When you said to read the whole book, did you mean the cliff-notes?

Even though I'm exhausted after spending most of my evening reading about how different nations and peoples have remembered and commemorated various wars (such as how and why Americans have removed Anne Frank's Jewish identity and real suffering in the most popular movies and plays), I decided to write a quick post before my laundry downstairs finishes.

Today I had my second day of class, and I feel like I've just been tackled by Terry Tate, Office Linebacker. The professor pretty much gave us a list of reading assignments and told us "good luck." Frantic and shell-shocked, my fellow classmates and I dashed to the library, browsed the online catalogue, and roamed the rows and rows of books. It felt like one of those game shows where contestants are in a grocery store and have to throw random items into their shopping carts before the competition got everything first. There are obviously not enough books for all 20 students in the Peace and Conflict Studies M.Litt, but some of the articles are online. We've also been collaborating and making copies. So far, there has been more peace than conflict.

I knew from reading some other assignments last night that the professor may assign a chapter from a book, so I was expecting the same thing from today's professor. When I found one book today, I double-checked the list to see which chapter I had to read (may I remind you that this list is not short). When I did not see a chapter, I realized I was supposed to read the whole book along with other books before next Monday. Naturally and eloquently, I asked, "Are you shitting me?" Granted, this book is under the "suggested" and not "required" reading list, but the "suggested" list means, "we suggest you read this unless you enjoy failing and wasting a lot of money on a degree you couldn't get." At least that's what I thought it means, but there is absolutely no way I can read everything on the list. I just don't see how it is humanly possible to do all this reading for class and then create "Reading Groups" with my classmates where we'll read still other books. We'll see how it works. This adventure reminds me of rushing for my old fraternity (I hope I'm not divulging any Shawreth secrets here) when we were told to do some outrageous task we could not possibly complete.

Yesterday in class, a professor told us, "You should feel like the water is up to here." He put his hand just below his nose. "Come talk to me if the water is up to here." He moved his hand to his eyebrows. Another professor told us about how the school built the staircase in such a way that the space in the stairwell is too small for someone to jump and kill himself. That observation didn't make the next year sound too delightful.

Before I left Mississippi, a friend asked me, "So are you going to real school?" He asked because so many of our classmates from Mississippi College went to the 'London Semester,' which is a play semester and academic cakewalk. I thought about that question tonight in the 'brutalist' library as I read about how British war memorials in the First World War helped communities grieve together as politicians exploited the unveiling ceremony to promote their own interpretations. Yes, I'm in a real school.

No Talent Ass Clown

The Career Center across the street had an open house event where they gave us bags of goodies. I'm pretty excited about it. Along with a copy of the Financial Times (which is printed on pink paper... that's a wee bit odd... why would they do that?), a highlighter, post-it notes, shampoo, a highlighter, spray-on deodorant, and pens, they gave me juggling balls. I'm very happy about it and have decided to use this as a golden opportunity. Since the Career Center gave it to me, I wonder if they're telling me I should pursue a career as a street performer or clown. I shouldn't knock it until I try it, so I'll start practicing soon. I've already found a website to teach me how to do it. In a couple weeks I'll be standing in front of the Union juggling and flirting with all the pretty girls who walk by... I wonder if that's a great way to meet girls or not. It's all about being interesting.... or maybe not. I wonder if the police will arrest unregistered street performers. I'll let you know soon enough.

Mad Researcher

There was a pub crawl and rave in St Andrews tonight, but I decided to be a dork and skip those events so that I could get some reading done at the library. After walking over there, I realized the library was closed. Still, walking there felt cool because the cold wind was blowing off the North Sea, I was walking past a chapel dating to the 15th and around other old buildings, I was wearing my heavy French overcoat that makes me feel European, and 18-year old "Freshers" were frolicking from pub to pub. Meanwhile, I was giving up a fun evening so that I could get work done. The whole experience made me feel like a mad researcher who just had to stay up long past midnight so that he could discover some new secret. It might sound boring, but trust me... it's cool.

I actually don't feel too antisocial because I skipped the pub crawl and rave. Around dinner time I spent a couple hours drinking wine and mingling with everyone from my flat. I've also gone on a couple pub crawls already, and there are plenty more to come. I'm actually a little tired of the pub crawls. Moreover, I think tonight's events were more for the young "Freshers" and not the Postgrads, so I would have felt awkward around all those kids.

Exotic Mississippi

For the past few days I've met tons and tons of people from all over the world, and the same questions get asked. "Where are you from? What are you studying? When did you get into town?" I haven't met anyone else from Mississippi yet, and I feel special because so many of the other Americans come from the larger states everyone knows like New York and California. One girl even used the word "exotic" to describe Mississippi. I guess it's as exotic as I can get while still being an American. Of course, this distinction is not necessarily good. If anyone knows Mississippi, they generally know it because of the racism, ignorance, poverty, et cetera. For instance, I met a professor Sunday who told me about his experiences in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, and my students in France knew much about the racist South. I often reiterate the fact that I wasn't born until after segregation ended and that much has changed (and much still needs to change). Though I'm not proud of certain parts of Mississippi's history, I'm not ashamed to say I grew up and studied there. Hopefully, I can exemplify the New South as a Southern gentleman.

