Chapter 4
- classes now are almost a routine
- have to think over the essays already. Instead:
- PUB CRAWL!!!
Yeah, that`s the second time I`m in a bar in my entire life and suddenly I find myself taking part in a crawl:)) That was on Thursday, February 18; and I had to prepare for a seminar and 2 hours of Chinese on Friday. But we can`t afford missing parties here, you know.
It all started from the e-mail: "Tomorrow (Wednesday 17 February) I have a meeting with the Russian Language second year students who are going to Russia as part of their Year Abroad next year. If you are free, if would be fantastic for the students to meet you and maybe ask for information and advice about living in Russia, and also get to know you all better."
We made it to the end of the meeting only, but met very nice young people, few of whom spoke Russian so well! So, a Polish girl, Agnieszka, invited us to play bowling with the students. We just could`t refuse!
So, having found the company in Lloyd`s, soon we moved to a bowling club nearby and beat the other 4\5 Russian team with our 2\5 Russian one:) (2 games per person - £3, dark Guiness there cost £3,40; cider - £3,20)
After the game only two of us left for what came next (having no idea about what exactly). The first pub I didn`t try to remember, as it wasn`t really significant. The second and the third I liked the most (ok, perhaps I liked our company for the third one much more than the bar itself;))
Only later I found out that the pub crawl event was copletely separate from our bowling meeting and was organized by Nottingham University Russian-speaking Society (sure, what else can they organize?) (ok, they do organize Russian lessons) We were supposed to meet people from Slovak/Czeck, Bulgarian Societies then, but didn`t happen to (they were told to be too drunk to communicate anyway..)
Pit & Pendulum (Victoria Street)
Named after "The Pit and the Pendulum", a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe (I guess), the eerie pub represents gothic itself. The place with spooky design and hard rock music was just a discovery. We didn`t pay for drinks there - no idea about the prices, but they should provide the information here: http://www.eerie-pubs.co.uk/pit-pendulum
Challenge: try to find a restroom there without any help;))
House of Coco Tang (45 Bridlesmith Gate)
Seems to me the bar wants to keep an air of secrecy. The entrance stairs are leading you to the basement, the website is a simple black page with a phone number only... A guy, who used to work there, claimed that they make really good coctails.
It didn`t start from being Chinese. When they start to play calm music, that means that you should leave. That`s everything I know about it. We didn`t buy any drinks there as well. But we stayed there until the quite music started.
We found ourselves in beds only at 3-4 am (safe) (in our own beds) even though the story how we got there involves visiting the place of the guy I mentioned earlier...
Indigo buses run all night, so it`s possible to get home after going out late. But the timetable should be considered, as we had to wait for about 50 minutes for the next.
Exactly, we waited for the bus in the (already-drunk-so-much-he-had-to-keep-himself-from-falling) guy`s room, otherwise we would have been frozen to death in the street. Greatful to him for the offer very much!
Here the crazy story happily ends.
That was my first time, what did you expected?:))
Actually, as for me, the company moved from pub to pub too fast. Neither me, nor my friend managed to finish a drink in the period of time before they wanted to leave. It`s like you have to drink only, not talk. I don`t blame them - the places are surely not new for many of them.
You should have seen the "blue screen of death" look on a Belarus guy`s face when I mentioned, that that was my second time in a bar:))
***
Thinking about what to add to the notes about the 4th week, I suddenly remembered the thing that can be lifesaving to take into account when going to come here to study.
"What I regret to have left at home" list!
You`ll come to an early spring. As far as I got it, the temperature at the period varies from "winter" to "summer" (there was -1 the lowest and +19 the highest so far). But that`s not the problem. The real problem is the wind.
No, THE-BLOWING-AWAY-EVERYTHING-AROUND-INCLUDING-YOUR-BRAINS-OUT-OF-YOUR-HEAD-UNBEARABLY-WILD WIIIIIND...WHEEEEWWWWEEEE!!!
So, a hat and a wind-proof jacket are obligatory to have. So are sweaters, warm boots, scarves etc. An umbrella can be bought here - it's of no use anyway when it`s windy.
No, WINDEEEEEE
As for me, I just don`t like hats. But I have other warm clothes.
2. Stationary of different kind and study materials
As you now know, that some subjects that you study in MCPU, such as foreign languages, are available for exchange students here, you`d better take your notes on them - that would be just helpful.
As for the stationary, you may buy it here, but that would be much more expensive. The necessary set of what you usually use, excluding pens, won`t give much weight to your luggage, but will save a few pounds. If you have a couple of kilograms left, add copybooks, pins for a pin board in your room, markers, a stapler, a corrector etc.
3. Decoration of different kind
You`re coming here for half a year (just think about it - half a year of your prescious life!) What you`ll get is a little plain and absolutely impersonal room to live in. Walking around the campus and secretly glancing through the curtains of the windows, I envy those who have colourful lights, photoes, pictures, posters of their favorite movies or TV shows in their rooms. I have little of those at home, but now I`m tempted to buy ones very much.
Again, only if you have a kg to spare.
UPD I bought an official Sherlock calendar for mine, yaww! For £3 only:)
4. A little set of dinnerware
Mostly there`re only a spoon and a cup (or what you have for tea) needed. Personally, I have a thermos bottle for tea, but had to save a plastic spoon after a dinner in Portland.
5. All of the little hygiene and cosmetic stuff you use and probably plan to leave at home as "I can always buy it there"
You can, but they will be way more expensive. (Not including shampoo, shower gel and other liquids like that - leave them or take a 1 night portion)
Think not only about your body and face, but your clothes and shoes also. Do they need special care? Those are just such things you remember only when you`re already here without them.
Take a fan if you use one. (There is no here) But don`t take an iron (there are).
Did you take towels?
6. A formal dress and shoes (and a handbag:)) UPD
At the end of each semester (this time - 15 of March) they have a formal dinner with strict fromal dress code. So, if you have a long\short formal dress (for boys - ... well, what you wear for such occasions?), take it.
7. Snacks for Day 1
You won`t get anything prepaid until you get your university card (in best occasion, it`s on the 2nd day after arrival). Until then even a little cookie in a tea corner of a building will cost you about 1 pound.
8. Sport clothes and shoes
UoN provides a lot of fascilities for sport lovers of any kind of sport. Girls said, the gym and swimming pool together are available for about 80 pounds per semester only! My advice is to take sneekers, a proper t-shirt and pants in any case, even if you don`t do any sport at home.
Who knows what you will want to be into here?:)
9. Extension cord UPD
Inevitable to charge all your devices from one adapter. Sometimes is inevitable just to charge anything one together with a fridge and table lamp working (as some rooms don`t have enough sockets).
10. Sewing set UPD
That`s just my huge mistake not to take it. I didn`t consider wearing the same clothes for a long time.
What I took and found useful:
- a tablet PC (no, just a notebook is not enough. Take it, if you have one)
- a portable loud speaker
- a power adapter (but they can easily be found on campus, I just had one already)
- home clothes (comfortable socks, sleepers, shirt, pants)
- a backpack (ok, two backpacks) (Generally, any bag that fits A4 kind of books and materials is needed. Think, that`s actually an obvious point...)
- a little bag (for documets, money and some food to fit in - for walking and sightseeing) (I have the second bagpack for that)
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