Answers Pt. 1 – Life Stuff

Promptly after writing Friday’s post, it occurred to me how embarrassing it would be if no one replied because then I’d have nothing to blog about on Monday. The opposite happened and I actually have too much! I’m going to split this into two posts because when I typed up all the answers to the questions everyone asked, I had written almost 5 pages and that is a bit much for one post. I also lumped together similar questions to make things a little easier for myself. Thank you for all your questions!

Life Stuff

What you are studying in school?
I’m majoring in English Literature with an emphasis on British Lit.

What do you want to be when you graduate?
I originally wanted to be a Dramaturg. I’d also like to work in publishing, preferably somewhere that publishes knitting patterns or other crafty things. Option number three is to go to Grad school and become a librarian. I just like books.

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How long will you be in England for? Do you miss home? When are you returning to the states?
I’ve got 2.5 months left. I leave at the beginning of July. I’m kind of glad that the end is in sight. I miss lots of things from home. Mostly I miss my friends and my dog, but I also miss random stuff like Mexican food and Hulu.

What do you most like and dislike about England? And what will you miss most when you go back to the States?
I’ll get the dislikes out of the way first. What I dislike most about England isn’t actually England’s fault. The environment at Lancaster Uni as a foreign student who is somewhere in between their 2nd and 3rd year is not a good one for making friends. The older students have their own groups of friends and they have their dissertations and stuff to focus on. When I had my orientation, the international student orientation overlapped with the get-to-know-everyone kind of stuff for freshers so I couldn’t even meet people that way. If I didn’t have nice flat mates, I would have zero friends here. I’ve noticed that most international students hang out with other international students.
Onto the things I like! I like that cider is available everywhere. I like how awesome the public transportation is. I like the weather even though it isn’t as rainy as I was expecting. I like the way the buildings look in town. I like the diversity of accents. I’ll probably miss how easy it is to get around and the cider the most when I get back home.

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What’s one mundane type thing do you get really excited about? Any event, item, activity, etc?
I get excited about most things. New movies, old movies, blog comments, having a fridge full of groceries, hanging out with my friends even when I hang out with them almost daily. Most things.

What’s your favorite food? Are you a fruit or a veggie person? Do you like to eat out more or stay in more?
Definitely yogurt. I love regular yogurt with fruit and granola and I love Greek yogurt with roast veg. I’m also a FroYo fan. I’m a fruit person for sure and if I could pick one that I loved best, it probably could compete with yogurt. I love fruit and eat crazy amounts of it. I stay in to eat. I don’t have foody friends here in England and I don’t like eating out by myself.

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Do you lead an active life? Like, what sort of exercise do you enjoy, if any?
I’m not an especially active person. I do enjoy going for walks and I do have to walk a lot just to get places. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was over 18 (which is sort of old for a Californian) so I walked a lot when I was in High School because it’s the only way I could get around. I don’t own my own car so when I’m at college (or in England), walking is still my primary mode of transportation. That’s pretty much all the exercise I get. I signed up for a ballroom dance class next school year because of this. Hopefully that will be fun.

Tell me your favorite album/CD or movie? What are your favorite books and movies? (of all time)
Such a difficult question! For the last couple of years, Stranger Than Fiction has been my favorite movie. It just makes me really happy. A favorite movie of all time is too hard to pick. Past favorites include The Lion King, Wayne’s World, and Ghost World. I don’t think I can pick a favorite album… Maybe Weezer’s Blue album? A favorite book is equally hard. I think I might go with Sabriel by Garth Nix for that one. I’ve reread it quite a few times.

If you’re in a funk or feeling moody, what movie is always good to watch?
I like this question because I use movies like comfort food. If I’m a bit down, I usually go for Stranger Than Fiction, Penelope, or The Baron Munchausen. They’re all pretty upbeat without being obnoxious. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World has been sort of working its way onto that list, but only time will tell if it will last.

How do you maintain your bangs – self trimming? Professional trim once a month?
Erm… I don’t maintain my bangs at all. I like my bangs at a variety of lengths so I get them cut quite short (1/2-1 inch above my eyebrows) when I get my usual hair cut and then I just let them grow with everything else. When my bangs get too long for my taste, my roots are usually so bad that I have to head into a salon anyways. I tried trimming my bangs myself once. They turned out fine, but it was insanely stressful so I don’t recommend that. Below on the left are my bangs plus two weeks of growth. On the right are my bangs after maybe 8 weeks of growth.

