As Fi Bows to Peer Pressure

Another long update, sorry!

On Thursday we had our DESTIN induction, which involved 3 and a half hours of talking. The induction process here is sooooo incredibly comprehensive so we were introduced to all the lecturers and given massive “student guides” to help us with almost everything. Then people came to talk about the Language Centre, Careers Service (we have our own DESTIN careers advisor to help us with specifically applying for jobs within development), and Volunteer Centre. It’s amazing how many things LSE offers it’s students, and how incredibly well resourced everything here is. The Student Guide that we were given explains absolutely everything from where to find photocopiers to two-page summaries of each of our options offered by DESTIN to letters from past Masters students about the programme. Truly fantastic resource!

I spent a little bit of time this afternoon in a Student Servics Centre induction, which was mildly helpful but mostly information I’d got previously. Then it was off to the specific MSc Development Management induction. I am SO glad I chose to do development management at LSE, rather than development studies here or anywhere else. The programme is exactly what I was after and focuses on institutions, organisations and development processes. Plus, the “Godfather” of development management is co-teaching the core course . . . I’d thought he was too old/retired but apparently he’s still lecturing despite the fact that he’d be in his 70’s I’d say. He’s incredibly funny, in fact the whole department have a definite sense of humour, and is very good at explaining complex ideas simply.

It’s amazing being at a university which has these brilliant minds as professors! It’s all going to be a lot of hard work but I didn’t expect anything less and it looks like the reading load is pretty much the same as for Honours so that’s definitely do-able. There’s about 72 of us doing development management, although apparently even more applied this year than last, and 80-90 doing development studies, so it’s quite a big department.

After the development management induction we had drinks and nibbles (crisps and peanuts) up in one of the Senior Dining Rooms. I didn’t get a chance to speak to any of the lecturers but met lots of the other students. There’s at least 3 from Australia and I met one guy who’s a Kiwi but left 20 years ago and has been living in London for 5 years. There’s a few Brits, a large group from South America, a large-ish group from the USA and Canada (I know I shouldn’t group them but it’s so easy to), and then quite a few from Europe and the Middle East and Africa. Basically it seems like there’s at least one person from almost every country, quite an amazing mix.

Friday was 6 hours of lecture, and I promise I won’t spend the next millennium recounting exactly what was said. Basically it was a great series of lectures by different professors and a fantastic way to get to hear some of the possible options available, although I was totally shattered at the end of the day. I still managed to spend the entire evening trying to work out my timetable.

Today I wanted to do something completely different, so I shopped this morning and went to the British Museum this afternoon. Shopping in central London, particularly on a Saturday, is very scary and it’s taken until now for me to feel like I can actually survive the crowds. There are some insane shops, TopShop has far too many people in it at all times, and most shops are a write-off after midday. I managed to find some new clothes though, YAY for finally having a few more clothes! I got rid of a lot before I left and I needed a new pair of trousers so it was good to find some fabulous cheap jeans. I’m trying to not thing about the sweatshop labour that went into them. Must find non-sweatshop shops here! I also took some photos while I was out and about. I do like the little houses here, so perfectly cute . . . for more photos see the link above.<>

The British Museum is an incredible place, full of lots of interesting exhibitions. I spent most of my time in the Egypt, Greek and Roman areas, although I spent a little time wandering through an exhibition about Sacred Objects from the Pacific. The Pacific exhibition had lots of Maori bits and pieces and it was nice to be somewhere where I recognised things again.

Anyway, I spent much more time oggling at Egyptian sarcophagi and carved stone heads and so on. I can’t say I learned much, mostly because there was so much to take in I ended up looking at heaps but not entirely understanding most of it. Luckily, the BM is free and 10mins away from Passfield so I think I shall be spending a lot of time working my way around it learning all sorts of things this year. It really is so very interesting!

Even better, they have this amazing reading room. It’s apparently where George Bernard Shaw and Mahatma Gandhi studied and where Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto. I think I shall have to spend time reading there next time.

You can see more of my photos from the BM here.

I’ve just realised that it’s Sunday tomorrow, which means I have to decide on which church to visit this week. My current thinking is that I’ll head to St George’s, which is near Russell Square and therefore only a 10min walk for me. It claims to be “a medium sized Angican church . . . with around 30 students at the church from a wide variety of [University of London] colleges.” As they have ‘lively evening services’, I think I’ll try their 5pm one tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes!

I think I shall also try and catch up on my emails tomorrow, apologies if you’ve emailed me recently (or not-so-recently) and I haven’t replied yet! Lectures begin properly on Monday . . . fun fun fun!!

Tonight is the official Freshers party at LSE and somewhat unsurprisingly I decided not to go . . . not really my idea of fun. So this provides a fantastic time to catch up with myself and talk about what I’ve been up to for the past three days. It’s all been insanely busy and so it’s nice to have a night to relax a little . . .

