GIANT letter

I arrived home this afternoon to a gigantic white envelope with my name on it. In the upper right hand corner was a red stamp I’m becoming familiar with – a little red waving dragon. Part of the seal for Newcastle University.

But I wasn’t expecting anything from them, let alone a GIANT package. I took out the scissors, cut it open and found this:

(I had to put it full size because it really is enormous for a book. Especially one you’re mailing across the ocean!)

It’s a beautiful book, with big glossy pictures of all of the sites, modern and historical, in the area around Newcastle. From the Angel of the North to Durham Castle, this place I’m going is gorgeous.

Also inside the envelope was a letter explaining this enormous package. It’s a gift, it says, from the Archaeology department to “provide a flavour of some of the wonderful monuments and landscapes which surround us here at Newcastle.” They hope, it continues, that it will give me “something to look forward to as you prepare to leave home.”

Well, that’s great, guys, but you do realize it won’t fit in my suitcase, right?

Nevertheless, I have been thoroughly enjoying it so far. It’s a great coffee table style book. Perhaps I’ll leave it here for my parents to take out and show off when they have company over.

The best part of this letter, however, was the first couple of paragraphs outlining some events in September.

September 19 - All of the international students in the Archaeology department are going to Birdoswald, an old Roman fort, to see the excavations there.

September 22 - We learn about ancient technology and archaeological experimentation at Bede’s World, a reconstructed early Medieval village. We get to try pottery making, flint knapping, weaving and ancient metal working! And then we get to enjoy “an evening meal around the fire?”

For all of this I have been instructed to bring “stout footwear.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard that word outside of “I’m a little teapot, short and stout.”

All of this sounds so fun, and it’s great to have something to look forward to right away. I also did some research on volunteer opportunities through the student union, and there are some positions at the Grace Darling museum as a volunteer interperter or collection’s assistant. The museum looks really nice and if I can get some experience during the year, especially in collections, then I’ll be much further ahead when I’m done. Also, it’s pretty much physically impossible for me to only do one thing. Since I won’t have a job, I might as well volunteer, right?