This is the wall that surrounds the entire city proper I guess. I think it is 2 miles long. I don't know when it was built, but it's pretty cool. Sunday, October 14, 2007
Inside of Clifford Tower. On our ghost tour, the guide said that there was a horrible massacre of the Jews in the 11th century here. So every hundred years, on the day of the massacre, the walls ran red with blood. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell invited the Jews back into York, and the blood stopped flowing after that. But you can see some of the stones look pink. The guide told us that the buildings across from the tower, the stones were quarried from the same place at the same time, and those stones remain white. Further proving that the walls really did run with blood. Interesting stuff.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Selling my Mom's house
I just wanted to ask everyone to send some good energy out into the universe in the hopes that my Mom's house will sell. She wants to move and it's been on the market awhile. Also, if the house sells, that helps solve my financial problems tremendously. So please think good thoughts about it, and positive energy towards a purchase!
Much thanks.
Much thanks.
Feeling Worse
So I hate to post such bummers, and I hate to sound like a complainer. But writing here is a form of release for me, and it is also a way to document my journey whether it be emotions, travelling or school related. I was informed yesterday that 1. my federal loan money was deposited into my account and 2. that the private loan that I had applied for months ago was not going to be approved by the school. You see, the university decides what the cost of living for each student will be. The amount they approved seems feasible, but since I am in a country that is not my own, and it is twice as expensive, I need more money than the university deems that I should need. I have a credit card payment at home that needs to be taken care of, as well as simple living expenses while I am here, that are twice as expensive. So the university determined that they would only approve about a quarter of what I asked for in my private loan. So I was pretty happy yesterday, and now today I feel scared and stressed. I am still at odds with the financial aid office, because they also forgot to include my scholarship in this first loan disbursement, and told me that they will just make it up to me in my next two disbursements in January and June. Thanks, that 5oo pounds would have really been useful to me! It is also still hard for me to determine what is feasible spending-wise, since I JUST got the money. I am scared to spend any money right now, because I worry that I won't have enough. Half of the money that was deposited into my account will go to my rent in two weeks. I chose to make three rent payments, so the first one is due on the 24th. I guess I am just feeling anxious overall, and now need to find an alternative source of money, which is hard because I am no longer in the United States. My department was really shocked and upset when I relayed to them my struggles with the finance office, so I can only hope that things get better for future students. My department, and the university in general is really anxious to get more students from the US, and would like those of us that are studying here to recommend the university to people back home. I told them that I didn't feel comfortable doing that sheerly because of the crap that I have dealt with from the finance office!
On the flip side, I am really excited about my classes, and that is one of the main things that keeps me going. I truly feel invigorated by my school work, and so I know that I am on the right path for me at this point. If I wasn't excited about school, I would probably just pack up and come home! Well, not really, but it would make it that much harder. I also enjoy my new friends, and their kind and generous hearts. My program director organized a social last night for the students of British history. It was quite nice, and I got drunk. Which is probably why I feel so horrible today mentally (and physically!) A local who is a friend of someone in the program kept offering to buy me drinks, which of course I couldn't refuse in my financial state! It was nice though to get out and socialize. I don't want to be handicapped socially by my lack of money (or perception thereof). Alissa and Anik met up with us last night, and I was really glad they did. Alissa was also bought a couple of drinks, so she was in the same boat as me! We got up this morning, hung over and hungry. We walked to a restaurant, but afterwards I was still feeling poorly, so I came home and laid down.
I got a text this afternoon from Rob, because we are all going to York tomorrow, so we wanted to discuss plans. Rob and I met for tea at the usual Kaffechinos, and had a nice chat about our classes. Jamie met up with us after work, and so we discussed tomorrow's plans. We are taking the train at 8:30, which is about an hour long, and we are going to spend the whole day there. We are going to do a ghost tour in the evening, and then come home. There is also a Viking museum, and a few historic sites. I am excited! It's a little hard to justify the money, but I don't think I can take a weekend in my room alone at this point, and what's the point of being here and not seeing stuff?
I received a package from Linda yesterday, which made me very excited! She sent a couple books, some ear plugs and some herbal sleep aid. Which I will surely be using since at night when trying to sleep is when I get really anxious. She sent along the nicest letter, and I found myself crying while reading it. I was walking to campus, so probably looked like a crazy person, but I was really happy to get a note and package. I also bought myself an umbrella yesterday, as well as a pair of flats. They were very inexpensive, and they are in fashion here, and I wanted something nice to wear to my social. Of course today, I have blisters, but it was worth it 'cause I looked cute! I also got a note yesterday that me and my fellow kitchen mates have to meet the head housekeeper in our kitchen Monday morning. Which pisses me off because I don't want to be talked to like I am five, and told how to clean up after myself, because I already know how! I think I will say something to the office about it, because I haven't cooked in there yet, except for frozen pizzas and microwaveable things. Alissa and Anik have nicer kitchens, and they don't have cleanliness issues! Here I go complaining again...
So I should have some pretty sweet photos to post this weekend. I will give an update of my trip as well. The leaves are starting to turn here, and it's really beautiful, so I want to capture that as well. It was surprisingly warm all week. In the low 60's and I have been leaving without a sweater, coat, or scarf! Maybe I am getting acclimated! It hasn't been sunny though, so that's a bit of a bummer. But nor has it rained (although now I have an umbrella after three weeks without. Yippee!) I am reading Eat, Pray, Love and love it. As soon as I am finished, I will read Linda's favorite, The Golden Compass which a movie is being made from. So I will head off now to go to bed early for my awesome day tomorrow! I am not homesick yet, so I think that is a good sign. Alissa generously offered to go out tonight, if it would make me feel better, but instead we watched a little TV. Now I have to get up around 7 am, and it doesn't even get light out till 7:15! It will be worth it I am sure.
Love you all!
On the flip side, I am really excited about my classes, and that is one of the main things that keeps me going. I truly feel invigorated by my school work, and so I know that I am on the right path for me at this point. If I wasn't excited about school, I would probably just pack up and come home! Well, not really, but it would make it that much harder. I also enjoy my new friends, and their kind and generous hearts. My program director organized a social last night for the students of British history. It was quite nice, and I got drunk. Which is probably why I feel so horrible today mentally (and physically!) A local who is a friend of someone in the program kept offering to buy me drinks, which of course I couldn't refuse in my financial state! It was nice though to get out and socialize. I don't want to be handicapped socially by my lack of money (or perception thereof). Alissa and Anik met up with us last night, and I was really glad they did. Alissa was also bought a couple of drinks, so she was in the same boat as me! We got up this morning, hung over and hungry. We walked to a restaurant, but afterwards I was still feeling poorly, so I came home and laid down.
I got a text this afternoon from Rob, because we are all going to York tomorrow, so we wanted to discuss plans. Rob and I met for tea at the usual Kaffechinos, and had a nice chat about our classes. Jamie met up with us after work, and so we discussed tomorrow's plans. We are taking the train at 8:30, which is about an hour long, and we are going to spend the whole day there. We are going to do a ghost tour in the evening, and then come home. There is also a Viking museum, and a few historic sites. I am excited! It's a little hard to justify the money, but I don't think I can take a weekend in my room alone at this point, and what's the point of being here and not seeing stuff?
