The Discovery of the Football Drama

Again, its been a week. I feel terrible. I clearly have been way too busy. This time I vow to not let this happen again. So let's flash back to where we left off, last Thursday. Thursday there was a giant international party where students from 4 different cities in Leeds. The theme (because in England, there is always a theme) was Disney. I decided to go as Jessie from Toy Story. Here are some pics of our Disney fun:

Friday night I stayed in as to not miss the train for Manchester the next morning since the week before waking up on time didn't really work out too well for me. Luckily I woke up on time Saturday to catch our 8 am train. Andrea and I hoped on the free city bus so we didn't have to walk or pay for a taxi. With 30 minutes to spare, we thought that would be plenty of time. However, the bus driver proceeded to sit in the bus lot, chatting with his British buds for a solid 10 minutes. So we almost missed the train. As we ran to the train (literally), Quinn ran in. He called me once he had gotten his ticket and we had just began moving. He had to catch the next train while we waited for him in Manchester. Finally we were all together and walked to our hostel, which was really nice. We started off going to the information centre that had a Microsoft SURFACE! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go search it on YouTube. It is one of the most fun things to play with. We then headed to CUBE (an Architecture and Design Exhibit), taking some detours around the city. Here are some pictures from walking around the city throughout the day:

When we finally go there, the exhibit was closed until the following week. So we went to find a pub that was playing the Manchester United game so we could watch it with some natives and have a bite to eat. Some locals told us to go to Yates. Once we got there, the place was jammed full of people and there was no where to sit, so food was out of the question. In addition, at the door were four, yes FOUR, security guards just in case things got out of hand. We stayed and watched a bit of the game, then left to go find some food. Finding food in Manchester was actually quite difficult. We went to a few places and finally found a spot where they weren't playing the game so there were actual seats and tables to eat at. Quinn asked the bartender why they didn't play the game and she responded, "It causes too much drama." I got my first order of bangers (sausage) and mash, and it was delicious:

Afterwards we walked around some more, making our way to the John Rylands Library. Before we got there, I thought it'd just a pretty library. But this place was so much cooler than that. Not only was it absolutely beautiful, but they had thousands of old books that you could look at (but not touch, of course). I snuck a picture of one of the rooms. On top of that, they had pieces of old, important books. One of the most amazing ones was a small pieces of a writing of the New Testament that dated back to around 125 A.D. It is the oldest dated piece of the New Testament in the world. They also had a second edition copy of Canterbury Tales. So awesome. There was also a working printing press that Andrea and I both tried.

We then walked south to the ancient Roman fort ruins. While there we stumbled across a slightly sketchy staircase that led to a parking garage (I think) where we could see the entire city. Both were pretty awesome. Following that we went to the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), which was one of the coolest museums I have ever been in. Unfortunately we didn't get to see too much of it because it closed. In the atrium when you enter though there was a giant chandelier (for lack of better words) of TV screens. You registered this card, took a picture, and it was displayed over the screens. This card also logged you into a bunch of activities (mostly that we didn't get to) throughout the museum. I have never been to a museum where you were encouraged to touch things as much as they did here. We went into the Power Exhibit, where I took a bunch of pictures of trains for my Grandpa.

That night we had quite an adventure finding food again. Most places weren't serving food since it was a Saturday night, and those that were had literally NO tables. Finally we went to a place that was a little more pricey, but food is food. I had a delicious falafel sandwich...if that's what you call it, a sandwich. We then went to a bar called Trof for a bit, but after feeling extremely young (not to mention tired) with all of these 30 somethings, we just went back to bed. The next morning we traveled to Bolton, a very small town where literally everything is closed on Sundays. Again, it took us an hour to find a place to eat lunch, but finally succeeded. Being the smart kids we are, none of us looked up where the Bolton stadium where the Bolton Wanderers would be playing. Despite its name, it is not actually in Bolton, but about a 5 minute train ride in the middle of nowhere, England. We made it to the game, got our tickets, and experienced something pretty different. To start off with, there are NO other distractions during the game besides other fans chanting. No announcements, no songs, no breaks. You aren't even allowed to bring alcohol into the stadium. The most different part was the line of security guards surrounding the opposing team, Everton, fans. The away team fans weren't even had a separate entrance that could not be accessed by the rest of the fans. It gets that out of hand sometimes. Here are some pictures from the game, which were technically not allowed, but I plead the American tourist.

