Well, technically I am writing Saturday morning, but the content will be on what I did Friday. So I woke up around 9, ate some breakfast and then walked to campus to sign my loan checks, so I can hopefully get the money next week sometime. Then, I went and opened a bank account, which was surprisingly easy. I then went to another boring induction, where I consumed free tea and biscuits, and also updated my daily planner. So I guess it wasn't too bad. Then I came home to make some lunch. I was really craving a coke, and we have a vending machine in our dorm, so I walked down to get a coke and a bag of chips while waiting for my lunch to be cooked. In the vending machine, the coke is 1 pound. That is two dollars for a coke! And they also have really interesting flavors of chips, or crisps as they are know here. One was savoury beef, Canadian ham, pickle, tomato ketchup, and other random flavors. I went with the cheese and onion, which were quite tasty. In the afternoon, I downloaded a bunch of articles for my class, so I can potentially start my reading at any time! I also spent a good chunk of time uploading pictures to the blog, so you can see more of my everyday life.
I then met up with the postgraduate forum for the historical studies school at 5pm. We went to the Old Orleans, which is supposed to be just like a restaurant in New Orleans. It was quite nice. Then I met up with Alissa, and some of her friends, and we went to a club called the Revolution. Drinks were no less than 5 pounds (which is 10 dollars!) and their thing was fancy vodka drinks. They also sold trays of 6 different shots at a time, which I assume you just get one and slowly take all the shots. Not really my cup of tea. I didn't see any beer taps, I think they probably discouraged the consumption of beer, because they wanted everyone to drink a fancy mixed drink. The music was incredibly loud, so it was really hard to talk to anyone. After a short stint there, we walked down the street to a much more laid back bar, where everyone drank beer! We talked to a few people, so it was a good time. Did I mention it was raining last night, and I still haven't bought an umbrella? I am on a mission today to buy one!
So today was the first morning I could sleep in, but of course my body wanted to get up at 9. I laid around for a bit longer, and I started to hear some yelling. Once I got up, I sat at my desk and saw that there were a few people at the park, and it looked like it was boot camp. There were three women, and one man who was yelling at them to do their particular boot camp like excercises. Didn't look too fun. Anyway, I am off to run a couple of errands.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Pictures
Ok, so I uploaded some pictures, but I haven't figured out how to make the blog look all fancy yet. I also ended up putting them in reverse order on the blog, so the first one of my fish and chips was the last. All of these pictures were taken on Sunday, on our trip to Tynemouth. The ruins are of Tynemouth Castle and Prior, and these pictures don't even do justice to the beauty and awesomeness of the place. I hope you can get a sense however of the place. After the ruins, we walked to the nearby village of North Shields for some fish and chips, which I had to include. That is a giant piece of fried cod on top of "chips." That was also the place where ketchup cost 20 pence per packet (say that 10 times fast!) Just think, if you come to visit, Tynemouth is only a 20 minute metro ride from where I live!!! And that was the best fish and chips I ever had, so you could experience that too. TTFN!
One Week
So I have officially been in England for one week. It feels like a little bit longer, which I assume to be a good thing. Although I feel really comfortable here, I realized today that there is still a lot I don't know, and I really am in an entirely new environment! Around lunchtime, a few of my new classmates and I went to a pub right near my dorm. They served a sandwich called a toastie, which is like a grilled cheese with various ingredients added like bacon, turkey and tomatoes. I also learned that a grilled cheese is called "cheese on toast." Good thing I know, since I wouldn't want to order the wrong thing!
Then we had our initial module meeting for our subject classes. Basically I have three modules, or classes this semester, one on the historiography of Britain, research method, and then a subject course. So the initial meeting went over what was expected of us, and a preliminary reading list. Of course, the module I picked has many books on the list that I already own. Good thing they are boxed up and in my Dad's garage! Hopefully it won't be too expensive to buy some old used copies, otherwise I might have to beg my Dad to dig to find my copies! (Sorry Dad) Regardless, I am really excited about the module I picked, since it deals exactly with the time period I am interested in (Early Modern circa 1500-1800) and also some really interesting topics. One of the topics is witchcraft and popular belief, which sounds awesome! We will also be focusing on gender and the "common" people, so it is right up my alley! We then went to another pub (sounds rough right?) and I tasted a real hand poured ale. I don't understand the particulars of it, but it is basically the old fashioned way of pouring beer, so it is supposed to be better. And it was tasty! My new classmates and I have formed a sort of group, and we all hang out together. I am pretty much the only girl, but that's fine. Rob's wife (they are from AZ) met us at the pub when she got off work, and she is super sweet. The three of us decided to go to dinner.
