Classes Begin

  It is not all fun and games over here in Aberdeen. I do have courses that I have to keep up with. This Monday the lectures began for at least two of my courses. I will give you a full update of this week on Saturday or Sunday. It seems I have a lot of reading to do. I mean I have a lot of reading. Whatever I thought I knew about International Relations, I quickly forgot and need to remember for International Security. I also know nothing about Celtic History so I have to start reading all that information. Don't get me started on French. Three words, fit Lithuanian guy! I am hopeless, I know.

Catch up with ya later....

Instead of deleting what I wrote on last Tuesday, I am just going to continue on right here.

I never was good at writing down things in a journal. I had the momentum for the first weeks but I've gotten out of the habit again. What I type here will be the first time I've put down these thoughts though during the week I think of little things that I want to say. My apologizes then. I also am trying to shorten some of this up.

Monday 9/27/2010



Lisa and I at Oktoberfest



  I was nervous for the first day of classes. I should just say my first course. Monday I have only one and it is at 2pm. That's a nice little set up. This was my International Security (IR3001) class.The entire time the instructer went over the course guide (every little thing but it was to make sure we got the picture). She also spent a good portion trying to talk students into switching their courses from hers to the Democracy class. I swear she was trying to frighten everyone. It worked on me. Well at least the first 45 minutes. I finally realized though that the essay that she says is going to be so hard, the presentation that we do with a group, and the reading that we are supposed to keep up with is just like the Ethics course I took this summer. Of course the Ethics course didn't put such an emphasis on the exam. The final exam is 60% of your grade over here. Oh yipee! Good thing I've never had problems with taking tests.

First InterSoc meeting

Tuesday

 First time in the Queen Mother Library: Funny story about that. I went looking for a book that was going to be required reading for the class I had at 2pm. I was lucky to find the right area and then I had to use my great skills to search for the number. This other girl thought that I looked like I knew what I was doing, (ha! I was following the signs) and then asked me to help her find what she was looking for. Like I said this was my first time. It took a little looking (and luckily it was on the floor we were on since at the time I didn't know there was actually more then 2 floors) but I was able to find her book in a different section then she started in. I found it funny at least.

 First Romans, Celts, Druids, and Warriors (CE1031)

Wednesday

 Just IR3001

Thursday

 no class, spent time in library: One step forward, One step back for my confidence. Listen to my library skills now. I had the author on my course guide. It was Gary, Collins. Last name first right? Well I went looking for the article that was xeroxed off in the Heavy Demand section of the library. I looked for Collins Gary and when I couldn't find it (shocker) I went to the aide. The person at the front desk was like 'well here in the UK it's last name first'. I wanted to say 'yeah well we do that in the states too, I'm just an idiot'.

 Malt Whiskey Society

Friday 10/01/2010

 Gained my French 1019 tutorials and lectures

 Falling asleep in CE1031 because the Lecturer just has that kind of voice that would put anyone to sleep. Plus all the reading I did to catch up had me knowing more then what he was trying to stutter along (I am not nice but really a Uni lecturer should have the ability to give a lecture that doesn't sound like he is learning along side us).



Amandine and I



 Oktoberfest! We went to the Tunnels for the InterSoc Oktoberfest. It was noisy, packed, and there were a lot of different languages circling the area. Loved it! I couldn't take more then a two hours though and Lisa and I left the place on the Night bus. Craved some Chips or Fries in the states (I am going to start calling them chips so better get used to it). I was feeling brave so I got them with cheese. It wasn't good cheese and regreted that. Lisa and I sat in the kitchen and just talked till 1 am.

Saturday/My birthday! 10/02/2010
 My final acceptance of those who are homesick: With my birthday came a realization. You ever hear the saying that when you travel abroad then you can understand others who become homesick. I always thought of this as fallacy because I only got irritated by those who were homesick. I finally must have figured it out though. I can understand those who get homesick or at least why they do.


Oktoberfest! I was the tallest but I scrunched down.



  If you think that I am saying I never get homesick that is wrong as well. I do get the occasional bout of homesickness. I realized though why I feel less homesick here. First, I don't have the problem of trying to understand another language. I can always bump into someone from the states. Second, I have lived before in dorm and I can easily make it feel like my haven or safe place. And Third, I know that this is going to be only three months.