I received a package from Linda yesterday, which made me very excited! She sent a couple books, some ear plugs and some herbal sleep aid. Which I will surely be using since at night when trying to sleep is when I get really anxious. She sent along the nicest letter, and I found myself crying while reading it. I was walking to campus, so probably looked like a crazy person, but I was really happy to get a note and package. I also bought myself an umbrella yesterday, as well as a pair of flats. They were very inexpensive, and they are in fashion here, and I wanted something nice to wear to my social. Of course today, I have blisters, but it was worth it 'cause I looked cute! I also got a note yesterday that me and my fellow kitchen mates have to meet the head housekeeper in our kitchen Monday morning. Which pisses me off because I don't want to be talked to like I am five, and told how to clean up after myself, because I already know how! I think I will say something to the office about it, because I haven't cooked in there yet, except for frozen pizzas and microwaveable things. Alissa and Anik have nicer kitchens, and they don't have cleanliness issues! Here I go complaining again...
So I should have some pretty sweet photos to post this weekend. I will give an update of my trip as well. The leaves are starting to turn here, and it's really beautiful, so I want to capture that as well. It was surprisingly warm all week. In the low 60's and I have been leaving without a sweater, coat, or scarf! Maybe I am getting acclimated! It hasn't been sunny though, so that's a bit of a bummer. But nor has it rained (although now I have an umbrella after three weeks without. Yippee!) I am reading Eat, Pray, Love and love it. As soon as I am finished, I will read Linda's favorite, The Golden Compass which a movie is being made from. So I will head off now to go to bed early for my awesome day tomorrow! I am not homesick yet, so I think that is a good sign. Alissa generously offered to go out tonight, if it would make me feel better, but instead we watched a little TV. Now I have to get up around 7 am, and it doesn't even get light out till 7:15! It will be worth it I am sure.
Love you all!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Further Update on the Money
It's amazing how getting the news that my money is here makes me want to go out and spend some! And it is truly an uplifting feeling, being somewhat financially secure (or so I think). It's hard to realize how debilitating it is when waiting for money, or not having any, like I have been experiencing for the last two weeks! I just want to yell AHHHHHH really loud in relief. So I got ready, organized a couple of things, and then left my room. I had been hanging out in there a lot lately due to illness and lack of motivation because I had no money. Not a good way to live!
Walking to the finance office today, I had a spring in my step. It was sunny out and relatively warm. I had "the sun will come out, tomorrow" in my head for some reason. I went in and spoke with the woman I have been dealing with (who was very nice, even after my nasty email) and gave her my bank information. She said she would try to put an emergency transfer in to my bank account, so the money would be there this afternoon. She said she had to ask her supervisor, but that she would call me to let me know either way. If the money couldn't be transferred immediately, she said, it could still take a couple days to enter my account! When I stepped outside, it was no longer sunny and the spring had gone a bit from my step, but I still felt relatively good.
Then I went to the computer reserved for post-graduates in the history building to get some reading done. I then started to worry if I would have enough money, once the money entered my account!! I am also concerned that they didn't include my scholarship when taking out the tuition, so I fear that I might have to start a quarrel over that as well. I was reading in the computer cluster, awaiting the telephone call that would tell me whether I would have my money today...or not. It didn't come. I had class at 4, and turned off my phone.
I met Alissa after class and we got cheap Chinese food. I realized today, although I feel much better, I am still a little stuffed up, and my head is a little cloudy. I also have fluorescent snot! Which indicates to me that I might have a sinus infection. Awesome. I will call my doctor tomorrow to see if I can get in, thank god for free British health care! After dinner, Alissa and I wanted ice cream. So we walked to the grocery store, and literally stood drooling looking at the ice cream for like 5 minutes. We finally picked our treats, and headed home. We then attempted to buy our train tickets for Edinburgh in two weeks, but that was a bit of a pain. I didn't want to commit right away, due to money issues. So I came back to my room, and checked my email. Yes! I had an email from the finance office that the money would be in my account sometime tomorrow! I guess it really does pay to complain a lot and be a bit nasty to get what you need. Now I will email Sallie Mae and the university every couple of days so that my private loan moves along as well! I am not above being a nag at this point! I also emailed a couple women about my scholarship, so I hope to hear about that tomorrow.
This weekend Alissa, Rob, Jamie and I plan to go to York for a day. It should be pretty awesome. The following weekend, I am going to meet Alissa in Edinburgh, and we are staying for the whole weekend. We are going to stay in a hostel, which I have never done before, so it should be an experience! I will send lots of pictures of all my adventures, and of course keep you updated!
Love you all!
Walking to the finance office today, I had a spring in my step. It was sunny out and relatively warm. I had "the sun will come out, tomorrow" in my head for some reason. I went in and spoke with the woman I have been dealing with (who was very nice, even after my nasty email) and gave her my bank information. She said she would try to put an emergency transfer in to my bank account, so the money would be there this afternoon. She said she had to ask her supervisor, but that she would call me to let me know either way. If the money couldn't be transferred immediately, she said, it could still take a couple days to enter my account! When I stepped outside, it was no longer sunny and the spring had gone a bit from my step, but I still felt relatively good.
Then I went to the computer reserved for post-graduates in the history building to get some reading done. I then started to worry if I would have enough money, once the money entered my account!! I am also concerned that they didn't include my scholarship when taking out the tuition, so I fear that I might have to start a quarrel over that as well. I was reading in the computer cluster, awaiting the telephone call that would tell me whether I would have my money today...or not. It didn't come. I had class at 4, and turned off my phone.
I met Alissa after class and we got cheap Chinese food. I realized today, although I feel much better, I am still a little stuffed up, and my head is a little cloudy. I also have fluorescent snot! Which indicates to me that I might have a sinus infection. Awesome. I will call my doctor tomorrow to see if I can get in, thank god for free British health care! After dinner, Alissa and I wanted ice cream. So we walked to the grocery store, and literally stood drooling looking at the ice cream for like 5 minutes. We finally picked our treats, and headed home. We then attempted to buy our train tickets for Edinburgh in two weeks, but that was a bit of a pain. I didn't want to commit right away, due to money issues. So I came back to my room, and checked my email. Yes! I had an email from the finance office that the money would be in my account sometime tomorrow! I guess it really does pay to complain a lot and be a bit nasty to get what you need. Now I will email Sallie Mae and the university every couple of days so that my private loan moves along as well! I am not above being a nag at this point! I also emailed a couple women about my scholarship, so I hope to hear about that tomorrow.
This weekend Alissa, Rob, Jamie and I plan to go to York for a day. It should be pretty awesome. The following weekend, I am going to meet Alissa in Edinburgh, and we are staying for the whole weekend. We are going to stay in a hostel, which I have never done before, so it should be an experience! I will send lots of pictures of all my adventures, and of course keep you updated!
Love you all!
Victory!
