Keele time.....

.....is roughly 5 to 10 minutes late, to just about everything. This week I finished my first week where I actually had all of my classes. I am not kidding, even in the classes where the students and the professor were there on time we still managed to get started late. Same thing with the meetings I attended, I would be so worried about getting there on time and when I got there I clearly had nothing to worry about. The person running one of the meetings even told me that Keele time is about 10 minutes late.

I could definitely tell the difference between having multiple classes a day everyday and my Keele week where the only day I have two classes is Thursday. I am excited by my classes though. The titles of the classes are kind of long so it is easier for me to explain the gist of what they are about. Monday is a class on Gender and Sexuality in 19th century American Literature, Tuesday is a class on Mass Media in America (and every other week a no credit class on British Culture specifically for American Students here on exchange, but I haven't actually had that class yet), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I have Partial Differential Equations for 1 hour, and additionally on Thursday I have a class on Social Movements in America. Keele students tried to explain to me that the reason they have less time in class is because there is more reading assigned outside of class, I'm holding my breathe to see if this is true because when a Keele student was on exchange at Willamette he posted a facebook status about the large amount of reading Willamette Professors had assigned him.

Outside of classes I have also tried to figure out what activities I will pursue while I am here and I think I am going to commit the majority of my time to being involved with the Christian Union. They are so welcoming and I feel so comfortable in the Chapel and with the people and at the events that they have held. The Pastor (her name is Ruth and I'm not sure if I should actually call her a Pastor or not, I'm still figuring that out so I think I'll switch to calling her Ruth) Ruth had a lunch at her house after last week's Sunday service and she has been especially nice to me. She likes to say that if you really want to there is something to do at the church every night of the week and I have been exploring the truth in that by checking out (and mentally trying to commit to some of these events.) Tuesday night is Sacred Space where they run a different kind of alternative prayer each week, it is later in the evening and seems like a great way to unwind and I am excited to experience new things. Wednesday night alternates between the Main Meeting of the Christian Union and the Christian Union's Acts of Random Kindness, and finally Thursday nights are Jesus Jam which is a fantastic mix of worship, bible study and discussion and I cannot wait to keep going.

Today some of the Christian Union took a trip out to the Manley Mere Assualt Course, which was basically like a big obstacle course, but you had the choice of whether or not you did each obstacle (check out their website here: http://www.manleymere.co.uk/id12.html) I loved this event because I feel like I bonded a lot with the girls I was walking around with and was able to support them and encourage them (and them for me) even though I didn't know them that well and wasn't really an established member of the group.

The next few weeks are gearing up to be a nice mix of busy and awesome. This week will be another week of school, but the next week the 15th through the 19th will be Vision Week where all the Chapel groups get together and have events everyday and things going on all the time and I am excited to volunteer and help out with that as much as I can plus that leads right into the trip to Dublin, Ireland that I have planned with my travel buddies. More blog posts as those things happen. Thanks for sticking with me!