  Watering Hole: had some drinks with the new group of people I met at the InterSoc meeting. Had some chips and this time without the cheese which was a lot better. Went back to the hall at 1 when the bar closed (what on earth is that? closing so early) had a few more drinks with Lisa in the kitchen again as we talked about everything.

Weekend Craziness

  Well I fell behind again. I just did not have the energy to type everything. I didn't even write everything down. I stopped mid thought even but I will continue it on here.

  I just started doing my laundry and I am going to write down what just happened the last two days (it's going to be three now). What an amazing time I just had. Today I am literally dragging myself from bed.

  Friday wasn't all that as Saturday turned out to be. I took a walk about to the beach. I was told by Pip (see past blogs for a reference of her) to which beach was closer and less 'touristy'. I crossed a foot bridge across the Don River. It was such a beautiful bridge. The houses along it were quaint. That's something I also love about over here; the buildings. They are almost always made of stone or concrete. It's mostly stone and in old Aberdeen it has a deeper impact on my heart. When I got closer to the beach however the houses were larger and they actually had space between them. I really wish I could post all those pictures I took but really that is way too many. You will only be getting the ones I deem more important to show.

  The beach was small but nice. I went looking for the less 'touristy' beach because I am trying to be economical in my choices. I don't need the temptation to spend. Oh so far I've avoided the pound shops so I don't have souvenirs yet. There is still some time for that.

 

Now Saturday was really something. I had asked my hall mate Lisa to come on the castles and whiskey tour during the week. Friday, on a whim, I went to buy my ticket (£20). They informed me they were selling them to 5 pm. After that there wouldn't be any tickets to buy the Saturday. Now I had a feeling that Lisa didn't know this so I thought to buy her ticket. However, I talked myself into looking for her instead and I didn't have her number. Unfortunately, I didn't find her till 7. I really felt like shit for not buying it for her when I got the chance. We still took a chance that she would be able to get on when it would leave Saturday at 9am. Luckily there were empty spots on the buses so it worked out.

  We headed North for two hours. We almost were in Inverness! Lisa and I got split up on the bus. I was sitting to a guy from Ireland and she got to sit by someone from Denmark. I don't know what she was talking about but Mark and I were talking about everything....

  This is were I got stopped writing on Sunday by my laundry being finished and Sunday craziness that began. Now lets see if I can keep my thoughts straight enough to type this.

  Our first stop was the whiskey distillery, Glenlivet. Now we got the tour where they explained the whiskey making process. I could go through all that but really that would be a very long post. What is important is that there are three things Scotland whiskey needs and that is; barley, fresh water, and yeast. Also whiskey has to mature for 12 years at least before it can be sold. Before it can actually be called whiskey as well. The Glenlivet company is quite large. They have 50 or more warehouses to store their whiskey. To me that is fairly large I don't know if there are whiskey distilleries that have more.

  After the tour, drafts of Glenlivet whiskey were passed out. There was the choice of 12 year, 15 year, or 18 year old whiskey. Legally you could only try one, but some of the guys ended up having three glasses after some of the girls couldn't drink theirs. I tried the 18 year old and had a sip of the 12 year that Lisa tried. The 18 year is calmer, coats your tongue (or at least mine), and tasted just a tad better. All whiskey leaves behind a warmth in your body so no wonder the Scots drink the stuff in this weather.

  Our next stop was the Ballindalloch Castle and Estate. Word for word from the website "Ballindalloch is one of the most beautiful and renowned castles in Scotland. Known as the Pearl of the North, it is located in the heart of Speyside, near to the famed local whisky distilleries of Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Glenfarclas and Glenfiddich. Surrounded by majestic hills, and with the tumbling waters of the Rivers Spey and Avon flowing through the grounds, the setting is truly magnificent. A much loved family home, Ballindalloch is one of the few privately owned castles to have been lived in continuously by its original family. The Macpherson-Grants have resided here since 1546." Check this out for more information that I can't give you http://www.ballindallochcastle.co.uk/speyside/index.cfm. We met the lady laird of the castle and that was neat. She had a sense of humor. I liked being at the castle but I find that I like being outside it rather then inside. I felt like I was invading their home Never mind that it is open to the public. They do still live there. I do wish I wasn't with the bus because I felt rushed by them and could not take the time to see everything. I would love to go back with a smaller party.