We went to an Indian food restaurant that was relatively cheap, but also really good. We had a good talk, and hopefully we will be hanging out a lot. Jamie (Rob's wife) invited me to do a lot of stuff with them, so I imagine we will become good friends. She also offered to loan me a blanket, which I might end up using soon! They also bought my dinner which was really touching, so hopefully I can do something nice for them. It is nice to have someone from the same climate, so that we can acclimate together!
I finally got to put my clothes in the wash. Hopefully I can continue to save up my laundry a couple weeks at a time, since it costs three pounds per load. I also called Noah for a brief chat, and that was nice. It was a little sad for me, but I think that's ok once in a while. I also checked my university email account, and my loan checks are here, so I have to go sign them tomorrow. Then it will hopefully only take three or four days to get the money in my bank account.
Well I think that's it for now. I am going to put my laundry in the dryer! Love you all!
Then we had our initial module meeting for our subject classes. Basically I have three modules, or classes this semester, one on the historiography of Britain, research method, and then a subject course. So the initial meeting went over what was expected of us, and a preliminary reading list. Of course, the module I picked has many books on the list that I already own. Good thing they are boxed up and in my Dad's garage! Hopefully it won't be too expensive to buy some old used copies, otherwise I might have to beg my Dad to dig to find my copies! (Sorry Dad) Regardless, I am really excited about the module I picked, since it deals exactly with the time period I am interested in (Early Modern circa 1500-1800) and also some really interesting topics. One of the topics is witchcraft and popular belief, which sounds awesome! We will also be focusing on gender and the "common" people, so it is right up my alley! We then went to another pub (sounds rough right?) and I tasted a real hand poured ale. I don't understand the particulars of it, but it is basically the old fashioned way of pouring beer, so it is supposed to be better. And it was tasty! My new classmates and I have formed a sort of group, and we all hang out together. I am pretty much the only girl, but that's fine. Rob's wife (they are from AZ) met us at the pub when she got off work, and she is super sweet. The three of us decided to go to dinner.
We went to an Indian food restaurant that was relatively cheap, but also really good. We had a good talk, and hopefully we will be hanging out a lot. Jamie (Rob's wife) invited me to do a lot of stuff with them, so I imagine we will become good friends. She also offered to loan me a blanket, which I might end up using soon! They also bought my dinner which was really touching, so hopefully I can do something nice for them. It is nice to have someone from the same climate, so that we can acclimate together!
I finally got to put my clothes in the wash. Hopefully I can continue to save up my laundry a couple weeks at a time, since it costs three pounds per load. I also called Noah for a brief chat, and that was nice. It was a little sad for me, but I think that's ok once in a while. I also checked my university email account, and my loan checks are here, so I have to go sign them tomorrow. Then it will hopefully only take three or four days to get the money in my bank account.
Well I think that's it for now. I am going to put my laundry in the dryer! Love you all!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Hump Day
So today was Wednesday, but it already feels much later in the week. I had some more boring stuff to attend to today at the university, but I am afraid not to go in the fear of missing something. We had about a 2 1/2 hour break, and I went to have tea with a few guys from my program. We actually went to a pub for tea, because apparently you can also get tea and breakfast in a pub. So there really is no reason to leave :) We ended up staying past our tea, and ate lunch and had a pint before heading back to another boring meeting.
I was done after that, and had to go sign up for a Doctor. I get FREE medical care while here, but they really like you to have a doctor picked out in case of any illness or emergency. I can't get over the fact that it's free, plus prescriptions are like less than ten bucks! So I guess it must not be that hard to be able to give people decent healthcare...
I then met up with Alyssa to get some groceries. We went to the indoor market nearby for some produce and bread, and it was impressively inexpensive. However at one place I asked for two pairs, and when I got home I realized the guy gave me two carrots. But it was nice to finally see what options we have in regards to produce and the like. The market also has butchers, who I have been told have good meat. We then went to the Co Op which is the name of the nearest supermarket. We spent a long time wandering around looking at all the options and different things. I found Mexican food! They have all the fixins to cook Mexican one night, including refried beans, so that makes me happy! Alyssa and I decided that we would try to cook together at least once a week, alternating who cooks. Hopefully that way we will keep down our costs. We also bought laundry detergent, but we stood around staring at all the different types for awhile, not knowing which to buy. We ended up buying the least expensive liquid, so I hope that will do!
