Mark Does America

Mark Does Minneapolis

2005-10-25T06:30:00.000+01:00

And I choose to recount my time there in the form of pictures!

I'll slam the rest under links as not to clog up your page with pictures.

Skyscraper #1

Walk

Nature & Commerce

Spoon & Cherry

Skyscraper #2

Crossing

Love

Next stop - Boston in mid November. Then Chicago for Thanksgiving. And I arrive home on the 24th of December.

When I put it like that, I don't really have that much longer here. I'm going to make sure I enjoy it, I'll tell you that. School is going okay - some subjects I'm acing, others I'm not as well. It's taken me a while to get used to the system here - for my first year of university in England, I had to write essays. Lots of them. And I got good at it. Here, there's more of an emphasis on testing, which I haven't done since I was sixteen, and then barely. I can make up anything next semester back in England though, which is reassuring.

All in all, I am enjoying my time here.

Long Overdue Photo Post

2005-10-10T07:38:00.000+01:00

Flying over Iceland. This was the second leg of my London-Reykjavik, Reykjavik-Minneapolis flight. The sky just looked beautiful.

The Chippewa River. I walk past this thing every day now, and it's beautiful. It's got a lot fuller now it's Autumn. Here's a view downstream.

Downtown Eau Claire. Just your typical Midwestern town.

Did I mention I went up in a plane over the town? I stayed with some Host Friends a few days before starting school, Mark and Liz. Mark works is a doctor at the local hospital, and his partner Perry owns a light aircraft. So we went up for a spin! Here's a view of the river again. I even got to fly the plane for a little bit! That was awesome. Don't worry, I didn't touch any of the TEN THOUSAND SCARY CONTROLS. Here's Mark and Liz, though that's probably not the best picture of them. Mark, as well as sharing my name, likes to take a lot of pictures too. These are my favourite of the many photos he took: The river, crop circles, and downtown EC.

L-R: Perry, Mark and me.

(This is me indulging my arty side.)

My dorm room! Yeah, I know how to make a bed.

The apparent cleanliness of my desk belies the terror that resides behind!

Oh, you want some photos of me? Alright. Here I am playing with all my new toys, and riding in the back of a pickup truck. Truly, I am living the American Dream.

This really was overdue. Rest assured, I'm going to take a lot more.

Well, It's Certainly Been A While.

2005-10-05T05:07:00.000+01:00

Yup. I've let this thing slide, I know.

School has been crazy busy. I've had reports, assignments and papers being written left right and centre. But the work's interesting, so that's good. The campus here is pretty huge, and pretty pretty. So to speak. I still haven't investigated everything it has to offer. Socially, I've been hanging out with some good friends I've made, which has been good. I'm planning on doing updates more often, now I'm into the general swing of things here. So fret not! I will be updating.

Tomorrow, I'm going to have a go at using the bus system here, what with it being free and all. Maybe see some more of the town. The weather has been really weird - torrential rain one minute - humidty the next. And I'm assured it's going to get cold. Really cold. Stupidly cold. So, I'm cursing the weather with one hand and also enjoying it while it lasts with the other, if that makes any sense.

And I will post some photos on here. When I get a chance, and I figure out how to deal with them in Windows 2000.

But yes, I'm alive! And all is well. More coming soon, I assure you.

Ice

2005-09-21T05:55:00.000+01:00

I've noticed more than a few things different from the UK in this country. For this blog update, however, I've chosen to concentrate on ice.

Now, I don't know how it is in other countries, but we don't place a lot of importance on ice in England. Over here, it appears to be a big deal. Pretty much everyone that gets a drink from one of the machines in the cafeteria fills the glass half full with ice. Which I don't really get, seeing as how the drink's freezing to start with, and you're going to drink it in less than fifteen minutes anyway. The thing's not going to boil up, for crying out loud. I went out to eat in a restuarant last week, and whilst the food was good, they filled my glass of water pretty much to the top with ice. I tell you, it was weird.

Perhaps it's because I don't have much experience with ice machines, and as such always approach one with trepidation. I made the foolish mistake of putting the ice in after the drink the first time I had a go at it. SPLASH CITY! Ah well, I'm foreign, I can get away with that sort of thing. On the other hand, this my be indicative of a deeper difference between the UK and the US, that how in one culture you can get anything you want, but less so in the other.

Far more likely is that I just wasted a few minutes of your time with an pointless update about ice! Hooray!

The Great Postcard Caper of 2005

2005-09-14T19:49:00.000+01:00

I need help from all of you. As you can imagine, my dorm room is looking more than a little bare. Right above my head, however, there is a pinboard just waiting to have things stuck on it. What sort of things, you ask?

POSTCARDS.

And thus begins The Great Postcard Caper of 2005!

If you can spare the change for a postcard of your town - the lamer the better - or of anything at all, please send me a postcard to stick on my wall! I need your help to decorate my room. In return, I will either send you a postcard from sunny and beautiful Eau Claire, or something else that I haven't quite decided on yet. On top of this, you will receive my eternal gratitude and hugs. I will post a picture of the finished pinboard when I've got all the postcards, and I'll update as to the progress of the board as and when I add things to it.

The best postcard will win a special prize. Quite what determines best is entirely in your hands, so go crazy.