  On to the next distillery. This one is called Glenfiddich, which is Gaelic for deer in the valley. This tour was more organized and had two short films ready for us to see. I liked that since I went on the last tour I was able to understand and know what everything that went on. Again after the tour we had drafts of the 12, 15, and 18 year old whiskey. I preferred the 15 at the time but I change my mind all the time. I can't decide. By the last draft I was over drinking whiskey for the day.

  That alone was the Castle and Whiskey tour. After we got back I went out with the a larger party of people to a get-together on the beach. It was the same beach that I saw Friday. It is even more beautiful at night! The moon was reflecting off the sea water on one side. The lights of the city were shining on the other. I bumped into more Lithuanians. They were really surprised when I could say the few things that I remember. I didn't know it till then that I miss the expressions of  people when you pleasantly surprise them with another language.

  It was too cold on the beach so we headed back to Hillhead Halls. We got there in time for the last dance of the Ceilidh that the uni was putting on. I didn't dance but I loved watching. I need to actually be taught the way so I feel more confident to join in. It looks like fun and you don't need a lot of dancing skill so I should be able to do it.

Well that was Saturday. Sunday I did my laundry obviously. The weather was also the best it has been in Scotland since I arrived. It was nice and sunny so me and two other girls went for a walk to the beach. We ended up at the one I didn't go to before. It was a long walk.

  That night I went to the St.Machar church for the gospel concert they had. I wasn't expecting it to cost but it was worth the £10. I love music. The inside of the church was perfect for the wonderful voices of the choir as well. I felt at peace and I nearly cried from the beautiful chords. I really am a sentimental girl.

9/22/2010-9/23/2010

Just going to combine these two days. It might be a mess because I was too exhausted to write anything down. It has been great! I am trying to shorten some of these points out. It is my belief that I am going on more about what I did then any impressions that I have gained but just going to say that is going to be a little hard right now since I am just so excited of what I am doing!

Wednesday,



St. Machar's Cathedral



Another cemetary



 I walked through Seaton Park that is right next to Hillhead. It is a beautiful place and I can't wait to explore it more. When I came out of the Park I was at the St. Machars Cathedral. I now know where it is.



My decoration for my room; important pamphlets



 I went to the Society Fayre! I think I bit off too much. I completely joined the International society and the Malt Whiskey Society. I mean I paid my fees for them already. The International society has trips planned and the first one is going to be that of Loch Ness! I signed up for the mailing list for five others. I did that when I started at Albion as well. It just looks like so much fun. I also paid for a month on the bus pass. I will try to walk more but still this has already paid off having.



My buss pass



 

  I went to Diversity Night, which was me learning how to play African drums and trying to hear the skit the Comedy club tried to put on.



Thursday,

   Just saying but there was another fire alarm. It seems the hall next door to this all girls dorm is all boys. Like someone said, that's just asking for problems.

I had more Class Registration: for French and the Celtic course

 
Scottish Culture day: This has been the best event I have gone to by far. The societies that are based in the Scottish culture like the Malt Whiskey society, the Highland dance society, and the Celtic society were here. Also there were booths of local businesses. There was a Scottish chocolate store, Tartan store, and a weddings and vacation store. I got to try haggis! Now I really don't know what the big deal was. It tastes like spicy sausage. I loved it!

  The student representative for the college came up to the stage and gave us a listing of words that were special to those in Aberdeen and Aberdeen shire. That's right, they have dialect that isn't English. It's a form of Doric. He gave us a new word for every letter of the alphabet. It was hilarious how he explained them.

Aabody and Aathing= Everybody and Everything

Tattie=potato

Quaen=girl



I am not about to give you them all but I do want to buy the book he showed us. After he finished the Dance society came out. Ah me! I wish I had the words to describe it. I also wish I could have taken pictures but my camera decided to finally die. All I could think of was Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the music scene in the street. The first few songs were to the bagpipes and were more traditional or for festivals. They are more reserved. I don't know if this is true yet but it was only girls who dance them. The dances were the sword dance, the lassie dance, and the bluebell. Then after the dances a man came out to play the pipes. I had managed to take a picture earlier of his playing. I love the sound they make when they are played correctly. I guess that will be a good thing then. When he played three songs, one being the anthem, he left the stage for the fiddlers, drummers, guitarist, and dancers to come out. Now it was time for the ceilidh. This isn't the ceilidh I said I was going to. As far as I can tell the ceilidh is more of a country dance with men and women joining along. It's fun, loud, and energetic. I didn't join in and I realize that is bad of me but my feet were soaked through from all the rain we had that morning.

