Greetings from Cambridge

As with all trips through the University we started this particular one at 7am in a down pour.  The farther we drove the rain just seemed to follow us and it wasn't looking like we were going to have a sunny bright day of looking at the city of Cambridge. However, after 3 hours, one stop and umbrellas in hand we set out.  Now the first thing you learn when going to Cambridge, it is not one huge city wide University it is in all actuality 32 smaller colleges that make up the city and main University of Cambridge. There are only of few of the main colleges that are really worth going in and looking at we started at King's College King's was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI, and next to that is the Kings Chapel and it was built over a period of a hundred years (1446–1531).

Walking out of the chapel we walked more towards the city center, now in Cambridge this is not a hard thing since the city is very small, the popular mode of transportation is on the bike. Though they do have buses and streets for cars they are small and narrow and as a pedestrian you really do have to look  out for the buses coming down the street. The first thing that we all see that we want to look at is the Mr Simms Old Sweet Shoppe. Now this isn't an old shop but it is a throw back to the candy stores of the past and oh how we loved it.

Maria, Me, Emma, Martina. We were so happy to be 1 out of the rain and 2 looking at all the Chocolate!











Heading down the stairs to see more candy and more chocolate! So yummy! Now of course we couldn't leave the shop with out buying something to snack on! Joe (who is missing from these pictures) bought something of other, Maria lemon chocolate bar and a chocolate hedgehog. Me now I think that is would have been a sin if I didn't buy something at this form of heaven, so I left with chocolate truffles, sour gummy worms, and a chocolate hedgehog. All in all it was yummy and fun to look around. After this we walked through two street markets, were I saw many things I wanted but I was good and kept saying to myself I will shop in Paris and London. Now Joe and Maria much to Joe's delight got street vendor hot dogs which I wish I had a picture of since they were HUGE. But the rest of us just wanted to sit at a pub and eat food and get a drink. And you know that was just what we did after walking in two huge circles and looking at several places we found a table and a pub that I now have no memory of the name.  It was here that we all got to dry out and eat, and eat some more for Joe at least. Oh and try some Cider,

which was delicious and I think I have found my drink of choice!
After leaving the pub fed and dry we decided that we didn't want to walk to each (and pay to get into) the different colleges so we did a very Cambridge thing to do, we went Punting. Punting down the river takes you around the backs of all the colleges and so you just have to pay one fee and not five or so. Now this was fun, out captain, really I have no idea what to call him other than the guy with the big stick that pushes the boat. He was fun, and knew a lot about the area and was able to answer all our questions and entertain us with funny pranks the students pulled at the school.

Here is Martina and Maria all nice and snug for our river trip , and our fearless leader who to date had never fallen off of a punt and yes secretly I wished I could see someone fall off as long as it wasn't me.






 This is the Bridge of Sighs, their are two stories one that the prisoners had to walk across this before being killed and it was the last day light they saw and so they sighed, and the second one is this is the bridge the students have to walk across to take their exams... somewhat the same story :) 

 This door had quite the funny story to it. One of the classes wanted to play a prank on the new freshers and so they set off the fire alarm but had pointed all the fire exit signs to this door and they all fell into the river. On the other side wall there was a banner that said welcome to Kings College and the upper class men were standing there laughing.

And this was our side of the boat, we didn't get a blanket, however, my sad lil face got us one since we hadn't left yet. And I don't know what Joe is doing.... haha it was fun!
This trip in a whole even though the sun never did come out and it was very damp was very fun and beautiful.

The Home of Mr & Mrs Whickham

Saturday dawned very early of us making the trip to Newcastle and it was a real true blue English morning, everything was wet and getting wetter. But there we walked to where the bus was picking us up, it wasn't a bad three hour trip to the city most of us slept, and with one coffee break we got there just in time to have the rain stop (for the most part). Though it was misting wetness it wasn't a cold day and our little group didn't mind so much so we started out walking in some direction. The first place we stopped was Castle Keep, it is an amazing castle that is from between 1168-78. Paying the small fee we went in to explore and explore we did. The hundreds of unforgiving stairs that led to the roof of the castle that we all moaned and groaned about were well worth it.

The view was amazing, and the little old man at the top taking pictures was even better. He took ours and than told us about the bridges (you can't see them from this picture) and how 47 years ago he proposed to his wife on this very spot. Oh it was so cute Maria and I decided to adopt him, in our heads of course but we loved him all the same. We than went to a series of art museums and walked around the amazing city. On our way to the Theater we turned a corner and there was an ally way covered in spay paint, no where else in the city had we seen tags, or street art but here it was everywhere. This section of city was sectioned off for this very purpose, and as we walked down the street we saw at least 10 or so artists at work.