My all-important address is on this page somewhere, but here it is one more time:

Mark Higgins
301-B Governors Hall
640 Hilltop Circle
Eau Claire, WI
54701-6196
USA

I can't wait to get what's coming to me. As long as it's postcards.

Change of Contact

2005-09-06T20:49:00.000+01:00

After it's little excursion into the Chippewa River, my cell phone has given up the ghost. However, I now have a landline in my room! So if you feel any sort of need to call me, it's:

+1/001 (715) 855-4136

grey for international callers

I had my first classes today, and they're all going pretty well. Just introductions, etc. I expect it'll get more interesting in the next week or so, but I'm not complaining. In fact, I have to dash to one now!

I Knew There Was Something I Meant To Do

2005-09-05T00:02:00.000+01:00

<natali> mark, so why no blog posts?

A question posed to me but minutes ago by a friend. And it's a pretty good question, I'd agree. I've been here a good week, and a great deal has happened, and I haven't had the decency to update my blog! The shame! THE HORROR!

I've been so busy this past week it hasn't even been funny. I won't bore you with the myriad details of my flights (Norwegians everywhere, Iceland is vast and empty, my feet got cold). My experience with my host family can be summed up in one word - amazing. My room was sparse, but with the arrival of my room mate - and a vast quantity of stuff as well - it's beginning to look a lot like home for the next four months.

Class starts on Tuesday. I've been here since Friday last. So, here's a brief list of things I've done.

Been to a bar (or two)
Shaken more hands than I ever have in my life
Forgotten pretty much everyone's names instantly
Been to a keg party
Been canoeing
Removed a virus from my computer
Capsized a canoe (that was today, and it was awesome.)
Got lost in the Mall of America and bought far too many things (I don't know how that happened.)
Slept. Briefly.

Aming other things. But those are the main ones.

So, I keep getting asked what my first impressions of America are. Firstly, it's big. It's somewhat cliched to say that, but it's so true. The people are friendly to the point of being creepy. People are punctual, and woe betide you if you arrive three minutes late, because you've missed the boat sonny jim. On the whole though, it's been more than awesome. I've been a little homsesick at times, but I've been emailing and phoning my family regularly which has been really helpful. The food's alright, I'm able to eat vegetarian quite easily so far. I've made several acquaintances, which has been cool, and I'm looking forward to meeting more when my course starts.

So. All downhill from here.

Hit Me Back, Just To Chat

2005-08-31T17:33:00.000+01:00

Postal Address:

Mark Higgins
301-B Governors Hall
640 Hilltop Circle
Eau Claire, WI
54701-6196
USA

Cell Phone Number:

(715) 864 3807

I'm Here.

2005-08-28T01:22:00.000+01:00

For now, that's all. I'm healthy, happy, and in America.

Proper post coming when I'm actually online.

All Packed Up, With Somewhere To Go

2005-08-25T22:55:00.000+01:00

So. It's come to this.

My case is over in the corner, heavy enough to kill a man, packed and locked up. Save for my MP3 plater and phone chargers, my bag (complete with giant bottle of water) is ready to go. I've even got clean clothes and everything.

My new laptop is loaded, charged and ready to go. I've got my passport, ticket, visa, forms, everything all sorted on the table, ready to pick up and grab. First flight is at 1300. I arrive in Minneapolis at 1755. Eleven hours and two flights will pass between these two times.

I'll see you on the other side.

Two Days To Go

2005-08-24T11:41:00.000+01:00

As you can imagine, getting everything sorted is a fraught and amusing process.

- I've said goodbye to pretty much all my friends, which is why I've been so busy jetting around the country. It's been hectic to say the least, but there was no way I could go without seeing them.

- I have a pile of papers on the table that I need to go through/photocopy/take with me. I'm bound to lose something, I just know it.

- Because I'm a sensible lad, and because several people have been getting on my case about it, I'm going to the chiropractor tomorrow in order to work out just what is wrong with my back. Hopefully, he won't crack it about too much. I've probably just got a couple of bones out of place.

- I'm being forced to get a haircut before I go. I hope you're happy now, Jill!

- I need to reconfirm my flight. Hang on a sec.

...

Sorted! And I don't have to re-check in my baggage at Reykjavik, which will hopefully give me time to nip outside and take some photos. The landscape around the airport is supposed to be stunning, and I just bought a stupidly awesome camera for my trip, and hopefully a great deal beyond.

- And then there's packing. Oh my, there's packing. I don't even want to touch on that right now.

Other than all that, I'm pretty sorted. And it's finally kicking in that I'm moving for four months to another country. Which may seem like a short time, but I've never lived away from home before. And this is going to be away from home. A small part of me doesn't want to go. Fortunately, that part of me is being crushed by the rest of me that's extremely excited, if a little nervous. I'd say it's all come on too soon, but it really hasn't. I just haven't been paying attention.

This Time Next Week

2005-08-19T14:59:00.000+01:00

…I’ll be on my way to America. The enormity of this has not quite sunk in yet, you’ll all be pleased to hear.

As such, this week has entailed me running up and down the length and breadth of this country to say hello and goodbye to a good number of my friends who I won’t see until my return, quite possibly until the New Year. I realise it’s not actually a great deal of time, but I feel the distance and six hour time difference will play a large part in my feeling disconnected. I don’t doubt that at several points, I will feel very homesick. However, I’m always going to have in mine just what a fantastic opportunity this is for me, and I’m going to damn well get the best out of it.

As for preparations, I have to buy a suitcase. That’s fairly urgent. All my papers are in order, but I need to get some American currency to last me until I can find an ATM, or whatever else I need to do. I’m hoping pretty much everywhere will accept Visa, really. Right now, it’s a case of tying up loose ends, and making sure I don’t forget anything. Which I will.

I’ve already forgotten what I was going to post here. Hmm.

Check One Two

2005-07-28T18:12:00.000+01:00

Since this whole shebang got started, I’ve been looking back and forth at my by now well-thumbed American Exchange Student Handbook. I was given this at the very first meeting, and it pretty much has everything I need to know about the exchange in it. At the back, there’s a checklist of everything I need to do before I fly to America. If I can check everything off on that, I’m sorted. So with less than a month to go before I land in Minneapolis, I thought I should probably go have a quick look it.

I can pretty much check everything off on there, but there are a few things I can’t.

10. Spoken to Catherine Bedford in Finance and arranged to pay your accommodation/tuition fees to The University of Winchester during your absence?

Now, here’s where it gets tricky. This exchange is bed-for-bed, which means that I pay for the American exchange student’s bed in Winchester, and they pay for mine at UWEC. However, as I live at home and commute to university, and don’t normally pay that sort of fee, it’s an extra thing to remember. I also need to work out how and when they want paying. I was told they’d get in contact with me, but I decided to fire an email off anyway. They told me they’ll get in touch soon. Sorted!

14. Ensured that you will have adequate funding for your time in America and have evidence to support this?

Hmm. I’ve been doing a lot of overtime lately, meaning I should have an extra £700 (roughly $1200) in my August pay packet, which will arrive just before I head off. That’s going to help. I also have about £3000 ($5300) in savings. Plus student loans, coming in September I believe. So yeah, I think I’ll be okay.

16. Checked that your cash/credit/debit cards can be used in America?

Totally. Now, this might look like a shameless plug, seeing as how I work for them and all, but Nationwide Building Society are the only UK financial institution that won’t charge you to use your card abroad. Most banks will charge a commission for any cash withdrawals made abroad, typically 2.5%, but Nationwide doesn’t. Of course, the individual machine might make a charge, but at least I won’t be paying any commission if I want to get cash out. Though, as I have a Visa card, I’ll be using that as much as possible. I can manage all my money online as well. The only problem would be if someone tries to give me a cheque in dollars, but that’s not really very likely.

21. Checked your luggage allowance with your airline or travel agents?

This I haven’t done either, but I’m sure I’ll be fine. I wasn’t planning on taking a lot of stuff – just the essentials, and I’ll buy anything I need over there. Like a stereo. And a cheap acoustic guitar, probably, because I doubt I’ll be able to go four months without being able to pay music.

So that’s that. Just a few more things to do, but mostly I’m set.

Actually, where on earth are my tickets?

A List Of Updates

2005-07-22T09:35:00.000+01:00

Much like Ronseal, this post will do exactly what it says on the tin.

- I know where I'm going to be living next year on campus - Governors Hall. I can't remember if it was my first choice, or second, but I'm not really fussed. I'm in room 301, which looks a lot like this. Fairly sparse, but it'll be home for nearly four months. I'm sure I'll learn to love it.

- On top of this, I know who my roommate is. He emailed me earlier in the week to say hi, and ask if I needed anything for the room, had any questions. I'm planning on purchasing all the necessary big things when I'm over there, and travelling as light as possible.

- I know what courses I'm going to be doing. To whit;

North American Indians
Structure of the English Language
The Vietnam War
Social Class and Inequality

Not a bad lot, really. There's something of everything there, so I'm sure I'll be busy. I have a long list of books I need to rent/purchase, which I think I sort when I'm in America. My timetable's not too bad either: 4:30-5:45 every Monday and Thursday, and 9:30-10:45, 11:00-12:15, 4:00-5:15 every Tuesday and Thursday. Which means I've rather handily bagged Fridays off. Awesome.

- I just called the Student Loans company to make sure I'll be getting my loan in the right place come September, as it's all being paid directly into bank accounts now rather than cheques. This is good, because I’ll be three thousand miles away from a paying in slip at the time.

- I also dropped my phone company a ring, and gave my thirty days notice to cancel my contract. I'll probably buy a phone out there, and use my UK number for emergencies, and keeping in touch while I'm between airports, etc on the way over.

I will be in America in thirty six days. That's five weeks, today.

Eeps.

Done And Done

2005-06-27T13:41:00.000+01:00

I am now in possession of a US visa. The final stage is complete.

I’m coming to America!

Following my friend Celia’s instructions (who had been there a few weeks previous), I was able to find the US Embassy in London without too much hassle, despite both of my trains being delayed. So that was a little panicky. But no, I made it in time to stand in a queue outside the Embassy itself for about half an hour. Rather inappropriately, ‘American Idiot’ by Green Day came on the radio I was listening to, just before I headed in to get my bag x-rayed. I’m still not sure whether that was good or bad omen, but it made me laugh anyway.

Once inside, I took a number and sat down for about half an hour again, until my number was called. I then went to a window, thrust all my forms at the man, and was fingerprinted. With that much excitement, I needed a breather, which was just as well considering that I had to wait two more hours for the second part of the interview. After that eternity of trying and failing to understand the Su Doku puzzle in the paper, I presented myself at another window, where I was told everything was fine and my visa was sorted.

Phew.

Despite the waiting, it was all very organised, and sorted relatively quickly. Some people with more complex applications were there all day, I think. And it was a lovely day in London as well.

So that’s that. Now, I just have to think about getting to Eau Claire. I’m going to book my place on the shuttle from Minneapolis in a minute, and email my host family when I’ll be arriving.

A Sudden Sense Of Enormity

2005-06-10T09:57:00.000+01:00

That's right. I'm going to America in but a few short months. So what's been happening since my last post?

Not a lot, really. Forms are all in, I've had my final meetings with the people at Winchester, and that's it from then. It's all on me from now on. There was a professor from Wisconsin at my university, so I met her and discussed things I'd been thinking about - campus life, how close it is to major cities, transport and so forth. Which put my mind even more at ease. I also found out who my host family are going to be! I’ll be staying with them for a few days in Eau Claire before I start school, so it was nice to find out who they were. Mark & Elizabeth are a doctor and a nurse, with two dogs and no kids. Rather marvellously, they’re vegetarian. I’m going to try and eat as vegetarian as I can in America in a desperate bid to stay healthy. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of red meat.

Other than that little lot, it’s all about the visa interview. I’ve nearly got everything together – just have to get some photos for the visa itself, which are a very odd shape. 2” x 2” doesn’t seem quite normal to me, but apparently that’s the standard size for American passport photos, so that would make sense. My interview is on Monday the 20th at 11.00AM. I am prepared for a lengthy wait, but it should all go according to plan. I’ll keep you informed of the events. I'm sure they'll be scintillating!

Somebody Ring The Alarm, A Fire In The Room

2005-05-11T17:22:00.000+01:00

It was all going swimmingly well. Interview booked, forms filled, sorted. That is, until I find out that one of my end-of-year exams is on the very same day… that I had booked my visa interview. Seriously, that’s stupidly coincidental. To make things worse, I found this out on Monday, but wasn’t able to do anything about it until today because I was away, and all the forms were at home.

So I ring them up today (at £1.30 a freakin’ minute), press the buttons to get through the menus, until I hear this:

“I’m sorry we cannot answer your call at present, but the Embassy has been evacuated because of a security alert.”

I’m not sure whether I was more disturbed at the fact that there was a security alert, or because they have a special message for that. I guess it must happen a lot. Anyway, I called back later, and got through to yet another Scottish woman, who was able to book me another interview on the 20th of June, after I get back from holiday. Which is plenty of time, seeing as I don’t set sail (metaphorically speaking) until the 26th of August. It takes about five days for it to come through, so I’m set. Which reminds me – I have to nip along to Barclays at some point and pay the £60 visa charge. Evidently, they want to make sure only people with money (or disposable student loans) get into their country.

Snowballing

2005-05-07T14:13:00.000+01:00

Right. I've recovered form the madness of last week, and have decided to update this thing. I'm quite certain you've all been waiting for that...

First things first. Before I could do anything, I had to pay a mysterious SEVIS fee of $100. I'm still not entirely sure why, but hey, who am I to argue with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement department? Certainly not someone who wants a visa. So with the under my belt, I phoned up the US Embassy in London to book my visa interview appointment. The earliest I could get was June 2. And even then, I have to sit around for four hours or so, as they give the appointment to a load of people at once. Again, who am I to judge the logic in this? Recommendations of good books below, please…

After this, I was free to fill in a couple thousand visa forms, all of which were extremely inflexible PDF files. Filled them online, printed them off, ready to go. I do need to get a 2x2” photo at some point, a size I don’t believe I’ve ever seen. Need to look into that. Oh, and I have to pay £60 for the interview. And another tenner on top of that to get my passport back, once they’re done sticking things in it. I’m telling you, they don’t make it easy.

That’s the visa side, anyway. I don’t have to worry too much more about that until June, when I assure you I will not be this calm and collected. Rather more interesting are the UWEC forms I had to fill in. Well, aside from the meal plan form. That wasn’t very interesting at all. But, I did get to choose my accommodation! Technically, we could pick anywhere, but only two sets of halls are open during holidays. Now, I have planned to go to Chicago at Thanksgiving, but in the unlikely even there’s a problem with that, I’d prefer not to be living on the street. So, I present my first choice for accommodation. It looks pretty cool, the rooms are alright. Perhaps most importantly, it has a nice fast internet connection. I expect my views of it are going to be shaped more by the people there, though.

So it’s all coming together, slowly but surely. As a random aside, I’m going to France for a few days at the end of July. All I had to do was buy a plane ticket, and I’m sorted. If only getting into America was that easy.

It Never Rains...

2005-04-29T11:54:00.000+01:00

Just got a pack from UWEC.

I-20 forms.

Visa forms.

Residence Hall forms.

Meal plan forms.

After a month of nothing, I am officially snowed under. And I've got a week to get all this sorted. No pressure... First thing to do - pay a SEVIS fee of $100. They seem to like $100 payments in the US, for some reason. I suppose I would too, if I was given the option.

I'll do a proper update when I'm not IMMERSED IN A SEA OF FORMS.

All Quiet On The Midwestern Front

2005-04-20T17:29:00.000+01:00

I’ll let you revel in the wittiness of that title for a second. Okay, that’s probably too much.