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You have a great style, and fun photos – who takes your pics? Any recommendations for helping other people to help take pictures of you?
I am horrible at getting my picture taken by other people! I constantly ruin my friends photos because if I put on a fake smile for too long, I start to feel awkward so I make goofy faces because I’m much more comfortable being silly. I take my pictures myself using a tripod and a remote. I try to avoid taking pictures around other people so I tend to take them in the privacy of my own room or in quiet secluded places.
My recommendation for getting other people to help take pictures of you would probably be the same as for taking pictures alone: take way more photos than you think you need to. It’s better to spend more time in the beginning than to risk not having the shots you need and having to go back out to take more photos. Studying poses/expressions you like in the mirror before you go out to take pictures can help too. Sometimes things feel weird and unnatural but look right in a photo.

I love the clothes you wear! Do you sew them yourself? Are there any brands you like?
I wish I could sew them all myself! My circle skirts are the only regular wardrobe pieces that I sewed myself. My dresses are from all over, but my favorites are made by Trashy Diva. I also wear a lot of stuff from H&M and thrift stores because I’m a broke college student.

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Can I please have your brown belt?
No, you can’t have it. (This question was from my sister. She borrowed my brown belt once upon a time and still has it.)

Do you mind if I borrow your idea?
Please do! I borrowed it from some other blogs because I always enjoy reading posts like this.

 

I’ll put up Pt. 2 with the crafty stuff later this week. I hope you found this interesting! I had a lot of fun writing up this post.


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Comments

  1. Britta

    I still want the belt. 🙁 I left it on your chair with your sweater. Which I also wanted but knew I’d def get shanked if I took.

    1. You just need to work on your thrift store skillz. I will train you in my ways! Both the belt and the sweater came from thrift stores in Auburn.

  2. I love the movie Stranger than Fiction, too; it’s so sweet. And not like Will Ferrell’s others (am a huge fan of his). Absolutely love the end. Great movie for a person with a possible future in the publishing industry!

  3. Fun! I may have to steal your idea 😉 I’m looking forward to the crafty questions!

  4. haha, “how embarrassing it would be if no one replied because then I’d have nothing to blog about on Monday” <— why I don't do one of these myself! I was actually an English major before I decided it just wasn't for me (wanted to be the person who chooses what gets published or not… I wanted to make people's dreams come true!) and switched to fashion design 🙂

  5. I didn’t know you wanted to be a dramaturg! I also work in theater and I know only a small handful of people who actually set out to be dramaturgs. That is so awesome – you’ll have to keep me posted on your post-graduate plans!

    I also missed Mexican food when I studied in England. They are missing. out.

  6. Haha, the cider-thing gave me the slight giggles because every time I leave England, I miss the cider the most… (and my friends, but I talk to them almost every day..) It’s odd, I live in Holland, I’m only an hour’s flight away from the UK, but the only cider that’s available here is horrible and made by Heineken…

    Also, ooooh, ballroom dancing 😀 I did that for 2 years, it’s great fun. My brother’s been dancing for 9 years now and he still loves it, it’s a really fun hobby.

  7. “I’ve noticed that most international students hang out with other international students.”

    So true! At my college we rarely interacted with the international students (they were here studying English so they all had different levels of ability) and when I spent a summer studying French in Quebec it was the same thing. In Quebec, I noticed that everyone split up according to nationality.

    My biggest regret is not studying in England when all of my friends went. They ended up sharing a flat together down the street from an English friend I had at the time.

  8. Love this! I also love Stranger than Fiction. It’s definitely a favorite.

  9. Lovely to get to know you better!

  10. Yup, you’re definitely as cool as I thought you’d be. Dramaturgy? I’d never even *heard* of that.

    Being an international student isn’t any easier even if you’re a permanent resident in the country. I feel like I’ve got this giant “CANADIAN” sticker on my head and that that is the only thing people ever see. Boo-urns. Still, I’ve got great knitting mates, so it’s all good.

  11. Stranger Than Fiction is a fantastic comfort movie! (and just in general, too.) That and About a Boy are usually my go-to ‘cheer up’ flicks.

    I also deeply miss the Strongbow on tap in London … it’s different –aka better– than the Strongbow here. (Maybe just in my head, but still.) Really, even though I don’t remember all the other ales & ciders, I miss them all.

  12. Ooh thank you for the Trashy Diva link! They have some amazing things! And it’s so nice getting to know you better! I might also do this on my blog 🙂

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