First of many Manic Mondays!

Alright it really wasn't manic, actually far from it. Katherine and I decided that today we were going to try to figure out classes. I knew that I had to run by the english department at some point to pick up a packet of information and she knew that she needed to run by the philosophy department. Also we had been told that there was going to be an International Student Welcome thing. So we headed out into the cold in search of these places. First we went to Langwith where the english department is and I got my packet and also my timetable for my course. Yes course. Singular, not plural. This term I will be taking only one class, Literature in English. Thats it. Its worth one whole term's amount of credits, so that is all they will let me take. Honestly I am looking forward to this, one class monday tuesday and then thursday. Its set up differently though.

I have three different types of class setups. I have lecture, then seminar, then tutorial/movie screening. So in all my schedule actually sounds like this:

Monday lecture from 9:15 to 10:15 then again at 1:15 to 2:15.

Tuesday I have lecture again from 9:15 to 10:15.

Then wednesday I have nothing assigned.

Thursday I have seminar from 4:15 to 6:15

and then every odd friday I will have a movie screening.

tutorials are set up at my tutor's (at u of i they would be either TA's or instructors) discretion.

So this term (ten weeks) I will just be doing that. Not so bad I think.

After we went to the english department we went to the philosophy department and Katherine figured out that she was currently not enrolled in any philosophy classes. I also found us free planners. Hey they were sitting on the table with a sign saying to take them, so now we have York versions of the iBook, or basically a weekly planner with anything date-wise or information-wise in them. After that we went back to Langwith where the International Welcome thing was being held. This was a big stroke of luck, because at first I felt like we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I felt like I was a freshman again trying to hang out with the big orientation leaders or something, everyone seemed to know everyone already, but in the end there were a few who were new as well. The group is called Erasmus and you will hear a lot about them later because they are my new group of friends.

But back to the meeting, well Katherine and I sat down and started to chat with a few of the people there. I talked to a girl from Germany named Claudia about school and what I was studying and everything and she told me that she was actually working not studying in York. We also learned about this Treasure hunt they were going to put on later in the City Center and because Katherine and I needed to still pick up some basic food essentials we said that we would come back later for the treasure hunt.

I honestly didn't really want to go back, I wanted to instead go back to my room and curl up and watch a movie or read or do something solitary...but Katherine thought it sounded like fun and so I decided to go as well.

We went to the grocery store and I picked up lunchmeat, some grapes, diet coke, milk, greek yogurt, and a microwavable rice thing. I thought that this would last me a couple of days, and it has...sorta. We then both went back to our dorms so that we could put the stuff away and then meet up to go back to Langwith.

Skipping to the treasure hunt...when Katherine and I got back to the Erasmus welcome room there was a slightly larger group. We sat down next to a girl named Maria from Cornell University and began chatting with her. A few minutes later three other girls joined us. These three are from Norway and they are Siv, Marie, and Suzanne. This was our group for the treasure hunt. Our goal was to answer all the questions as we went around a already mapped route through the city center. We would not have a guide, or anyone to help us. It was just up to us. So everyone headed down via bus (sadly these buses are not free) and we started off.

We had two hours to do the whole thing, but it ended up only taking us about an hour and ten minutes. We worked well as a team, with Katherine and I's prior knowledge of the city, and the Fantastic Norwegians energy to win we knew we had it in the bag. The quest started us off of Parliament square and ended us at the minster, but we didn't just go straight there. No we went through the shambles, over the bridge a few times, to Clifford's Tower and also the Kings Manor. Now we finished the whole thing after the first group...but their guide to their starting position also went with then through the whole thing, while we told Chris (our guide) to leave so we wouldn't cheat. After turning in our answers we set off for dinner at a pub Suzanne had noticed on our way back to the Minster. It was called The Hole in the Wall and was quite cozy. They had a good menu and good tea. They also had a fireplace! Which was the reason Suzanne noticed it in the first place. We all chatted and ate and passed paper around to get phone numbers and facebook names so that we could stay connected and all that. After we ate we headed back to meet everyone else so that we could catch the bus...but of course they had left. So we called the guy in charge and he walked back to get us...nice guy and all that. We found out then that we were also the winners of the contest by one point. I now have a large box of shortbread sitting on my shelf waiting for a chance for all of us to get together to eat them.

When we got back to campus the Norwegians had to leave, but the rest of us, after dropping stuff at rooms, went to a campus pub called The Courtyard. There we sat and talked until it looked like they were cleaning up. After that, back to dorms to sleep.

Because of Erasmus I have now met and become friends with some really interesting and fun people. I have found a niche and I am glad that I have.