We then lugged our purchases back home, going up a couple hills, so that was fun. And then I had to lug them up two flights of stairs to my room. And then, one more to my kitchen! After that, I put all my laundry in a suitcase, and lugged it down two flights of stairs to the closest laundry room. I put my money into the washer, and realized that you have to put the soap and laundry in first! I wasted 2 pounds on a washer with no clothes in it :( I was then out of coins, so I dragged myself upstairs to Alyssa's room to get some from her. Luckily she had some. Then I went back, and both machines were full. One was technically empty, but it was still going! So rather than lugging my laundry farther to a different laundry room, I decided to just take it back upstairs. Luckily, one of the guys I am sharing my kitchen with was around and he brought my suitcase of dirty laundry up to my room for me! What a pal. So long story short...I didn't get my laundry done. Instead, I rearranged my room and finally unpacked. So it turned out to be a pretty succesful evening, even though I didn't get to do laundry.
Well I am off for now. I should be posting pictures by this weekend!
I was done after that, and had to go sign up for a Doctor. I get FREE medical care while here, but they really like you to have a doctor picked out in case of any illness or emergency. I can't get over the fact that it's free, plus prescriptions are like less than ten bucks! So I guess it must not be that hard to be able to give people decent healthcare...
I then met up with Alyssa to get some groceries. We went to the indoor market nearby for some produce and bread, and it was impressively inexpensive. However at one place I asked for two pairs, and when I got home I realized the guy gave me two carrots. But it was nice to finally see what options we have in regards to produce and the like. The market also has butchers, who I have been told have good meat. We then went to the Co Op which is the name of the nearest supermarket. We spent a long time wandering around looking at all the options and different things. I found Mexican food! They have all the fixins to cook Mexican one night, including refried beans, so that makes me happy! Alyssa and I decided that we would try to cook together at least once a week, alternating who cooks. Hopefully that way we will keep down our costs. We also bought laundry detergent, but we stood around staring at all the different types for awhile, not knowing which to buy. We ended up buying the least expensive liquid, so I hope that will do!
We then lugged our purchases back home, going up a couple hills, so that was fun. And then I had to lug them up two flights of stairs to my room. And then, one more to my kitchen! After that, I put all my laundry in a suitcase, and lugged it down two flights of stairs to the closest laundry room. I put my money into the washer, and realized that you have to put the soap and laundry in first! I wasted 2 pounds on a washer with no clothes in it :( I was then out of coins, so I dragged myself upstairs to Alyssa's room to get some from her. Luckily she had some. Then I went back, and both machines were full. One was technically empty, but it was still going! So rather than lugging my laundry farther to a different laundry room, I decided to just take it back upstairs. Luckily, one of the guys I am sharing my kitchen with was around and he brought my suitcase of dirty laundry up to my room for me! What a pal. So long story short...I didn't get my laundry done. Instead, I rearranged my room and finally unpacked. So it turned out to be a pretty succesful evening, even though I didn't get to do laundry.
Well I am off for now. I should be posting pictures by this weekend!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Another Day
So today was my second day of induction week. I of course had to go to some boring informational meetings, some of which proved helpful. I also met with my tutor to just get in touch and talk about my areas of interest. He seems really nice, and very helpful. I also bought a phone today, which was a really quick process! So I feel a bit better having a phone, although I didn't realize how dependent upon one I had become until I didn't have one for almost a week! I also tried to open a bank account, but apparently they only open a certain number of student accounts each day, so they had hit their quota by 2pm. Weird. I guess it doesn't really matter, since who knows when my loans will go through, so I don't have any money! I went to the financial aid office today to sign my checks, and was told that I was seriously misinformed since they have NO checks. I am getting a little anxious, because money is seriously running out, and it could be weeks before my loans are fully processed. Could it be any more ridiculous?! I am going to get some groceries tomorrow, so I can hopefully have some food in my time of poverty. I also really need to do laundry, so that means buying soap, and paying around 3 pounds to wash and dry! At least my education will count for something when I am done!
I also met the woman that I hope to work with on my dissertation today. She seems very nice and helpful (as does everyone!) so that is encouraging. We went to Special Collections today also as a group (MA's in British history) and it seems there is a lot of useful stuff in there. I might have to travel the country for some primary sources as well, but it looks like I might be able to get some of my travel expenses paid for, in the event I do need to go elsewhere.
