The Roman Baaaaths

I finally handed in my last paper, got my other two papers given back to me, presented on Melmoth the Wanderer, and presented on Northanger Abby. These past two weeks have been so busy with work and full of stress, and I am just overjoyed that it's behind me (though in six weeks I have to do it all over again). Friday and Saturday were spent exploring the beautiful city of Bath. Since Friday was Erin's birthday, we both decided not to do any work and instead go shopping. To celebrate Erin's birthday, a bunch of us (Kate, Kate, Sasha, Rachel, Cullyn, Erin & I) went to Strada. Strada was AMAZING. I got a Caprese salad and Spaghetti al Ragù.

Saturday, after doing some homework, was tourist day. First, we went to the Jane Austen Centre. As we walked up to the entrance, there was a man outside dressed in Regency clothing and it was no other than Martin (a fellow Jane Austen dancer).  The centre itself was alright and sadly the tea room was closed.  We next headed down to the Roman Baths. They were really awesome. The Roman Bath House was much larger than I thought it actually was. The baths, house, and temple are such an impressive showcase of architecture and house some amazing artifacts. One artifact is the head of the bronze statue of Sullis Minerva, the goddess to whom the temple was dedicated to. When the temple actually stood, is was located where the Bath Abby stands now.

Head of Sullis Minerva

After the Baths, Erin and I were terribly hungry and decided to go Sally Lunns for something to eat. Sally Lunns is the oldest house in Bath and the home of the original Bath bun. The Sally Lunn Bath bun should not be confused with the Bath bun, for they are two completely different buns. Sally Lunn came to Bath in 1680. The Sally Lunn bun is much larger than the Bath bun and very light and airy. These buns are usually served with different jams, butters, and/or clotted creams. I had the Jane Austen Cream Tea, which was a half a toasted Sally Lunn Bun, with their homemade raspberry spread and a ton of clotted cream. It was absolutely delicious! Now I have yet to try a Bath bun, which is suppose to be much sweeter (it has a sugar lump in the center), but it is on the list.

Today has been spent finishing Northanger Abby, preparing to teach an art lesson to the year five class (they will be drawing what they believe the future will look like in 50 years), and starting The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. On a positive note, there are only four days until mid semester break where I will be heading to Dublin, Edinburgh, & York. I cannot wait! This break marks the the half way point of my study abroad semester.  If this first half has gone by so quickly, I cannot imagine how quick the second half will go by.

Two Papers Down...

Four to go. Though three of them aren't due until the of the 15th of November. However, one is due next Monday, so I should probably start researching. The Topic: The Pros and Cons of Britain's National Curriculum and would a National Curriculum work in the United States? I have honestly been so busy with writing papers, researching/preparing for a presentation on Melmoth the Wanderer, reading Mansfield Park and Melmoth the Wanderer that this weekend was spent sitting on my bed attempting these tedious tasks. The geek in me, however, did make my usual checkoff list, and I excitedly check off each task off as I accomplished them.

Last weekend, I was able to travel to Cardiff, Wales with Rachel and Kate and spent an amazing morning by Cardiff Bay, then went to the Doctor Who exhibit, and finally experienced the annual cheese festival at the Cardiff Castle.

As for this past week, I've been consumed with papers and reading. My classes are going well, I'm really enjoying my Education and Jane Austen Classes. As for my Ghosts and the Gothic class, well its just about as much fun as British Literature I with Shea back at SMC... and that's saying something. I've also found my school placement here very different than any American school I've been placed at. While I thoroughly enjoy Tuesdays spent with the children, I'm not sure how well I like my teacher's management in the classroom. It is a very traditional structure where students are required to stay silent during their lessons. Now, this is not the ethos of every classroom in the school I'm placed in, just my teacher's. And while I think independent work for some lessons is important, I also believe that for art lessons students should be able to converse quietly with their fellow peers while creatively accomplishing their assignment. Every Tuesday I present to the students a Power Point presentation on some aspect of the United States - this I'm really enjoying. For this Tuesday, my Power Point is on American food. I am really excited about this Power Point. Yet, while creating it, I came to realize that there are major American foods that I truly miss:

• Cookies. While England has cookies (they are called biscuits here), they are not the same. These biscuits are very small hard cookies (hence the name the biscuit - honestly think of a dog biscuit). Not warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies!!!I also want Oreos!
• Pancakes and Maple Syrup: more specifically, Bisquick. Erin and I attempted to make our pancakes from scratch and for some reason it did not turn out so well. They didn't rise and become nice and fluffy, and the taste was a bit off. Also, the "maple syrup" here that we bought is not maple syrup... its
• BAGELS!Enough said. (Any SMC students who could send some Bagel Market Bagels.... I would be eternally grateful.)
• CHEAP FRESH FRUIT: I seriously miss grabbing some blueberries, strawberries, raspberries out of the container that my dad had just brought in after picking them in our fields. Also, people say that England has a great variety of apples - well, they don't have MACINTOSH APPLES. I am dying for a good crisp Macintosh. Also, the apples here, are smaller than the size of my fist. They are an embarrassment to all apple kind.
• S'mores: Now I don't actually eat a lot of s'mores, but I am constantly craving them over here. I think I'm craving more the graham crackers (which they don't have), a good old Hersey's Chocolate Bar with Almonds, and marshmallows each separately then together. But then when you put them together, you get an amazing treat. 
• Goldfish & Pretzels: Seriously, if you go down the snacks aisle in Sainsbury's, all there is is 15 different flavours of crisps (chips to us Americans) but no Goldfish or Pretzels! How am I suppose to enjoy my snack when its not smiling back???
• Grape Flavored Anything: Okay, instead of grape jelly, grape gummies, grape skittles, etc. its blackcurrant - which is not okay with me. I would really love a PB & Grape Jelly Sandwich. While I enjoy blackcurrant syrup added in my cider, I do not want it as my jelly flavour. 

I also really miss Clorox cleaning products - especially their wipes. I do not know how the Brits clean their kitchen table, kitchen counters, desks, etc. without Clorox wipes.  

So now that everyone knows what I'm missing from American, if you would like to send me a letter about how much you are missing me, (you might get a postcard in return!), you can mail it to:

Kathryn Schnare
14 North Parade
Nunes House
Bath
BA2 4AJ
England

And if you feel the desire to send me a care package :)

Kathryn Schnare
2 Pierrepont Street
Nelson House
Bath
BA1 1LB
England