After we were done looking at art and buildings the guys in the group were starving (I think they are always starving) so they led us to a cute little pizzeria restaurant were we all had our fill of lunch and rest, and don't you know it as we are sitting down to lunch the sun comes out! We quickly finished and almost ran into the rays of sunshine that had made it out from behind the clouds. All of our spirits lifted and smiles were on our faces. If only people in very sunny states new how much the sun means to us who live where most days it is gray and wet. So as the sun had decided to stay for a little bit we went on to explore more of the city. Past the Cathedral Church of St. Nicholas,

and through China street,

and it is here the the men in our group decided they wanted to take a tour of the stadium and drink at the pub and us ladies wanted to well in there words do what ladies do best, shop. Now at first we were teasing them back saying that isn't all us girls were good at but in the end shopping is what we did and what we did well.  With all three of us coming back with bags, and when we walked in to the pub to meet the guys at the meeting time oh how they teased. The bus home was long and uncomfortable but I needed the night chatting with the roomies and girls from down the street in our kitchen and starting to plan more trips for the rest of the semester. And that was that, the end of the wonderful trip to Newcastle.





Oh and for all you curious people if you do not understand the title of this post run down to the library and pick up a copy of Pride and Prejudice and read away.

Come Fly with Me

Well it was Thursday night and us girls were excited to have a very different sort of night ahead of us. What was this night you say? It was the HUB, Hull University's Big Band concert at one of the pubs in the Student Union. Now this was amazing when we first got there, there wasn't many people there yet and if was good for us since we were able to snag a table near the stage. It was in the dimly lit back corner, oh how we felt like we had walked back into time and straight into the 1920's, now if only I had been wearing a flapper dress my dreams would have all come true. However, we were just dressed normally, and drinking our drinks from the bar and waiting for the band to start... and we waited... and waited.

Apparently in England 7:30 means 8 or even 8:30 so the concert started with a smaller Jazzy band and with out the singer they were amazing once the drunken Elvis inspired sounding singer started we looked at each other and laughed. He really wasn't that horrible but we wasn't the jazzy, crooner sounding singer that I wanted to hear, good thing their set was only 30 min or so because I was getting tired of him.  Now by the time this opening band was finished the small pub was filling to the brim with students drinking, talking and all waiting to hear the big band. We were thankful to have gotten there "on time" and able to get a table since many people at this point were standing.
As the band walked on to the floor I realized somewhat of a duh moment but big band does mean big there was quite a few of them and that meant many things but the most of all that this night would be loud, very loud.  Even though the night was loud at least they were good, very good. They started out and Sara and I were so happy I do believe we were acting like school girls at a  Bieber concert, not as swoony however we were excited for the music. 

Here is a snippet from the night they were very good. And the night was going on splendidly and I was thinking I had been born in the wrong decade when two girls, seemingly oblivious to the fact that we were sitting there came and stood right in-front of us. Now Sara and I looked at each other like umm Hello! don't you see what you are doing, oh and they knew one girl did look behind her however she seemed unmoved my the fact that I felt like whippin' out a can of good ol' American Whip Ass on them, there they stood. I now think back on this and laugh because I was so irritated but trying to bob my head to the music and not let my emotions get the best of me, and they didn't (lucky for them). Now towards the end these stupid girls did finally find chairs and sat down and just in time too because as they were wrapping up the long amazing set they played my favorite song, and I know you can guess from the title of this post. Sam (his name is all I know) was their singer for some of the songs and I was a bit more swoony at this point but only because some guys were meant to sing and this guy was one of those guys.

Now the night ended early around 10:30 but I was glad since i had morning classes that I did need to wake up on time for the next day. And that was the night of big band.

All my Lovin'

Sunday dawned much earlier than it ever should, having to meet the bus to Liverpool at 7 is just mean, however with a 3 hour drive ahead of us it was the smartest thing to start off early. Plus 99% of everyone just slept on the bus, and no I am not one of those people that take those horrid pictures of people sleeping... that is always so rude. Well we get there and it is gray skies and windy, however no rain (something we were all thankful for).

Liverpool is known for a few things, 2 huge cathedrals, great shopping, the coast, and a little British band called the Beatles.  Since the Beatles museum has a starbucks inside that is where we headed off to first. The place is amazing, you walk through an audio tour starting before the band even knew each other, and goes through their history. I don't think I have ever met anyone who doesn't know at least one Beatles song some of them you don't even realize it is the Beatles or if you have seen the newer Across the Universe movie (the soundtrack I am by no accident am listening to while writing this, hoping to stay inspired).  To be there in the city where history began for one of the most amazing, well known bands ever was an experience in itself.