The reason I haven’t updated since… however long ago it was, is because nothing much has happened. I handed in all my forms, went off on my Easter break, and… nothing. I can’t apply for my visa until I get the forms back from UWEC (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire), so that pretty much means I have nothing to do except twiddle my thumbs.

Until last night! When I received an email from UWEC, about the Host Family/Friend Program. For a few days before I start school in America, I can go and stay with a family to get acclimatised to America. Here’s the form I had to fill in. For ‘special interests, hobbies’ and ‘talents you’d like to share’ I put down my musical leanings. I also requested a large family, if possible. I think it would be fascinating – or mildly diverting, at the least – to stay with a large American family, see how they interact. Probably not a lot different from my own, family, I imagine. But, it’s something I think I’ll enjoy taking part in.

And now? You guessed it. Back to the waiting. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? I promise you, I’ll update this every day when I’m in America to make up for the chronic lack of updates.

Recent Events

2005-03-14T12:59:00.000Z

Stuff has been going on. I really should have updated, but I was so busy filling in those forms. I'll try to make this brief!

Last week, I had to pick my courses, fill in forms, get $100 in a money order, etc etc. It's all done. Why they need everything quite so early, I wouldn't like to guess. I've given them everything they've asked for, and then some, so that's all good.

On Saturday, I went to buy my flight! Yes, I realise this is also very early to be buying plane tickets, but the flight was so cheap I couldn't say no. £252 after all the taxes and the student card I needed to buy, one way to Minneapolis. Which is a mighty nice bargain, I must say. And the best thing? I get to go to Iceland. London-Reykjavik, Reykjavik-Minneapolis. Admittedly, I'm only going to be there for an hour and a half, but still. That's a nice story to tell at parties.

And now, it all goes a bit quiet. I can’t apply for my visa until I get an I-20 form from Eau Claire. So we now play the waiting game, again. It seems this experience is made up of long periods of waiting, then mad flurries of action. It’s interesting.

Deadline The First

2005-03-06T23:24:00.000Z

So, I have to pick my courses, fill in a bunch of forms, and hand it all in on Friday.

I can do that. I think.

Of course, this isn't to mention the fact that I also have to get travel insurance for my stay in America by Friday as well. Now, this wouldn't be a huge deal, but I don’t actually know when I’m flying out. So, I figured, let’s stay on the safe side and get 01 Aug 2005-31 Dec 2005. Then I’ll be covered whatever I choose to do. Because you just know something will happen if I fly out without insurance for that date. I went for as comprehensive cover as I could get, as well. I don’t want to be hit with $25,000 worth of medical bills, as happened to my friend Ben when he was hit with a surprise appendectomy in LA last year – his insurance only covered the first $900 dollars. “Do you want to pay by card or cheque, Sir?” No, I could do without that. So hopefully that’s £163.74 well spent. I’m bound to fall in Lake Michigan or something while I’m there.

The marvellous people at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire also want a $100 deposit, which I’ll get back when I arrive. No big problem, except it has to be in the form of an International Money Order, which costs me £10 from my bank. And it has to come by post. I hope it turns up soon. The exchange rate is so awesome at the moment that $100 = £52. I couldn’t ask for a better rate. Let’s hope it stays that way, so my money goes a lot further over there.

I have an appointment with the person in charge of this tomorrow, so hopefully that’ll clear up any problems I still have. I’ll let you know what courses I’ve chosen in due course – I haven’t got a clue at the moment. The modules I choose over there have to be “relevant to your degree course at Winchester”. Well, I do American Studies. Does that make everything relevant?

I Got On, I Am In, I Am Coming To America

2005-03-02T10:41:00.000Z

I have been accepted for the American Exchange. I am extremely happy right now, as you can imagine.

If we're being honest here, I always thought I would get on, considering how the interview and my application went. But there’s always that nagging doubt I have in the back of my head - what if my application got lost? What if I made some really inappropriate statement in the interview that I completely forgot about? But no, I have it in writing. I’m going to America – more specifically, Wisconsin. And I can’t wait.

So here it really gets rolling. Up until now, it’s been up in the air. Now it’s happening. I have to go pick up and information pack from about 12:00 onwards, which I shall enjoy going through with a fine toothcomb. There’s a timetable as to how it all works, but that’s at home, and I’m too excited to remember what happens when, how and where. It’s going to be fun finding out, though.

I repeat - I am coming to America. The prophecy of this blog shall be fulfilled. It’s going to be fun finding out how.

Interview InterReview

2005-02-24T18:24:00.000Z

Firstly, I must apologise for the terrible wordplay above.

Secondly, the interview went really well! I was charming, I was eloquent, I was on form. Every question they asked me (and they even asked some taxing ones about module units that you'd only know if you had read the booklet back to front like I did), I was able to give a good answer to. The only stumbling block was they wanted to know how I'd cope abroad, as I was living at home and this would be my first time living independently. But I think I gave a pretty good answer. Can't remember what it was for the life of me now, but I would if I had messed it up.

Should find out tomorrow if I've got on - there'll be a letter in my pigeon hole, again. I'll keep you posted. This is all very exciting.

Interview In T-Minus 44 Minutes

2005-02-23T13:10:00.000Z

And guess what? I totally forgot to bring all my stuff with me.

