First Day at York St. John University

Monday I had my first orientation appointment with the Business School at York St. John.  (Renovation construction on the apartment next door and the playground for an elementary school in our back yard ensure we won't have a problem sleeping in....) My office is on the 3rd floor (what they call the 2nd floor, so it's #203) of the Business School's faculty building. It's about the size of my office at Hope except I share it with 3 other people: one is a professor (lecturer) and the other two are people whose role is to connect with the local business community through joint programs and projects with the school. They are great but it's going to take me a while to figure out how to get work done in a shared office.  They are providing me with a computer, so I won't have to lug my laptop back and forth (the walk to school is nearly 2 miles from our apartment, so I won't have any problem logging 10,000 steps a day). Everyone is super friendly and helpful. Since my office is in a historic building called the Gateway House, there are no elevators (lifts).  Students are also not allowed in the building, so when a student wants to meet with a faculty member they have to arrange a meeting some other place. Makes the concept of office hours a little difficult. (My office is the top window on the left. There are also rather nice private offices in the attic on the 4th floor.)

The university also has a beautiful "quad" area that is part of the oldest section of campus.

Afterwards, we walked around York a little more but it started raining so we stopped for an early dinner at a place called Wetherspoon's near our apartment. It is a pub and serves 'pub food' (fish & chips, "roasts," sandwiches, etc.) We ordered burgers (mine was grilled chicken and it was great - a huge split chicken breast) and fries (called chips here - potato chips are crisps) and they came with a free pint of ale! We aren't often beer drinkers, but it was a nice way to experience the British pub culture. (In the pubs you go up to the bar to order, pay, and get your drinks; then they bring your food to the table.)

A very filling end to the day, so we decided we needed more exercise and walked a section of the old city walls on our way home.

The picture on the left may look like the wall walk is at street level, but believe me it's not (thus the picture of the steps going up to the wall as proof).  It's hard to believe they don't have a railing.

View from the top of the wall.