Friend Maria's Stirling Pictures 9-29-07

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Stirling ISC Trip 9-29-07

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Loch Lomond ISC Trip 9-15-07

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Family Update Letter 2

Hello!

Just dropping another quick note to let everyone know what’s going on.

Met with my department today. Apparently my head advisor is on research leave this semester. I have yet to find out exactly what that means for me, but hopefully I’ll be able to work with the other lady who is there. I honestly don’t understand why I got an advisor who is on leave my first semester. It kind of angers me, since I’m all gung-ho to get this over and done with. I’ll find out more on Tuesday, I hope.

Then I’m signed up in two classes. I have to take Research and Methods, which is an all week lecture next week, but then just one meeting a month and a project due in December. It was supposed to be only for MSc students, but apparently I have to take it as well. This is not a good thing, since I have to wait for the cable guys from 8AM-1PM on Tuesday, which is also the day of my first lecture, which is at 12:30. I called my cable contact to try to ensure that they come out at 8AM immediately, but I haven’t heard back from him and I’m still low on minutes.

Also on Tuesday, which was JUST sprung on me this morning, I’m supposed to see a movie for Theory class in the evening at 10AM. I’m familiar with the movie, so I’m maybe going to see if I can watch it before the class, or, since we’re not talking about it on lecture 1, before Wednesday through the film lab. They seem really unorganized. They don’t even know what classes are going to be officially offered. They’re working it out, though.

I met the other girl who is a new PhD student, but I don’t know if we really click. I think we’ll simply be colleagues, but not close friends or anything. She’s a bit too into herself and is too busy trying to schmooze with all the professors. She isn’t even ready to start her research. I have a feeling my dissertation research won’t take me very long at all, because I have a huge chunk of it done with my Master’s. BUT I will be allowed to not only use the Main Library here for Research, but I’ll also be able to use the Divinity Library (the theology department library). I’m excited about that.

I intend to join the Film Society here, for 15pounds a year. I get to watch free movies and write reviews in their journal. Also, there’s a Post-Graduate publication called The Forum that I will be finding out more information about tonight and will be hoping to get involved in that. On top of this, I will be talking to one of the supervisors about running an informal “lecture” series on documentary film for the other post-graduates. Informal meaning no papers and it’ll be more of a round-table discussion and watching of movies. Kind of like what I did at the church for my film series on Subversive Redemption.

The department is very flexible with allowing students to organize things. We can even try to organize a graduate conference if we want. The other new PhD girl didn’t sound too interested in those things and, like I said, was more interested in schmoozing and talking about her film editing skills and how people don’t understand her love of academics and filmmaking. I just don’t think her and I click very well.

But I intend to take full advantage of many of the opportunities available to me, especially to help build up to CVS (resume). Tomorrow I’m heading to Loch Lommond (check www.wikipedia.org for more information). By Tuesday I should have pictures to upload in the evening.

I love you all so much and when I get my new phone number I’ll let you know so you can all call me! If I don’t have your new addresses (Donna, Rachel) please e-mail them to me so I can send you postcards and things. And PLEASE if you have a Circle Journal with me, please send it to me. I would love to work on one before my semester gets hectic.

Much love and hugs,
SKB

Family Update Letter 1

Just dropping a quick Hello!

I am scheduled to have my phone and internet (and television) installed Tuesday, September 18, 2007 between 8AM and 1PM. I have had this confirmed, even though my address is still a bit screwy, but that's apparently because of thep hone company. They're taking a while to change it. I had a hard time understanding everything and with the minutes on my cell phone dwindling quickly, I didn't want to chit-chat too long. But he said 100% guaranteed that I am having everything installed and hooked up on Tuesday!

I am at school right now. I have been hanging out here every day since Sunday. Keeping myself out of the apartment and low on stress. I've met some people, but they mostly haven't gone past one meeting. Maybe that'll change. I signed up to go on the International Student trip to Loch Lommond on Saturday and some of the girls I met the other day are going. We leave at 9:15AM and come home at 6:00PM. I am excited to get out for a while. The following Saturday is a trip to Glasgow. I'm going to sign up for that too. The more I can keep myself out of the apartment until Ray is here, the better.

I'll be meeting all my department people tomorrow at the Literature, Language, and Cultures introduction and welcome thing from 2PM until like 6PM. I'm supposed to meet my advisors then too. I have a pigeon hole in the LLC lounge, which is exciting. I don't know specifics yet, but I'll relay things as I go. I got my student ID card and was in the library today. It's a nice library and I think I might start bringing my laptop with me, now that the bulk of my running around campus is done and try to start using the campus wireless.

Ray is meeting with Dole's office today to get his passport expedidted. I am gathering paperwork and things to send home to him so that he can travel as a dependant on my student visa. One of the books I was given once I arrived said that my spouse, traveling on my Visa, can work full-time. I was thrilled. My job-hunting has not been too good, since I don't want to be a waitress or work in retail. When I meet with my advisors I should be able to find more answers and I'm hoping to head to the career center next week to see if they can help me.

I think it is funny that everyone thinks my research is really going to take 3 years. I am slightly baffled by this, but like I said, I'll know more about it later. I have such a huge background of information already compiled, so maybe I'm just farther ahead than I thought I was. They keep talking about how I would research for three years and then spend a year writing up my findings. That sounds so silly to me. BUT I'll just have to wait and see. Who knows what they'll require of me. And please, don't anyone be scared to come visit. I know I'm just lonely right now because Ray isn't here, but I'd still love to see anyone who wanted to come visit. I can send you home with stuff I don't need anymore. haha!

Anyways. . . I've been invited to the International Student Pot Luck dinner thing tonight, so I guess I better go try to find somewhere that'll sell me something to take with me. The ex-president said I should bring something to drink, so maybe I'll go buy a bottle of lemonade or something. It'll be fun and hopefully I'll run into a few of the people I've met. Funny thing. . . I haven't met a single American and everyone keeps laughing at me, because they have met bunches of them. I've met 2 Chinese girls, a Russian boy who looks chinese, a girl from Tiawan, a girl from Israel, a boy from Colombia, a girl from Canada, an older woman from Northern Ireland, a girl from Yorkshire whose husband is from Raleigh, NC and whose father-in-law teaches at NCState, and a girl from Singapore. And ex-president of the Internatinoal Student Society is from Poland. and the boy I was talking to this morning. . .I forget where he was from. But no Americans. The Canadian was the closest I got and we had a great talk. Might try to go up to Arthur's Seat on Sunday, since I've missed all the chances to go because of other events and I wasn't real comfortable going with the Muslims. In the descriptoin is mentioned enjoying the company of other Muslims, so I took that to probably mean you should be Muslim.

I also met up with the Film Society People and will probably get my membership Monday night, maybe. It's £15 for the whole year and I get to see tons of free movies and I get discounts at certain theatres and I get to write film reviews if I join the actual commitee and they'll be published int he Edinburgh FilmSoc magazine. So I'm looking forward to learning more about that and definitely joining the committee.

So I love you all very much and I miss you all terribly much. Hopefully I'lll be online soon and everyone can call my new phone line. :-)

<3,
SKB

Scotland Pictures August 2007

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