#knoxville

yourewrappedaroundmyfinger:

a lover and fighter by nature, knoxville had the upper edge going into this boxing match. tremaine, on the other hand, is neither a lover nor a fighter. in fact, he’s more of a mixture of the two, which makes him a grappler. and the one time he did grapple with knoxville - the big brother magazine ‘sumo wrestling challenge’ circa 1998 - he did indeed emerge the victor (althought knoxville still disputes the outcome to this very day)|jackass boxset booklet

spikes-jonze:

Happy Birthday Johnny Knoxville!{March 11th, 1971}

If you’re gonna wreck yourself, you might as well get paid for it.

jackass co-creaters and executive producers, johnny knoxville and jeff tremaine. hollywood shitbags, indeed|jackass boxset booklet

greenfelt-deactivated20220219:

planetbeans:

whack that mf over the head call it a philip john slapp

Well Tumblr, this will be my last post. It also happens to be my 20th post and I do love round numbers!

I’ve been back home for nearly a month and its finally sinking in that I wont be going back to Knoxville any time soon! 

I had a great few weeks after Spring Break in the US. We spent time doing the usual things, I suppose enjoying the things we’d gotten so used to! Christian and I seemed to spend an awful lot of time at Jason’s Deli, our favourite lunch spot. We also went white water rafting on the Ocoee River, coincidentally on the exact same route that I went with my family on in August! Talk about full circle. We went to our final football game (kind of). It was actually a big open practice and our team played each other, so it was fun to get to go again this semester but not quite the atmosphere of the real games. We also celebrated some birthdays (Morgan’s and Phoebe’s) and therefore went to some lovely restaurants and had some really fun nights out. 

Its so strange to finally be back. I did so many amazing things on my year abroad that I would never have dreamt of doing/even been able to do back here. I got to shoot guns, hike in the Smoky Mountains, go wake boarding, attend American football, basketball and baseball games, tailgate, ride a mechanical bull in a line dancing club, not to mention drive-thru a Starbucks! I met people from all over the world and got to travel to cities like New York, Washington DC, Chicago and had amazing experiences in all of them. I fulfilled my (laughable but genuine) dream of going to the Harry Potter theme park! 

I also feel like a learnt so much, my grades have been better than ever this year (partly to do with the grading system, I admit) but I’ve had to learn how to cope with a huge workload and a totally different educational system. Being truly away from my parents has taught me so much about budgeting, keeping organised, dealing with visas/insurance/travelling alone etc. basically all sorts of things that I’ve never done by myself before. I think I have also managed to finally conquer coping in hot weather! 35 degrees is still not fun, but it makes me appreciate those mid-twenties days!

Living with a roommate and in such close quarters in an apartment has shown me a lot about compromise and definitely made me realise how much I like a bit of time on my own! All my roommates from both semesters have been different from me and each other in so many ways and I think it teaches you a lot about yourself (particularly the bad habits you have and never knew about!)

Being around Americans non-stop has been interesting. A lot of American’s completely shatter the stereotypes, however many of them also conformed. There were a lot of things I was wary about of the South and being there made me realise I was right to be. The South has the virtually universal-Christianianity that I’ve just never experienced before. I have literally walked to class every week with a man that yells at us excerpts from the Bible. I’ve seen campaigns that liken abortion to genocide. In many ways I think its a culture that I’ll just never understand, being “European”. However, that being said the South has an endless list of positives, from the famous Southern hospitality, to the amazing food and of course the AMAZING country music!

Overall I had a really great year. I’ve been home nearly a month and its funny how you slip into the same routines, living at home, working in WH Smiths, etc. I definitely miss good ole Rocky Top already! I’ve made amazing friends and two of them I get to go back to Swansea with which is really great. America has made me want to travel Europe so much, living in such a large country that is virtually the side of Western Europe has made me realise how little I’ve seen of things that are pretty much on my doorstep. Some serious money saving is in order and then thats next on the agenda!

