First Week of Classes and a Lecture With Ingrid Betancourt

Classes have started this week and it is all a little overwhelming.  I think I have a good handle on my required Political Sociology course, but I am also taking a Political Communications course and hoping to get into Comparative Politics in Europe.  The classes don't have the same sort of Mon, Wed, Fri or Tues, Thurs structure as we do in the States so it is sometimes hard to keep straight when you are supposed to be where.  The courses typically have both a seminar and a lecture, and then sometimes a supplementary lecture that is not required but recommended.  Or the professor recommends that students attend a 200 level course that is optional but will help you prepare for the following week's lecture.  It is all rather confusing at this point. 

LSE also offers an amazing lecture program that is totally optional and not connected with any class.  Most of the time it is free, but ocassionally you have to pay for tickets.  Last night I went to a lecture by Ingrid Betancourt  She is the woman who was running for President in Colombia in 2002 when she was kidnapped by FARC guerrillas.  She was held for six and a half years before she was rescued by the Colombian government.   She has now written a book about the experience.  It was an amazing talk, and let me tell you it made me feel pretty stupid for complaining about have to sleep on the floor for a few weeks.  Tonight I am going to another lecture about Gordon Brown's time at 10 Downing Street.  Clearly we still have no TV so I have lots of time to kill!