  I went to ASDA (a sort of wal-mart) to buy some flat waterproof boots, an adapter so I could charge my camera, and more socks. I went with two new friends and it was a 2 hour and half trip on the bus with a half hour to shop. Turns out we didn't even have to go but hey it was an adventure. Now I know how to get over there and to the city centre easily if I ever want to.

  I missed the ceilidh because I saw one at the Fayre and I figure when I join the Celtic Society I will have other invites to some.

  I missed the Real Ale Society pub crawl because I really just forgot about it when I decided to go to the Celtic Society first meeting

  I went to the Celtic Society first meeting, which had a fiddle, flute, and cello playing by the main members. It was a good time just to talk, have a pint of cider topped with black current, listen to the music, and learn a few words in Gaelic.

Ceol (K'yawl)=music

sidewalk in old Aberdeen

9/21/2010

 I didn't write this down first so pardon if this is even more messy then previous posts.

  Another fire alarm at 1 in the morning. That is just great. I should be taking that as a sign that I am not supposed to be sleeping but partying it up outside. On that front, I figure I want more friends to go out with from my classes and the societies that I will end up joining. I like all the girls in my halls but I don't know if I would actually party with them. I don't know them all that well as yet and I really don't want to get in trouble.
  I had my meeting with my advisor at 9am and now I have signed up officially for classes. It turns out that my advisor will be teaching one of my classes, called International Securities. That's going to be nice since I think he is going to be a great professor to learn from. He is Dr. Andrea Teti. Yep, I am shamed to say I assumed that meant my advisor was going to be a woman. Good thing I was introduced to him by Gemma Ritchie, international programme assistant, otherwise I would have walked right past him.
  My classes seem to be so far the International Securities; Celts, Romans, Druids, and Warriors; and Basic French. I am only worrying about this being too light of a course work for my major back home. I've already e-mailed the people in charge so I am just waiting for a reply. I was hoping that the timetable for these courses would be that I wouldn't have Monday or at least Friday classes. It looks like I will have at least one course for both days. Dang. The main thing to point out that other than going to the tutorials, lectures, and all that jazz there really isn't much homework. There are assessments or what not to see if you will be needing help but it isn't what the usual way is. Aberdeen wants you to be responsible to know what you are learning so its up to me to put the time in to do the reading and testing myself. yahoo!
  After my advising, I registered. I swear I was waiting for an hour and a half and I was second in line. There just were a lot of bugs to work out with the system. I had everything copied and ready at least so my part was successful. I was supposed to pick up my student id card but since my photo that I had tried to upload several weeks ago wasn't approved (and I didn't know that it didn't) I have to wait two to three days to pick it up. That's just fine. I don't really need it as of yet.
  Once that was all finished, I went to the sports fayre. This just means there are a lot of sports clubs that want people to join. I don't know why I went since I really am not interested in sports though water hockey, or octopush, looks tempting. There were a lot of actual dance/drinking clubs and bars at the fayre as well. I love that about this uni already. It encourages drinking... okay safe drinking.
  I went back to my room after the fayre. I met up with a few girls in my hall, all of which are from Scotland, and we all had a good laugh at my hearing. Here is the conversation from my point:

"I'm just cooking some chicken dimples" I smile as the girl from the Glasgow area points to the stove and just assume she is cooking something with chicken.
the other girl, who is from Edinburgh, "you didn't understand her did you?"
"I understood she is cooking something with chicken"
She repeats the word two more times, I still hear "dimples"
"oh maybe you call them chicken nuggets" says the girl from Edinburgh
"ah yes now I understand" I then proceed to say what I heard and they crack up laughing

Turns out the word I was hearing was "dippers". After that we went and watched Taken.

Now I said that I was going to go to a Ceilidh. Well I walked the long way into toon at the time set. Turns out that it is going to be Thursday and not on Tuesday. Bah! Well I'll tell you everything about what happened on Wednesday, tomorrow. Sorry no pictures again.

9/20/2010

toon=town

  How can someone be sick of their own voice? Maybe not sick of, but feel that it lacks behind others. I've gotten to that point after a few days. How pathetic. I am at the place today that I want to talk less and listen more. Also I am ready to have the peaceful-ness of being by myself. I need that for a little while.

  Or at least I felt that in the morning when I woke up. What got me in such a horrible mood was that a door woke me up when it was slammed. Not that door slamming makes me cranky, it was the fact that in my barely-awake mind I actually felt like I was at my own home for a few seconds. It really isn't that horrible but it made me sad and got me thinking.