This isn't a major problem, as I don’t need any of it for the interview. However, I was going to look through it all at lunch (which I’ve just got back from; read Fight Club instead) just to make sure I knew what I was doing. So it’s thrown me. Had to text my sister to double check the slip that said when the interview was, because though I know it was today at 2:00PM, I tend to think I’ve got it wrong if I can’t double check. Welcome to the anxious thing that is my mind.

So fifteen minutes. That’s all. I can handle that – hell, I’ll charm the pants off them. I think, if we run by the schedule in the hand book, I should find out by the end of the week if I’ve been accepted. It’ll probably be delayed to next week though. But I can wait.

Stand by for all the gory details later.

Really Doing America

2005-02-17T14:06:00.000Z

The worry of the interview lays heavy on my mind. I’m sure I’ll be fine, but I’ll still worry. I do that. So, in between looking for books about hypnotism on Amazon, I thought I’d update the ol’ blog.

I was thinking about what I could do before I go to school in America. At the Exchange Fair, right at the beginning, there was a girl who said she had gone around America, travelling across the country and taking in all the sites, before and after school. I was thinking I could do something similar. If all my plans come together and I can do a ton of overtime, money should be a huge problem, especially considering how strong the pound is against the dollar at the moment. So, I had a look on a flight checking website. If I wanted to spend a week travelling the country, I could go London-New York City, New York City-Washington D.C., Washington D.C.-Chicago, and Chicago to Eau Claire for £589.10. That’s pretty amazing, considering a plain return flight to Eau Claire costs about that. So that’s definitely a possibility. What would be even more awesome would be if I could get a couple of other people going to Eau Claire to come with me, rather than going alone. And on the way back, I could do the West Coast – Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas, wherever. Anything is possible!

It’s definitely something to look into.

I Got An Interview!

2005-02-11T14:31:00.000Z

Phew. That was anxiety filled lecture. I wasn’t really paying attention to what was being said – I was worrying about whether a letter with my name was being slipped into my pigeonhole, and the contents thereof.

So I pick up the letter, do a little dance around the Cultural School foyer, and feel very happy indeed. I got myself an interview, y'all! One less thing to worry about now, I guess. Very official looking it was too.

I then scampered up to Registry to book an interview slot. The slots offered were Tuesday morning, Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon. I went for Wednesday afternoon. I figured the interview panel (it's three people - gulp) would be fresh at the beginning of a day rather than at the middle or the end. Also, Tuesday is my day off, and as I go in every other day, I don't particularly want to go to Uni when I don't have to.

So, 14:00 on Wednesday 23rd of February. I'm pretty good with interviews - I'm a good talker. And it's fifteen minutes long, which I can fill easily. I've done all my research, and I practically know the booklet inside out by now. Still, I'll prepare some more. No notes or anything like that, but if I have it all sorted in my head for any possible questions they might throw at me, that'll help.

Application done, interview gained. Two down, one to go.

The Anticipation Is Killing Me.

2005-02-10T18:33:00.000Z

And once again, news comes in an email. Hooray for technology!

Dear All

Many thanks for your application for the 2005/06 American Exchange programme. We have now assessed each of the applications and you should expect a letter in your student pigeon hole from tomorrow after 11:00am confirming if you have been offered an interview or not.

This is going to be anarchy. 90% of the people that will be applying for this exchange are in the School of Cultural Studies at my university. So god knows how many people will be converging on 26 very small trays to find out if they have a letter. Quite why they're reverted to paper for this I don't know - it would be considerably easier to send out an email to each applicant at 11:00. Maybe they're having fun increasing the tension. Well, we'll see.

I have a lecture in the 9-12 slot tomorrow, but it should end at about 11. If I'm lucky. I can't believe I'm getting this worked up over an interview confirmation, for goodness sake. They're dragging this whole thing out too long for my liking.

You all saw my personal statement, right? I thought it was good, and I'm known to over-analyse stuff like this way too much. Still, I'm very anxious about this. I'll let you know what happens, as always.

When News Attacks

2005-01-26T13:32:00.000Z

I'm not sure what to think about this.

If you are still interested in applying for a place on the American Exchange programme and are worried that you missed the deadline, please feel free to contact me to arrange an alternative hand-in date. Obviously as it is the assessment period at the moment, many of you are not on-campus to hand the form in, so in light of this, we are exceptionally accepting late applications for a short time only.

On one hand, it pisses me off that they're accepting applications from people after the deadline. On the other hand, this means that they haven't had many applicants. Which is good in one way, that I'm more likely to get a place, but it could also mean that they won't run the exchange because of lack of interest.

Whilst I mull this over in my head, I'll leave you with that passport picture I said I was going to post. It looks much worse in the passport itself, believe me.

Why Wisconsin?

2005-01-23T16:14:00.000Z

A lot of people have asked me this question when I tell them I should be going to America later this year. Some of them with interest, others with confusion, others with out-and-out disdain. So, here's my explanation, which I sort of worked out with Jamie, who helped me arrive at this conclusion.

Ever since reading The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson, I've been fascinated by the Midwest. Most Americans find this rather strange, but it's true. It seems to me to be the real America - as Jamie pointed out, states like Ohio have almost always picked the winning President in every election. I'm not suggesting that this is a good thing, but it suggests that the Midwest is typical of 'America' as a whole. The other options for the exchange are Oregon and Maine. Now, I'm sure these are very nice states, but I couldn't really tell you much about them other than their locations. (Over on the left, and up the top on the east, incidentally) Wisconsin, specifically Eau Claire, may not be the first place you'd want to visit in America, but out of the three it's the one that appealed to me.