We had a drink reception today for the entire department of post-graduates. They served wine and snacks in the museum that is housed in our building. It was a little strange drinking and eating around ancient Greek Roman artifacts! But apparently that's what they do here. I got to meet some friendly people, and made some good contacts. I also met another guy from Arizona! I think I mentioned yesterday that there is a guy in the same program from Peoria, here with his wife. There is also a PhD student here who claims to be from Arizona, at least he spent multiple years there, even though he is actually from Arkansas. Anyway, just shows what a small world it is! After the reception, some of us went to a pub for a bite to eat. I met Rob's wife (the guy from Peoria) and got to hang out with some other people from the program. Alyssa met me there since her friend left today, and she got to meet some people as well. Rob and his wife are super nice, and are thinking about doing a Thanksgiving dinner for us Americans. They also offered me to come by anytime if I felt cramped in my housing!
I then walked home to the dorm alone, which helped me to orient myself a little bit more. It is relatively easy to find my dorm since it is near the football stadium, but the streets all curve slightly, so I find myself kind of going a roundabout way. Once I got here, I met the two girls that live next to me. They are both Japanese, and I have no idea how to spell their names. They are very friendly, and even offered me food if I needed it! Apparently tonight was some sort of Japanese celebration, and they said that I should have come. But since we didn't meet till afterwards, oh well. They said they are going to invite me to Chinese New Year though. They were also really curious as to why there was no food in my part of the fridge. I said I hadn't gone shopping yet, and they asked where I had been eating. I said out and on campus, and I guess that is a bit of a cultural difference. Westerners eat out and drink beer, Easterners eat in and don't. Anyhow, I feel as if this isn't the best piece of writing, so I am off to relax, and hopefully sleep.
I also met the woman that I hope to work with on my dissertation today. She seems very nice and helpful (as does everyone!) so that is encouraging. We went to Special Collections today also as a group (MA's in British history) and it seems there is a lot of useful stuff in there. I might have to travel the country for some primary sources as well, but it looks like I might be able to get some of my travel expenses paid for, in the event I do need to go elsewhere.
We had a drink reception today for the entire department of post-graduates. They served wine and snacks in the museum that is housed in our building. It was a little strange drinking and eating around ancient Greek Roman artifacts! But apparently that's what they do here. I got to meet some friendly people, and made some good contacts. I also met another guy from Arizona! I think I mentioned yesterday that there is a guy in the same program from Peoria, here with his wife. There is also a PhD student here who claims to be from Arizona, at least he spent multiple years there, even though he is actually from Arkansas. Anyway, just shows what a small world it is! After the reception, some of us went to a pub for a bite to eat. I met Rob's wife (the guy from Peoria) and got to hang out with some other people from the program. Alyssa met me there since her friend left today, and she got to meet some people as well. Rob and his wife are super nice, and are thinking about doing a Thanksgiving dinner for us Americans. They also offered me to come by anytime if I felt cramped in my housing!
I then walked home to the dorm alone, which helped me to orient myself a little bit more. It is relatively easy to find my dorm since it is near the football stadium, but the streets all curve slightly, so I find myself kind of going a roundabout way. Once I got here, I met the two girls that live next to me. They are both Japanese, and I have no idea how to spell their names. They are very friendly, and even offered me food if I needed it! Apparently tonight was some sort of Japanese celebration, and they said that I should have come. But since we didn't meet till afterwards, oh well. They said they are going to invite me to Chinese New Year though. They were also really curious as to why there was no food in my part of the fridge. I said I hadn't gone shopping yet, and they asked where I had been eating. I said out and on campus, and I guess that is a bit of a cultural difference. Westerners eat out and drink beer, Easterners eat in and don't. Anyhow, I feel as if this isn't the best piece of writing, so I am off to relax, and hopefully sleep.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Scholarly News
So today was my first day of induction week. I met with all the other Historical Studies students, and we received various information about our degrees. The guy who is head of the British history students seems pretty young and really cool. We also took a tour of the university, and there are a couple of cool museums on campus. Of course, as a group, we stopped in the student union for a pint before meeting with our respective advisors. Pretty sweet. So I am now all excited about the school part which is cool. The University of Newcastle is recognized as one of the top twenty research universities in Britain, so I am in a good place! My thesis only has to be 50 pages, which is really nothing, so that's good news. I also met a couple students in my program from the US. One guy is from Peoria, AZ and went to ASU! Another girl is from New Jersey, and a guy from Georgia. The rest of the students are mostly British, a good amount even coming from the Newcastle area.
