Let’s see, where we last left off, I was preparing to go to salsa dancing lessons and karoke night. I’m happy to report both were successful in entertaining me. Salsa dancing lessons were first, taking place at the on campus nightclub, Asylum. There were about 40 international students there, girls out numbering the boys. Emily, Mouse, and I danced while Cait watched. We started by learning a few basic steps: the mambo, side step, basic back, and urban step. Once the group had a decent grasp on these, we paired up. Obviously, Emily and I paired up and were getting the hang of combining the steps until the instructor said, “Switch partners.” You should have seen the look on Emily’s face: priceless. To make it better, Cait captured the moment with her digital camera. I danced with a borage of different girls from all over the world, all in all it was an insightful experience. Moving on, we learned some more advanced steps and finally moved onto turns. None of us really got those but every once in awhile we managed to put together enough missteps to make it look good.
That night, Mouse and I went to Sanctuary to watch karoke. Highlight: watching a grotesquely feminine portuguese guy sing Barbie Girl. Epic. Mouse and I also tried a new kind of cider, Bulmers. Very good, perhaps my new favorite. Not much else to report from that night.
On Friday morning, we went to day 2 of orientation. Yet again, it was very, very boring. However, listening to the local police speak was interesting. He had a briefcase full of things that had been taken from people within the past few years. These included: ninja throwing stars, num chuks, and long blade swords. Apparently, there is a large underground ninja movement in Hull, whoda thunk? In our second session of the afternoon, we FINALLY learned how to sign up for classes. The process is long and involves a lot of waiting in lines so I’ll spare you the details. Although official registration for classes isn’t until Monday, I did check in and see my potential schedule. As of now, I have class from noon to 5 on Mondays, that’s it. Ha. I still have to sign up for a tutorial for each class but those are flexible and will more than likely be my Tuesday activities. To make matters even better, for each class I have one test and one paper- maximum. Hard life, huh?
Friday night was the International Student Association Welcom Party at the Asylum. It was fun, enough said.
And we arrive at today, Saturday, September 26. We all woke up and got around this morning and made our way to the bus stop to ride down to the city centre for a guided tour. The tour was really neat, taking us through much of the nicer areas of town, as well as Old Town, a part of Hull which remains from as far back as the 1600s. Our tour guide was very knowledgable, answering virtually any question we had about Hull’s history. Featured on the tour: parts of the old wall, famous for being a site which is said to have led to the English civil war, various pubs aged 200+ years, the indoor market made up of vendors selling all sorts of food items, and the docks which offered a picturesque view of The Deep (an aquarium) and the ithmus that leads boats into Hull. This 2 hour long tour pretty much ate up our afternoon, but was invaluable in deepening our understanding of the history of this city.
Now, as I sit drinking my tea and thinking about what else to write about, I am thinking about some of the key differences between life here and in the US. I’ve compiled a list for your reading pleasure:
1. The language: Yes, its still English, but there are still many barriers. Here are some translations, beginning with the English word followed by the American meaning.
- Lou=Bathroom
- Cheeky=Smart mouth or comment
- Pants=Underwear
- Trousers=Pants
- Knappies=Diapers
- Pudding=Dessert
- Lorrie=Semi truck
- Chips=French fries
- Crisps=Chips
- Tutor=Professor
- Cheers=Thank you
- Biscuits=Cookie
- Crumpet=Biscuit
- Boot=Car trunk
- Plaster=Band aid
- Queue=Line
- Humps=Speed bumps
- Quid= Cash or bucks
- Garden=Backyard
- Fizzy Drink=Pop or soda
2. Service at restaraunts: In the US if you go five minutes without seeing a waitress, we would consider it to be poor service. However, here, you are lucky to see your waitress once inbetween recieving your food and getting your bill. It has taken some getting used to.
3. Cops don’t carry guns and it is illegal to carry a hammer.
4. They drive on the wrong side of the road and all the cars are compact.
5. Foods taste different: I think there is less sugar in pop and most have different tastes. Also, most juices you buy for at home use come concetrated. You are supposed to mix it with water- we didn’t know that until we drank half a bottle of seemingly super sweet juice.
6. You have to have a permit to have a television in your home.
7. You can’t watch US tv shows on thier websites. It stinks.
8. Public transportation is great: You can get to and from anywhere on a train or bus fairly easily.
9. You don’t see any people on campus dressed down: No sweatpants or gym shorts. Many girls wear leggings with a fancy shirt and guys wear nice jeans with a button up shirt or sweater.
Just a few more things, the weather has been great since our arrival, with the temperature hovering around 70, and get this: NO rain! I have also found a new favorite candy bar, the Double Decker. It’s like a cross between a Crunch bar and Three Musketeers.
I’ll do my best to blog in the next week, but as of now, there is not much planned. If we get signed up for classes by Wednesday we will probably go on a trip. Nothing too far away, perhaps Liverpool, Stonehenge, or Swansea, Wales.
So that’s that, the curtain is closing on this entry. Time to bow out and wish you all a fair adieu. Cheerio.
