Settling in

So, I am still alive. And deeply sorry for not having written anything on here for over a month. I suppose, at the very least, I'll have a lot to tell you. Let me take you back to where we last left off: Fresher's Week.
I must admit, I was kind of nervous when I headed to University on that first day of Fresher's Week. However, I had done my research and therefore knew exactly where I wanted to be at what time and which events, held by the different societies, were of interest to me. It should come to no surprise that my first stop was the Harry Potter and Quidditch Society. In retrospect, this choice has served me well. But more about that later. Surrounded by my fellow lovers of all things magicial, I enjoyed the various socials the Potter Society hosted throughout the week. One of my highlights was the Welcome Feast, held at The Old Firehouse, an Exeter pub which served as the inspiration for the Leaky Cauldron and makes possibly the best pizza ever. Conversation was animated, trivia, food and drink kept us otherwise occupied and the foundation for many friendships must have been laid that night. Personally, I extended my evening by having milkshakes at McDonalds with two girls, Annabel and Ali. This has now become somewhat of a tradition. All of us are in the Potter Society and the LGBTQ+ Society (the only other society I joined) and we meet fairly regularly. We've already had our first film night with good food and snacks galore.
Freshers Week went by fast, filled with activities, socials, and the occassional mandatory information session for Erasmus or my lectures. Sadly, I did not manage to get a different English course than the one originally assigned to me: Empire of Liberty - American Literature after 1776. People who know me and my disdain for all things American will understand how 'thrilled' I was. However, almost a month has passed since then and I have resigned myself to this unchangeable fact. At least I managed to get the course combination I wanted, including an interesting course in Classics on Roman Death and the Level 2 Course for Academic Reading and Writing. The latter has been quite work-intensive. There is something to be said for independent study and little contact hours, however the amount of work can be quite daunting. At times several deadlines are looming closer and closer, your regular courseload still must be done regardless and of course one wants social interactions as well. If there is one thing one might struggle with, it is time management. However, after a month of living and studying here, I have settled in fairly well and am getting better at knowing how much time to assign to each task. I do not love every course I have, but I am determined to do my best.
Socially, I am doing just fine. In fact, I am downright confused how some people wrote in their reports that they found it hard to find friends or to come into contact with English students. Clearly, they did not join any of the societies (or perhaps only the Erasmus one). A society is an instant gateway into a social group which shares at least one of your interests and you are bound to meet English students that way, too. Ali and Annabel, for example, are British. Also, most courses include study groups, which means you are likely to meet up with a group of other students at least once a week. However badly others might have fared, I can proudly state that I was warmly greeted (and if time allowed it, chatted with) by no less than five people in a day after just two weeks of attending University over here. Do not be afraid of putting yourself out there!
I have also done something which might surprise those who know of my dislike for physical activity: I have taken up a sport. Quidditch. Yes, you've read that right, and yes, it is an actual sport involving lots of running around, tackling each other and throwing balls at people (or through hoops) - in short, it's fantastic. I attended the taster session during Fresher's Week and was pleasently surprised. I resolved to come to at least one proper practice - and ended up enjoying it so much that I have now officially joined the Quidditch team. I even played my first tournament on Sunday, where we competed with other teams. The atmosphere was incredible. I never was one to enjoy watching sport and I never quite understood the fascination. But let me tell you, Quidditch is different. It is a surprisingly complex sport that leaves you standing on the edge of the field, shouting at your team mates to run faster, dodge that bludger, defend the hoops...! Quidditch also means you are part of a team. I have seldom felt more powerful than in that moment before a match, where you all huddle close together and begin to chant. There is something very emotional about that sort of connection with other people. If you are interested in Quidditch or wondering how it is played, check out this link http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/update/2016-10-15/beginners-guide-how-to-play-quidditch/
My favoured position is Beater - which means I get to throw dodgeballs at people. It's great for aggression.
It is also one of the most tactical positions, which is something I still struggle with. You have to constantly keep an eye on everything that is going on and sometimes you must make split-second decisions - do I take that person out or that one? Did I lose sight of something important? Have I been ignoring the other team's beaters and suddenly get hit by one? This is the first time I am actually striving to improve myself where sport is concerned. I regulary attend training on Sunday (almost three hours) and my legs are by now no longer killing me on my walk back into town. There is another big tournament coming up soon, the Southern Cup (part of a only recently established Quidditch League in the South West). By then we should also have the new kit we ordered and you might get to see me in full gear (I even have a shirt with my name on it!).
Anyways, that's enough about Quidditch. There will be more updates about it in the next post (which hopefully won't be long).
My housemate is still absolutely wonderful. We are getting along brilliantly and have worked out a routine. She is a great cook and we will generally eat together in the evening while watching a film or TV series. If both of us are home and have the time, we often head somewhere together. Today we enjoyed a lovely day in town, first buying fabric for my Halloween dress (which she will sew for me) and then heading off for a late lunch (which was delicious!) and finally briefly attending a cooking demonstration (today was 'Vanilla day' so we had perfectly made Créme Brulee). Gina has also clearly worked out that the way to my heart is through historical/nerdy things and food. When she was attending a National Trust conference, she met the people responsible for the Exeter Cathedral. Currently kept there, is one of the most precious books in existence: The Exeter Book. Recently granted UNESCO status, it is the largest surviving collection of Old English literature (dated around the 10th century). Normally, a facsimile ( a copy) is on display in the cathedral and the original remains locked away most of the time. However, Gina mentioned my fascination with Old English and the fact that I recently did an internship at an archive and actually got them to agree that I could come and see the original. We haven't had the chance yet, but basically all we need to do is write an email and they will bring it out for us. A book that is easily thousand years old and worthy of World Heritage status - and I will get to see it. Naturally, I am already very excited! I might also help Gina work on a project she is doing for work. As part of her work at the Underground Passages, she wants to do a special on "Under the Blitz", the time when Exeter was bombed by Germany in retalitation for the RAF's bombardment of Lübeck. I will probably be involved a lot when it comes to contacting German archives (already figured out which ones might be interesting), translating communication and possibly even original sources. If I get properly involved in this, I will at the very least have the satisfaction of being in the credits (a documentary is planned). But anyway, I just find this highly interesting and will do my best to help with research and everything else!
Life in England comes easy to me, it is only my University workload which on occassion gets in my way. I have found friends and am in the process of developing these relationships further, I love the beautiful and extensive campus and, even if I do not love all of them, I at least find my courses interesting or challenging. Gina and I have become fast friends. Today she stated that she will not let me walk out of her life again, even when I am going back to Germany. I assured her that I felt the same way. We have gone beyond simply being housemates for the sake of convenience. I genuinely enjoy her company and I believe that this is the start of a friendship that will last far beyond my term here.
For now, I believe you are all caught up. I might have forgotten some things or left them out, but a lot can happen in a month and I do not remember every detail which might have seemed important to me at the time. I shall attempt to write again soon!