The proximity of Wisconsin to a number of other states appealed as well. I have a friend in Chicago I'd like to visit, plus I wouldn't mind hitting Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and maybe even Canada, as it's close. Who knows? It gives me a window of opportunities.

In short, Wisconsin hold a perculiar appeal to me. I want to see America, and I can't help but think I'll see it there. My pre-conceptions of it, at least.

Good News, Everyone!

2005-01-20T19:22:00.000Z

Just got this email:

Apparently there have not been a great many applications for the American Exchange so far - if you are interested, please get your application in pronto. If you hadn't considered it, but think you might be keen now, get an application form from the Registry counter in MB. Incidentally, with fewer applicants you stand a better chance.

This is very good news indeed.

The Joy of Stats

2005-01-18T17:12:00.000Z

I get the feeling that until I get confirmation that I have/haven't got an interview for the Exchange, this blog will be filled with a number of marginally diverting but ultimately unrelated posts. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. That's a pretty tall order, mind you.

So, the first of these concerns site statistics. On setting up this blog in its new guise, I noticed that Natali had a neat little counter at the bottom of her blog. So, like the thieving cad I am, I went and got one myself. And I must say, StatCounter do a pretty good job.

Onto the stats. It seems that most of my visitors are coming from my LiveJournal, or from Echoing the Sound, a message board I frequent. What's somewhat more disturbing is that I've had 326 hits, of which 194 are unique visits. Holy crap.

And this is before today, when I went around submitting my site to Google, adding my site to directories, and adding many a meta tag. And why, you ask? So I can type in 'Mark Does America' on Google and have it come up as the first result. That would be awesome.

But the thing that made my day? That fact that someone, somewhere in the world, found my site by searching on MSN for - and I quote - "how america got it's name?"

So, for that lone searcher, the answer is here.

Application Handed In

2005-01-17T19:24:00.000Z

After about five differents drafts of my personal statement, and filling in the paper using my very best handwriting, today I handed in my application for the American Exchange.

It is, quite literally, out of my hands now.

All I can do it wait until February 11, when the confirmation of interviews will be sent out. With so much effort put into my application, I will be exceptionally upset if I don't at least get an interview.

So. The waiting begins.

The Horror of Passport Photos

2005-01-07T15:38:00.000Z

So, I got my passport back. Which was nice, and more than a little unexpected. The last time I got a passport was... 2000, I think, for when I went to Prague. Anyway, it said that it takes about 3 weeks to process - I got it back in under a week. So I tip my cap to the Passport Office up in Newport for getting the job done.

I would post a pic of just how horrific I look in my new passport, but I don't know if that's even legal. Or safe. I might crop it at some point. Anyway, they don't just stick the photo in, as you may know, but do something to transfer it over on special paper or whatever. Result - it looks like I have a broken nose. Marvellous.

In other news, I’m planning to work the first and last weeks of the Easter holidays in order to get about £500 saved away. I think, roughly, this whole shebang is going to cost about £2500. I’m working in the summer, so that’s not a problem, and I’ve got some money tucked away in a savings account. Sorted!

Personal Statement, Version 1.1

2005-01-02T15:54:00.000Z

So, i've had another crack at it. And managed to get the word count down from about 300 to 260, which is no bad thing, seeing as I have to hand-write this onto the application form itself rather than giving a typed version. I've changed bits, re-ordered etc.

Learning is not a one-way experience. Merely attending lectures and seminars is not enough; it is the personal development and individual learning that gives value to a University degree. Spending a semester in America would be a unique opportunity to expand my horizons, to learn in a new environment, and to experience first-hand the issues discussed in my American Studies course.

Ideally, I would prefer to go to University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, because of my interest in Native American history, as well as the beauty of the countryside. I am aware of the cost of the exchange, and already have £1000 saved in preparation. I have discussed the exchange with my employer and I will be able to take a break from work for the duration of the exchange, as well as working overtime to earn money for the exchange.

Should I be successful in applying for the exchange, I will keep an extensive diary detailing not just college life, but my American experience in general. It will also include photographs and an extensive bibliography, and will serve as a record of my time spent in America.

By living in America for four months, I would become fully immersed in a culture that I have observed and been fascinated by all my life. Having never visited America previously, a semester in America would aid my studies of the country immeasurably. Aside from the unequalled opportunity of studying at an American university, on return to England the experience would stay with me, and would aid me as my degree progresses.

Many thanks to those who gave comments on the first version. I think this one is pretty much definitive - it should be good enough to secure me an interview. As always, all comments appreciated.

Concerning Visas

2004-12-28T16:48:00.000Z

Perhaps I'm getting a little ahead of myself here, but I thought I'd be prepared and look at what would be entailed in applying for a visa.

It's complicated. My God, is it complicated.

Firstly, there's a visa fee of about £60 I need to pay at Barclays Bank. But before I pay that, I have to make a mysterious payment of $100 as a SEVIS fee online. Oh, and did I mention the fact that I have to go to London for an interview at US Embassy? Even the phone number you have to call to book an appointment costs £1.30 a minute.

I'm beginning to see why America is the richest country in the world.

