Apple Picking

So I've been getting some complaints regarding last week's entry...too short, not enough detail, be more funny, blah blah blah...Not to worry though, I will make up for it this time around :)

Let's start with Thursday's trip to the National Space Centre:

What a rip off! They advertise this place as having a new 1/2 million pound exhibit in celebration of 50 years in outer space. The truth is, we couldn't even figure out what the exhibit was! This building is 4 floors of signs and plastic solar systems. Oh and let's not forget their dome-shaped movie theatre. Essentially that's what we paid 10 quid for - to watch a movie. I should give the film some credit though - I did learn quite a bit about astronauts and what they go through while in outer space. I didn't realize this but their entire body undergoes some incredible changes when living without gravity. Decreased bone density, loss of muscle tissue, space nausea (because the hairs in your ears can't tell your brain what direction is 'up'). All quite impressive. Moreso than the actual Space Centre unfortunately...There are some pictures below of Sachin, Amit and Zainah oh, and the "Thruster" - we don't know what it does, but they had it enclosed in bullet proof glass so it must be important.

So we gave up on the Space Centre, decided to get some pizza and vowed never to go there again...

Oh you'll be very happy to know that I finally got around to making a video tour of our flat, it's posted below so enjoy (correction: I tried posting it but it's not uploading right now...will try again tomorrow). We're spending a lot of time here these days because our first essay is due on the 5th. I'm writing mine on the key problems with the Media Effects tradition. Basically that's the theory that media has a direct influence on its audience. So for example, if you heard an ad on the radio promoting a new 1/2 million pound exhibit at the National Space Centre, you would suddenly have a desire to go. But there are a few problems with that theory. One of them being that media is not the sole influence on someone's life. We have a 'nexus of mediating factors' affecting our decisions as my new friend Joseph T Klapper would say. Where someone like my sister would hear that ad and want to go because of her love for all things space-related, another person might hear that ad and remember a blog entry they read about how much the Space Centre sucked and have no desire to go whatsoever.

It's interesting because I picked this question out of a possible 30 quite randomly - I sort of wanted to get a feel for the marking here before I picked something really challenging to write about. And yet, in the process of researching for this essay, I've realized that this topic is very relevant to my dissertation. It's important to know the extent to which young women are affected by the advertisements they see every day. Maybe some women aren't as directly affected as I thought. Maybe there are some mediating factors I should know about that go hand in hand with these ads. Maybe the media messages are disseminated through opinion leaders rather than the media itself. Anyways, I'm probably boring most of you with all this academic jargon...but just take a minute before you place all the blame for society's problems on violence or sex on television - we are not mindless creatures who lack any sort of media literacy. We have to take responsibility for our attitudes and our actions.

Ummm, I don't really know where all of that just came from...I think it's the result of reading too many Mass Comm. books over the last 2 days. Anyways, tonight was the unveiling of the Diwali lights on the Golden Mile (that's the Indian part of town). They keep these lights on 24 hours a day for the next 2 weeks (Gore must be soooo happy!). There were fireworks and music and 60,000 people! Apparently Leicester has the largest Diwali celebration outside of India. People from all over Europe come here just to celebrate Diwali and take part in the parade. I'm excited to see how the city changes over the next two weeks in preparation for all of the celebrations...I didn't think Leicester could get any more saturated with Indians but I guess it's possible!

I wanted to end off with a mini-revelation I had in the shower this morning. My sister, in all her infinite wisdom and knowledge, told me before I left about what it's like to live on your own. How one day you'll be doing something as simple as buying apples, and you won't be able to decide which ones you should buy and you think to yourself "if mom was here, she'd tell me which ones to get" and then it hits you: you are completely on your own. There is nobody here to help you choose apples or anything else for that matter. She tried to describe what it feels like, but I didn't really understand, it's just one of those things I suppose you have to experience first hand.

Well I think I had my apple experience this morning. I wasn't doing anything in particular other than taking a shower to be honest. But I suppose I was thinking about many things like my paper, going to Budapest, getting groceries, thinking of what I should eat for breakfast. And I suddenly felt very...proud. I mean let's be real here for a second. I know most of you didn't think I could actually do this. Don't feel bad, I've always underestimated my capabilities too (how do you think I got the nickname Bobolee? trans.: trini slang term for an idiot). I thought I'd be crying every day, missing home and friends and family. The truth is, I haven't cried since I left Pearson Int'l Airport. I've been really strong, and for the first time, I feel like an autonomous person. It feels so good to be taking care of yourself, doing things on your own, making decisions by yourself. And it hasn't been hard at all! It's been such a natural progression, and I have a renewed sense of faith in myself. I know, it's only been a month...and I'm still a kid with a lot of growing up to do. But I feel like I can handle it. After all, I can choose my own apples now :)

Cheers!