Inside the courtyard of King's college



  Today there were things we actually had to go to. I changed my mind last second to take the bus and walked in my flats. Needless to say, my feet were soaked from the usual (so far) morning rain. I hope for a dry cold winter.Can you understand that? I hope this winter the snow doesn't melt in degrees and then become ice. I just want a constant freezing. However, I am digressing. I walked to King's College, a building that is going to come up a lot in my blog, where I had my international meeting/orientation. I was slightly disappointed that Molly Pranther, International coordinator turned out to be American or at least had an American accent. The orientation was for the North America and Japan students. I learned more and received more information. There really is getting to be too much pamphlets. It's becoming information overload. I have had at least five maps from various places given to me.

  After the orientation, I visited the Hub, another popular common place for us students. I swear I could see all the American students that I had just left in the line at Subway. To be fair I couldn't see everyone that was in the orientation. I wasn't going to buy anything to eat but I buckled and found something a little more traditional upstairs. It was a definite treat.

  The rest of the day was unexceptional. I really need to buy some hiking boots for all these cobbled roads. In the afternoon there was an international dinner advertised at the college. It's free food but the catch was that it was being hosted by the churches of Aberdeen. Oh Yipee! Other than that it was an excellent way to meet new people from around the world and from the area. I thought that was reason enough to go and I wasn't disappointed.

  The first guy I talked to at first couldn't recognize I was from the states. I was starting to mimic his Irish accent just a bit. He said though that I said a few words almost Canadian. I let that slide because really I was being rude. I then got to talk to this other young woman and we really got along. I kinda attached myself to her. It was bad of me since I was supposed to meet others. I really can talk to people by myself. I believe I am just not good at the first step to integrate myself to a person or a small group (though I like to talk one-on-one better). Anyways, at least the meal was set up that I could talk to women from Austria, Bulgaria, Scotland, Germany, and Kenya. The guys at our table were on the other side and I couldn't hear for the life of me what they were saying. Gotta say the guy from Spain was fit!



St.Peters cemetary

  The first woman, who's name is pip, even gave me a ride from the church to Hillhead. How kind of her. All in all I got a few facebook names and hope to add them. Also I will be able to meet up with them at the cultural events. The first event is tomorrow and it is going to be my fist Ceilidh. Tell you what that is like in the next post.
  I also learned about the Catholic church near by. I might go just so I can see how beautiful and old this church is. Oh and did you know the Pope came to England? Apparently (according to the Catholic priest) the uni of Aberdeen was set up by a long ago pope or bishop.
 When I got back, I met up with more of my hall mates. There are a lot of girls that speak spanish and I am told that by the end of my three months I am going to be learning a few words. They speak alot of Spanish among themselves so I believe it. How hard is it to pick up another language? That is a rhetorical question. Tomorrow is going to be fun.

9/19/2010

duvet=quilt/stuffing

  Well my night was shit! First off since I am on the ground floor there were people in and out of all the doors and were really loud in the hallways. I already miss having a fan. Might need to pay for one of those. Second since I decided to wait for my duvet and cover I was covered only by a sheet. I was freezing! Lastly at 1:30 in the morning the fire alarm goes off. That's right, that is the second time a fire alarm has gone off while I have been in the UK in just a matter of days. Am I lucky or what?
  Since I was so cold I woke up early (after I went back to sleep that is). I wanted to go online but no such luck again. I warmed up a bit in the other building before I took another nap.
When I finally woke up for good, Ari and I then went searching for a marketplace so we could buy food and I could get a dang blanket and pillows.
  After shopping, in which I got what I wanted, I met more people in my own hall. We all share a common kitchen so that is how I met them. Guess how this world gets smaller and smaller (well not too small since I really don't have any connection to her)? One of the girls I am sharing a kitchen with is Lithuanian! With her and a girl from Sweden, we got to know more about each other during a small meal I made.

So that was my Sunday.

  Oh okay there was one last thing I did. I went exploring and got utterly lost for three hours. What's worst, I waited too long to start and it got dark by the time I was even slightly aware of which way to go. Everything worked out but my feet are throbbing.