This is all before getting onto the forms themselves. I have to fill out three, and they're not particularly simple either. The questions are somewhat strange to my British eyes as well, and perhaps slightly paranoid. Case in point:

Do you seek to enter the United States to engage in export control violations, subversive or terrorist activities, or any other unlawful purpose? Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization as currently designated by the U.S. Secretary of State? Have you ever participated in persecutions directed by the Nazi government of Germany; or have you ever participated in genocide?

That particular question is from the DS-156 form, which can be viewed here, if you're so inclined. Needless to say, the interview, any related correspondence and whatever goes on at the airport will be a totally humour free zone. I don't want this to happen to me. Not that I'm that stupid, but you know.

Right. Back to the personal statement. Thank you to those that have given me suggestions; I'll post the second draft soon. I hope for it to be complete on the third version.

RSS Feed

2004-12-26T23:15:00.000Z

Just to say, if you have one of those nifty RSS feed viewer type things, like Sage, then the feed for this blog can be found here:

http://markdoesamerica.blogspot.com/atom.xml

EDIT: Many thanks to Natali for assisting me with this. I've also linked it on the sidebar to the left.

It's all very new and shiny. And allows you to keep up with all the details of this blog. Should you want to.

EDIT #2: I've made a number of changes to my sidebar, links and all that jazz. The next step is publicising this blog.

Personal Statement, Version 1.0

2004-12-26T18:07:00.000Z

Right. So here's my first shot. Any ideas, comments, or merely pointing out grammatical errors appreciated.

Learning is not a one-way experience. Merely attending lectures and seminars is not enough; it is the personal development and individual learning that gives value to a University degree. Spending a semester in America would be a unique opportunity to expand my horizons, to learn in a new environment, and to experience first-hand the issues discussed in my American Studies course.

By living in America for four months, I would become a part very same American culture that I have been studying in my first year at University College Winchester. Aside from the unequalled opportunity to become immersed in this culture by studying at an American university, on return to England the experience would stay with me. Having never visited America, a semester in America would aid my studies of the country invaluably. Ideally, I would prefer to go to University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, because of the Native American history of the state, and the beauty of the countryside.

In preparation for the experience of applying for the exchange, I have created an online journal (published at http://markdoesamerica.blogspot.com) where I am currently detailing the process of applying. Should I be successful in applying for the exchange, I will update this journal on a regular basis to chronicle my experiences in America, and discuss my opinions with readers. I am aware of the cost of the exchange, and already have £1,000 saved in preparation. I have discussed the exchange with my employer, and will be able to take a break from work for the duration of the exchange.

Gaining a place on the American Exchange would not only benefit me both academically and personally, but would facilitate the exchange of British and American culture. Through this, I would make an excellent ambassador for University College Winchester in all my actions.

In other news, I really need to get some passport photos done. Someone remind me to do that before the year is out.

Change Is Afoot

2004-12-24T22:24:00.000Z

From now on, this blog will be known as 'Mark Does America' rather than 'Mark Does Wisconsin'. It's a bit broader, mainly, especially seeing as I might not be going to Wisconsin. Plus, wherever I go, I'll be writing about America in general rather than just college life. So look forward to that. Oh, and I fiddled with the layout etc to make it look better. More.... learned.

EDIT: I also should note here that I half-inched the new layout for this blog from Natali, who in fact gave me the idea for creating a blog here. Ta!

In other news, I'm currently working on my personal statement to actually get on the Exchange. Some people would call it presumptous creating a blog about a trip I haven't been accepted on yet; I call it initiative. All I have so far (of the three hundred words I need) is:

"Learning is not a one-way experience."

I haven't really thought about it too much yet, to be honest. The deadline's January 21. Any help would be much appreciated.

American Exchange Fair

2004-12-08T19:46:00.000Z

So, the first meeting got underway today. The process starts here.

We registered (not sure why), picked up the handbook for the whole thing – ‘American Exchange Student Handbook 2005/06’. It’s full of very confusing and complicated stuff which I’m sure I’ll look very hard at over the coming weeks. Rather marvellously, there weren’t that many people there. Thirty people, tops. Which bodes well for my chances of getting a place.

Let’s see here. What did I learn that was important? Err, it’s going to cost me about as much as I thought. I need a new passport as mine expires next year (totally applied for a replacement online already). Going to Wisconsin isn’t definite for me, though it’s very likely. Which is nice. I need to fill in a form to hand in by the 21st of January, complete with 300 word statement of why I’ll ‘make a good ambassador for the College and how you would benefit from the exchange, both academically and personally’. Not a problem – I’ll knock something suitably awesome off over Christmas. I’m getting on this exchange, no matter what.

At some point, I need to work out what modules I need to take when I’m in Eau Claire. All the information’s on the website, so I’ll look into that. I want a good spread of stuff that I’ll enjoy, and that won’t be too taxing for me. Also, applying for a Visa is a long, drawn out and expensive process. I have to go to the American Embassy in London and everything. A lot of administration needs to be done, but I’ll get on top of it.

Next stage: writing my statement. I’ll post drafts on here as and when I do them. Any comments gratefully received.

Coming Soon...

2004-11-22T21:27:00.000Z

Hello, and welcome to Mark Does Wisconsin!

This is a blog to chronicle the steps to the trip I should/will be taking next year, to study for a semester in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA.

All details of the application process will appear here soon, as it kicks off in a few weeks.

Stay tuned!