After about 2 hours we had finished our tour and were headed towards the Maritime/ Slavery museum. Since I am a history major and the fact that I actually find these things interesting and somewhat fun I was loving this.  The maritime floors were featuring the Titanic, Lusitania, and the Forgotten Empress (all major ships that went down for various reasons all killing lots of people). It was all very interesting I still will be impressed in the Titanic exhibit that came to Utah a few years ago, now that was amazingly done. Up the the top floor and the slavery museum, being from America and having learned about slavery from our point of view it was very interesting to learn a different angle.  Having most of the shipping companies come from Britain and Europe that supplied America with their slaves they played a different role in this dark period of history.

We had finished look through the exhibits and were all starved we took this time to search for food and wound up wandering into the huge shopping area they have in the center of the city. After getting lost on the different floors we found food (thankfully)!

After lunch, some light shopping, we wondered back to the dock to get back on the bus for the drive back home. Walking around the city was amazing, and what was more amazing still was the fact that it didn't start to rain until we got on the bus. Timing is everything! It was an amazing trip that I am thankful to say that I have been on, now back to studying for classes this week. I will leave you with a few pictures from the city.

Exploring the city by the Fish Trail

After a late night one would think that staying in a sleeping would be what would be the next order of business the next day however for this girl it wasn't. We had plans to explore the city today, and we were going to do this by the unique fish trail. The fish trail is a creative way that the city of Hull has put into place for their tourists. Starting at the City Center with a map with a highlighted rout with a list of 41 fish that need to be found.

This trail takes you by almost all the main points of the city from shopping along Princess and King Edwards streets to Museums on High street. It takes you by the Marina, the river Humber, and river Hull, which also takes you by the Deep which is the worlds only submarium, whatever that means.

It also takes you by the Holy Trinity Church, which is the oldest parish church in all of the UK.

All in all it was a fun walk around the city, we ate in a little pub and shopped at the wonderful Primark. Hull is no tourist destination, it is a little city who tries, I am happy with where I am, the school is good and the city is small enough that I wont ever get to lost, plus it is has a rail station where the rest of the more expensive, more touristy places are just a rail ticket away. Now I am very much so tired and ready for an early night! 

Oh I forgot at the end of the trail you can go get a Certificate saying that you completed the Fish Trail, very exciting and yes I am proud of our fun day!

A Girls-Night-In

So it is Friday night and the popular thing to do here in Hull is going to the pub and not that, that isn't a grand idea, none of us girls wanted that for this Friday night. We decided that a night in would be just the thing that we all needed after a long week of getting use to school and life here in the UK, after-all we are all internationals (from all over) and we all had had interesting, hard, or very bumpy classes and needed to chill.  Meeting at our flat (Emma and Mine) we headed to Sainsbury (local market) to pick out snacks and than off to Martina's for food, a movie (Leap Year), and girlie chit chat. And for all you guys out there wondering what us girls talk about on our clandestine nights, I believe our topics ranged from school, home, accents, to politics and how our local and national governments work (No lie!) This is why we will rule the world one day you gentlemen underestimate us.

So not only did we have a fun time oh how I love that movie (mine by the way).  But also Maria, Kelsey, and I got to share a little bit of America with Emma and Sara who had never tasted Dr. Pepper! So no these are not Swedish adds for Dr Pepper even though that is how it looks it is just proof of something new. 

This was a good night, getting to know new people and hangout in a familiar way, I am thankful for my new friends!

Modules...?

The difference between American school and English school is becoming ever-more apparent to me.  Here is Hull I am taking 3 modules, at the U I would be taking 5 classes, here I go to one 1hour lecture and one 1 hour seminar for each class at home I would be in lecture for a min of 3 hours. Here I have more freedom in the material I read to study but it is relatively about the same amount of reading. At the U there are reading quizzes, homework and projects that are given throughout the semester. Here at Hull I have one essay and one test per module and they are both due at the end. Well now that I have told you all the differences about the ways they teach I must say it is different but I do love it here. My tutors (professors) are amazingly nice and personable, it does help that none of my classes have over 25 people so you can actually talk to them and get to know them, or in my case have drink with them. In my Art and Life in Renaissance Venice we had a glass of wine after the lecture today. Technically it was a wine tasting of a wine from Venice, Prosecco, it was at the Italian say "delizioso."

Alright that is all I have to say about school so far, it is amazing, the campus is small but very beautiful and I am just a short walk away. Now once it isn't raining and windy I will get some pictures. well Cheers for now.