Liverpool: City of the Beatles, Boats, and Giant Cathedrals

Friday night was Chav night at Fruity, a night at the night clubs located in the union. For all of you unknowning Americans out there, a chav, from what I understand, is basically a white trailer trash gangster. If you can imagine that at all. So I, along with some friends, went out dressed like idiots. I sported a bright pink velour track suit. Embarrassing, but it happened:

Saturday I took my first adventure outside of Leeds. After getting back extraordinarily late from my night out as a chav, I slept the whole 2 hour bus ride and arrived, still half asleep, in Liverpool. We went to go see how expensive the Beatles museum was, but due to the long line and chunk of change it cost to get it, we decided to pass. I do have a picture like I actually went in, though.

We then headed to the massive amounts of free things to do in Liverpool, starting with the Maritime museum. I learned all about the tons of boats that had either left from Liverpool or were destined for Liverpool that sank somewhere in the deep blue sea, including the Titanic. I'm convinced Liverpool is just jinxed. After the museum we walked in the direction of the art museum. I took far too many pictures of some of the wonderful buildings in Liverpool.I felt like I had some disorder where I needed to stop and take a picture of every somewhat cool and/or interesting building.

We stopped at a Spanish Tapas bar for lunch and has some amazing food. It wasn't a lot (we definitely could have eaten more. But it was still quite delicious.

After lunch we made it to the art museum. It was pretty small, mostly holding exhibits on Renaissance art, which isn't my favorite. The small contemporary exhibit was rather nice, though, and held some interesting pieces. Overall, though, I definitely liked the actual building better than the pieces of art I saw.

After the art museum, we went to the Liverpool Cathedral. The Liverpool Cathedral is the largest in the UK, the 6th largest in the world, and the largest Anglican cathedral in the world. I was literally in awe the entire time of its awe and beauty. It was completed in 1978, so it more recent that I originally thought. The pictures I took could not begin to show its true size and beauty. Tip: Look for the person or other objects in the pictures to show you the scale.

Your Liverpool Expert,
Jessica

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Things here in England are going pretty well. I've only been out in the rain once, and that lasted for all of 2 minutes. I've had my fish and chips, toffee crisp, and tea. I've began looking to the right first to ensure I don't get hit by a car. I've even started dressing a little classier, just like a good little Brit. Tuesday I had my first physics class. Not quite sure what to think of it...could be hard, could be easy, could be somewhere in between. I did confirm that the girl:guy ratio is no different here in the UK than it is back in the states when it comes to math and science things. That night I went to the Eldon Pub for international night. Because the Eldon has incredibly cheap prices on international night, the place was packed. Moving was impossible. Standing was impossible, due to people attempting to move. And sitting, well that was just out of the question. Finally, a group of us left to go to Dry Docks, which is literally a boat sitting on land. With the new found room to move, breathe, and generally be in a comfortable state, I met some new international students and tried Bulmer's, a cider. Wednesday I woke up quite happy, knowing I had absolutely no classes and the whole day to spend doing whatever I wanted. I took a stroll down to the city centre and did some shopping and explored some areas I hadn't run into before.

Primark, the picture above, is my new favorite shop. Its basically the UK Forever 21. It has really cute clothes, shoes, and acessories for insanely good prices. My trip there on Wednesday included a crazy girl fight in which multiple security guards had to interfere. It was an experience, that's for sure. Later that night, I headed to the International Students Club's Culture Shock Comedy, where they tried to demonstrate culture shock in a funny way. Tried being the key word. After it was off to rock it with the Australians. Wednesday was Australia Day, which is basically the Aussie equivalent of the 4th of July. We went to an Australian Bar, Walkabout Inn, danced to some Aussie tunes, and wore some sweet hats. Every once in a while the DJ would shout out "AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!" The crowd then responded with, "OI OI OI!" There was a hot tub, surf board simulator, and Australian flags everywhere.

Today I had my first Statics class. So far its not looking like its going to be that difficult, considering my first homework assignment was something I could have done sophomore year of high school. I also started up on my Introduction to Environmental Sustainability class, which is almost entirely online. That should be somewhat of challenge because there won't be a professor pushing me to complete my assignments on time. Well, there is, I just never see his or her face. But for an added bonus (probably not for you, but I think its super sweet), the longest corridor in the UK:

The Australian for a Day,
Jessica

DUBSTEP

I have now survived my first weekend in England. It seems like I've been here forever, or at least a week. Saturday night I ventured to the night clubs located in the Union for an event called Vagabondz. One my friends' flatmates had invited them, so I went, thinking there was no way I was going to enjoy this dubstep music. Quite the contrary. For some reason, I wound up fancying the big bass and electronic beats booming out the speakers so loud I think it began to regulate my heart rate. I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was due to how the English dance. Back in the states, a constant fear of some guy coming up behind you and attempting to...get up on it...is always there. However, the English are far less touchy in their dancing technique. Dubstep also allows you to kind of bob and sway back and forth to the beat, more like a concert, which I really didn't mind. Check out a picture of the peaceful and soothing environment of dubstep:

 Because I did not get back until extraordinarily late, I in turn did not wake up for a while on Sunday. I simply wound up finding my classes for the following week throughout campus. We broke into the Civil Engineering building to find our classes, and discovered a rather lovely building. I think KU should take some notes.