I also received my new bed today, and the sheet fits!!! Sorry about going on about it, but for me it is quite exciting. However, I have been bothered by a large clicking noise that seems to be coming from the heater at the head of my bed. I noticed the first two mornings it lasted for about an hour from 7-8. But last night, it happened from about 10 until at least 1 when I finally fell asleep! And then started up again this morning at 7. I am hoping that I will get used to it, because I would really like to sleep through the night. I might also be a little bit jet-lagged still. I will probably move the head of my bed away from the heater, but a few locals have told me come winter time, I will be hugging the heater! That isn't too encouraging :)
Well I am off to dinner with some friends. Tomorrow I have more induction week stuff, and hopefully I will have time for a bank account and phone. I also meet with my advisor, which I am excited about, to discuss my path here at Newcastle! Ta-ta for now!
I also received my new bed today, and the sheet fits!!! Sorry about going on about it, but for me it is quite exciting. However, I have been bothered by a large clicking noise that seems to be coming from the heater at the head of my bed. I noticed the first two mornings it lasted for about an hour from 7-8. But last night, it happened from about 10 until at least 1 when I finally fell asleep! And then started up again this morning at 7. I am hoping that I will get used to it, because I would really like to sleep through the night. I might also be a little bit jet-lagged still. I will probably move the head of my bed away from the heater, but a few locals have told me come winter time, I will be hugging the heater! That isn't too encouraging :)
Well I am off to dinner with some friends. Tomorrow I have more induction week stuff, and hopefully I will have time for a bank account and phone. I also meet with my advisor, which I am excited about, to discuss my path here at Newcastle! Ta-ta for now!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
By the way
By the way, if anyone is interested, I am 8 hours ahead of Tucson right now, and 5 hours ahead of the East coast.
And the housekeeper came this morning to check out why my sheet doesn't fit (I had some other lady wake me up yesterday for the same thing) and she determined that I have a 7 foot long bed. So she was going to have the porter come tomorrow to shove the sheet on, which doesn't fit! No freaking way, so I guess I am getting a new bed tomorrow, that my sheet will hopefully fit on. It is a real pain to sleep on a plastic mattress, with a sheet that is too short. Oh well, only one more night!
And the housekeeper came this morning to check out why my sheet doesn't fit (I had some other lady wake me up yesterday for the same thing) and she determined that I have a 7 foot long bed. So she was going to have the porter come tomorrow to shove the sheet on, which doesn't fit! No freaking way, so I guess I am getting a new bed tomorrow, that my sheet will hopefully fit on. It is a real pain to sleep on a plastic mattress, with a sheet that is too short. Oh well, only one more night!
Day Trip to the Seaside!
So today, we took the Metro to the coast. Our stop was at Tyneside, where in the Metro station, they had a cute flea-type market. There were lots of antiques, and various English memorabilia in addition to many other things. We then started our walk to the coast through the cute sea-side town. It was a relatively short walk, and when we got there, there was an old castle and priory right next to the water! So of course we took a ridiculous amount of pictures, including multiple gag photos, hopefully for your enjoyment soon.
The seaside was really beautiful and picturesque. The weather was pretty good today. In the lower 60's, but it did get quiet windy at some points near the water. After our time at the ruins, we walked to the next town of North Shields for some traditional fish and chips by river. This area is where the river Tyne goes into I believe the North Sea. A local recommended a place called the Waterfront, and it was delicious! It was a huge piece of cod on top of some fries. The cod was amazing and tasted a little sweet. By the way, we had to pay 20 pence for each packet of ketchup! I also noticed that sodas seem to taste much sweeter here than in the states. I think I noticed that before in previous trips, but Alyssa and Rachel agreed with me. I guess the Brits really like things sweet!
We then walked back to the metro in North Shields, which happened to be up a GIANT hill. Guess we worked off some of that fried food! There was a football match today in the stadium next to us, but we were off at the coast. Although from all the foot-traffic and jerseys we saw, it seems to be a pretty huge thing. Our home team is Newcastle United, and I might try to go to a match at some point, cause why not?