So, I spent Sunday morning at Hillsong London. It’s truely an amazing experience and the worship was unbelieveable, truely out-of-this-world. It’s held in Dominion Theatre (a real theatre that is currently playing “We Will Rock You” during the week), and the place is full of people. There are 3 services on a Sunday and I figured I’d try the 10:30am service. Apparently it seats 2,007 people and although it wasn’t totally full it was pretty near it. I loved the worship, which had a full band plus 7 vocalists, plus the opening song was “Take It All”, which I became addicted to after we listened to it too many times in the car up to Hawkes Bay. Worshipping with around 2000 other Christians is such an incredible feeling and you All Saints people would have loved the number of people dancing at the front . . .

But that was one of the things that “bugged” me about it the most, at times it kinda felt less like a church and more like a concert. This video is exactly what it was like (this is a short video of Hillsong London) . . . all the lights and noise and everything was a little distracting . . .

Anyway the preaching also completely sucked for me. It was all hype and no substance, plus I’m really not sure what the man was talking about and he was this very-hyped-up preacher from the States who has apparently got the third largest church in “America”. I think I remember agreeing with some things he said but in the end it lacked biblical backing and had a very televangelist-type feel. Anyway he talked for about an hour on whatever it was he was talking about, and then there was a little more worship and that was the end. The people at the door, who had lovely badges that said “host”, were really friendly and managed to work out that I was new. I must have looked completely lost I think, but anyway the church definitely appeals to young people looking for a specifically “non-denominational” church and it seems to have a large following so it must be doing something right . . . but it’s definitely not the right church for me. A great experience but I think I need a church with a few less people and a bit more substance.

The rest of the people for the hall arrived on Sunday arvo and it was cute watching all the Freshers arrive, it made me want to be first year again. We had dinner at the hall, where I met some more “grad students” from the States and then we spent the rest of the evening in the Passfield bar sharing silly stories . . . twas great fun!

Today and Monday were mostly spent trying to take in a presessional economics workshop for development studies/management students. Basically they tried to teach us 2 years of undergrad economics in the space of two days . . . so I’m feeling quite tired now. The teaching was intense but there’s lots of us that haven’t done any economics before and they’ve reassured us that the courses don’t involve massive amounts of economics. I am now able to tell you about some very odd things, including concrete that conducts electricity and Russian tennis racquets. The teaching was excellent and both our lecturers for the workshop were really good at explaining things.

Last night was great, my ex-bosses are currently in the UK for a brief networking trip so we met for dinner last night and had a fabulous time getting lost in Covent Garden trying to find restaurants. It was great to catch up on the news from New Zealand (I know I’ve only been gone a week but a week’s a long time in politics) and see friendly familiar faces. It’s amazing how God provides because I’ve got work friends and family coming to London, and therefore see me too, quite regularly over the next few months. Hopefully that will help to keep me from being too homesick.

I do miss New Zealand, I really miss my family (although I talk to my mum and dad a lot at the mo), I miss Dave, I miss my friends (and flatmates), I miss knowing exactly where to shop for specific things, and I miss All Saints and having a church to call home. I’m slowly adjusting to living in London, while realising that I was a lot more attached to New Zealand than I thought.

And with that thought, I shall leave you for today. Tomorrow is the school induction, followed by an intense day of DESTIN (DEvelopment STudies INstitute) induction. I am truely glad I came, but sad to be away from everyone and everything I know and love.

P.S Thanks to everyone that’s been leaving me comments on the blog! You guys are such fantastic friends!

So I made it to London, in one piece, and with all my luggage. YAY! I am very glad I arrived early because today is the day all the freshers (1st years) arrive in the halls and the streets are packed with cars carrying scared students and even more frightened-looking parents.<> I’m sure I looked a tad bewildered when I arrived too.

I had three seats to myself for then entire flight across and that meant that I got something resembling sleep for part of the journey. I must rave, briefly, about the new Air New Zealand in-flight entertainment systems, which have little screens in the back of the headrests in front of you. They’re totally brilliant and the choice of movies, tv and music was awesome. Even better, they come preloaded with a massive number of cds and you can create your own playlist from this. Incredible. It made the whole trip much more bearable so thanks Air New Zealand.

I arrived in London to discover that not only was it rather warm here but in fact the temperature was insanely hot, at least for anyone coming from the end of an NZ winter it felt insanely hot. My large black polarfleece jacket and all the luggage made the day seem that much hotter and I am very happy to have that day over and done with. Having arrived at Carr-Saunders Hall (my temp hall for the night), I went outside for just over an hour before I totally crashed. At some stage I also discovered that my cell phone refused to connect to any UK network, much to my dismay.

