Ahh, so it has been brought to my attention that the address to my blog could quite easily be read as justins oversea sexchange...... thats funny - it'll keep people guessing!

So overseas exchanges eh? Well the main reason that i came to England was to experience a different culture (sure visiting rels and mates rated pretty highly, but thats not my point at the moment), and i'm sure i'm not the only one. I've noticed at International House, my college in Newcastle that alot of International students seem to hang out with other international students - especially ones from their own country - and this bothers me a little. I think, 'why do you come all this way just to hang out with people from your own country?' and i was very sure that when it was my turn to go on exchange that i wouldn't do that. But looking at my friends now they are from Brazil, America, Czech Republic, Germany, Canada, France, and a couple from the UK. A large reason for this is because there is an international welcome week separate from the freshers intro week, so we bond together and get to know our way around before the poms arrive. Then to make things somehow easier for themselves, at our accommodation all of the international students are grouped onto the one floor - apparently because we all have half year leases - but meaning that it is even harder to meet British people. This did worry me initially, but it doesn't any more. Becasuse i am meeting lots of people that i wouldn't have met if i were in Australia - and I am interacting with lots of poms - Alex from London at Breakfast, Matt my nieghbour and soon to be guitar tutor (i got one - hoorah!), Harry and Rich my soccer playing mates, Helen the Med student who took the video of Hypnodog and everyone else from tutorials, lectures and who i randomly meet in everyday life.

Ben, Tereza and i went to a give it a go learn to knit class yesterday - Ben was super keen, i didn't know what to expect. We all picked it up pretty easily and i had a crack at it last night. I was worried that i might get addicted and might do more knitting then guitar playing wasting my £30 investment. But i don't think that'll be the case - it can get very frustrating, i keep making my stitches a bit tight, and making lots of little mistakes.
Today is a big day for stuff - not so much for work, although i do apparently have an ethics essay due in two weeks. I've got five a side at 1, learn to climb at 2:30, then salsa dancing at 5.
We had a great proctorial for philosophy yesterday - all about what is art. I had read the readings and was one of the most oppinionted people in the group and alot of what i was saying was really grounded stuff - it felt great to be confident in my opinions. Although i don't know if it was conclusive. My view is that Art has to be put in the framework of art to be art - so almost anything could be art.... I don't want it to be, but i can't see how it wouldn't be this way. hmmm.