Anyone who reads this and is thinking of going to America/UT I couldn’t recommend it enough! I’m free for advice anytime!

For the last part of the semester there was a huge amount of work to be doing. Although I do much more work throughout the term, it still seems seems to bombard you at the end. I’ve had several essays due and we had to film a political “skit”. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lI8KO1WRH8) That was probably the most random piece of work I’ve ever done!

In the very last week we had finals which are now - thankfully - over. It’s a lot different from Swansea as the exams are in December and they are all crammed into one week, whereas we normally have a 2 or 3 week period to sit them at home. The point being is that they’re over and I’ve had three of my four results back and I got A, A- and B+ so pretty pleased about that!

We’ve still had time to do some cool things since we go back from Chicago. Watched some more basketball, the Lady Vols were great. I spent Thanksgiving at the Bennetts, which was lovely as usual. No pictures, but it really was like on TV! I was so full up with all the wonderful food afterwards I kept falling asleep!

We also went iceskating down in Market Square which was great, as downtown has been all done up for Christmas. It played the cheesiest music so was really fun, and I didn’t fall over, although I came very close!

We also found ourselves at two parties which required us to dress up (as you can see, we are now TOTALLY wild), a pirate party and and a Christmas party, although I copped out of both of them really. For the pirate party I simply drew a skull and crossbone on my face and for the Christmas party I went to Goodwill and bought a $2 shirt with a snowman on it! At the Christmas party the guy just had to football helmets lying around which I became most interested in - I’m becoming a football fanatic! Eventually Jade and I managed to get both of them together so had to document it! On a side note they are SO heavy, I have literally no idea how these guys can even run down the field with them on.

So now its the end of the semester Annabelle, Jade and Lauren have gone home for good. It was really sad to say goodbye to them, but I know they’re glad to be going home. We spent the night before taking some cheesy “family pictures” and then went to the cinema and watched Pitch Perfect (amazing) before we took them off to the airport!

I’m also going home for Christmas so super excited for Wednesday to come so I can start my journey to Atlanta and fly back to London on Thursday night! I’m really looking forward to next semester. Michaela and I have just booked a weekend in Orlando, Florida and I’m hoping to take trips to New Orleans, Boston and DC. I’ve always harbored a little soft spot for Texas and I also am hoping to find a way to get there next semester too!

Hope y’all have a lovely Christmas. See you in a few weeks Knoxville!

PS here is a picture of Phoebe and I “dressed up” as Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray, just for good measure. See what I mean? Obsessed.

Although I know I’ve missed some bits out, I think I’m more or less up to date with the entries, so can now talk about this past week/weekend!

After what felt like the longest week of classes (but in reality was just the first full week), we FINALLY got to the weekend.

On Thursday our Hall Director took us for a behind the scenes tour of the Tennessee Theatre. It was so beautiful inside, with chandeliers and velvet everywhere. The man who led the tour was the organ player and he played a few songs. I now have a new found appreciation for organ players, it must be so difficult to control your feet without looking AND using your hands at the same time. The funny thing about it is the way he was talking about how historical it was because it was built in 1928. At home 1928 is pretty new! Heres some terrible quality photos:

Friday was the first (American) football game, but it was an away match, so we didn’t get to actually go to this one. Lauren’s roommates Michaela and Shannon took us to the Tin Roof for dinner and to watch the match, however they spent most of the time explaining it to us! My current stance is to just try and remember how it is similar or not similar to rugby. Anyway, it was really fun. Everyone sings ‘Rocky Top’ really loud whenever theres a Vol touchdown, which is the 'fight song’. We’re all trying to learn it for our first game at the weekend! The only thing was at half time (or the 2nd quarter, they say) the waitress told us we had to leave if we weren’t 21, which was slightly annoying as they never mentioned that at the beginning!