On Wednesday a large group of us moved to Passfield Hall, which was finally ready for inhabitants, it’s a gorgeous hall and heritage building (apparently). In fact it looks something like this (the circle is my room):

The lift hadn’t been finished at that stage so we had to haul the luggage up the stairs to our rooms, you should have seen the chaos of it all! Anyway eventually we all got in safely, and I trundled down to LSE to do the registration thing. Having picked up my new LSE ID card, with it’s oh-so-hot-looking photo of me on it, I headed back to Passfield to unpack and sleep. The jetlag affected me hugely and so I seem to have spent most of the week sleeping at odd hours, no matter how hard I try not to.

So this is my new room for the next wee while, I really like it!

Thursday and Friday were spent trying to work out how to get from A to B, with different places being A and B at all times. I tried to shop and got scared away by the masses of people, so I spent a little time in the LSE library checking my email and working out how to print out my “certificate of registration” so I could open a bank account. Got both of those things done so I spent some time relaxing in Russell Square, followed by more sleep. Yesterday I woke up feeling excessively lonely only to discover that we had the internets at Passfield (finally) so spent a little bit of time doing internets stuff and then tried to go shopping again. Shopping on a Saturday between 12 and 3 seems to be a bad plan in London.

Finally last night I got to talk to Dave on skype, which was fabulous!! We’d talked quickly on the night I arrived but I was seriously not with it and so it was nice to just talk and laugh and know that it didn’t cost anything. Skype really is marvellous!

This morning I decided to go for a London church experience, kinda like a tourist haven for Christians, so I went to Hillsong London. But that’s another story that can wait a few hours before I start typing again . . . now for socialising with the poor little freshers in the bar!

I’m still getting over jetlag and finding my feet in this huge city with it’s masses and masses of people but I’ve finally got the internets at my hall and so I thought I’d just quickly blog to let you know that I’m alive, alert, not very awake, but quite enthusiastic.

I’ve had quite a lot of ups and downs this week, but I’m loving it here overall and everyone I have met so far has been amazingly lovely and nice.

I have a lovely room but although it’s rather warm outside and stiflingly hot inside (my room is like an oven currently).

Anyway it’s my bedtime so I’ll blog and do other such exciting things tomorrow. What fun!

Thanks sooo much for all your txts, blog comments, and emails, I really appreciate hearing from everyone and it’s kept me going during the less fun times this week! <>

Last blog post before I take to the skies and I’m stealing my sister’s lappie to do it.

I’m really excited but also quite scared by the whole prospect. I’ll have photos and stories to tell in a few days and so I’ll leave the interesting stuff until then but meanwhile I shall miss you all greatly!

It’s my turn to fly . . .

Love Fi

End of work, end of stuff to keep me occupied and not think about leaving. Three days to go . . .

My work buddies threw me an almost day-long party and took me out for lunch and were generally totally amazing. I’m not good at this goodbye business.

Goodbye Parliament . . .

<>

Fear of Flying - Welcome Aboard
From The Economist, 07/09/06

In-flight announcements are not entirely truthful. What might an honest one sound like?

“GOOD morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to welcome you aboard Veritas Airways, the airline that tells it like it is. Please ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray-table is stowed. At Veritas Airways, your safety is our first priority. Actually, that is not quite true: if it were, our seats would be rear-facing, like those in military aircraft, since they are safer in the event of an emergency landing. But then hardly anybody would buy our tickets and we would go bust.

The flight attendants are now pointing out the emergency exits. This is the part of the announcement that you might want to pay attention to. So stop your sudoku for a minute and listen: knowing in advance where the exits are makes a dramatic difference to your chances of survival if we have to evacuate the aircraft. Also, please keep your seat belt fastened when seated, even if the seat-belt light is not illuminated. This is to protect you from the risk of clear-air turbulence, a rare but extremely nasty form of disturbance that can cause severe injury. Imagine the heavy food trolleys jumping into the air and bashing into the overhead lockers, and you will have some idea of how nasty it can be. We don’t want to scare you. Still, keep that seat belt fastened all the same.

Your life-jacket can be found under your seat, but please do not remove it now. In fact, do not bother to look for it at all. In the event of a landing on water, an unprecedented miracle will have occurred, because in the history of aviation the number of wide-bodied aircraft that have made successful landings on water is zero. This aircraft is equipped with inflatable slides that detach to form life rafts, not that it makes any difference. Please remove high-heeled shoes before using the slides. We might as well add that space helmets and anti-gravity belts should also be removed, since even to mention the use of the slides as rafts is to enter the realm of science fiction.

Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft’s navigation systems. At least, that’s what you’ve always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn’t sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it. We will have to come clean about this next year, when we introduce in-flight calling across the Veritas fleet. At that point the prospect of taking a cut of the sky-high calling charges will miraculously cause our safety concerns about mobile phones to evaporate.

