The Ball is Rolling

First dissertation deadline -- check! I can't believe I'm already focusing on potential topics. But it's certainly helpful to get started and to have to show progress now and I'm actually looking forward to it...I mean, I will be spending my entire summer researching and writing 10,000 words on one topic so I better be interested in it. I have another deadline in about a month for my title/topic. Once that's been approved, I will receive what my life with focus around until September. My major class (Culture and Society of the Near and Middle East) is in the Department of Anthropology so while I can focus on pretty much any topic, it will be heavily focused on the theory of that subject. Theory....oh theory...

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Heater update: Fixed! Fortunately I did not freeze another night thanks to speaking to the right people at the right time. I do believe that was a miny rant the other night but there are very few things that can actually lead me to that point and being cold unnecessarily is one of them! I am in high spirits now and ready for the weekend. Today has been a beautiful day, sunny and mild; a perfect beginning to the weekend! I've been working diligently, so I believe I will give myself the afternoon and evening off (I will most likely visit the library this weekend). I do love being a student, but there's always more reading or studying or revising that you can be doing. Even though I do work at the most random times, it's still totally worth it.

A late night

You know those nights where your mind just won't turn off? Well tonight is one of them. All I wanted was a good night's sleep. I finished up my long day of class, even did a bit of reading on the side and was looking forward to just crashing. Only to find out the heater in my flat is still broken. And it's cold. I noticed yesterday the heater lights were off and went to let the front office know. Of course the maintance man had gone home for the evening and no, they did not have access to any portable heaters they may have. Ok, fair enough, heater fixed in the morning. BUT, I find out from my flatmate that it may take up to a week to be fixed. Even though I put in the 'help ticket' I wasn't told about the outcome and nothing was said about acquiring a replacement heater in the meanwhile.

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My frustration kept increasing this evening as it was so cold I couldn't fall asleep. So, here I am, watching the Tudors and thinking about my upcoming week, reading assignments, dissertation deadline (which I'm going round and round about), beginning to train for an upcoming half marathon, relationships, and future plans. Of course I have to have it all figured out tonight! My dissertation is foremost in my thinking. There are so many topics that I'm interested in, but what am I so interested in that I can spend the entire summer researching and writing a 10,000 word document? And what of my potential advisor? It seems as though none of the potential advisors share research interests. It will all work itself out, the process to getting there is a learning experience and hopefully there won't be too many 3am nights thinking about it!

Holiday fun - Part 1 New Years

Me with my cousin, Emily and sister Erin at the Willy Wonka Chocolate Party on NYE

New Years Day Parade. Each London district could enter and this was one of the winning districts

Me and Emily in front of the kites!

New Years Day Parade events lasted the full day from breakfast in the morning to the parade to dinner and an awards presentation in the evening. Me with Erin, Emily and my flatmate Xi who we have to thank for the VIP access!

Never a dull moment

One of the great things about studying in London is it's connections to and interests in the Middle East. There are lecture series at various universities (mine university included with a weekly Tuesday night lecture series presented by the Middle East Institute) and there's never a dull moment. Excitement usually begins during the Q & A session, but once in awhile there are comments spoken quite loudly during the talks. Anyway, during the Q & A of a recent talk on Egypt's role in the Arab Spring at LSE, it came to the attention of the audience that Youssef Boutros-Ghali, a finanace minister in Mubarak's government was sitting in the audience. According to this article, he's wanted by Interpol after being convicted in Cairo on charges of corruption and profiteering. He was permitted to leave through a side door.

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I did not attend this lecture, I had just crashed after finishing 2 essays but certainly heard about it from others. Never a dull moment in the world of the Middle East.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/furore-at-lse-as-mubarakera-minister-turns-up-at-lecture-6287518.html

This is what I'm here for

So, my life has been completely and utterly consumed by grad school for the past two weeks. 7-8 hours every day last week at the library to research and complete 2 essays of 3000 words each, read 8 articles and study for an Arabic midterm all due the first week back to class. Of course the first paper is always the hardest to get started with especially since I haven't written an academic paper in 5 The deadline day was madness: long queues and jams at the printers, queues to turn in the essays and a frenzied atmosphere. Fortunately, I made the deadline with time to spare; quite a weight off my shoulders!

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Even with all of the schoolwork, the holiday break was quite eventful. Some highlights (photos to come) include:

--My sister and cousin visiting

--Visit to Edinburgh, Scotland

--Les Miserables, Wicked

--Food of the world tour: English pub, Brick Lane (Bangladeshi), Italian, Scottish (Haggis!), Japanese, Belgian

--Fireworks at midnight on New Years Eve in Leister Square and VIP tickets to the New Years Day parade

--Lots of laughs!

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The break was much needed and appreciated. But now Term 2 is in full swing and the pace has picked up! More reading to go along with beginning the dissertation process, upcoming essays and finally exams to get through. I know the term will fly by, I can't believe it's already the beginning of my last teaching term but certainly looking forward to it. Next week's topics: Politics of Revolution (Iran) and Tribes in an 'Age of Government.'

2012: The beginning of a new year

I thought about titling this entry with something about the end of 2011 but I usually prefer to look forward at New Years and to what lays ahead. 2011 was an interesting year with definite highs (traveling, my move to come back to school, and spending time with great friends) and lows (leaving great friends, moving farther away from my family, and of course the mediocre Iowa football season among more personal others).
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I enter 2012 with a lot of unknowns: the topic of my dissertation, what I'll be doing after September 15 (when I turn my dissertation in), where I'll be living. This is also exciting because it's the next phase in my life and I'm really looking forward to the direction I will go. My experience at graduate school so far has been exactly what I was looking for; a small specialized school in which students are engaged and I'm learning about the Middle East region from an anthropological perspective.
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My holiday has been eventful so far and I need to post about it! My sister has been here for a week and activities included: seeing London, Winter Wonderland Christmas market, Les Miserable and excellent Christmas Eve dinner, 2 days in Edinburgh, Scotland. And now my cousin is also here and activities included: Wicked, Camden, and Brick Lane. Upcoming activities include fish and chips, New Years Eve, New Years Day parade, and Covent Garden. It's been a full schedule but that's why it's fun to have people come and visit! Pictures and more entries will definitely follow soon.
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I know 2012 will be a stellar year with new experiences and dealing with new changes. Best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Year!

Showing some support!

My friend Lorenzo Evans has made things happen. He's created a brand for himself and has recently created the newest line dance phenomenon - Soul Food Line Dance. Dancer, Choreographer and Owner of goLo World Dance Company in the Washington DC area, Lorenzo has taught masters classes at both the Kennedy Center in DC and the Lincoln Center in NY. He has also worked with Chuck Brown, the 'Godfather of Go-Go' and opened his own dance studios in the DC area.

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Lorenzo and I met when we both worked at Smithsonian Journeys (now under Smithsonian Enterprises) together and it's been fun to hear about his adventures ever since. Lorenzo will be coming to the UK to teach a masters class in Manchester. He's featured on the cover of Linedancer Magazine http://www.linedancermagazine.com/magazine.html.

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Making a name for yourself in the dance world is very hard to do, so I want to give props to Lorenzo for continuing to make things happen and gaining international recognition for all of his hard work!

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You can see his Soul Food Line Dance here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn306f5yUcs