Becoming a Blogger

I have finally decided to enter the world of blogging. I came to this decision more out of necessity than desire, as I have a healthy fear of writing my thoughts in public, but given my current lack of much internet access and the fact that I am an ocean away from family and friends, it seems to be the best option for keeping in touch and posting pictures. So anyway, it's my first shot... take it easy on me.

As most everyone now knows, I have safely arrived in Newcastle and have been settling in and diving head first into my research over the past two weeks. It has been an incredible experience thus far, but I have found myself far more culture shocked than I had ever expected. It seemed to me that after spending 4 months living in a small tent in Tanzania, Britain would be no match for me. I was wrong. As it turns out, I think that I felt much more at home under the African sky than I will ever feel in this bustling city. Nonetheless, I am beginning to figure out public transportation, relaxing into a schedule and even catching on to some British slang (note to self: getting loaded means 'sick' not 'drunk').

I live in a small flat with an older woman who also works at Aquila. It seems to be working out well so far, and is in a nice location just outside the center of the city and only about 6 miles from the coast. The pictures I've attached are from a walk at the coast a day last week. The coast is absolutely beautiful when the sun shines, but the weather is pretty windy, wet and cold most days. No one here seems to need heat inside, so I'm usually snuggled under a blanket or two both at home and at my desk in central office.

The city of Newcastle was historically a Roman settlement and is situated on the North bank of the River Tyne only about an hour from Scotland. The city became a coal mining area and in the 16th century was amongst the world's largest shipbuilding and ship-repairing centers. These basic industries have now gone and the city is now largely an administrative and cultural center with two universities. The Georgian architecture of the city is incredible and one of the streets in the center of the city which I pass each day on my way to work was voted "Best street in the UK" in '02. So much more to tell, but my lunch break is nearly up so I'm back to work. More later:)