On channel 11 of our in-flight entertainment system you will find a video consisting of abstract imagery and a new-age soundtrack, with a voice-over explaining some exercises you can do to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis. We are aware that this video is tedious, but it is not meant to be fun. It is meant to limit our liability in the event of lawsuits.

Once we have reached cruising altitude you will be offered a light meal and a choice of beverages—a word that sounds so much better than just saying ‘drinks’, don’t you think? The purpose of these refreshments is partly to keep you in your seats where you cannot do yourselves or anyone else any harm. Please consume alcohol in moderate quantities so that you become mildly sedated but not rowdy. That said, we can always turn the cabin air-quality down a notch or two to help ensure that you are sufficiently drowsy.

After take-off, the most dangerous part of the flight, the captain will say a few words that will either be so quiet that you will not be able to hear them, or so loud that they could wake the dead. So please sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. We appreciate that you have a choice of airlines and we thank you for choosing Veritas, a member of an incomprehensible alliance of obscure foreign outfits, most of which you have never heard of. Cabin crew, please make sure we have remembered to close the doors. Sorry, I mean: ‘Doors to automatic and cross-check’. Thank you for flying Veritas.”

Thanks to the NZ Herald for drawing my attention to this gem.

Today is September 11 for much of the world. Like everyone I know, I vividly remember that day. It was the first time Life FM didn’t play Stacie Orrico at 7:20am. It was the first time my group of Christian friends prayed publicly in school grounds, all sorts of people joined us.

I spent the afternoon at Bryanna’s house, watching the horrifying videos repeat. I don’t know how we managed to get out of school but I think everyone was too shocked to care.

Today we remember those who lost their lives that day.

For me, I often stuggle with the lack of humanity and justice in our world but I heard a lovely story the other day.

See Michelle from All Saints had her microwave oven blow up. She has young twins who needed their bottles heating quickly, and lacked all the other fantastically useful things microwaves do for busy families. An anonymous person (who knows the family) left a comment on Michelle’s blog asking about the type of microwave she had. Last Friday, a new microwave (and delivery man) showed up on Michelle’s doorstop. Stories like this remind me that the world isn’t completely lost. People still care about those around them. Totally random acts of kindness, it blows me away!

Many of you have heard me talk about “apples” or my “apple” project (it’s a code word). Today my “apple” project was publicly released and I can now tell you all that I know far far more than your average citizen about local government and the domestic rates system in New Zealand. I started this project on my second week in this job. It seems rather fitting that it is released 9 months later, in the week that I leave my job. Ask me about it if you really want to know more, but trust me, it’s a very very boring, but essential, issue.

Lastly, I was just unofficially farewelled by the United Future caucus. I don’t leave until Friday but caucus only meet officially once a week on Tuesday. I’ve realised that I’m not just leaving a job, but a group of people that have been family to me. I’ve been involved in the party for three years or so, and I have truly loved working for them for the past 9 months. I really shall miss everyone.

Only a week and I’m feeling just a tad freaked out of my mind.

I have 4 and a 1/2 days left at work and 7 sleeps until my big adventure. I had a fabulous weekend with many friends txting or coming to visit and I finally realised how much I’d miss everyone. I’ve never been good at moving.

I have so much to say, and yet I can’t put words into sentences in my head so I think I shall leave it here.

They say a week’s a long time in politics . . . not long enough I think.

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Aotearoa Update

Its time for New Zealand to stand up. Last year Kiwis joined millions of people around the globe united in the largest movement against poverty the world has ever seen.

Since MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY began, an additional $50 billion annually was pledged to poor countries, 290 million people were freed for the first time of debt slavery, over 3 million people in Tanzania were fed, a national free health service was created in Zambia and 98% of children in Uganda went to school with free meals for the first time. These and many more changes happened because people like you used their voices, demanding an end to extreme poverty.

This is only the beginning. Millions of people still live in extreme poverty in our world.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Poverty is not inevitable. We need to rise up and tell our governments that we want them to make the changes that can mean the difference between life and death for millions of people.

You can use your voice to make change. Its time to stand up.

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY Aotearoa is taking part in the global Month of Mobilisation (September 16-October 17), culminating in the International Day for the Eradication of World Poverty (White Band Day 4 - October 17).

During this month we need to show our Government that New Zealanders care.

If you’ve already shown your support, thank you. There is more you can do. Make sure that you take action during the Month of Mobilisation. Look out for emails, check the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY website for events, and encourage your friends, family, colleagues and peers to add their voices too.

To add your voice text “click” to 8466, or go to www.makepovertyhistory.org.nz. We are not asking for a donation. We want your voice, not your money.

It will only take you two minutes. In that time forty children die from extreme poverty. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Only together can we MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY.

Thanks,

The MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY team
www.makepovertyhistory.org.nz

From Fi - I don’t think I could have said it any better. Please get involved, run events on campus, at church, or just spread the word around your work. The more involved, the more weight our voices carry.