Americans often tell me, "You don't sound like you're from the Deep South. Did you grow up in Mississippi?" Yes. I lived my whole life there until I moved to France for a spell (and now for another spell in Scotland). Granted, I do say some word with slight drawl and make passionate use of "y'all" because it is the most beautiful word in the English language, but my accent is very mild compared to many others from the Deep South. When I worked at Starbucks in Clinton, MS, a customer asked me, "Where are you from because you're obviously not from around here?" "Uh... thirty miles away in Vicksburg." I've always assumed I developed my mild accent because neither of my parents grew up in the South. I like the mild accent because it sometimes shocks people and introduces me as a different kind of Mississippi boy.

All part of a nutritious breakfast

The "Full Scottish Breakfast" at the hotel this morning included haggis and baked beans. I can understand the haggis (I tried some so I could tell people later "Aw, thanks for offering me the haggis, but I've already had some"). I don't really understand the baked beans. Who wakes up and thinks, "You know what would go good with my Cheerios? Baked beans."

Where did all these hills come from?

I haven't been in Scotland since June 2000, and I notice things now that I never noticed in my two previous trips. For instance, I remembered Edinburgh being much larger (the population is around 470,000). It's not that I was a little kid 9 years ago because I haven't really grown since then. I just didn't pay attention to where everything was as I followed my family around and didn't have to worry about getting lost. Now I have to memorize where everything is as I have done in several other European cities. I've spent a lot of time in Paris and know that city very well. Paris is about 2.2 million inside the city and 10 million in the metro area. Of course Edinburgh is going to feel smaller as I walk around it.

I also forgot how many hills there were. I knew the castle was on top of an old volcanic rock, but tonight I discovered those other hills as I went up and down and around the city. At one point I got excited because I could finally go downhill, but then I realized my hotel was on the other side of the next hill.

Craig Ferguson once joked that "damp" is a color in Scotland. I thought about that as I walked around Edinburgh on this muggy and cloudy day. Everything seemed "damp." Even buildings I thought were new 9 years ago had rain stains on the exterior that probably won't go away. Maybe these photos depict what I'm talking about:

The Royal Mile leading from Edinburgh

Castle is filled with cheap tourist shops.

St Giles Cathedral. I really like the

Blue ceiling. It looks like the

Scottish Satire Flag.

This "cathedral" feels too small

to be a catehdral.

Stained glass window from St Giles Cathedral.

In this scene John Knox is giving a sermon for his

friend James Stewart, Earl of Moray, Regent of Scotland

from 1567-1570. James Stewart was assasinated and is

buried undeneath this stained glass. According to the records,

he was actually the first person to be assasinated with a firearm.

Next to the Regent's grave was the National Covenant,

which many Scots signed in 1638 in order to declare their

support for reformed worship and church government.

This Covenant eventually lead to the establishment of the

Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1690.

I took a picture of my reflection in the glass.

Alley leading away from the Royal Mile

and towards the train station.

"Grassmarket" underneath the castle near my hotel.

There's a bunch of pubs here, so I tried a couple out.

The government used to have a lot of public executions

here, especially during the "Killing Times", which

happened during the reformation. There's a popular story

about Maggie Dickson who was hanged here for being

pregnant out of wedlock. When they put her in the coffin

and were about to bury her, the crowd heard moans coming

from the closed coffin. She was still alive, and the courts

decided to let her live because it seemed to be God's will

that she lived.

I did not have all that gray hair 9 years ago.

Just in case you get bored running from plane to plane

Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is one of the coolest airports I've been to. Not only is there a casino in the airport, there's this miniature art museum with a dozen or so Dutch paintings up inside the gold structure pictured above. I enjoyed it because I enjoy art museums, especially reading the captions that explain why the art is significant.

By the way, I'm in Edinburgh tonight and will be in St Andrews tomorrow.

Swine Flu Is Still Around?

While visiting friends here in Mississippi, I kept hearing about all these people who had Swine Flu (note that I'm not saying "H1N1 Virus"... I've only heard people on the news say the politically correct term). When I stopped by the Foreign Language Dept at Mississippi College, they had a huge tub of sanitizer so students could clean their hands. I had dinner last Friday with two of my friends who both had Swine Flu the previous week. They seemed to be healthy enough then after being sick for only a couple days, but I thought it was really weird they actually had it. I checked the MS Department of Health's website, and there have been 838 confirmed cases and another site said there have been 4 deaths (though the last one to die was already sick... I'm not sure about the others). To be brutally honest, 1 death per 200 cases doesn't sound too deadly, especially when those who died had other problems. The CDC says Mississippi has "widespread" activity, or the highest level.

