IT'S A BOMB!!

Hello again everyone!

Time for a new update. I'm now into my second week of school and so far it's been a rather interesting experience. My school is called Red Land High School and is one of two high schools in the West Shore School District, the other being Cedar Cliff High School and APPARENTLY there's a huge rivalry between the two.

Annnnyway, I figured seeing as I'd already passed school in NZ I may as well take a whole load of subjects that I wouldn't normally take an as a result I've ended up with: mass media I and II, German I and II, English IV, psychology, photography and 20th century history. Paolo, this should interest you, you're no longer the only one who has preferential blocking. When I went to select my subjects most of the rest of the school had already done theirs and the 12th grade guidance counseller (who fulfills more or less the same role as Ms Kilian) shifted people out of classes so that I could take what I wanted, I feel kind of guilty but o well, they'll live.

I don't have any pictures of the school but I will get some so don't stress to much, however, one thing I can say about the school is that it is, for lack of a better word; prison-like. The entire 1300 student school and their myriad classrooms is contained in a single brick building, but that brick building is huge. It consists of two storeys and houses around 60 classrooms, a library, pool, gym, tech block, everything.

Adding to the prison atmosphere is the fact that once you're in, you're in, the doors lock behind you when school starts at 7:37AM and you can't leave the building, apparently this is something to do with bomb-threats and someone was telling me that last year the school was evacuated every second day for a mont because of some kids fucking around and making false bomb threats. Lunch is eaten inside in the cafeteria and there are four different lunches; I have first lunch at 10:30 which is kind of lame because I'm not hungry... Also, iPods, phones etc are confiscated on sight anytime, including lunch and flex (which is similar to study period but MUCH more restricted). You can only go to the toilet once or twice a day and this requires a pass from the teacher. It's strict, especially compared to ye olde' WSC, but I'm getting used to it.

In the corner of each class hangs an American flag and every morning at the beginning of the first period the entire class stands, turns, faces, and says the pledge of allegiance while the American national anthem is played over the loudspeaker. Luckily I myself don't have to take part in this activity as at this point in time I am on a bus to my first class which is outside of school grounds. Another thing which is taking getting used to is getting up at five to six in the morning to get a ride to school with my friend RJ, but in the afternoon I come home on a big yellow schoolbus! which I shall also get a picture of.

Now, for the answer to the question I'm sure you've all been dying to ask: ARE AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STEROTYPES REAL?!?!?1!?!! And the short answer is yes, to a certain degree.

For one thing, my school looks more or less exactly like the kind of schools you see in the movies, and the two accurate sterotypes I've come across are that football players are arseholes and that cheerleaders for the most part are annoying and girly and wear to much make-up. Now, bear in mind that when I say accurate I don't mean that they are spot on but you can definately see where they came from and how they are perpetuated, some people fit them perfectly, others a little but, some not at all, also I've been called a scene kid more times than I care for, but by people who have no clue what they're talking about anyway.

That's all for now, but once again feel free to leave comments and ask questions or send me emails or whatever!

Lots and lots of love