropped into a Dollar Store to see if they had a bucket spade which they didn't so we just bought cups to make our sandcastle.
At the beach we sunbathed for a while, went into the outdoor swimming pool of the hotel next door, sunbathed some more and read a little before building a 'sandcastle'. This took us from around 12 till 5 and then we thought it best to pack up and grab a bite to eat at Pineapple Willy's. This is the place to eat on the beach, we managed to get seats outside so we could see the sunset. We shared some alligator bites. They tasted a little like chicken but had a hint of fish and were really tasty.
We got back to her parents house around 11 so I stayed another night as it is about an hour and a half away from the campus. In the morning I met my friends sister and we all went with her mother to a cute town called Boston for lunch and a little look around its antique store. Then we went on a little tour of Thomasville so I could see the old oak tree and some of the pretty houses there. Back at the house my friends father was going out on the tractor for an hour so asked if we would like to join him. We both had a shot of driving which was fun although I was not born to be a farmer it seems.
So that was my fun long weekend. I am a little sad now that it is all over and school starts tomorrow. I think I needed that break though so I am glad that it turned out to be so much fun.
Tuesday 9 October 2007
Monday 8 October 2007
All of my tests have come at once! Why?! One down today but Sociology Wednesday and Costume history on Friday. On top of all that is the homework that I am expected to do at the same time oh and of course the plaster sculpture which I am to start carving into tomorrow.
I saw an amusing event on Wednesday last week. 'Big Man on Campus' was set up by the ZTA sorority girls in order to raise money for breast cancer. One boy was picked from each fraternity to be the 'Big Man' which was really like a Miss World type thing. Each had a swimsuit competition (snorkels being very popular) and also had to do a talent and answer a question asking what animal they would describe themselves as or how do you cook a turkey. The guys that took part were very funny and obvioulsy extremely comfortable in their sexuality and bodies as there were a few ballgowns going on. I know I end a lot of my blog entries like this but really, who knows?
I saw an amusing event on Wednesday last week. 'Big Man on Campus' was set up by the ZTA sorority girls in order to raise money for breast cancer. One boy was picked from each fraternity to be the 'Big Man' which was really like a Miss World type thing. Each had a swimsuit competition (snorkels being very popular) and also had to do a talent and answer a question asking what animal they would describe themselves as or how do you cook a turkey. The guys that took part were very funny and obvioulsy extremely comfortable in their sexuality and bodies as there were a few ballgowns going on. I know I end a lot of my blog entries like this but really, who knows?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)