I am feeling very victorious this morning since I have received word that my funds are here, and if I go into the office, they will arrange a direct payment into my British bank account by this afternoon. However, I did have to get a bit nasty, and make a few minor threats, and tell a faculty member in my department the situation. I dislike having to do things like that, but come on, I have been told once a week for three weeks now that my money will be here "next week for sure." It is not in my nature to be mean and threatening, but a girl's got to get paid! I said that I would not recommend this university to anyone in the states due to the financial mess! Well, if it works, then I am not complaining. So I guess she wasn't lying when she told me on Thursday that the funds would be here by today, however it seems fishy to me that she wouldn't respond to my other emails this week, until I got a little nasty in one today. And then the funds are magically already here! But I am done with thinking and worrying about it, because I am victorious! I will now do a little victory dance in my room like football players do when they score a touchdown! It will be pretty sweet I am sure!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Porters and filthy kitchen mates
I woke up this morning with nothing to do but get some reading done for class tomorrow. So I lazily got up, went to my computer, tooled around, posted some stuff...you catch my drift. I finally decided to go upstairs to my kitchen for some cereal and orange juice with tasty bits (see top ten list if confused). I see an email posted to my kitchen door. It says that due to the sink continually being clogged by food, they are threatening to rescind the daily cleaning if it doesn't change. Wow. I am not too happy. The kitchen is continually a disgusting mess. I have yet to actually cook a homemade meal there because I am concerned about the cleanliness of the place (and it's hard to cook for just one person). But seriously, everyone in my building is a post-graduate student, so we should all be at the age where we know how to clean up after ourselves. The only thing that allows myself to go there everyday is knowing that a lady comes and cleans it Monday through Friday, every day. I seriously would hate her job, but I am glad she does it. So since I am not the one leaving the mess or clogging the sink, the punishment shouldn't affect me right? Wrong. I am screwed unless the other people in my kitchen clean up after themselves. Awesome.
I have also befriended one of the porters that works in my building. I met him the second day I was here, and see him at least once or twice a week. He is very friendly, so I usually enjoy talking to him. He is middle aged, about my height, and just a jolly man. However this evening, I ran into him after I put a pizza in the oven. We usually see each other on Mondays, and so we always ask about each other's weekends. He has a family, and all that typical family life entails. Today however, when departing, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. Now it was probably just a friendly, I'm British kiss on the cheek, but it was still a little weird. I am not used to strangers, let alone most of my loved ones kissing me on the cheek. So I am a bit puzzled.
Ok, just a couple of things for you to ponder :)
I have also befriended one of the porters that works in my building. I met him the second day I was here, and see him at least once or twice a week. He is very friendly, so I usually enjoy talking to him. He is middle aged, about my height, and just a jolly man. However this evening, I ran into him after I put a pizza in the oven. We usually see each other on Mondays, and so we always ask about each other's weekends. He has a family, and all that typical family life entails. Today however, when departing, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. Now it was probably just a friendly, I'm British kiss on the cheek, but it was still a little weird. I am not used to strangers, let alone most of my loved ones kissing me on the cheek. So I am a bit puzzled.
Ok, just a couple of things for you to ponder :)
My weekend
Compared to the last two weekends, this weekend was pretty lame. But not in a bad way, just in a I didn't do really anything kind of way. Saturday was gorgeous out, but I didn't even leave my room till 3 in the afternoon, and only because Rob and Jamie invited me to get tea. So we went to Kaffechinos which is a locally owned coffee shop that has a lot of fair trade stuff. I ordered a hot chocolate with marshmallows, (Cadbury hot chocolate no less) and it was pretty delicious. After hanging out for awhile, I headed back home to meet up with Alissa.
Alissa made us tasty salads for dinner, and then we decided to check out the TV lounges. Neither one of us had been to a lounge in our building thus far, so it was an adventure! There is one close to Alissa's room with a pretty nice TV, but some guy was watching his DVD's on it, so we searched for another. We found one upstairs, unoccupied, so we settled in. I think we only get like 5 channels, but it was kind of nice to relax in there. One of the channels is MTV, and the rest are either BBC or other British channels. We kind of flipped around for awhile, until Sleepy Hollow came on, so we watched that. Meanwhile two guys wandered in to watch it with us.
Yesterday my plan was to wake up and tool around the city by myself. Turns out it was a very foul day. It was actually pretty warm, but it was "drizzling" randomly. I hate drizzling, and would much prefer rain because drizzling is like spit just floating around. It's not hard enough to really do anything, it's just an annoyance. So I met up with Alissa in front of the Baltic Contemporary Museum across the river Tyne in Gateshead. It was a lovely walk to and across the river. On Sundays, on the Newcastle side there is a market, which is why we met up, so we could check it out. There is a local cheese maker that was there, so we got to sample a few different kinds, which were all delicious. We picked up two kinds to take to Rob and Jamie's last night for dinner. We then stopped at the Co-op to get some groceries, and I pretty much blew all the money I had on toilet paper and food. Awesome.
When we got back to our building, we realized that there was a game in the stadium. We were pretty excited, and got back to Alissa's room (which faces the stadium) and opened the window to hear the cheers. We decided to take our tea to the TV lounge to watch the game, however unfortunately they weren't showing the Newcastle game on TV. But it was cool to hear the cheering, and we are planning on going to a game at some point, since it is right next door! And Newcastle is pretty big about football. On Saturdays and Sundays people (mostly men and boys) where the Newcastle jersey. Everyone is a fan.
Around 5 pm we headed towards Rob and Jamie's for dinner and games. They have a calling plan which enables them to call the US for free, but land lines only. They offered to let us use it anytime, so I figured I would try to get in touch with a couple people while I was there. I tried my dad, my mom and Noah's family. Nobody answered. I was a little bummed out, but not terribly disappointed. So Rob and Jamie just bought the Newcastle version of Monopoly, so we decided to play while our soup cooked. We had bread and cheese and apples to munch on while we waited. The rules are a little different in this version, but it was still basically Monopoly. When the soup was ready we ate, it was a delicious lentil, potato, carrot, chicken broth based soup with some Indian spices. I thoroughly enjoyed myself! We then continued to play, but the game kept going on forever! I decided to try to make a few more phone calls. I got in touch with my dad, which was good. I also got in touch with Noah and his family, so that was also good. I ended up winning the Monopoly game because I had so much money, so I hope that that bodes well for my future money matters that will be fixed this week!
And now I am off to spend the day catching up on my reading for class tomorrow. Luckily, it isn't that nice of a day out, so I won't feel guilty staying in to read!
Alissa made us tasty salads for dinner, and then we decided to check out the TV lounges. Neither one of us had been to a lounge in our building thus far, so it was an adventure! There is one close to Alissa's room with a pretty nice TV, but some guy was watching his DVD's on it, so we searched for another. We found one upstairs, unoccupied, so we settled in. I think we only get like 5 channels, but it was kind of nice to relax in there. One of the channels is MTV, and the rest are either BBC or other British channels. We kind of flipped around for awhile, until Sleepy Hollow came on, so we watched that. Meanwhile two guys wandered in to watch it with us.
Yesterday my plan was to wake up and tool around the city by myself. Turns out it was a very foul day. It was actually pretty warm, but it was "drizzling" randomly. I hate drizzling, and would much prefer rain because drizzling is like spit just floating around. It's not hard enough to really do anything, it's just an annoyance. So I met up with Alissa in front of the Baltic Contemporary Museum across the river Tyne in Gateshead. It was a lovely walk to and across the river. On Sundays, on the Newcastle side there is a market, which is why we met up, so we could check it out. There is a local cheese maker that was there, so we got to sample a few different kinds, which were all delicious. We picked up two kinds to take to Rob and Jamie's last night for dinner. We then stopped at the Co-op to get some groceries, and I pretty much blew all the money I had on toilet paper and food. Awesome.