(no pictures, sorry)

9/18/2010



random train in the UK



Took a taxi by myself to the train station. I managed to figure out my platform and connections. The way is to Edinburough Waverly again but this time through the country. There will be a stop in Carlisle. Want to know the reason I was told why? Apparently it turns out that someone was hit on the tracks in Leeds and they had maintenace work being done then. After EW I then take the train to Aberdeen to arrive at 4:50 pm. It is an extra hour.

When I arrived at the Aberdeen station, I found the Aberdeen group that was supposed to get the free bus to our accommodation. Turns out there was a traffic jam and people weren't moving down past Hillhead. We took a taxi then, which turned out to be a bust as well. We got to be five blocks away before Hillhead when our side of traffic stopped. The rest of those in the van and I, had to drag our luggage the rest of the way. Yipee!



my new room (a day later)

My room smells of new paint but I am pleasantly surprised about it. I thought it was going to be more like a flat with rooms surrounding a common area. Instead it is a lot like that at Albion dorms. However that wasn't what was so pleasant. What I love is that I get a room to myself and the size of the room is comfortable for me.

They were selling those freshers packs now and that peeves me a bit. I tried to buy it online and, when I couldn't, I brought some of my own items. I wasn't about to buy items I had already so I decided to wait to buy in a store.

I made a new friend. Her name is Ari and she is an Italian foreign student studying chemistry. It turned out we are only a hallway apart so that will be nice.

That's basically it. While I could have gone out, I couldn't convince Ari to go with me and I am too nervous to go by myself (to be fair). I also think that I did my partying for the month and I am all set. Besides I am too worried about getting situated. Anyways I will have ample time to have fun.

9/17/2010

There isn't much to report. Bry got to meet up again with her Scottish guys, which I ended up being the chaperon and companion to the 2nd guy till they left for Edinburgh. Bry was then impossibly cheerful and giggly the rest of the day.



My new phone



I also got my new phone! It is the cheapest one being £10. I got the pay as you go plan. I topped off the phone with £15 so I will have free texts and calls to those on the O2 network here in the UK and Ireland. It also means I have the £15 to call others. It's so nice to have something again as my alarm, watch, and emergency contact. I felt stranded and weird without. this time we had a night in. At least Bry and I had a night in. We ordered pizza and watched Mock the Week, which is a great tele show that is funny as well as have current news on it.



Pizza anyone?

9/16/2010

toilet=bathroom, Asian=middle eastern, quid=pound

  What a horrible wake-up call the fire alarm makes. For some random reason the fire alarms went off, waking us all up. The only one not to go off was in the kitchen and that is the most important. Nobody knew how to turn them off so we waited for the landlord to inform us of how. It was an hour before we did. Turns out we were trying to shut off the wrong one. The one we were supposed to turn off was the one on the top floor in charlies room. She swears she wasn't smoking but it is a little hard to prove. The general consensus was to get some more sleep. Three of us woke up by 11 but Bry was in bed till 1.30 or 13:30. With Bry awake I wanted to walk around the block to get that Cornish pasty she promised we could buy. It was delicious! It's like steak stew with gravy and a flaky crust. I also had a sausage pie which was just as good. My new favorite drink is Lucozade energy. It tastes like the energy drinks back home and they are just as unhealthy.



Energy that I love



  On our way back Bry told me one of the top news story that happened a month ago. Apparently in her neighborhood there was a man who first murdered his girlfriend and then went on a rampage. That's lovely to hear. On our way we also got slightly lost. The neighborhood was nice looking and multicultural which was why I asked to walk down a different street. That was what got Bry confused. I wasn't worried and I loved it. I got to pass by a cemetery.

  If you don't know, I like to compare cemeteries. I am not morose or fascinated by death but more on the history of the places and how the living take care of their dead. The few cemeteries I have seen in Newcastle were tightly packed and with headstones that are wearied by time, moss covered, and a dull gray. It wasn't taken care of like it was in Lithuania, and they are taken care of less then in the states as well. I love it!

My night time was another adventure this night. We all got proper showers, dressed up, and then went clubbing. This time I wore my flats and I was able to keep up with the pace. We were joined by another friend called Rachael, who is a woman far more reserved than the other three. She is much like me and we got to talking more. I won't go through too many details on the night. This time we got in the Hancock and I am glad that we did then and not the other night before. There were a lot more people! It cost unfortunately to get in. Only £4 but still it was supposed to be free. This meant that Jem went directly to work. Charlie and I had more fun playing pool with two devilish blokes. Bry and Rachael had less fun so we all left by 23:50 to continue the night at different places.

