Mississippi life and our first frat party

Since Monday, I've been getting properly into Ole Miss life, dressing like the other Mississippi girls in gigantic t shirts that look like you're not wearing anything underneath and ever participating in class from day 1- something I thought I'd properly struggle with. So, I also take some interesting modules... I did not expect to have to order 7 books on running.

I'm still in awe of campus, the top photo is our equivalent of the Fresher's society fair which mainly included a lot of Sororities and Fraternities aiming to recruit freshmen. 

Wednesday night was the welcome dinner for the internationals where we were presented with a lot of fried food and sweet tea then afterwards we hit the square for a night at the Levee before my 9.30am class the next day.

 

As you can see, the huge t shirt trend has continued and I am completely okay with this, minimal effort with outfit choices every day + guaranteed heat everyday makes getting ready in record time a breeze.

On Thursday, having been putting it off since Saturday, me and Heather decided to take a trip to Walmart. We thought we'd be smart and get the free bus from campus there, however we got off the bus a little prematurely and probably had to walk over a mile up the freeway with little sidewalk in the boiling heat on the wrong side of the road. We knew we had to cross over the 5 laned road at some point and working out how to do this was terrifying. However, we got there eventually and decided it would be sensible to get a taxi back.

Last night, I met a guy who picked us up, took us to his apartment to "pregame" before we went to the annual Frat rave at Sigma Pi. Unsure of what to expect, as girls got in for free, no queues, while guys don't. I'm still unsure of this Frat culture over here but I'll learn.

Inside was crazy!! Everyone was wearing neon, glow sticks and UV paint. Upstairs, the walls were covered, there was beer in every room and it was strange to feel like the oldest person at an American event as we are considered underage here, but every one that we met there seemed to be a freshmen and completely new to drinking- embarrassingly for them. After being stuck on the stairs that were so crowded I struggled to breathe, we made it downstairs and outside.

Outside was even better. Think your classic Q club, only in a rave style with crazy lights and beats and in the yard of this frat house! We were succumbed to a lot of girls grinding around guys a little too close for comfort, but the whole atmosphere was incredible and made me miss going out at home a lot. The bars we go to here are nothing like anything we have at home, or that I've been to anyway so it was good to be in a familiar atmosphere despite the unfamiliar location.

After the party, we came back to Trails (our apartment complex) to find an after party which are pretty much guaranteed here every night at the Brazilians place. Then following a catch up with people at the party and a dramatic turn of events that needed seeing to, we headed to bed. Starting off our labour day weekend in style!!

Catch up soon,

Em x

#1 week round up

As always in Oxford, Thursday was another amazing day. After a few hours of Orientation, we had to go to advisors for course registration- which I am still not 100% sorted but they tried to get us into classes that are already booked up so I basically have to wait for someone else to drop out. But that evening me and Heather (another Lit student from Reading) went with my German flatmate and her other German friends to go see Godzilla as it was being shown on campus for free. When we got there we were also given  free popcorn, drinks and pizza.

After this we went for a late night swim in the pool with all the Germans and laughed so much, especially when they started playing "Piglet in the Middle", a game which is apparently everlasting but so much fun all the same. I basically drown in our pool here, even the 4ft bit which is embarrasing to say the least but entertaining to everyone else.

On Friday, after another Orientation session, this time after a lie in though thank goodness, we heard there was a free concert in the Grove so we went to check it out. To our relief, surprise and amazement, the band were really good, Country Rock called Backroad Anthem click to check them out and to add to this, each band member is superrrrr good looking. And they had a fiddle player!! We are lacking this in England guys!

It's hard to get good photos at night, sorry! But yeah then after they finished their set they wanted to hang around and meet fans but we didn't class ourselves as fans yet so we went into the union for a bit. When we came back out to see the next band, we noticed Backroad Anthem were still there with no screaming girls surrounding them so we took the opportunity to meet them! We enjoyed this far more than we thought we would and I told them they were really good and we don't have anything like them in England. Then the lead singer and bass player- my two personal faves, said they didn't believe us but then that we were amazing and they loved our accents. The accent thing is something we get all the time here, but gonna relish in it all the same! They were such cool guys though!

Saturday was a super chilled out day. We planned to go to Walmart but didn't get out of bed until 6! Then we decided to go out to the Square and try and meet some people.

It was so much fun to spend time just us 4 girls too though! When we got back the Brazillians were having yet another party so we showed our faces and I met some Americans!! Barely met any so far because all the internationals live together.

Sunday was a hugely chilled day. So necessary. We regrouped and went to the pool and then had a movie/takeaway night, a well deserved break before classes started!

Today was my first ever day of American classes and I was so excited!!! My first class took place in what looked like a set of High School Musical, individual desks and all and it was amazing! We then had the challenging task of tracking down all the books we needed for as cheap as possible, which turns out not very!!  Several trips to the library throughout the day served as entertaining anyway!!

We went to the union too to try and buy some books but instead bought Ole Miss t shirts and pinkberry.

Then  I had another class which was really interesting again but then we were so tired we abandoned the idea of walmart yet again and headed back to the apartments.

Can't believe that I will have been here for a week tomorrow! Luckily I still have several more here before we leave. I'm having a lot of fun but missing everyone too, wish you had all come with me!!

I'll update again soon

Em x

Hotty Toddy!

(this is gonna be long so bear with...)

 

I did it! I made it, not as smoothly as planned- Atlanta was intense, but after missing a flight, being bumped off the next one and being rescued by a kind stranger who made sure I got on the final plane to Memphis and onto the bus to Oxford, I actually made it. I met a guy from Ghana on the bus who had never left his country before and now he has moved to the US for 4 years! And once he found out I was from England we talked about football all the way there. By the time we'd got there it was dark but dear lord it was still hot!

To my surprise, I now live in a three bedroomed apartment with a German girl and a South Korean girl who are both lovely. I have a fairly big room with a tall bed, my own ensuite with a bath and a walk in wardrobe!!

Our first day started early with all day Orientation lectures from 9-5 with an all you can eat lunch in what seemed to be a high school cafeteria.

We then explored campus before me and the girls from Reading decided to take a trip to Walmart to get our living essentials.

The two people at the very front are our global ambassadors and to our surprise met us at the bus stop we were waiting at and offered to take us to Walmart.

Several hours and a lot of dollars later we returned back with a whole bunch of stuff and unpacked before heading out for our first night in town.

We went to an underage bar (damn not being 21) which was so different to anywhere we'd ever been before and met a lot of the Brazilians who are studying here and drinking $1 beer.

 This morning, we enrolled on our courses and explored a bit more.

It's been so crazy so far but I'm secretly wishing it will calm down a bit soon. With lecture starting on Monday however, I'm hoping we will still be able to see the global ambassadors that helped us to move in and show us round.

I'm just relieved I managed to actually get here though!

I'll update again soon!

Em x