So I am going to take an easy night tonight, and at ten tomorrow morning I have to go to my department to hopefully get some classes. Next week is mostly more registration type stuff, so actual classed don't start till the week after. I will also hopefully get my loan money tomorrow (fingers crossed), open a bank account and get a phone. Alyssa and I plan to get groceries on Tuesday, and hopefully some detergent and toilet paper. I had to steal some from the common bathroom, since most things close early on Sunday! I also haven't had the luxury of doing laundry since I left Tucson, so I am eager to do that. However, it cost 1 pound, 80 pence per load in the washer, and 1 pound for the dryer! So I will be saving up my laundry as much as possible so as to do it as cheaply as possible.
Well that's it for now-I'll surely be blogging again soon!
The seaside was really beautiful and picturesque. The weather was pretty good today. In the lower 60's, but it did get quiet windy at some points near the water. After our time at the ruins, we walked to the next town of North Shields for some traditional fish and chips by river. This area is where the river Tyne goes into I believe the North Sea. A local recommended a place called the Waterfront, and it was delicious! It was a huge piece of cod on top of some fries. The cod was amazing and tasted a little sweet. By the way, we had to pay 20 pence for each packet of ketchup! I also noticed that sodas seem to taste much sweeter here than in the states. I think I noticed that before in previous trips, but Alyssa and Rachel agreed with me. I guess the Brits really like things sweet!
We then walked back to the metro in North Shields, which happened to be up a GIANT hill. Guess we worked off some of that fried food! There was a football match today in the stadium next to us, but we were off at the coast. Although from all the foot-traffic and jerseys we saw, it seems to be a pretty huge thing. Our home team is Newcastle United, and I might try to go to a match at some point, cause why not?
So I am going to take an easy night tonight, and at ten tomorrow morning I have to go to my department to hopefully get some classes. Next week is mostly more registration type stuff, so actual classed don't start till the week after. I will also hopefully get my loan money tomorrow (fingers crossed), open a bank account and get a phone. Alyssa and I plan to get groceries on Tuesday, and hopefully some detergent and toilet paper. I had to steal some from the common bathroom, since most things close early on Sunday! I also haven't had the luxury of doing laundry since I left Tucson, so I am eager to do that. However, it cost 1 pound, 80 pence per load in the washer, and 1 pound for the dryer! So I will be saving up my laundry as much as possible so as to do it as cheaply as possible.
Well that's it for now-I'll surely be blogging again soon!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Walking in Newcastle
So today, my new friends, Alissa, Rachel and I walked around the city. It was really cool, and helped to get us oriented.
First off, we had a traditional English breakfast at a little restaurant near our building. It included, sausage (of course), thick, salty bacon, stewed tomatoes, mushrooms, a fried egg and toast. It was pretty tasty, but the bacon was so salty that my mouth was dry all day!
We then went to St. James Park, which is right next to our building. It is really pretty, and even has a lake in the middle! I imagine spending a lot of time there reading. There were also a couple of gentlemen fishing, but I don't know what kind of fish there are, or if they are edible. You can also rent a boat and go rowing on the lake!
We then went to the university, because Alissa had to get some paperwork done. I also filled out the form that is required to be filled out by the school in order to get a bank account, so I will do that hopefully on Monday.
We then decided to walk to the River Tyne. It is not that far of a walk, and we got to see a lot of the sights. The "new castle" upon which Newcastle is founded is called Garth Castle. It was built in the eleventh century, and is in ruins, but you can walk around it. There are also lots of really neat older buildings in the city, which makes it really picturesque. We made our way to the river side, bought ourselves an ice cream, and walked along the river. We crossed one of the bridges, which leads to the town next to us called Gateshead. We sat for awhile, and did some people watching. It was really nice.
The weather today was also quite warm. The three of us wore sweaters, but by the time we were walking back to Newcastle, we needed to remove a layer. We got back to the city center, and went to the H & M. Megan and I discovered it when we went to Europe after high school, and it has pretty inexpensive clothing that is pretty decent quality. However, since we are in England, it was more expensive than the US. It's time to start beefing up my winter wardrobe since this AZ girl doesn't have a lot :)
We found a restaurant for dinner, it was called something like Paris Texas, and was basically Mediterranean food with a few Mexican dishes (not what I expected in Northern England). We shared a couple appetizers and a pizza. We also noticed that most restaurants have the same kinds of food, that include Mexican-inspired foods like nachos and fajitas! Crazy.