When we got back to our building, we realized that there was a game in the stadium. We were pretty excited, and got back to Alissa's room (which faces the stadium) and opened the window to hear the cheers. We decided to take our tea to the TV lounge to watch the game, however unfortunately they weren't showing the Newcastle game on TV. But it was cool to hear the cheering, and we are planning on going to a game at some point, since it is right next door! And Newcastle is pretty big about football. On Saturdays and Sundays people (mostly men and boys) where the Newcastle jersey. Everyone is a fan.
Around 5 pm we headed towards Rob and Jamie's for dinner and games. They have a calling plan which enables them to call the US for free, but land lines only. They offered to let us use it anytime, so I figured I would try to get in touch with a couple people while I was there. I tried my dad, my mom and Noah's family. Nobody answered. I was a little bummed out, but not terribly disappointed. So Rob and Jamie just bought the Newcastle version of Monopoly, so we decided to play while our soup cooked. We had bread and cheese and apples to munch on while we waited. The rules are a little different in this version, but it was still basically Monopoly. When the soup was ready we ate, it was a delicious lentil, potato, carrot, chicken broth based soup with some Indian spices. I thoroughly enjoyed myself! We then continued to play, but the game kept going on forever! I decided to try to make a few more phone calls. I got in touch with my dad, which was good. I also got in touch with Noah and his family, so that was also good. I ended up winning the Monopoly game because I had so much money, so I hope that that bodes well for my future money matters that will be fixed this week!
And now I am off to spend the day catching up on my reading for class tomorrow. Luckily, it isn't that nice of a day out, so I won't feel guilty staying in to read!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Top Ten Things I Have Learned Living in Newcastle, and England in General, So Far
10. Tasty bits. That's right, tasty bits are awesome. Most orange juice here does not have tasty bits, aka pulp. In fact, I only found one tiny section devoted to orange juice with tasty bits in the grocery store today.
9. Dominoes meat extravaganza pizza. I saw on a commercial that you can order a dominoes pizza with a ridiculous amount of meat. Think it can't get any more ridiculous than the concoctions in the US? Try their version with pepperoni, ham, chorizo, meatballs, tandoori chicken and sausage.
8. The locals don't understand that 40 degrees is cold. In fact, I understand that they don't acknowledge cold weather really at all, since most girls wear short shorts/skirts, tank tops and sandals ALL year long. That's right, snowing or raining? That calls for hoochy outfits. And most importantly, no jackets. Because that would be too much to handle, and would be along the path to admitting it's cold out.
7. Techno. That's right, techno music is EVERYWHERE. And it is always really loud. Riding in a bus? Techno time. Re-mixes are popular too, but only with a techno beat of course.
6. Roasted ox flavored crisps. Or pickle, or Canadian ham, ketchup, roasted steak....you catch my drift.
5. Sandwiches. Are everywhere. Pre-packaged, or made in front of you. Doesn't matter, anywhere you go, there is a plethora of sandwiches to choose from.
4. Fire doors. They are everywhere. I have to walk through at least ten on my way to Alissa's room. Not sure how they work since some open toward you, and some away. They are in every building, everywhere. They confuse me, and are a total pain in the ass.
3. To go along with number 4, the smells in between fire doors in my building. Each area of hallway between fire doors has it's own unique scent, usually strong, and usually gross. It's awesome.
2. Cheese. It's delicious, and locally made cheese is the best. Enough said.
And the number one thing that I have discovered while in Newcastle is:
1. Native Americans. That's right, every Saturday and Sunday a group of Native Americans puts on a show in front of the monument in the main shopping area. One plays a flute-type instrument with a techno beat in the background. At least one dances around, in what appears to be a traditional Native American dance. They are all dressed in skins and headdresses. And always draw quite the crowd. It's awesome.
9. Dominoes meat extravaganza pizza. I saw on a commercial that you can order a dominoes pizza with a ridiculous amount of meat. Think it can't get any more ridiculous than the concoctions in the US? Try their version with pepperoni, ham, chorizo, meatballs, tandoori chicken and sausage.
8. The locals don't understand that 40 degrees is cold. In fact, I understand that they don't acknowledge cold weather really at all, since most girls wear short shorts/skirts, tank tops and sandals ALL year long. That's right, snowing or raining? That calls for hoochy outfits. And most importantly, no jackets. Because that would be too much to handle, and would be along the path to admitting it's cold out.
7. Techno. That's right, techno music is EVERYWHERE. And it is always really loud. Riding in a bus? Techno time. Re-mixes are popular too, but only with a techno beat of course.
6. Roasted ox flavored crisps. Or pickle, or Canadian ham, ketchup, roasted steak....you catch my drift.
5. Sandwiches. Are everywhere. Pre-packaged, or made in front of you. Doesn't matter, anywhere you go, there is a plethora of sandwiches to choose from.
4. Fire doors. They are everywhere. I have to walk through at least ten on my way to Alissa's room. Not sure how they work since some open toward you, and some away. They are in every building, everywhere. They confuse me, and are a total pain in the ass.
3. To go along with number 4, the smells in between fire doors in my building. Each area of hallway between fire doors has it's own unique scent, usually strong, and usually gross. It's awesome.
2. Cheese. It's delicious, and locally made cheese is the best. Enough said.
And the number one thing that I have discovered while in Newcastle is:
1. Native Americans. That's right, every Saturday and Sunday a group of Native Americans puts on a show in front of the monument in the main shopping area. One plays a flute-type instrument with a techno beat in the background. At least one dances around, in what appears to be a traditional Native American dance. They are all dressed in skins and headdresses. And always draw quite the crowd. It's awesome.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Friday night
So I literally did not leave my room all day yesterday. I briefly went up to my kitchen, ate some breakfast/lunch and that was it. I read all day, took a nap, and read some more. It was pretty awesome. I felt very congested yesterday, the worst day by far, so I figured it best to just stay in my room. However, around 8:30 I took a shower, to feel like a human being, and shortly afterwards Alissa texted me to come over to her room, and then get a drink. I said no at first, since I was sick, blah, blah, blah, and that we should hang out tomorrow. But she convinced me to just have one drink, so I agreed, and it was nice to get out. We met up with a girl in her program named Lisa from Dundee, Scotland. She has the most adorable accent and is super friendly. We went to this bar called Hoki 10, which was actually really cool. It was two floors, and upstairs there were little booth-like areas in the walls that had cushions all around. They were nice and cozy, and I thought a nice touch. The drinks weren't too expensive either. Of course they played loud techno and re-mix music, but it wasn't so bad. I had one drink, but still felt very congested and with a headache to boot, so I decided to go home. Alissa was also ready to retire, so we walked back to our building. It was almost midnight, and I wasn't that tired, but I knew I would get in bed right away, and at least read for a little bit. And to my immense joy, my neighbors had guests over and were REALLY loud for the second night in a row! I have no idea what they do in their tiny little rooms, but it seriously sounds like there are at least 10 people in there. The last two nights, the guests didn't leave till about 2 am. The guy that lives above me also frequently has guests, and for some reason, I can hear everything. I can hear the toilet flush, the shower run, walking, talking...which I think I have mostly gotten used to. But the neighbors right next to me is a new development that I will attempt to get used to also. The problem is that my bed is right against the wall that we share, so it's pretty loud. I think during the week, quiet time is supposed to be in effect at 11pm and maybe midnight on the weekends. I guess I have no reason to complain, since I won't have to get up early for the most part this semester. And that's what happens when you live in a dorm. I sometimes feel 18 again, even though I never lived in a dorm when I was 18! I guess it is a little odd to me too, since I would rather meet friends at a pub, rather than have multiple people in my little room. Not that I mind having people in my room, I just don't plan to have any parties here.
However, I feel much better today. I am nowhere near as congested as yesterday, and my head doesn't hurt. Looks like my rest paid off! Although I did lay in my bed reading for a couple of hours, and at one point got nauseous and threw up which kind of sucked. So I finally took a shower and ate some lunch, and feel like a real person again. I am trying to motivate myself to go out and enjoy the day. I just got a message from Rob inviting me to tea, so I might just join them. Hopefully I will have more cool pictures to post soon. I am off to embrace the day!
However, I feel much better today. I am nowhere near as congested as yesterday, and my head doesn't hurt. Looks like my rest paid off! Although I did lay in my bed reading for a couple of hours, and at one point got nauseous and threw up which kind of sucked. So I finally took a shower and ate some lunch, and feel like a real person again. I am trying to motivate myself to go out and enjoy the day. I just got a message from Rob inviting me to tea, so I might just join them. Hopefully I will have more cool pictures to post soon. I am off to embrace the day!
Friday, October 5, 2007
My dinner adventure!
Last night I was invited to dinner by a guy in my program. He lives with his girlfriend in her house in South Gosforth, which I understand to be like a suburb, because it is technically still in Newcastle. I had to take the metro there, and I have only ridden it once so far, and with friends. So even though I felt sick and depressed all day, I sucked it up to make my way alone to my friend's house. Buying my ticket was easy, but then I had to stare at the map to try to figure out which way I had to go. It took me a good 5 minutes to realize that I had to transfer to a different line at the first stop. I was feeling pretty good! So I got on the train, which was just sitting there by the way, started reading my book, and eventually the train took off. Incidentally, you buy a metro ticket, and it is this little yellow ticket. You don't put it through a machine at all, you could actually just walk on to a train if you wanted to. They do have people come through the trains to check the tickets, but I haven't seen them do that yet. There is of course a fine if you don't have a ticket, or the right one I suppose, but they seem to be very lax about metro tickets! Back to the train: I got off on the first stop, and then found my way to the right line that would take me to South Gosforth. I left a little early because I knew I might end up going the wrong way at one point, and would then have to turn around, but I went the right way the whole time! Yay me! My other friends that are from AZ live in Jesmond, which is also an area within Newcastle. At the Jesmond stop, I said to myself "wouldn't it be funny if Rob and Jamie got on this train too?" So we finally get to South Gosforth (which is like two stops away) and I start to walk up the stairs, and I hear my name. Jamie and Rob had been on the same train, just a different car! So then I just followed Rob since he seemed to know where he was going because he looked at a map before they left. It was maybe a ten minute walk to the house, and dinner was lovely. James made spinach and ricotta appetizers, chicken in a red wine, sun-dried tomato risotto, and for dessert a white chocolate peppermint mousse. Yummy! We hung around and talked for awhile, but my head was fuzzy with congestion, so I was kind of in my own little world. We left around 11 because the metro stops running around midnight.
After the stop at Monument, I headed toward the platform that would take me to St. James, which is right in front of my building. It was 11:30 or so, and no one was around, and I didn't know if a train would even come. So to be safe, I decided to walk from Monument, which is about 15 minutes to my building. At least I wasn't alone in the metro stop! Came home and read a little before going to bed. I was pretty congested, so James' girlfriend (who is a doctor) gave me some drops that you put on your pillow to help you breathe. They worked pretty well till about 9 this morning, but I still laid in bed a bit more. Now I don't know what to do with my day. I feel kind of achy and congested still, so I think it best that I hang around and relax. Plus I have no money, so I can't do anything that you have to pay for! It is pretty lovely outside, and I feel it would be a shame to stay inside all day, but I guess I will see how I feel a bit later. I hate being sick, so I am trying to take every precaution to avoid stretching it out. But my spirits are better today, even with all the crap, so that is a comfort.
After the stop at Monument, I headed toward the platform that would take me to St. James, which is right in front of my building. It was 11:30 or so, and no one was around, and I didn't know if a train would even come. So to be safe, I decided to walk from Monument, which is about 15 minutes to my building. At least I wasn't alone in the metro stop! Came home and read a little before going to bed. I was pretty congested, so James' girlfriend (who is a doctor) gave me some drops that you put on your pillow to help you breathe. They worked pretty well till about 9 this morning, but I still laid in bed a bit more. Now I don't know what to do with my day. I feel kind of achy and congested still, so I think it best that I hang around and relax. Plus I have no money, so I can't do anything that you have to pay for! It is pretty lovely outside, and I feel it would be a shame to stay inside all day, but I guess I will see how I feel a bit later. I hate being sick, so I am trying to take every precaution to avoid stretching it out. But my spirits are better today, even with all the crap, so that is a comfort.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Feeling Irate and helpless!!!
Ok, so I decided to seize my destiny (so to speak) and track down the financial aid office and demand they do something about giving me my money. Ha ha, didn't exactly work that way. I had to ask a woman in a building for directions to the financial aid office, and it turns out it was right around the corner. So I get there, and the receptionist asks what I need, I drop a couple names of women who I have dealt with, and say that I have no money and am sick of waiting around, so could I please speak with one of the women to get my money? She sends out Kelly, who I spoke with on Friday when I signed my loan checks. Apparently, it is out of the university's hands, since the checks are in the bank, so they are just waiting to hear from the bank. Of course I start to cry, mostly in anger in frustration, but of course a little sadness too. I say how ridiculous it is that I have done EVERYTHING I needed to do on my end, and this process has taken months, and every couple of weeks something else pops up!!! She said another student came by this morning with the same problems, and I could get a quick emergency loan to last me through the weekend. I of course tell her that is ridiculous, I shouldn't HAVE to get ANOTHER loan, I should get the money from the loans I ALREADY have! She proceeds to tell me it is no big deal, and if I get one, I can just pay them back next week when I get my actual loan money. She even offers to call them for me. She assures me that the money will get here by Wednesday next week, and I reply that she told me Friday that the money would be here THIS week, so how am I to trust that it will really get here next week? She just kept assuring me that an emergency was no big deal, and encouraging me to do that. I told her I would think about it. Fundamentally I don't feel comfortable getting another loan, no matter how small or easy. I am still crying throughout all of this, which is pissing me off even more, but oh well. Kelly also tells me that the checks arrived later than usual this year, and they are taking longer than normal. I just get the feeling that they take their sweet time, which the British seem to like to do (which is normally a-ok with me, but not when it comes to my survival!). At the end I ask what the news is on my private loan that she was supposed to check into, but no one has gotten back to me. I corresponded with Sallie Mae two days ago, and I was assured that I had done everything I needed to do, it was just up to the university to approve it and make final arrangements. Apparently the university has no knowledge of this loan, so Kelly assured me she would look into it again. BAHHHHHH!!!!
So I left, feeling very angry, frustrated and very hot (since I was all worked up). I decided to walk back to my room, and just suck it up for the weekend and not get the emergency loan. I almost called one of my parents, or Noah to cry and bitch, but realized it wasn't even 6am. Then I thought that all three of them would probably just tell me to check out the emergency loan, just in case. So I turned around and walked back to the first building I went to because Kelly told me that was where the emergency loans were given. So the first lady I spoke with had NO idea what I was talking about, and tried to send me somewhere else to the postgraduate school. Finally her co-worker overheard, and said she had just been alerted to the situation (which meant that Kelly called them and warned them about me!) and that I had to go to the bank to get some slip that they may or may not know about, and then fill it out, and then bring it back, and if I was lucky, someone would talk to me about it! They said to come back around 4pm, and maybe get things taken care of. I am now so pissed, that I am going to forget about it, and suck it up like I had originally planned. Incidentally, there was a plaque in that building that said Newcastle University was ranked 2nd in friendliest staff. They may have been friendly, but in no way were they helpful!
