Hey,
Just a quick word today as I have work to be getting on with. I just wanted to let you know about my new discoveries. The first being drive in pharmacy?? you don't even have to go in the shop you can drive by a window, ask for some cotton wool and then drive away.
Also, you don't have to walk to the garage to pay for the petrol/gas you have just put in your car as there is a chip and pin machine next to the gas.

All of this possibly adds to how lazy people are getting now but at the same time, that is pretty good isn't it? Drive ins, you can't beat them.

I have just finished my first week of classes.
I think that they went alright but it is early days. I have already been able to make a couple of friends which is nice. The teachers also seem very nice. Ar first I was a little worried that I might have a struggle with the accents although I don't think that it will be a huge problem.
I was given homework straight away from all but one class. It hasn't been an issue though as most of my classes finish in the afternoon. I am just worried that I will think I have plenty time so do nothing.

I might be seeing a girl today that I met the day before yesterday and we started talking while waiting for our lunch. She was rather excited about the fact that I was Scottish and has told all her friends about me so they all want to meet me.

Oh, I saw my first dungarees today. That made me laugh.

I think I will be going back to see my host family this weekend so that will be nice. I am looking forward to catching up with them. Hopefully we will be able to go shopping at some point. I still haven't had a proper shop in the states yet.

Bought my books. They cost $413 of the $450 I was given for one semester. Also, that is only taking four subjects which is the minimum that I could have taken. That is insane. However, I wanted to buy them yesterday so I would be all set for Monday. Then I was told that it is best to wait until Monday to see which books you need. So I may have to walk back and return them all which is just awful in this heat. It is a 20 minute walk in this heat with heavy heavy books. Costume History is of course a 600 paged hard back text book. Which I will have to carry along with my two Sociology books and Communication book. Now I am worried.

Had a 'cook out' with the other international students yesterday. There was a boy from Valdosta there who had been hiking in Scotland and so I had a nice little chat with him. It had to be little as my hiking knowledge isn't all that good. So the conversation moved on to Scottish men buying more and more whiskey for the boy.

Then I just hung around the apartment/dorm with some of the people that we have met so far. One boy has Irish roots so I had to tell him to be proud of his freckles and ginger beard but I don't know if I really convinced him.
His father has his own swamp. That is mad.

Have just had a very lazy day today. It is probably for the best as I didn't sleep to well and am going to have to be prepared and awake for Monday. Scary stuff.

reception

So, my subjects are 3D design, human communication, sociology and costume history. I start on Monday so I shall have to buy my books tomorrow.

Yesterday I had a little chat with some other International students. There is a nice girl from London and a boy from Newcastle so that is nice. I met the other two rotary students attending Valdosta too. One from Argentina and the other from Denmark. They both seem lovely.

I went to a reception at the house of one of the host families who is looking after the boy from Denmark. The house was huge and also rather beautiful. I felt as though I was walking into a Jane Austin story.

I met my trustee along with other host families and members of the Thomasville Rotary Club. It was very nice to speak with everyone and they were all very welcoming.

After some embarrassing photographs were taken we were presented with a cheque for our food and books. As my back card came today i was able to put it into my account straight away which is a relief.

We were also given a lovely spread of food and I tried grits for the first time. I actually put them on my plate as I thought they were mash potato but they had some cheese in them I think. Anyway, they were tasty. We were also given little bags from the host's wife to take away the left over cookies and brownies which I thought was very kind.

I stayed over with my host family after the reception. I hadn't been in contact with them for two days and so it was nice to hear how school was as they have just started the new term.

university

So, I have slept in my dorm overnight and although it was a little cold it is a lovely apartment style dorm. There are four of us living there in total although I have only met one of the girls who also stayed here last night. She is form Columbia and is on the same Rotary programme as myself. I think that we should get along well as she seems really nice.

After dropping off my luggage at the dorm yesterday, my host mum took me to Moe's (a Mexican restaurant, not the pub in Springfield). It was set up like subway and you could pick from all the different meat, veg and beans. I tried black beans for the first time which were pretty tasty. I asked the man what they were like and he 'couldn't really describe them' but did ask me if i knew what the chicken tasted like once I had ordered it. He didn't make me laugh with his customer service, but did have amusing facial hair. You win some you lose some.

