Over the Pond (5), days 7 & 8 -- I absolutely love Durham!

It's Friday night, and I'm winding down after a long, difficult, and productive week in Durham. I'm working on a post about some of the fun things I've done this week, but tonight I'm just too tired for concentrate enough to make it look good. I also have some exciting news about my academic progress, but again, that's another post. Let's see what I can manage.

Some things I learned this week in Durham:

• Saying "absolutely correct" 4 times in a 43-page paper (as in "So-and-so is absolutely correct in stating that Plato...") is about 2 times too many. Get a thesaurus, Maria!


• Eating greasy fish & chips once a week while in the UK is... just about right.


• There is a wonderful library in the Cathedral Cloisters, which has most of the theological books I need.


• The library in the Cathedral Cloisters, and other old stone buildings, are amazing to walk through, and freezing to sit in for more than a few minutes.


• There is a clothing store where you can purchase locally brewed beer. I bought 2 bottles for Billy, a Monty Python brew and an award-winning "Cloisters Brew." Let's see if I can get them home in one piece.


• Staying with a new friend is much better than staying at a bed & breakfast.


• When a Brit says, "Yes, well, that certainly sounds like something that could be considered at some point," you should recognize defeat and move on.


• Tuna steak and canned corn on a homemade pizza is not quite the same as pepperoni and sausage on a pizza of any kind.


• Instant messaging with friends on Facebook can help when, despite all the great things about Durham, you're still feeling homesick.
  

I did this post last March, sharing some of the things I love about being in Durham. In fact, almost any post I've done while in Durham is full of things I love about this place. It's partially the studies, partially the grandeur of the buildings, partially the break from the daily routine.

Sorry if this post was kind of a dud. I thought of all kinds of witty things to say earlier -- honest.