So in more tears, I walked back to my room. On a happier note, a guy in my program that is from the area invited a few of us over for dinner tonight. I am happy at the thought of free dinner, however I have to take the metro to get there, which will probably cost around 3 pounds, which 6 dollars. Oh well, I will pay it, and stuff my face when I get there!
I get back to my building, and decide to check the mail. For packages, you have to check a sheet at reception that lists every one's name that has a package. I saw my name, so asked the lady for my stuff. In a really pissy attitude, she asked my name and room number. You also have to sign for your stuff, so I asked if I should go ahead and sign, but apparently she didn't believe me when I said I had a package, so she rudely told me to wait. She then found my stuff, and said it was ok to sign. I wanted to jump over the counter and throttle her! She acted as if I was putting her out, but it's her f-ing job to get my f-ing mail! But I was very happy to see that my Aunt Beth had mailed me some books, and I got my new debit card for my new British bank! I was so happy to receive a package from home, I love you dearly Beth!!! I am also glad to have my new debit card, too bad my account only has 1 pound in it.
So now I feel like crap, and just want to forget this whole day happened. However, I will be responsible and do some reading for class, and perhaps send along some emails about my private loan, to try to get that going, since apparently I can't leave it to anyone to care but me!
On a positive note however, my grandma came out of surgery ok. I hear she is in a lot of pain, and recovery will be slow, but she appears to be ok. That is good news because I was a little worried about it yesterday since I wasn't there. And this morning, one of my lovely kitchen-mates shared some of his lunch with me. It was nice, we had a little chat and some Chinese noodles. And last night, Alissa came over to watch a movie since I had had a bad day. Yay for new friends abroad!
So I left, feeling very angry, frustrated and very hot (since I was all worked up). I decided to walk back to my room, and just suck it up for the weekend and not get the emergency loan. I almost called one of my parents, or Noah to cry and bitch, but realized it wasn't even 6am. Then I thought that all three of them would probably just tell me to check out the emergency loan, just in case. So I turned around and walked back to the first building I went to because Kelly told me that was where the emergency loans were given. So the first lady I spoke with had NO idea what I was talking about, and tried to send me somewhere else to the postgraduate school. Finally her co-worker overheard, and said she had just been alerted to the situation (which meant that Kelly called them and warned them about me!) and that I had to go to the bank to get some slip that they may or may not know about, and then fill it out, and then bring it back, and if I was lucky, someone would talk to me about it! They said to come back around 4pm, and maybe get things taken care of. I am now so pissed, that I am going to forget about it, and suck it up like I had originally planned. Incidentally, there was a plaque in that building that said Newcastle University was ranked 2nd in friendliest staff. They may have been friendly, but in no way were they helpful!
So in more tears, I walked back to my room. On a happier note, a guy in my program that is from the area invited a few of us over for dinner tonight. I am happy at the thought of free dinner, however I have to take the metro to get there, which will probably cost around 3 pounds, which 6 dollars. Oh well, I will pay it, and stuff my face when I get there!
I get back to my building, and decide to check the mail. For packages, you have to check a sheet at reception that lists every one's name that has a package. I saw my name, so asked the lady for my stuff. In a really pissy attitude, she asked my name and room number. You also have to sign for your stuff, so I asked if I should go ahead and sign, but apparently she didn't believe me when I said I had a package, so she rudely told me to wait. She then found my stuff, and said it was ok to sign. I wanted to jump over the counter and throttle her! She acted as if I was putting her out, but it's her f-ing job to get my f-ing mail! But I was very happy to see that my Aunt Beth had mailed me some books, and I got my new debit card for my new British bank! I was so happy to receive a package from home, I love you dearly Beth!!! I am also glad to have my new debit card, too bad my account only has 1 pound in it.
So now I feel like crap, and just want to forget this whole day happened. However, I will be responsible and do some reading for class, and perhaps send along some emails about my private loan, to try to get that going, since apparently I can't leave it to anyone to care but me!
On a positive note however, my grandma came out of surgery ok. I hear she is in a lot of pain, and recovery will be slow, but she appears to be ok. That is good news because I was a little worried about it yesterday since I wasn't there. And this morning, one of my lovely kitchen-mates shared some of his lunch with me. It was nice, we had a little chat and some Chinese noodles. And last night, Alissa came over to watch a movie since I had had a bad day. Yay for new friends abroad!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Feeling a bit down
So I think I am doing an excellent job of staying positive, optimistic and happy. Monday was a gorgeous day, and most of the day was sunny yesterday too. I woke up yesterday with a bit of a sore throat, but felt fine otherwise. I had a meeting with one of my professors, and that went well, and got me excited about his module (class). I then had my first class on basically the history of history. That professor was really engaging, and I think I will enjoy his class. Although there were a couple more books on his reading list that are boxed up back home :(
It started to get chilly in the afternoon, and I am trying to fight off sickness, so I thought it best to head back to my room. I did a little reading, watched a movie, and then checked my email. My mom wrote that my cat Blackie hasn't come home since Sunday night, what a bummer! I was really sad, and it's hard not being home, especially not being around loved ones who I look too when I am sad. So then I decided to look through all the pictures on my computer, and watch another movie. I am worried about my mom and sister, because I think it is harder for them back home, I am sad, but I can't do anything being in a different country.
Today I slept in, because that is my way of dealing with the thought of getting sick. I woke up feeling all right, my throat is still a little sore, but I feel fine otherwise. I hope this passes before the weekend. My grandma is having back surgery today, so I am a little worried about that. I sent my mom an email about my cat, so I hope things are OK on that front. I haven't ventured outside yet, I don't have class till 4. It looks a bit dreary out, which matches my mood. It isn't raining, but it might this afternoon. I have been cleaning and organizing my room, and also going through the brochures and pamphlets that I have accumulated. I am planning to go to Edinburgh in a couple weekends for the whole weekend with Alissa. While there I hope to see my old roommate Katie, and my friend at St. Andrews, Liz. We are hoping to book our travel plans this week. However, I checked my bank account, and only have $60. That is only 30 pounds, so that depresses me a lot! If I haven't heard about my loans by tomorrow, I think I will make a trip to the financial aid office to pester them. They deposited the loan checks on Friday, and so it shouldn't take too long to take out the tuition fees, and then give me the rest. I got a threatening email from the accommodation office because I haven't set up the direct debit to pay for my room yet. My way of dealing with that is to block it out, at least until tomorrow when I will hopefully have more info on my money situation. I have been taking my fish oil and Holy Basil to alleviate anxiety and stress, and it has been working, but I fear that soon it won't!
On a more positive note, I am really excited about my classes, and feel invigorated to be pursuing my education. After class tonight, there is a faculty drink reception, so that should be nice. I don't have class tomorrow, actually I don't have class till next Tuesday after today! I will probably spend tomorrow reading for class. I need to run errands and pick up some essentials, and tomorrow would be perfect...except no money! I did get my first piece of mail today, from my new British bank, talking about banking online. I am blocking that out till I get money too. Well one thing is for sure, this will truly be a character building experience!
