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After writing one blog, you would think that I could keep up every few days - not! Although I only go to class five times in four days, I seem to ALWAYS be busy. Wednesdays are my off days, and this Wednesday I spent cleaning my room top to bottom. I wiped down every wall and anything that I could reach. I then hoovered (vacuumed) and redecorated a bit. I have been ill now for what, five days? And, it's not the typical cold - I couldn't be so lucky. I have the nose runs constantly, and only seems to cough during the night type of thing. It's quite annoying and as a result, I haven't been sleeping and therefore I'm a bit grumpy and unmotivated to do a single thing! However, this post isn't about me ranting on and on about the negatives, let me introduce you to my everyday amusements...
The Style! I'm not sure if America has any sense of style, or if English people are just that much better at picking out their wardrobes. First, I cannot stand when females back home where black and brown together. To me, they clash like crazy. But here? EVERYONE does it, and they actually make it look cute. So, the whole idea about not wearing black and brown together might have to change. Secondly, leggings and tights are the new jeans, which is also weird. I wear leggings for comfort, when I wake up 10 minutes before I need to leave. Here, you put a shirt and vest on over leggings with boots and you look lush. Thirdly, everyone wears some sort of neck warming device. Men, women, old folks, and children - everyone wears them. And the thing is, nobody looks "gay" in them. Scarves totally make an outfit. Fourth, school uniforms. Having to ride the bus ten times a week allows me to see all sorts of fashions. I hope that one day, all schools will be mandated to wear school uniforms. They are stylish and doesn't allow for anybody to stand out in a positive or negative way. And the last thing about style, everybody in England has their own style. In America, everybody tries to blend in, look the same. If somebody is wearing something "odd" they get pointed at, or extra long glances - not here. You are your own individual, which is what I hope to achieve whilst I'm here. I'm going to find who I truly am and who I want to be.
The Transportation! I touched on this last time, but everyday is gets to me. The bus drivers are so talented and brave. They fly down the tiniest roads leaving only a hair between them and the parked cars. Pedestrians, who are they? If they don't move it, they'll be squished. This is what I love about transportation! I'm not much for pedestrians when I drive at home. They have speed limit signs here, but they are rarely followed. Round-a-bouts are EVERYWHERE! They use traffic signals, but at the round-a-bout, not on its own. OH! And, I have seen two accidents in the two weeks I have been here. But, I hardly noticed them. If I would have been on the other side of the bus, I would not have had a clue. Why can't it be like this at home? A fender bender does not require the whole county police department to the scene. The second accident I saw was pretty bad, but there was ONE police car and TWO policemen at the scene. They moved the vehicles over as much as they could and two lanes of traffic continued to flow. I'm starting to gather that Americans like to make scenes. Anyway.
The Meals! As I watch more and more, everyday, my flat mates cook, I become more amazed. They can take the simplest items in the kitchen and make them into elaborate meals. Georgie (the vegetarian) came in from a run, cut up and threw some food in the oven, took a shower and came back to a well-cooked meal. If that were me, first off, I'm too lazy to make a meal after a run, so I probably would have had a bowl of cereal. But, a sliced potato with some seasoning on it makes EXCELLENT chips (french fries). Chop up some veggies like, colored peppers, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms, throw them in the pan with some oil and chicken, and you have a perfect dinner. That's only one example though. The meals they prepare are amazing. I can't wait to cook for my roommates next year. Wait, another thing about food. They drink this stuff here called squash. -I know, my exact thoughts too. But, it is a really cheap way of having juice. You put about half an inch of this juice mixture in a glass filled with water. Depending on how strong or weak you like your juice, you choose the amount of water. It is so good! Oh, and! The girls have cooked a few meals for me including spaghetti bolognese and tai green curry (if I spelled it correctly). It was quite interesting. It was an Indian dish that had rice with chicken, peppers, onions and a sauce. Then, Georgie makes this chocolate pudding dish all the time. She never measures a single thing and throws stuff in a bowl then stick it in the oven. It is so good with proper cream on top. The food is my favorite part about being here, except for all of the dishes we accumulate. One morning, we did the dishes and within five hours, the counter was full again. Dear Lord.
The Weather! IT SNOWED HERE! I was so excited because I thought I was going to go a whole winter without snow. But, although it didn't stick, we went outside and took photos anyways. It was so pretty as it was coming down. The snowflakes were very big and it stayed on the ground for a while. It rains here, a lot. And luckily I have had my umbrella, but the day I forget it, I will be so unhappy. There are puddles everywhere too, it's unfortunate. But, after the rain fall, when the sun comes out, it is beautiful out!
Randomly, last night us girls decided to go for a mid-night run at eleven. It was a bit chilly and slippery, but it was entertaining. We are training for "beach bodies" or Sophie's wedding. haha. (inside joke). But, these girls are awesome! Georgie is the little "housewife." She is quite funny and such a good cook, not to mention an awesome artist! But, she's going to school for animal biology. She says it's to get a degree then she thinks she may want to teach children. Natalie is Natalie. She entertains us and her room is where we normally hang out in. She is studying early childhood studies. Sophie is the intelligent one and keeps us all in line. She's going for primary education. I also may be going to her home for a few days over Easter break which will be fun!
Tomorrow we are heading to Liverpool with the International Office here at Uni. I find it quite weird to be considered an international student. But, I am super excited to start traveling more of the world. Yesterday, Kelsie, Kelsey, Louise and myself booked part of our Easter Break (spring break). We are going to Rome, Venice and Rome for about 9 days. All of this I will write about when the time comes. AND! I will add in a whole blog about the vocabulary that I am starting to pick up on from over here, and just the differences in words that Americans used as compared to the English.
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