By the way, for anyone who enjoys Harry Potter, my two new friends stayed in London for a couple of days before they came here, and there is a platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station! They took pictures and video, which is definitely a must see next time I'm in London. I also found out that Durham Castle, which is only a Metro ride away from us, is where some scenes from the Harry Potter movies take place! We might go tomorrow, if not then definately some other time.
Well I am off to prepare myself for another night on the town. I am pretty tired, but would much rather be out with people, than in my room alone!
First off, we had a traditional English breakfast at a little restaurant near our building. It included, sausage (of course), thick, salty bacon, stewed tomatoes, mushrooms, a fried egg and toast. It was pretty tasty, but the bacon was so salty that my mouth was dry all day!
We then went to St. James Park, which is right next to our building. It is really pretty, and even has a lake in the middle! I imagine spending a lot of time there reading. There were also a couple of gentlemen fishing, but I don't know what kind of fish there are, or if they are edible. You can also rent a boat and go rowing on the lake!
We then went to the university, because Alissa had to get some paperwork done. I also filled out the form that is required to be filled out by the school in order to get a bank account, so I will do that hopefully on Monday.
We then decided to walk to the River Tyne. It is not that far of a walk, and we got to see a lot of the sights. The "new castle" upon which Newcastle is founded is called Garth Castle. It was built in the eleventh century, and is in ruins, but you can walk around it. There are also lots of really neat older buildings in the city, which makes it really picturesque. We made our way to the river side, bought ourselves an ice cream, and walked along the river. We crossed one of the bridges, which leads to the town next to us called Gateshead. We sat for awhile, and did some people watching. It was really nice.
The weather today was also quite warm. The three of us wore sweaters, but by the time we were walking back to Newcastle, we needed to remove a layer. We got back to the city center, and went to the H & M. Megan and I discovered it when we went to Europe after high school, and it has pretty inexpensive clothing that is pretty decent quality. However, since we are in England, it was more expensive than the US. It's time to start beefing up my winter wardrobe since this AZ girl doesn't have a lot :)
We found a restaurant for dinner, it was called something like Paris Texas, and was basically Mediterranean food with a few Mexican dishes (not what I expected in Northern England). We shared a couple appetizers and a pizza. We also noticed that most restaurants have the same kinds of food, that include Mexican-inspired foods like nachos and fajitas! Crazy.
By the way, for anyone who enjoys Harry Potter, my two new friends stayed in London for a couple of days before they came here, and there is a platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station! They took pictures and video, which is definitely a must see next time I'm in London. I also found out that Durham Castle, which is only a Metro ride away from us, is where some scenes from the Harry Potter movies take place! We might go tomorrow, if not then definately some other time.
Well I am off to prepare myself for another night on the town. I am pretty tired, but would much rather be out with people, than in my room alone!
Out on the town!
So I went out last night with my new friend Alyssa, and her best friend Rachel. It was really fun and I am glad that I met some friends! We started at a pub that was a little bit on the nicer side, but beers were only 2 pounds. Then we stopped at a little place next door for some food since I hadn't really eaten all day, and the two beers I had were making me tipsy!
Then we went to an area that has a few different bars/clubs. There is some really good people watching! The Brits really like their techno, including technofied versions of popular songs. People are pretty un-selfconscious about dancing, and just bust a move by themselves, doing whatever they want! It is pretty nice. We went to two bars in the area, and the last one was playing hip-hop that you would hear in any American bar. So my new friends and I busted some fat moves as well, cause why not? We met a few creepers, or should I say, they tried to latch on to us, but that happens anywhere. There is a football match tomorrow, and this older Irish guy who was wasted kept telling us how awesome America is (they are playing the Brits tomorrow) and if it wasn't for the Americans, there would be no Britain after WWII.
By the way, the football stadium is right next to my dorm, so that should be interesting!
The girls here wear pretty skimpy clothes to go out. Many girls last night wore short shorts, and little dresses, etc. Mind you, it was pretty chilly last night. My new friends and I were overdressed (meaning too many clothes) in our jeans and shirts. But I am not going to wear short shorts in 60 degree weather! It's too cold!
Another thing that is interesting, is that there are bars on campus, since the drinking age is 18. There are at least four bars in the Student Union, one of which is a club. I stopped at the Union yesterday for a sandwich, and almost everyone there was drinking. Classes haven't started yet, so people might not drink as much during their classes, but I have a funny feeling that it won't matter :). Who knows, maybe I will learn to enjoy a pint before discussing some really long book!