After the game we went to a gig at this place called Birdhouse. It was quite a way out into town, and it was really good music, in a centre that was actually a converted house, which was really cool. But it was definitely one of those situations where everyone around us was really drunk, and when you’re sober it kind of gets on your nerves. Saying that, it does different community projects and things, its definitely a place I want to keep a look out for.

On Saturday we all woke up really late, so at about half 3, we wandered downtown again. We went to the fountains in World Fair Park, where they have the flags from all the nations that attended. We then actually went up the Sunsphere this time, which was really interesting, and you can see the whole city (although I took the most boring photo ever of the floor below me).

We then wandered to the cafes where they were setting up for a wedding on the green outside! We wanted a drink anyway, so we sat outside and watched the entire ceremony, which was so great. The minister even had a microphone so we could hear everything too. I think outdoor weddings are perfect, and the weather is unreal here. I even took a creepy photo:

A woman in a car actually pulled up on the road, put her hazards on and tried to watch the wedding. A bus pulled up beside her and I guess start yelling, and so the woman drove off, not 2 minutes later she came back around and pulled up again!

Sunday night was Boomsday, which seems to be Knoxville’s version of Firework night. When we were getting food, what must’ve been a rogue firework was set off, and it was really loud, but the guy in front of me said to his wife “oh, that was definitely a gunshot” and I was completely paranoid after that. However, just towards the end of the firework display, the heavens opened and we were all DRENCHED. We thought we’d missed Isaac, but apparently it was the tailend of it, we were all laughing and just generally enjoying it, but after about 5 minutes of it, we we’re all completely soaked and freezing so we tried to get back. It was a strange sensation, everyone was running around, people screaming as they’d lost their kids and behind you all you could hear were these deafening fireworks. I kept saying it was like an apocalyptic scene! Overall it was really fun, we managed to make the most of it, it was definitely incredibly funny. Heres a 'before and after’ shot of us all!

So yesterday was Labor day, and Annabelle and I had been invited over for dinner with the Bennett family. We met them during orientation, where there was an event to meet local families in the hope they may be able to assist you if you ever need it. Annabelle and I definitely struck lucky with the Bennetts. The picked us up, and all the grandparents were there as well as 2 of their daughters (they have 3), and everyone was incredibly welcoming. I think there are so many negative stereotypes of Southerners, but going over last night really reminded me of the positives. Thery’re all an incredibly close knit family, but had no problem welcoming us in. The mother, Linda, was saying she wanted us to feel we could go to her for anything, to think of them as a 'substitute’ family we can go to anytime. It’s just so different to what you get in England, although I’m lucky that my family are all really close, but I know thats not the case for everyone. Anyway, unfortunately I don’t have a picture of the Bennetts, but I will have to get one next time!

So, classes started on Wednesday the 22nd, and even enrolling was a complete mission of a process. Americans have been able to enrol since the summer, but we weren’t until we got here, so virtually all the classes were full and we were all preparing to beg the professors to allow us into their classes. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to actually ask, after some frantic emailing, a few people dropped out of the classes I wanted so I was allowed on. We do 12 credit hours, so not too bad, but still less than I do at home! The modules I took were on the Civil War & Reconstruction, Law in American Society (having the Constitution on my Kindle is coming in handy for this), and then Political Culture, and also American Film (I was supposed to take a literature course, but because I’m lazy I substituted it for film). They’re actually quite a good bunch of courses, but I was really hoping to get on the Colonial America class, instead of Civil War. The settlements are one of my favourite parts of American history, but alas, I didn’t get to study them this semester.

I’ve got a few required texts for each of the classes, but have only bought 3 in total so far, but these still cost nearly $150! I had to buy them on my dad’s credit card, as Amazon wouldn’t take my card, much to his joy (not). It’s absolutely extortionate, but they test you differently here, and you really need to have done the reading, so I suppose I’ll just have to sell them on again. Anyway, the classes have been good so far, I absolutely hate talking in the smaller ones, as people stare at me like an alien, and the teachers do like to make a point of identifying me as British. One professor even made a joke about Brits having poor dental hygiene! If that’s not a way to make a foreigner feel insecure in a room full of Americans then I don’t know what is.

However, at the weekend we got to explore Knoxville a little bit, which was very fun. On the walk downtown we walked through the World Fair Park, where they have this lovely water feature and the Sunsphere.

Downtown Knoxville is really nice! It’s got a little square of shops and restaurants called Market Square, where they have bands in the evenings, and starting this month they show free films for you all to just sit outside and watch, and I definitely want to go to that (the first film is Footloose!). It was nice to start actually getting our bearings on where we are! It feels like you’re in a little campus bubble, when there is everything you could ever need on campus theres little reason to actually leave.

We went to a vintage store called Nostalgia, where the room was set up with little stalls and they all had different themes. You could buy virtually anything there! They even had this TV that they’d turned into a fish tank with all different fish in it (also an eel, yuck).

From there we went to the West Town Mall, which was great! I knew that everything was supposed to be cheaper here, but it really is a huge difference! I bought a pair of jeans from Hollister which would usually be about £60 at home, for $30! Its totally sad but it always makes me feel at home just wandering around a shopping centre. I also had my first Chik-fil-A, which I know is pretty politically controversial, but I feel you’d have to boycott everything to be politically correct all the time, and I’m English, of course I support gay rights! Duh.

Firstly, I should mention that I have no camera at the moment as mine was stolen on the very classy Wind Street in Swansea! Making do with my iPhone and a disposable at the moment, so will be sure to upload those when I get them developed.

When I arrived I found to my joy that we had a London Underground shower curtain, some Union Jack bunting, and this lovely map on the wall:

(It’s pretty suprising how patriotic moving abroad can make you!) All of these thanks to my new roommate (!!) Annabelle, who is a Brit herself, from Leeds, but studying in Manchester. I am so glad that I’m with someone from England because a lot of the other girls I know seem to be having issues with language with their own roommates which I’m glad to have avoided. I was pretty worried about having to share a room, however it’s been absolutely fine so far! I guess it’s just important to spend time together but also spend time on your own too?

We’ve had various types of orientation to help us settle. We have had meetings on the academic side, travel, visas, health insurance (will never complain about the NHS again), tax, and numerous more. In a way it’s tedious, but they seem to make it quite a good way to meet other internationals! Luckily, to relieve us from all the information they organised so many parties as ‘mixers’. Parties here are pretty different to home, the drinking age is obviously 21, but UT is actually a dry campus, so no alcohol allowed on site at all. It’s not a bad thing, I’m hardly a big drinker, but it’s strange to get used to. There are occasions when we’re out and I feel like an Archers and then remember I can’t! But anyway, there was a 'Pizza & Bowling party’, a Pool party, American Culture party (where I learned the Yanks call the 'Cha Cha Slide’ the 'Cupid Shuffle’. WTF? is all I have to say to that). They served us the nicest fried chicken! (Although I destroyed mine)

All the other evenings there was socials somewhere, the best part of this is that everywhere had free food! I literally did not cook a single meal for over a week. After the pool party we went to our first 'Frat party’ which wasn’t really a Frat party at all, but it did give us an opportunity to meet more American’s and gave me my first experience with Red Solo Cups…although they were mostly blue. (This is me and Christian who is also from Swansea, and Jade, Annabelle & Lauren)

I mentioned the Pool party which has reminded me to talk about the gym and the pool! The Americans have to pay a separate fee to have access to all the facilities, but because we are on exchange we have most of our fees waivered, so basically we get to use the most amazing gym totally for free! It’s huge, all the equipment you could want is there, and all the classes are free too, bring on Zumba! The same goes with the swimming pools. Theres an indoor and an outdoor, we’ve only used the outdoor so far as it’s been such lovely weather all the time, but theres sun loungers there and a nice closed off bit for us to just bob around. The best thing is its the building opposite our housing, so the pools and the gym are less than a minutes walk! In orientation they were very proud to tell us that Team USA trained in the UT pools, so I’m pretty tempted to just swim around and pretend to be Phelps.

It’s probably worth mentioning, that because I’m very lucky, my Dad and Step-mum planned their family holiday (with my brother and sister) around dropping me off in Knoxville. I can see how this looks to be that I’m not completing one of the most pivotal parts of the year abroad (for many, their first flight alone), but I’ll have to do it eventually, and to be perfectly honest, it’s a pretty daunting thought and I’d rather avoid it for as long as possible!

The ‘first round’ of goodbyes were totally horrible. My mum started crying, which is always going to be sad (luckily I just managed not to cry myself), but despite a few worries she and my Step-dad had shared over where I was going, they were completely supportive and reassuring. I actually think the worst part of goodbyes is the panic, and the starting to wonder if you’re doing the right thing. Luckily, both sets of my parents were quick to remind me it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was also sad saying my farewells to my friends. Firstly, to my friends (mainly from work), at home in Brighton but also those from Swansea. At the end of second year there seemed to be a shadow hanging over the last few days, because with them graduating this year it felt like goodbye forever! All the girls from uni met up in Bristol for a party for another traveller (she’s off to Canada!), which was a lot of fun, but a somewhat bittersweet get-together.

So anyway, we eventually arrived (may be hard to believe I ever got there in time seeing as I managed to extend my 'goodbye line’ into an entire paragraph) in Atlanta, Georgia. Yep, Georgia. For the first part of the holiday me and my family were going to Blue Ridge, which is a tiny little town in the mountains. This is the view from my room:

It was such a nice location there, but there was a problem…massive bugs. The insects bad as it was, but then came the 'scorpion incident’. I think I’ve probably tired this story out as it is, so I’ll just give you a brief summary. I woke up one morning, started watching the Olympics in bed (the BBC stream, of course), felt something underneath me, on my back. I put my hand to feel what it was, and it was a scorpion. It then climbed on to my hand, where I was so crippled by fear I couldn’t do anything but internally scream, and then flung it off. BUT not before it managed to bite me! We all agreed it wasn’t a sting, because that is allegedly agony, but it did hurt! However, as I did fling it, we searched for ages to no avail, thus myself and my sister could barely sleep a wink again. We also did some white water rafting in Georgia, which was so much fun, heres a few of those photos:

For the final two days we moved on to Nashville, which was great. We all love country music so we couldn’t wait to get to its capital. I only had one full day in Nashville, so we went to the Country Music Hall of Fame (which had a Taylor Swift exhibit on! Love her). It was really interesting, there was different museum-esque learning about different artists, documentary screening on country music through history, we got to look around all different rooms with different possessions of Elvis, Johnny Cash, and the newer ones that we like, such as Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban. Heres some from the Taylor Swift section!

The next day we all drove up to Knoxville, apart from some minor panic when we thought we were a day early and I wouldn’t be able to move in, it all went fine. My dad drove me to Wal-mart to stock up, and then they left. Out of all of the goodbyes that was definitely the worst! The whole journey back from Wal-mart I was forcing myself to calm down and not cry, and I’d finally managed to, when my dad started crying! I’ve never in my life seen him cry, so it was absolutely horrible. It set me off and then my step-mum off, I was so sad for about 2 hours after that, but orientation kept me very busy indeed, so I didn’t have long to be sad! Orientation week to follow!

Right, so, my name is Georgia (I’m guessing I should listen to every adult ever when they say not to give out surnames on the internet!), and I’m in my third year at Swansea University. Luckily for me, this means I get to spend it in the US, specifically the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I’ve actually already been here nearly 3 weeks, so the first few entries will probably be backdated. I don’t expect to get many followers, seeing as this blog is only really for my own benefit, (and also my friends/family to spy on me with) but if anybody does come across this and has any questions, needs some sort of advice, just wants to send some anon-hate…ask!