It started to get chilly in the afternoon, and I am trying to fight off sickness, so I thought it best to head back to my room. I did a little reading, watched a movie, and then checked my email. My mom wrote that my cat Blackie hasn't come home since Sunday night, what a bummer! I was really sad, and it's hard not being home, especially not being around loved ones who I look too when I am sad. So then I decided to look through all the pictures on my computer, and watch another movie. I am worried about my mom and sister, because I think it is harder for them back home, I am sad, but I can't do anything being in a different country.
Today I slept in, because that is my way of dealing with the thought of getting sick. I woke up feeling all right, my throat is still a little sore, but I feel fine otherwise. I hope this passes before the weekend. My grandma is having back surgery today, so I am a little worried about that. I sent my mom an email about my cat, so I hope things are OK on that front. I haven't ventured outside yet, I don't have class till 4. It looks a bit dreary out, which matches my mood. It isn't raining, but it might this afternoon. I have been cleaning and organizing my room, and also going through the brochures and pamphlets that I have accumulated. I am planning to go to Edinburgh in a couple weekends for the whole weekend with Alissa. While there I hope to see my old roommate Katie, and my friend at St. Andrews, Liz. We are hoping to book our travel plans this week. However, I checked my bank account, and only have $60. That is only 30 pounds, so that depresses me a lot! If I haven't heard about my loans by tomorrow, I think I will make a trip to the financial aid office to pester them. They deposited the loan checks on Friday, and so it shouldn't take too long to take out the tuition fees, and then give me the rest. I got a threatening email from the accommodation office because I haven't set up the direct debit to pay for my room yet. My way of dealing with that is to block it out, at least until tomorrow when I will hopefully have more info on my money situation. I have been taking my fish oil and Holy Basil to alleviate anxiety and stress, and it has been working, but I fear that soon it won't!
On a more positive note, I am really excited about my classes, and feel invigorated to be pursuing my education. After class tonight, there is a faculty drink reception, so that should be nice. I don't have class tomorrow, actually I don't have class till next Tuesday after today! I will probably spend tomorrow reading for class. I need to run errands and pick up some essentials, and tomorrow would be perfect...except no money! I did get my first piece of mail today, from my new British bank, talking about banking online. I am blocking that out till I get money too. Well one thing is for sure, this will truly be a character building experience!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Monday, the first of October
Today was a beautiful day in Newcastle. I had nothing planned, which was nice. It was completely sunny all day long. I lounged around a bit this morning, but knew I had to get outside and soak up some sun, since who knows when the next day like this will be! I decided to go to the bookstore, because I needed a notebook to take notes, and I also wanted to see if they had any books that I would need. Of course they didn't, and the cheapest notebook was 2 pounds, 50 pence=5 dollars! I then stopped at STA Travel to see about getting an international student card, to get cheap flights, but they were kind of busy, so I left.
I then stopped at Gregg's on High street (that's what they call the main shopping streets in Britain, even though in Newcastle it's actually Northumberland street). By the way, it is always crazy busy on high street, no matter what day or time of day. Gregg's is a local chain of pastry shops. They have all sorts of pasties and savory pies, as well as sweet treats, for pretty cheap. I had a cheese and onion pasty, and a caramel bar, which is basically shortbread with a layer of caramel, and a layer of chocolate on top. I then did a very British thing, and ate my pasty while I walked.
I stopped in the tourist information center, because I wanted to find the closest public library to me. The main library is closed because they are either re-modeling or re-building a new one. So anyhow, a couple librarians sit in the tourist center, because it has become a quasi branch. The librarian told me the closest library is at least a 20 min walk, so I decided to go another day. My friends Rob and Jamie have been checking out DVD's from the library, so I thought I might check that out too, as well as getting a book.
I then stopped off at my room, and then walked to the park next to me. I sat on a bench by the lake to read and soak up some sun. It was quite warm, in the low 60's, and I took off my sweatshirt! That meant I was sitting in my short sleeved shirt, and wasn't cold! There are ducks and swans and a couple other types of birds there. A bunch of people came by at various times to give the birds bread. It was fun to watch. It was such a nice day out, everyone seemed to be out and about. There was a couple sitting on the bench next to me, making out, and it made me miss Noah :( It was nice to see everyone happy though. It started to get a bit chilly after a couple hours, so I headed back inside.
Then Alissa called and asked if I wanted to get together. So we went to Chinatown to get a bite to eat. Most of the restaurants there don't open till 6, so we had a pint in a pub first. At the Chinese restaurant, we had Kung Po chicken, and Szechuan mixed vegetables, and fried rice. It was delicious, and we seriously shoveled the food in! We will definitely go back there. There is also a Thai place right next door, and Alissa has never had green curry, so we plan to go there sometime. Then we stopped at the Co-op for some groceries. So it was a successful day all together! Tomorrow I have my first class in the afternoon. Should be exciting, even though it is the class on the practice of history. TTFN!
I then stopped at Gregg's on High street (that's what they call the main shopping streets in Britain, even though in Newcastle it's actually Northumberland street). By the way, it is always crazy busy on high street, no matter what day or time of day. Gregg's is a local chain of pastry shops. They have all sorts of pasties and savory pies, as well as sweet treats, for pretty cheap. I had a cheese and onion pasty, and a caramel bar, which is basically shortbread with a layer of caramel, and a layer of chocolate on top. I then did a very British thing, and ate my pasty while I walked.
I stopped in the tourist information center, because I wanted to find the closest public library to me. The main library is closed because they are either re-modeling or re-building a new one. So anyhow, a couple librarians sit in the tourist center, because it has become a quasi branch. The librarian told me the closest library is at least a 20 min walk, so I decided to go another day. My friends Rob and Jamie have been checking out DVD's from the library, so I thought I might check that out too, as well as getting a book.
I then stopped off at my room, and then walked to the park next to me. I sat on a bench by the lake to read and soak up some sun. It was quite warm, in the low 60's, and I took off my sweatshirt! That meant I was sitting in my short sleeved shirt, and wasn't cold! There are ducks and swans and a couple other types of birds there. A bunch of people came by at various times to give the birds bread. It was fun to watch. It was such a nice day out, everyone seemed to be out and about. There was a couple sitting on the bench next to me, making out, and it made me miss Noah :( It was nice to see everyone happy though. It started to get a bit chilly after a couple hours, so I headed back inside.
Then Alissa called and asked if I wanted to get together. So we went to Chinatown to get a bite to eat. Most of the restaurants there don't open till 6, so we had a pint in a pub first. At the Chinese restaurant, we had Kung Po chicken, and Szechuan mixed vegetables, and fried rice. It was delicious, and we seriously shoveled the food in! We will definitely go back there. There is also a Thai place right next door, and Alissa has never had green curry, so we plan to go there sometime. Then we stopped at the Co-op for some groceries. So it was a successful day all together! Tomorrow I have my first class in the afternoon. Should be exciting, even though it is the class on the practice of history. TTFN!