I guess that's it for now! Peace.
Then we went to an area that has a few different bars/clubs. There is some really good people watching! The Brits really like their techno, including technofied versions of popular songs. People are pretty un-selfconscious about dancing, and just bust a move by themselves, doing whatever they want! It is pretty nice. We went to two bars in the area, and the last one was playing hip-hop that you would hear in any American bar. So my new friends and I busted some fat moves as well, cause why not? We met a few creepers, or should I say, they tried to latch on to us, but that happens anywhere. There is a football match tomorrow, and this older Irish guy who was wasted kept telling us how awesome America is (they are playing the Brits tomorrow) and if it wasn't for the Americans, there would be no Britain after WWII.
By the way, the football stadium is right next to my dorm, so that should be interesting!
The girls here wear pretty skimpy clothes to go out. Many girls last night wore short shorts, and little dresses, etc. Mind you, it was pretty chilly last night. My new friends and I were overdressed (meaning too many clothes) in our jeans and shirts. But I am not going to wear short shorts in 60 degree weather! It's too cold!
Another thing that is interesting, is that there are bars on campus, since the drinking age is 18. There are at least four bars in the Student Union, one of which is a club. I stopped at the Union yesterday for a sandwich, and almost everyone there was drinking. Classes haven't started yet, so people might not drink as much during their classes, but I have a funny feeling that it won't matter :). Who knows, maybe I will learn to enjoy a pint before discussing some really long book!
I guess that's it for now! Peace.
Friday, September 21, 2007
My Arrival
So I am finally here in England. I have been here a little more than 24 hours, and my emotions are a wreck! I am really excited to be here, but also sad because I miss my friends and family. I couldn't even contact anyone until this afternoon! This will definately be a growing experience. I am going out tonight with a couple people, so that should help. It is a little scary being on my own, but I know it is worth it.
Newcastle is a pretty cool city. I am within walking distance of pretty much everything, so that's nice. I need to take some pictures soon, so that I can share them with everyone. My accommodation is in an old Georgian building that has been converted to dorms. You can tell that it was built long ago by how my room looks. The outside is really cool looking too. I have a walled up fireplace in my room. There is also crown moldings on the ceiling and up near the ceiling. However the walls are painted a real light pink, so I am not sure what's up with that. The curtains are also horrendous, but whatever. I have the standard dorm room furniture, single bed, desk, two chairs and a couple small dressers. I also have two old fashioned heaters in my room. I have two windows that overlook the park that is next to me. I think I have one of the larger/nicer rooms since one of the porters made a comment about it being swanky when I told him what room it was. It is pretty good sized too, so I am a lucky lady. I just wish I had a more comfortable bed and shower! Oh well, I can suck it up for 9 months. :)
So far, I haven't located any Indian food :( But Chinatown is real close to me, it is only a small area, but I hear the food is good, and stays open late. So far I have found a lot of shops that just sell pre-made, packaged sandwiches. Not so much to my liking, but I will surely find something to suit.
I think I will try to get a job at some point at a pub, or something similar. It wouldn't hurt to have spending money, and have a good experience!
Well that is all for now, I will write when I have more news!
Newcastle is a pretty cool city. I am within walking distance of pretty much everything, so that's nice. I need to take some pictures soon, so that I can share them with everyone. My accommodation is in an old Georgian building that has been converted to dorms. You can tell that it was built long ago by how my room looks. The outside is really cool looking too. I have a walled up fireplace in my room. There is also crown moldings on the ceiling and up near the ceiling. However the walls are painted a real light pink, so I am not sure what's up with that. The curtains are also horrendous, but whatever. I have the standard dorm room furniture, single bed, desk, two chairs and a couple small dressers. I also have two old fashioned heaters in my room. I have two windows that overlook the park that is next to me. I think I have one of the larger/nicer rooms since one of the porters made a comment about it being swanky when I told him what room it was. It is pretty good sized too, so I am a lucky lady. I just wish I had a more comfortable bed and shower! Oh well, I can suck it up for 9 months. :)
So far, I haven't located any Indian food :( But Chinatown is real close to me, it is only a small area, but I hear the food is good, and stays open late. So far I have found a lot of shops that just sell pre-made, packaged sandwiches. Not so much to my liking, but I will surely find something to suit.
I think I will try to get a job at some point at a pub, or something similar. It wouldn't hurt to have spending money, and have a good experience!
Well that is all for now, I will write when I have more news!
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