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

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