Sunday in Durham
On Sunday, Jamie, Rob, Alissa and I took the train to Durham. The train was around 5 pounds round trip, and took about 15 min each way. I think Durham is only about 15 miles away from Newcastle. So we left around 10:30 and got to Durham around 11am. Jamie had discovered a place online in Durham called Crook Hall. It has gardens and an old medieval house. So we went there first.Crook Hall was AWESOME! On Sundays, they have free apple and pear picking (subject to availability of course) so we got a bag full of apples and pears from the gardens. They also started a maze made from some type of bush, that is only about waist high right now. There were many different gardens, including a secret garden, Shakespeare garden, a moat and an orchard. We walked around, taking hundreds (literally) of pictures and just being so awed by the place. It was truly magical. We then wandered to the house, which is said to be haunted. There are different aspects to the house. Apparently the original house was built in the medieval period, but was of course changed and added to through the years. However, there are a couple of rooms and places that still remain true to various time periods.
Once in the house, we went to the area where they serve tea. There is an indoor seating area, and an outdoor one. We chose to sit outside. Crook Hall is known for their cream tea, which is a homemade scone with cream and jam, and tea of course. They also serve other goodies as well. The four of us chose the Afternoon Tea, which consisted of a toastie, cream tea and a cake or muffin. I had cheese on toast (grilled cheese), a scone and a blueberry muffin. The toastie was awesome, since I am sure they used some kind of delicious English cheese, maybe cheddar. I then ate my scone, which was the most amazing scone I have ever had. It was fresh and the addition of cream and jam made it truly spectacular. The tea was also delicious. I saved my muffin for later, since I knew that even if it was good, it wouldn't compare to my scone, plus I was stuffed. We then ventured through the other parts of the garden on the other side of the house. Did I mention, that at one point, I found snails in the garden? I was very excited, and even found a couple empty shells! The moat was really more like a pond. But it did have fish in it, and a couple little fountains, so that was nice. I also saw a frog near the moat, so that was exciting. Toward the end of our time at Crook Hall, we decided to do the maze. Even though it is only waist high, it was surprisingly difficult! Jamie made it to the center first, so the rest of us just headed back out.
After Crook Hall, we walked back along the river Wear toward the city center and the castle and cathedral. The river was pretty, and there were a bunch of people fishing. However it looked as though there was a good amount of trash in the river, so I am not sure that I would want to eat anything from it. The city center was really nice, with narrow streets and old buildings. It is also the center for shopping and restaurants and pubs. We had to go uphill to reach the castle. Once at the top, I was really excited to see the castle and cathedral up close. The castle is still in really good condition, since it is the sight for the university in Durham. The dorms are actually situated in one part of the castle! Since school starts today, there were balloons and welcome banners put up for the students. There also weren't any tours of the castle that day, since there was a lot going on with the arrival of students. But it was really neat to see from the outside, so I am certainly not complaining. We even snuck in the courtyard area to take a few pictures.
The cathedral is right next to the castle. There is a big green lawn in the middle, separating the two, but they are both right there. The cathedral was really beautiful as well, and there are some really old graves in front. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures inside the cathedral, but walking around it was amazing. We arrived right before Evensong, where the boys choir sings during the service, so we decided that we would stay and watch the service. The boys were adorable, and sounded really beautiful. It was pretty moving to stand inside the ancient Gothic cathedral and to hear the beautiful music. The service only lasted about an hour, which was nice because we were all getting sleepy. About ten minutes before the service ended, a man came in and walked to the front and sat down. He was either drunk, or had mental problems, or really felt the holy spirit within him. He was kind of speaking loudly during the end of the service, and he kept putting his arms out. Once the service was over, security had to escort him out. I think he was drunk, and maybe a little crazy. He kept trying to shake every one's hand that was part of the church, and actually had to be physically removed. That doesn't happen everyday!
After the service, we walked down to the river side, which was a nice walk back to the train station. You could see the castle and cathedral on the hill above the river, so it was a really nice view. Durham seems to be a quaint little town, with really cool things to see. I definitely plan to go back to see more. When my family visits in the spring, I plan to take them to Crook Hall, because I know they would love it. A successful weekend all around!
Day trip to the local museum
On Saturday, I met with my friends Rob and Jamie to go to the Discovery Museum here in Newcastle. We first stopped at the tourist information place to get a few pamphlets and some information. I really want to go to Holy Island, which is north of Newcastle. It is an island that when the tide is low, you can get to it on land. When the tide is high, it becomes an island! Anyway there is a castle and priory on the island which are a must see from what I have heard. It sounds like a pain to get there, and the lady at the tourist info place said it is really magical if we can stay there. Anyway, moving on.
We then proceeded to walk to the Discovery Museum, which is free (woo hoo!). We only went through one exhibit, which took about two hours. It was an exhibit on the history of Newcastle, starting with the Roman period up to today. It was interesting, a little cheesy for the kids, yet still informative. We then decided to have tea in the cafe there, and some chocolate cake. Delicious. There are other exhibits there that are more scientific in nature, and I think there is one on shipbuilding since I think Newcastle built (or builds?) ships. But it is close to where I live, so I can go anytime if I want. Rob and Jamie invited myself, Alissa and a Canadian girl named Anik that lives in our dorms to come over for dinner.
Since Rob and Jamie cooked, we wanted to bring something, so on our way to their house we picked up some wine. We also got a little lost getting there, but eventually found our way. Rob and Jamie rent an apartment, which is actually a house split into separate apartments on each level. Theirs is really nice. They have two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room and kitchen. I wanted to move in! Just having a couch and a bathtub is very appealing. Anyway, Rob used to be a chef, so he cooked us pasta with vegetables and chicken breast with melted mozzarella. It was amazing, and I think Alissa, Anik and myself stuffed ourselves silly. It was really nice to have a home cooked meal, and very generous of them to invite us to their home and cook! We hung around for a few hours talking about various things. I think we are going to make a weekly date of going over there to cook. Taking turns of course, but it is nice to have an actual home to go to. I think Alissa and I are going to cook Mexican food this week sometime. We have to try to figure out which days are the best to cook, since we have different schedules. After this week, we should have a better idea of what to expect and what our schedules will entail.
We then proceeded to walk to the Discovery Museum, which is free (woo hoo!). We only went through one exhibit, which took about two hours. It was an exhibit on the history of Newcastle, starting with the Roman period up to today. It was interesting, a little cheesy for the kids, yet still informative. We then decided to have tea in the cafe there, and some chocolate cake. Delicious. There are other exhibits there that are more scientific in nature, and I think there is one on shipbuilding since I think Newcastle built (or builds?) ships. But it is close to where I live, so I can go anytime if I want. Rob and Jamie invited myself, Alissa and a Canadian girl named Anik that lives in our dorms to come over for dinner.
Since Rob and Jamie cooked, we wanted to bring something, so on our way to their house we picked up some wine. We also got a little lost getting there, but eventually found our way. Rob and Jamie rent an apartment, which is actually a house split into separate apartments on each level. Theirs is really nice. They have two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room and kitchen. I wanted to move in! Just having a couch and a bathtub is very appealing. Anyway, Rob used to be a chef, so he cooked us pasta with vegetables and chicken breast with melted mozzarella. It was amazing, and I think Alissa, Anik and myself stuffed ourselves silly. It was really nice to have a home cooked meal, and very generous of them to invite us to their home and cook! We hung around for a few hours talking about various things. I think we are going to make a weekly date of going over there to cook. Taking turns of course, but it is nice to have an actual home to go to. I think Alissa and I are going to cook Mexican food this week sometime. We have to try to figure out which days are the best to cook, since we have different schedules. After this week, we should have a better idea of what to expect and what our schedules will entail.
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