I hadn't heard of one person having Swine Flu while living in Texas this summer, so I pretty much forgot it was still around. The same CDC website said TX had "regional" activity (thought it had been "local" this summer), so apparently it's not as bad out there. I wonder if Mississippi's poverty has lead to an increase in activity.

We've been talkin' 'bout Jackson ever since the fire went out

I left Houston last Wednesday and went to Jackson, MS so that I could visit some friends there before leaving for Scotland this week. It was a lot of fun hanging out with as many people as I could. I found a new mediterranean restaurant in Old Town Clinton named Petra. It was really good, but a lot of other restaurants have been in the same location and failed. I hope it is successful because Old Town is a really cool place. I also went with old college friends to Jerry's Catfish House on US 49 in Florence (it's the huge igloo and is very hard to miss). Jerry's is my favorite catfish joint in Jackson, and it kicks Cock of the Walk's ass. I mean, Jerry's is all you can eat for the same price, and the curved interior walls have a nicotine yellow paint that you just can't beat. Most importantly, I don't have to be careful when I say "Jerry's" as compared to "Cock of the Walk."

Last night (Saturday) I went to Joseph Gill's (my old roommate from the past year) 70s themed party. We had an 80s themed party last October, but this year we had a lot more dancing. Joseph (or Dirty Uncle Joe as we affectionately call him) spent a lot of time putting together a video playlist full of music videos and movie clips. It was a really great party and a good ending to my week in Jackson.

After spending the summer in Houston, I've learned that Jackson's road and highway system sucks. There are a thousand stoplights that aren't coordinated (especially on Lakeland, US 49, anywhere in Clinton), and the Interstates don't connect the destinations very well (especially east of I-55).

Now that I've complained about something no one outside Jackson cares about, here's some photos from "That 70s Party":

Jeannie had trouble understanding the YMCA dance.

Ok. Ok. I'm sorry I made fun of your dancing.

Dirty Uncle Joe and Jaime showing

everyone else how to dance.

Best dressed at the party.

Crystal Beach II

Yours Truly on the beach at sunset.

Sarah (sister), Ryan (brother in law)

and Elizabeth (niece)

A view from the beach in front of the house

on Sunday. It was a wee bit crowded.

Crystal Beach, Texas

Normally, the Blalocks have their family reunion at the Craig's beach house in Crystal Beach, TX on the 4th of July. Since Hurricane Ike took out that house in September 2008, the family postponed the reunion until this Labor Day Weekend. They rented a house right next to the beach. I got to crash the party.

I don't usually like beaches because I think laying in the sand all day is boring. However, I do enjoy the constant breezes and laying in a hammock while reading a book. The best part was throwing the frisbee. As long as I have some activity (like throwing a frisbee, playing volleyball, reading or writing a book), I like the beach, and I had a very good time at the beach this weekend.

Crucial cup of coffee on the front porch

Morning thunderstorm on Sunday

with fishermen driving away.

There were a lot of people driving up onto

the beach. One truck driver got upset with

us because we were playing frisbee where she

wanted to drive, which was between our tent

and the shore (only about 20' wide).

Seriously? I could see her say something

to us. I'm pretty sure it wasn't about how

glad she was to see everyone having a good

time at the beach. Hack.

Sunset from front porch. The Craig's

beach house was not so close to the neighbors.

We could hear them part until late at night.

Sophia (Kirk and Amanda's daughter)

and Molly (Shad and Shannon's daughter)

There were a lot of kids

at the beach this weekend.

Chloe (Kirk and Amanda's daughter)

trying to give me a twig she found.

Elijah (Kirk and Amanda's son)

coming down the stairs to the ground floor.

Elizabeth (my niece, Ryan and Sarah's daughter)

zonked out while everyone else is loud.

She sleeps through almost anything

except a popping balloon.

Sandra Craig (Ryan's mom) reading to Chloe.

Sarah (my sister) sitting on the front

porch with Elizabeth during sunset.

Banana Bread

3-4 Bananas (Mashed)

1 Egg

1 Tsp Baking Soda

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Butter (Melted)

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350*F for 1 hr 10 minutes. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes after removing from oven.

When my bananas turned old and mushy, I threw them into the freezer until I was ready to make banana bread. They looked awful after I thawed them, but I still used them in the bread. Next time I'd like to bake the bread with chocolate chips and nuts.

Bacon Quiche

1 Frozen Pie Shell

1 Cup Swiss Cheese

8 Slices of Bacon

3 Eggs Beaten

1 Cup Milk

1/8 Tsp Nutmeg

Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper

Pre-bake pie shell at 350*F for 10 minutes. Fry bacon until crisp; crumble into small pieces to yield 3/4 cup. Combine eggs, milk, nutmeg, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Beat well. Sprinkle pre-baked pie shell with cheese and bacon; pour in egg mixture. Bake at 350*F for 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Phoebe was very hopeful I would accidently drop some bacon.