Border Control Nightmare

I still have not decided but I think that I came into this a bit unprepared. But I realize I am doing a bit better than some others so maybe not. The reason I initially came to this conclusion was because upon arriving at the airport after my 10 hour plan ride I had to deal with the British border control. From other travels I was used to them asking a set of questions and then being stamped my passport and going on my way. Unfortunately this was not the case this time. The officer who I talked to had a million questions for me that I had not been prepared to answer. He corrected my answers not letting my reply “yeah” to questions but making me use a more formal response. When I didn’t say please to ask to borrow a pen he also corrected me and told me that was the reason he never visited the US. He also told me I was rather unprepared. I was in such a surreal state I began to believe that in fact I really was unprepared. I can’t even explain my reaction except as a result of pure stress and anticipation but I started crying right in front of the officer in front of everyone else. I couldn’t even talk or control it. I could barely breathe. It was so strange. Luckily after I started acting like a complete mess he became much nicer to me. Nevertheless I was detained and put in this like holding block. Two other people were in there with me, one man who may or may not have been a terrorist. I think his reason for being detained was far more serious than mine. The other guy I am not sure but he looked like a backcountry hick who took a trip to England to go fishing. He was wearing a Jim Bean baseball cap. I think the concern was that he might be bringing back things that he caught here in UK to US. Given mad cow disease and things of that sort it must have been a concern. After a bit they called me out and told me that they were concerned that I would try to take up employment during my stay. I was not allowed to do so as a part-time student. They could have just told me that but this spectacle really let me know that keeping a job was not an option. I was still hyper ventilating when they let me go. I really could not control my reaction. The first night was awful because I had to struggle with my heavy overload of luggage by myself on the train and then find a taxi. By the time I got to my university which happens to be in an obscure part of the city, It was dark and there was no one there to welcome me just a security guard who gave me my keys and some directions. Once again a struggle with my luggage that I had to take to the furthest building that I was staying in---Of course no elevators. I am lucky my arms didn’t fall off. I got to my room which is a nice single studio with a bathroom. I started crying again because I was now in place where I didn’t know anyone didn’t even really know where I was in relation to anything and I felt more anxious and depressed than ever in my life. I slept horribly that night and kept waking up. I didn’t get out of bed until one the next day and went to go get some food and figure out where things were.

The second day went better. I still had my stomach in knots and slept for most the day. I couldn’t eat anything and still have only ate a nectarine and a quesidillla I made from the grocieries I had bought. This whole experience really is reminiscent of freshman year. But I have to commend SU for doing a far better job orientating the new students. Here the RA’s were postgrads and didn’t really seem to care or be involved. The officers of the student union also postgrads looked coked out and like they could care less about the new students. This seemed odd to me. Considering the RA’s at SU and the ASSU people like Natalie shields who were completely retarded but nevertheless devoted to the student body. Anyhow I started meeting some of the people on my floor—or rather my flat as they call it. there are six of us and we all share on kitchen.

First I met Adam. At first I thought he too was younger than I, like most the freshman. But he was also 20 and had just taken 2 years off. He was shy and awkward but still friendly. He is studying politics and was interesting to talk to. He had a pretty good idea of what life in the states was like. Next I met Paul. he knocked on my door and was instantly friendly. He was from the north. As I learned they were more loud, crass and far heavier drinkers in the north. He dressed like a regular guy would in Seattle. Jeans and a cardigan. He said when he wore this attire in his home in NewCastle. He was asked “What are you gay??”. Then there was the posh south where Adam was from. Adam explained to me that Englands North was like our south. I understood what Adam said most the time and Paul more like 25 percent of the time. Paul is also 20.

There was several events going on on campus. It has been interesting to compare the freshman year at SU to the incoming freshman year here. I wondered how old they were. The girls looked heavily made up, mostly fashionable but in a very explicit and overdone way. The guys very mod. With messy haircuts and interesting attire often half mod/half post-punk. Like boots, skinny jeans and sportcoats or other jackets. It was clear that these were all new clothes and that they were trying their very best to make some statement. But when in the herds they travel in they looked like a gang of dilapidated clowns. They were all loud and clinging to eachother much like the Freshman pussy often do. I realized that the freshman pussy was inescapable for me.

So as it went there was some kind of event at the student union. I guess its like a party. They gave us free drink vouchers. The school was really encouraging the drinking clubbing type of social interaction. This seemed weird to me. The social scene I have seen so far really revolves around getting wasted. This seems okay to me…so long as I am with the right people. Me adam and paul went to the union for our free drinks and talked some more. The drinks were not as strong as in the US and the bar looked more like a candy store. No cheap alc here.

After leaving the union we went back to meet with one of other flat mates who I hadn’t met yet. She lived next door to me and was American. She came with a group of Girls from Arcadia University in Pennsylvania. Her friends were really nice and had lots of questions to ask me. They seemed pretty relaxed but I didn’t think were really my type of friends. Tova, the girl who lives next door to me was loud and annoying. She was wearing University of Pink t-shirt with a lacy camisole underneath was listening to really horrible music with her friends. Maroon 5---Also she kept yelling America—Or “American Bitches running this joint”. Things I could only roll my eyes at. Her and her friend jess got drunk very quickly from probably 3 shots of SOCO and a beer. They got completely loud and out of control. I was trying to be as nice as I could but I soon just started making fun of them. Jess was swinging off the table singing spice girls. Tova also screaming songs additionally kept screaming I AM DRRRRUNK YEEEAAAAH. Really classy. Adam asked me “I am guessing this is the kind of thing you thought you were getting away from?” Honestly even girls at SU do not act this retarded. Well maybe sometimes. Tova had a boyfriend but was coming on to some other British boy she just met. He ended up hooking up with her other friend and then trying to come back and get with Tova who was by now completelt trashed and it was all just a big mess from there. the details don’t even matter. So in a sense some things never change and these instances were not really what was part of the culture shock.

So I am kind of making my way around campus. Today I missed my orientation and had to consequently wander around figuring what I had missed. I am getting the sense that the courses will be harder than I anticipated as this is one of the better places for Art History. Outside campus I don’t know where anything is. I just wander around and make stupid mistakes. Its not too embarrassing to not know what I am doing its more just annoying to not have any sense of familiarity or comfort.

I really cannot wait until the classes start. At the same time I wonder if they will be too difficult for me.