Wales, Day 2.5

Today it is cold and clear and sunny. Went for a walk early this morning and looked at the sheep and watched the sun rise over the valley and its mists. So beautiful here. Wandered around more of the streers, looking at the gorgeous row houses.

Yesterday I ran around trying to take care of paperwork. Found out that nothing is paid for - no one has heard a peep from US financial aid. Gwawr, the finance lady, isn't worried at all. I'm still registered as a paid student. But must run around some more today getting official student things, like cards and codes, etc. That orange sheet of paper I forgot was the most important thing I could've brought here!

Sarah gave me a stack of Marian journals and a reader. Will have to mail them all home. Today we are meeting to talk more about my specific program. How do I tell her I'm only an MPhil student and not (yet) a PhD student? I've reminded her in emails, but her head insists. She has also arranged another dinner with colleagues tonight. I look forward to it. I will miss going out to music at a pub with chiv, who has been kind enough to meet me. Lj has been so good for so many things! Having friendly faces to meet really helps.

What else? I forgot to mention a ghost story from my first night here. I'll have to save that story for another time.

Everything's a bit of a blur, a beatiful green blur.

Tomorrow I leave for Aberystwyth, which I've heard nothing but good things about. Will bus there, hang out for the afternoon and then catch a train across Wales and up England to Edinburgh.

Thank god

Thank the good lord for:
*FINALLY getting all of my paperwork sorted out and completed. The only thing left to do is get a library card.
*Fast computers in the student computer lab that I can now use.
*Not being 18 anymore.
*Clear sunny skies and bright green land with fresh air and no advertisting around.
*Scones with jam and cream. REAL British scones with thick clotted cream. Not some pansy ass coolwhip "substitute" or those triangular doorstops Americans try to pass off as scones.
*A cafe that serves food made from actual vegetables. Not mushy broccoli in bland sauce, which seems to be the norm.

And, it turns out that even though I applied to the MPhil program I am accepted as a PhD student! Every postgrad is assigned to the MPhil for one year (sort of as probabtion) to weed out those not capable of actual PhD work. This changes my life plan considerably.

Lastly, it looks like my dissertation is headed in the direction of looking at Mary as Co-Redemptrix and the implications of that for the Trinity - which will encompass feminist and cosmological theologies, Mary's adaptation and cooption of pre-Christian Divine Feminine symbols, and a healthy evaluation of the impacts on and implications for the three branches of Christianity.

Hot damn. Nobody steal this for their own dissertation, now.

Off to: get library card, go check out the town's bazaar on being a post-oil community, and hopefully grab a drink with chiv. I could use a stiff drink.