After exploring, we went to the Eldon, a popular pub, for dinner. I finally had some fish and chips. Not going to lie, they were AMAZING! Fish and chips are good in the states, but they can not compare to the deliciousness of those. After I got back, I chatted for a while with my flatmates. They are all 1st year nursing students and were completely fascinated with the fact that I ate PB&J. They then asked if I eat Capn'Crunch since apparently every movie they watch features it. To their amazement, I informed them it was my faves.
Today I went to my first 3 classes. As my fellow ArchE friend, Quinn, and I sat outside of our first class, we were perplexed that no one was showing up. Eventually, we figured out, with help from Student Support in the Engineering buildings, that that particular lecture only runs for one week. The next class, Construction Economics, went fine. We got some lunch after class. I had chicken stew and mash. It was so amazing, except for the black slices of some mystery substance.

We walked down to the city centre to exchange the wad of American cash we had and purchase some essentials, got our student ID cards, and headed off to our final class, Physics Test. Being the Americans we are, that class did not run this week either. So I wound up with only 1 class today. Not too big of deal. Around 6 I headed to the Global Cafe, where they serve free tea and biscuits (cookies), and a bunch of international students gather to talk and enjoy free food. Afterward, I came back and made my first meal here, spaghetti. It was quite delicious if I do say so myself.

And here's a pic of the slightly creepy and morbid, used to be a cemetery St. George's Field on campus. Please note the tombstones both rising up on the left and used as stepping stones on the ground.

Your English dubstep, classes, and cemetery-turned-"field" expert,
Jessica

Some Salmon, Flowers, and A Refridgerator

So I've been here for four days now, and I feel like I've really started to get a good handle on the city and campus. I've been walking just about everywhere, which my feet have not appreciated. But its wonderful to walk. I feel like you really get to know a place better when you walk. You have time to take in the surroundings, noticing little details and overhearing conversations of the natives. Its about a 10 or 15 minute walk to most places I need to be on campus. At the heart of campus is their union, which is insanely large and amazing. It has a giant cafeteria, called the Refectory, that serves fair trade and organic food by day, and then transforms into a concert hall some nights. Big name bands such as The Who, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Marley have played there. And that's just the beginning. There are two bars in the Union, one called the Terrace, which is more like a club-like bar, and the other The Old Bar, which is more like a pub. BUT WAIT, there's more. There are 3 clubs in their union, one with r&b, one with indie, and one the locals classify as cheese. It rocks out to grooves such as S Club 7 and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. There are also a lot of places to eat...you can even get your hair cut. Not going to lie, this place is pretty awesome.
I've also explored the city centre a few times. Its about a 20 to 30 minute walk from where I live. There are a bunch of shops and restaurants down there. A shop called Primark is basically the British equivalency of a Forever 21, so naturally I'm already obsessed. Before going down in today, we stopped at lunch right next door. I had a delicious smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich with a Fruit Twist Fanta(Fanta here is made with real fruit juice, has not artificial coloring or preservatives, and is generally way more delicous). Check it out:

  

Walking around we stumbled across this florist that had some of the sweetest flowers I've ever seen. There were flowers I didn't recognize along with flowers that I only really see in the plastic form back in the states. Check it:

The only complaints I have are, first of all, every British student always looks super nice. Even the guys looks classy. I feel like I have to buy an entirely new wardrobe in order to fit into their fab culture. But hey, at least they don't all look like trash all the time. That would probably be worse. Second complaint is I'm pretty sure my heater is broken. Last night I went to bed wearing 2 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, and a pair of gloves. I looked ridiculous and was, unfortunately, still cold.

Hopefully someone will be working the desk sometime soon and I can ask them about how to fix this rather frigid problem.
Well, I need to make myself some dinner now.
The cold but still loving life American,
Jessica

Here At Last

Today at approximately 3 am CST I arrived in the Manchester airport. Now, of course it was 10 am here, so I had to be wide awake. With my 4 or 5 hours of sleep (maybe) from the plane, I ran through customs, and then proceeded to follow the signs that said THE STATION ---> until I got to the train station. Luckily for me, right after I bought my ticket to Leeds, the train was there and about to leave. I got on in the nick of time, carrying all 4 pieces of luggage (Yea, the picture isn't going to happen. It was ridic though.). I decided to go for a first class ticket because I had so much stuff, and for 10 pounds more, some lady would bring me food and drinks and kind of be there if some crazy person decided to take off with everything I own. No joke, I kind of felt like Harry Potter, sitting there with all my stuff on a train as the trolley lady came by, followed by the ticket lady. It was pretty awesome. Here's my first food ever in England:

That would be some biscuits (cookies) with chocolate on the bottom and some still water (because bubbly tends to be the default here). When I got to the Leeds train station, I had to haul all my luggage through the station all by myself. I'm sure I looked incredibly awesome as my luggage fell over, and then I almost fell with it due to the almost 40 lb backpackers backpack. But I made it. I got to my dorm, dumped my stuff on the ground, and proceeded to turn a 10 minute walk to campus into a 30 minute, no clue where I am, somehow wound up on the opposite side of campus one. (To be honest, I've felt pretty stupid all day. I feel like I'm in 1st grade again, learning about money, streets, and language again. Its making me feel rather idiotic. And to top it off, I've started thinking in a British accent. Yea, I know I haven't been here for 24 hours, but its catchy, alright?) But eventually I got to the study abroad office, checked in, and went to a Study Abroad meeting where they explained some basics to us. There were 4 other girls in my group, two from Australia, one from Canada, and one from South Carolina. The five of us then took a stroll to the city centre in attempt to find a cell phone so we could contact not only each other, but maybe even our parents. Some how I made it back to my hall in the dark and met 3 out of the 4 of my flatmates. They are all 1st years from the UK, two from Wales and one from England. We ordered some food and I attempted to understand exactly what they were saying. After dinner, I skyped a bit, and then unpacked. My room is actually rather empty, but hopefully that will change. My comforter and a few other things still need to arrive that were shipped last week, but besides that I'm basically unpacked. I have my own room and bathroom, and then share a kitchen (of which I have no food for) and a sitting area. Here are some pictures:

Look at that remarkable view of the Holiday Inn Express I go there.
Well, its off to bed now, because its 11:25 pm here and I am more exhausted than you know.

The Dumb American,
Jessica
P.S. I'm going to blame the thinking in a British Accent on the fact that I have never been so self conscious about my voice. I hate that the minute I speak everyone knows I'm a foreigner.

The Countdown Begins

In less than 24 hours my plane departs for Atlanta, Georgia, arriving around 6 pm EST. From there I will sit in an airport for a while (it'll be fun...you know you're jealous). Around 9 pm EST my flight departs, leaving the United States to Manchester, England. On that overally fun plane ride where I will attempt to sleep, but will probably fail due to my nerves, the wide range of distracting movie options, and the fact that me and sleeping on planes have never really been friends, I will be beginning 5 months on the other side of the Atlantic. With my boarding passes printed, everything packed, and 5 seasons of How I Met Your Mother completed (yea, its that good), there's nothing much more to do but wait. Which is a good and a bad thing. Waiting means I don't have to continue worrying about packing or what to bring or not bring or if I have the copies and documents I need so that they actually allow me into the UK. Waiting also means that now there is nothing to keep the thought that I'm actually doing this off my mind. I have no choice but to think about it and wonder what lies ahead for me. It makes me nervous (and I don't mean I just feel a little anxious. My stomach is currently simultaneously doing flips and churning), it makes me excited (I'm beginning to believe this also has to do with the flipping and churning), and it makes me a little sad that I may miss out on something back in the states (like a KU NCAA basketball championship).I think as long as my stomach doesn't actually upchuck anything, I'm going to be just fine on the plane though. I just gotta let things happen how they're going to happen and not get all worried about if the fact that I say "hella" and "i mean" like there's not tomorrow will ensure no Brit wants to be associated with me. As I said goodbye to all three sets of grandparents yesterday, they all told me I was going to do great, and think its about time I start believing them.

On a completely unrelated note: One of my old music boxes from when I was little randomly went off by itself today. I'm thinking I either have a ghost in my room or a case of the Toy Story 3 type. I'm hoping for TS3.

The girl who has 28 hours left on US soil,
Jessica

P.S. Once I have all my stuff completely in my bags and zipped up, which won't be until tomorrow morning after I've done things society considers necessary like shower and brush my teeth, I'll post a picture of my about to burst luggage. Promise.

Goodbyes

These past few days I've had to say a lot of goodbyes. For some reason, most of my friends' school start a week before KU. Again, showing KU's superiority to other universities. So that said, the goodbyes have begun for my friends here in the STL. I have about another week or so here, and then its off to Europe. I know I've said this about 1000 times, but it STILL has not hit me. I was talking to another friend who is studying abroad in Spain (hopefully I will be visiting while I'm there). She leaves in a few days and said it still hasn't hit her either, so that makes me feel a little better about this whole I'm-not-really-going-to-England thing. However, lying in a rather large pile about 3 feet away from me right now is a pile of luggage and other things I'll be taking with me. Its been decided we're shipping one box of stuff, but everything else will be traveling with me via manual labor. The pile is actually pretty small considering how my time seems to be dwindling. I feel so unprepared, like I should have been reading more about where I'm going and memorizing things that all the British kids have known since they were like 4. Instead I'm going over there knowing nada. Well, not nada, but close enough. I just looked up the current prime minister because I didn't know (David Cameron in case you were wondering). In terms of being prepared, though, I have done a few things. Today we bought a ton of TSA regulation liquid containers, extra laundry detergent, a swiss army knife, and some TSA regulation luggage locks (all exciting items, I know). When it comes to physical things, I'm set. I have all the luggage I need, all the clothes, all the toiletry stuff, bedding, books, and what not. Its the non-physical things I've got a few concerns about.
 And below are some pictures from my adventures this winter break, mostly because I think blogs look much more fun with pictures: