Some things never change

Almost a week into my experience in Wales, and I’m starting to realize that things move much more slowly around here, and life is considerably more laid back than it is at home. I don’t know if this is a reflection on the Welsh culture, an extension of the attitude that I’ve always heard characterizes Europe in general, or if it comes with living in a small, seaside town, but regardless, it seems to be true. Nearly every morning when I wake up, I can look out my window and see couples strolling along the promenade below, a postal worker leisurely delivering the morning mail, and people sitting outside in nearby cafes, reading the local paper or sipping coffee while gazing out into the surf beyond.

A lot of this is reflected in life on campus this week. Back home, the beginning of any semester is usually a very busy time, with the usual first-day-of-class excitement, and the events that accompany them, be they fraternity rush events or post-Opening Days socials. What I found today when I made my way up Penglais Hill, though, was that there wasn’t much going on after all. Today was supposed to be the first day of lectures in the politics department, but when I went to one of them (my class on Cooperation and Conflict in International Relations), I waited around for about twenty minutes with a handful of other students before we came to the conclusion that Monday must be the day when the class actually starts.

I don’t know if this is due to the fact that Freshers’ Week is slowly coming to a close, or even that it’s a somewhat dismal day outside weather-wise, but it seems to me as though the UWA student body is just going through the motions of starting another year. And yet, there are a lot of things about life on campus that I noticed today that could be said for any university, even good old Willamette. Walking into the computer lab in the library this afternoon, I was greeted with the familiar sight of students checking their Facebook accounts, posting on MySpace blogs, and reading the news online. Even when you leave the country and travel halfway around the world, I suppose, some things never change.