Monday I went to try out the Women's Basketball Club with Elizabeth and it only made me remember how much I miss basketball. Definitely going next week! Tuesday I went to the Eldon, as usual, and had a good time with friends.
Now that I have caught up on the last week of my life, I need to go catch up on Glee!

The Girl who enjoys dressing up like Jessie from Toy Story,
Jessica

London Chinese New Year 101

So its been a week, and I feel terrible that I haven't updated this sucker. So here's a summary of my past week here in the wonderful UK. Last Tuesday (and this Tuesday), I went to the Eldon for International night. Both nights we got there around 8 to ensure we got a table and would not be smashed into the slot machine again. Plus, you're legs begin to hate you after standing on them for 2 or 3 hours. Here are some pictures of some friends at the Eldon:

Thursday night was Headphone Disco Silent Geeks. I conveniently still have the flier sitting here on my desk, so I'll just quote it as to what it was exactly that I went to:
         "If you haven't witnessed a headphone disco before, here's how it works...collect your wireless
          headphones on entry. Two DJs broadcast direct into your headphones competing for your
          attention. Use the switch on the headphones to select the DJ you prefer. Dance/sing/go wild
          with thousands of others in an otherwise silent room! An experience everyone should try
          before they die!"
So I thought, hey, why not? The theme was to dress up like a geek, so obviously that meant that it was socially acceptable for me to go buy some suspenders. Red suspenders to be exact. Here are some pictures from the night:

I also took a video of the silent disco because I really don't know how to describe the atmosphere. It was a lot of fun, surprisingly. Though, when you took your headphones off, all you heard was people singing 2 different songs. It was odd, yet fun. I think the side pony I was rocking helped my confidence.

Friday I went to go see Blue Valentine with a fellow KU-er, Elizabeth. After walking a somewhat sketchy walk to the only theater showing the film, we made it to Hyde Park Picture show. They have one theater there and it was more like an old time theater. There was  a balcony and even a curtain over the screen. I was thoroughly impressed. The movie was so good, but so depressing. I highly recommend it, but then again, I don't think I've ever disliked a movie Ryan Gosling has been in.
Saturday morning I woke up 7:05 am. The only problem was I was supposed to be at the bus by 7:00 am to get to London. I then realized I had 2 missed calls, one from Elizabeth, who I was supposed to walk with, and one from Quinn, which I then remembered seeing and ignoring as I rolled over back to sleep. I instantly called Quinn back, informing him that I had just woken up and asking him to beg the trip leader to wait up for me. I shoved my stuff in my bag, forgetting things like pajamas and a toothbrush, threw on some clothes, and literally ran to the bus. Luckily, our leader, Emma, was nice enough to wait. By 7:25 or so I was on the bus, exhausted, but so happy I had made it. London was amazing. After arriving, we went on a walking tour to see all the major sites. We saw the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street (where the Prime Minister lives), Clarence House, Buckingham Palace, St. James Park, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. Check out some pictures:

After our tour around the city, we headed to Chinatown for a good Chinese meal at Wong Kei, a five story Chinese restaurant full of rude waiters and delicious food. I got roast duck on rice, which was so yummy! Since we were there around Chinese New Year, there were a ton of people and decorations hanging up in preparation of the next day's celebrations. Check it out:

We explored the area a little more, then headed back to the hostel. We spent some time in the hostel's bar, then headed out to meet our guide, Emma, at a pub in Leicester Square. After it closed around 11, we went to Camden to go to a bar called the wheelbarrow, where we danced the rest of the night. On our way back, we made a detour to go to the top of Primrose Hill where we can see the entire city. It was beautiful looking at London with all the lights under the stars. I tried to get a picture, but didn't do the spot justice.

The next morning we woke up bright and early to return to Primrose Hill. After that we walked to Camden Market, which had tons of cool shops. In the hour and a half we were there, I feel like I only got to a quarter of the stores. Must go back sometime. We then went back down to Chinatown to see the Chinese New Year Celebration. There were dragons and wishing trees and decorations and POP ROCKS. It was so insanely crowded, but such a cool experience. The neastest thing, I thought, was some of the shops had vegetables hanging outside their doors. As the dragon passed by, it would reach up and grab the veggies, almost like it was eating. I also had one of the most delicious things I've eaten, called a roast pork pastry. Literally one of the most things to have graced my taste buds. I also got a custard bun, which was also delicious. We then headed back to the hostel to grab our stuff and board the bus back to Leeds. Amazing trip, if I do say so myself. And luckily for me, everyone on the trip knew who I was before I knew who they were since I was late.

THAT Jessica who was late to the bus,
Jessica

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