Andy Patmore

One of my friends calculated, and today is the exact half-way point between when we arrived in England and when we leave. It sometimes seems like I've been here for 6 months, and sometimes like a week. My concept of time is very messed up at the moment.

So about the title of this post--I am researching a paper and a presentation for Andy Patmore, and I'm procrastinating on here. Andy Patmore is my US Foreign Policy professor, or "tutor". He's a strange man...he has crazy hair, and he always wears the same sweatshirt, and a "Norfolk Pub Run" t-shirt, and he chain smokes, but he is the nicest of my professors. And he genuinely loves American History. Loves it in the way my 7th and 8th grade history teacher Mr. Kresge does. So that he REALLY wants you to know about it. I've learned a ton so far in this class.

However, this doesn't mean that I want to write Andy Patmore's paper. Most of the books that I need (I'm doing the CNN effect on the public and policy, and how president's manipulate the
media for their own gains) have been checked out of the library. I went to his office hours last week and he was on his smoke break, so I ended up talking to him out there. In the rain. And then today, he was in the coffee bar instead of his office, so I found him there. We ended up talking about various things for 20 minutes: my hometown, and how my classes are, and future career ideas (or in this case, serious lack thereof). He was wearing a poppy on his sweatshirt so I asked about that. I started seeing them on a lot of people yesterday, too. It's leading up to their Veteran's day (Nov 11, like ours), and it's for the British who have died in war. Or as he put it, "I'm wearing it for all those who die in war, not just the bloody British."

So I will miss Andy Patmore. He says "crikey", and he points excitedly at you if you are saying something worthwhile. I'm the only American in my class which is a strange feeling, but I think I'm doing well.