  Right, long story short. Charlie and I got split up from Bry and Rachael, who had the money and working phones. Luckily we met up with some random guys and the chaperoned us to a sweet club (by my standards) called Bamboo. It was a group of Irish men and we danced till 2. It turns out Bry found a guy as well to come over and chat. However they left before Charlie and I returned. Charlie's fit Irish man, who paid for our taxi, stayed the night. Bry, Rachael, and I had some more fun talking before we all went to bed. It was the most fun night.

There are no pictures of the night and the few pictures I took during the day are on Bry's camera. My bad.

9/15/2010

9/15/2010

twat=male idiot/jerk

That guy is fit= that guy looks good

One of the first things I wanted to do was to take a shower. It didn't look I was going to be able to. The boiler and the hot water weren't working. However going so long with out a wash was out of the question.I used a bathtub of cold water instead.



Me in front of Bry's place



Good news for on of the housemates. Jem got the job at the club Liquid. The pay is good and there are certain perks that she and her friends will love. I had to ask what minimum wage and what i wanted to aim for a good paying part-time job then. Turns out the minimum is a little over £4. After a breakfast of soldiers and eggs, we all headed out to the Uni center, because apparently there is no Internet yet at this house. The walk was long but I have to get used to it. That is something I miss, long walks that mean you are getting somewhere while seeing so much different.



nice random car



I check my e-mail and used bry's facebook to contact my folks, which was all nice. After that Bry and I split up from the others to go shopping. Don't worry mom and dad, I didn't buy anything. Turns out I left my wallet at the house here. 



random building



Bry wanted to take me to Greggs for a Cornish pasty but we found a different place that has some great deals. You can get a drink, a snack, and a sandwich for £2.99. One such drink I thought looked disgusting so of course I had to buy it and try it. <> 

The drink I thought would be disgusting but tasted marvelous



After some more shopping we headed for the building. Some TV watching later and we prepared for a night at the pub. We went to The Hancock which (wonders of wonder) is nicknamed The Cock. Hmm... original. Anyways we joked that I should get a free drink since I am going to be home. Definitely more funny when you are there. So we walked the freakishly long distance, which I made the mistake of wearing my boots, and I realized I left my passport back at the place. Everyone said it wouldn't be a problem but then everyone was getting carded so we had to leave. Score one for Samantha.



Anyhow, my stories are getting long. I realize that but I don't know how to stop. I just want to be able to remember every moment for the future. I will shorten the rest of the night however.

 After the disappointment of the Hancock, we went to a club called Pacific instead. We had a few cocktails. Jem and Charlie weren't really into it so we left early. Charlie still managed to get some guys number. Bry and I took a taxi since I couldn't manage the walk back with my legs and boots. Everyone had a tea and snack before heading off to bed. This time I took the couch.

 

















First Night in the UK

9/14/2010 continued

bin=trashcan, slag-hore, eggs and soldiers=eggs and sliced butter toast, crisps=chips, chips=fries, advert=commercials, flag=a drag on a cig

potato waffles!

horrid joke: What's the difference between the french and toast? The toast makes better soldiers....

What an adventure! The train was fun. I mentioned my bags getting split up and i was slightly nervous of that because I couldn't see one of them. It turned out to be okay. I talked a bit with a friendly gal heading to Edinburgh. She helped me a bit.
  I then missed my connection to Newcastle by seconds. Try hauling two suitcases up one flight of stairs to haul it back down another. Luckily there was another train soon after but I was nearly half an hour late compared to what I told my friend. At least she was waiting and so i got a few hugs. We then took a taxi to her place which was only some £5.20. Apparently though that is a little expensive for a taxi to charge. I didn't think it that much and I liked it. I met Charlie first, one of Bry's housemates. To describe her I would say she is someone that is comfortable with herself. When she talks though she makes everything so funny. We watched a little TV to relax before one of Bry's other housemates returned from her boyfriend's. My impression of Jem is that she is more together and calmer than Bry and Charlie. The night was looking to be a let down however. I was all set to have a good time after I freshened up a bit but it didn't look like that was the plan. It took some bad news for Charlie for the night to pick up. Now before you coat me with a paint of "horrible person", the bad news wasn't anything major. It was just a friend, who has an eighteenth birthday coming up, sending a mass text that invited everyone to her place, but the thing was she hadn't talked to Charlie about canceling the plans they had made.
  So that was revealing a little too much information. I really go into detail because it just goes to show how people aren't much different. The little dramas to go through are in and everywhere.
  I had some Scottish mead that tasted a lot like Svetenia! The Lithuanian drink that means something like for your health. We talked for the start but then we ended up just listening to Charlie. I wasn't tired what-so-ever and remember I only had those few hours on the Atlantic flight. I was slightly surprised that I was still going but however it was 2 am here by the time I could not keep my eyes open. Charlie was so good as to give me her bed and the other girls continued to play rock band till much later. I was going to continue this but it is too freakin cold and I will write later.