Anyway, after Moe's was a huge Walmart shop. As the schools started today, Walmart was packed full of families buying school supplies, and pack lunch food. It was a rather chaotic atmosphere but we were able to pick up everything that was needed for the apartment. I now have a matching shower curtain, toilet brush, tooth brush holder and soap dispenser. Oh yes. I hope that the girl I am sharing with likes flowers and stripes but hey, I got there first so that is what the poor girl just has to live with. It's just a year anyway.

My room mate and I were at an International Students Preregistration Preparation Meeting. That's a mouth full. This was scary at first as there are a lot on mandatory subjects for students here such as math, English, physical education, as well as government and history of Georgia and the USA. Luckily this does not apply to myself as I won't be graduating.
I shall choose the subjects that interest me most and make sure that I am studying 12 hours a week. I shall just have to wait and see what is available for me but fingers crossed there will be a space. I am rather frustrated that most art subjects need prerequisites but it is understandable. I will be able to attend drawing and 3D design however so am planning on splitting them up over the two semesters.

Going to the university to drop of my things and register tomorrow. Very excited about that. I can't wait to see what my dorm looks like. The past few days the Internet hasn't been working.

Today was open house at the middle school so I have had the house to myself while my host family have looked around the school to find all their class rooms. Later today I hope to go shopping as it is tax free weekend. Which means that I will have the right sum of money on hand for a change. Ha, change, I didn't even plan that. Anyway, yesterday I saw the Art Centre's production of Oliver which was fantastic. I think that the pianist did extremely well keeping up with the very young children. As did the children. I would have been so scared on stage at that age. The accents were pretty well done. There were a few people that must have found the cockney accent a bit difficult so attempted a poss English accent which didn't quite work but hey. It was an enjoyable night and that is the main thing. The art centre itself has had a lot of work done to it and it looks great. There is new flooring and some new and improved studios. I will hopefully be back for their 'High School Musical' at the end of the month.

Before the show we went to eat at Ryan's. This was set out like a huge buffet. The deserts were so fantastic. I tried Red Velvet cake for the first time and found it rather tasty. The amount of food coloring is worrying but hey, I liked it.

Oh, found out today that Grooms at weddings have their own cakes. It is usually something about them. The man in the paper had a Valdosta State University cake (in the shape of a large 'V'). I don't think that both cakes are eaten at the wedding as that is a lot of cake considering the Brides traditional wedding cake.

Have driven past some cotton fields. Didn't realise that there are snakes in there but was told if I were to get my picture taken there not to go right in. I have also seen tobacco fields. There are what look like small flat telephone pylons in the fields. Think these are for growth of the fields in some way. The buds on the tobacco plants need to be killed so this may be connected but I wouldn't want to say for sure. If anyone knows please tell me.

So things are starting to get a bit more organised now. I have a bank account and have had a quick visit to the university but was unable to leave the car as the rain was ridiculous. Next week I shall be dropping off all of my gear in my nice new dorm room. I shall be staying with other international students in this specif dorm so I am really looking forward to that. I have seen pictures online and will have a living area, kitchen area and a post office all under my roof. I also think that I will be sharing a toilet and bath with just one other person so I am really chuffed about that.

I will also go through the orientation and shall be able to chose my subjects in the middle of next week so that will be exciting. Today I went out for lunch with a lovely girl who lives near by. She will also be attending VSU so it feels good to have a friend before I even start. We went to a little cafe in Moultrie called the 'Three Crazy Bakers'. They didn't seem that crazy but made a nice chicken wrap.

Moultrie is a very pretty picturesque town. All of the houses are on a grand scale and are surrounded by land. One house even had a horse tied up in its front garden. Madness. There are pretty little shops with trinkets and jewelry. No high street shops at all. I think it's lovely.

The university is not too far away from a mall which is pretty dangerous to say the least but we shall just have to wait and see. I have managed to buy a pair of shoes already. They were only $7.50 and will come in useful for just wandering around campus as it is quite large.

Well I am off to read through my bank information.