Travel Time

By now I've been here for a few days. So much has happened during that time but here is what I wrote for my first day of traveling.

9/13/10-9/14/2010
I hate goodbyes. Every time I have been the one to leave or I'm sending someone else off, I handle it awkwardly. To me goodbyes are, if not unnecessary, then especially hard. To me it is "see you later", even if later is a few months, to a few years, or even never. It's all confusing but lets just say I don't handle goodbyes well. I realized as I walked through the plane that I forgot to give that last wave to my mom who was watching behind the check-in. Bad form Samantha.

Aerial view of lower Michigan

  My journey was uneventful. I've been told I'm old hat at this, but I disagree. Every time I go through a security check I worry needlessly, I don't stray from my gate so I will not miss my flight, and I worry about my checked baggage. Even through all that, I love meeting new people and the knowledge that I can do this on my own.

  Regarding new people though, I had an older man seated next to me from Marquette. We talked a little but it became apparent he was a great grouch.The man made the mistake to book his connecting to close to his landing in Detroit and he made sure everyone knew that he was going to have to rush through the airport.   Oh, and when our platform had technical difficulty and delayed us ten minutes the entire plane heard him grossing. C'est la vie!

  On the journey from Detroit to Amsterdam I had a friendly Brit who live in America. She was a slightly older woman and she even mistook me as being older then I am. She offered to buy me a drink with her free vouchers but, ah me, I had to refuse her. I heard a lot about her life and we got on just fine. Of course, like elders tend to be, it became apparent that she expected it to be my job to listen but not give my own thoughts or experience unless asked. You can always tell if the person is like that when they have this uncomfortable air after you open your mouth. I tried but learned fast.
  I was wide awake. However, At one point I thought sleep is going to be needed if I want to hang out with my friend so I tried to close my eyes. Sure enough, as soon as i start to sleep my nose gets congested. Bah and then I worried about snoring. I got a few hours sleep which was great.
  On the journey from Amsterdam there was no such talking. The guy next to me spoke only Dutch or danish or oh another language that wasn't any three I sort of know.
  Now, I am going to say this once, I am going to say a few things that most of you know or have experienced. I am also aware of them to a certain degree but I also have a few people reading this who really have no idea or have forgotten.
  The first thing I am going to say is that one of the most disconcerting part of flying is when you are inside a cloud. It's complete whiteness. The next ridiculous thing to say is, it is true that European men now carry the  man purses. Third, roundabouts are everywhere!
  Now, onward to my arrival to Aberdeen. I was so disorientated, nervous, that I forgot to fill out the non-EU passport. As it was customs was easy to get through and my luggage came all the way through, or in whatever order that is supposed to be in. When I cleared that there were ladies (fellow students) waiting for me. It might be from minimal sleep but when they talked to me I had a "I can't understand you and what language am I supposed to speak now" moment. I swear it! I wanted to answer in Lithuanian. After I thoroughly confused the girls and they helped me, I was on the bus to the train station. Right, now I know I did not plan this right and I found the error of my ways and I will pay for it myself.
  At the station I embarrassed my dumb foreign self by not knowing how to use the ticket booth as well as the telephone. Sorry mom and dad I didn't have time to call you then but I had five minutes to get on my train and that means I had to call my friend first. That way she would know when to pick me up.
  I realize now of course I should have done something different then what i did to come over here but again I was a stubborn fool and it is an adventure anyways.
  One funny thing, I dialed the wrong number when I was trying to reach my friend. The kind lady had a good laugh on my account.

Outside my friends house

  So I am sitting on the train to Newcastle with my luggage separated since I don't know all the rules yet. I am going to have to change trains in Haymarket to get to Newcastle but all and all I am having a great time. This entire time I am like "pinch me, this is a dream". It is going to take me a bit before I feel like it is real. I'll post again with my time in Newcastle.