This week was full of fun times and celebrations! This past Tuesday was Mardi Gras and I celebrated by making pancakes. Although, the pancakes here are more like crepes and not like the pancakes Americans enjoy as breakfast. I ate way too much and fulfilled the requirements of Fat Tuesday! Some of the scrumptious foods included nachos, jelly filled doughnuts, and I can't remember, but I am assuming I probably ate chocolate too. Oh and of course pancakes! The traditional English way to each them is to filled them with sugar and lemon juice. The combination was surprisingly delicious. We (Helen and myself) also used cherry pie filling in some of the pancakes...yummy! The experience was fun and I can't wait to celebrate next year...maybe in New Orleans...that would be really fun.
On Wednesday I tried (attempt number two) to go on the tower tour of Bath Abbey. Unfortunately, the tour was sold out, but I met some really nice old English ladies and they suggested I wait till April when tours are more frequent and the weather is nicer. So, I ended up going to the Jane Austen Center. It was a smaller museum, but still had some nice exhibits. My only complaint is that between the actor giving the welcome presentation/introduction, the movie displayed in the exhibit, and the exhibit itself you basically heard the same information three times. I learned that Jane Austen actually disliked Bath and did not write any of her novels while staying in the city, even though a large portion of her stories have settings based in Bath. Later that evening I met up with some friends and went out to eat at a place that solely served rice and noodle dishes. I was like a fast food Asian restaurant and it was amazing...I plan on going back there!
On Thursday, I begin my first laboratory. I really like that you wear a lab coat and safety specs (instead of goggles, much more comfortable). I feel more official wearing a lab coat! The labs are setup quite different than the teaching labs I have taken at Purdue. There were nine experiments setup in the room and each set of four people rotate through them for the three week physical lab session. Another odd thing is that each lab subject lasts only three weeks, but students are in lab for 12 hours each week...so I haven't decided which system I prefer. I do have to say while I understand the concepts and the reports are easy (almost no existent) lab days are very long and tiring. Thankfully, I have a very fun and enjoyable lab partner! After two long days of lab, I decided I earned a night out. I met up with some of my new chemistry friends and went to a club in town. It was a lot of fun, except I don't think I recognized one song the entire night (not sure that surprises anyone).
Saturday was filled with an adventure to Portsmouth, a coastal town in southern England. A few of us ended up driving down there instead of taking the train. This was my first experience in car since I have been abroad. Since, the car was European and not British the driver's seat/steering wheel was still on the left-hand side of the car, so that wasn't too weird. I would assume it would be difficult to sit on what I consider the normal side, but then have to drive on what I consider to be the wrong side! It would just go against your every intuition. The drive was gorgeous and I am really happy I finally got to see some of the English countryside. On our way, we took a pit-stop at Stonehenge, which is literally right on the side of the road. I had heard people telling me it's on the side of the road and I always thought it was probably some what close, but it really is...maybe 50 feet from the road. It was pretty and I am glad I got to glance at it quickly. I think I am going to head back down to the area in two weeks to actually go inside the gates and get slightly closer to the stones.
Our drive continued pretty eventless until we finally reached Portsmouth. Our intention was to find the Park and Ride and then take the bus into the city and the harbor. After probably 30 minutes to maybe even an hour of looping around the 'Other City Center' we decided just to park in a mall parking lot...it was advertised as the cheapest full day parking in Portsmouth and it might have actually been. We walked around the city center for a little and then made our hike to the harbor. Once we got to the harbor and finally found an information center, got a map (not a very clear map...but it was free), we then decided to chose a place for lunch! I think at that point everyone was hungry and food was needed. We ate at a Latin American chain and I had a burrito, unfortunately I thought my meal was overpriced for what it was, but oh well...the atmosphere of the restaurant was really neat. Later we discovered a slew of other restaurants, we just happened to walk the wrong way. After lunch, we decided we needed to make our way to actually seeing Portsmouth. Stop one was the Spinnaker Tower, stop two was the Cadbury factory store (yummy!), stop three was the old seaport. At the old port, we claimed the stone wall and walked around the Circle Tower. The view was magnificent (a bit cloudy..but still really pretty). The sun started to set and the wind picked up speed, so we leisurely head back to where the car was parked. Of course we detoured to some of my favorite/cheap stores along the way...Primark and Poundland! We loaded up on some snacks and headed back to Bath for another night on the town! The next day I got my first visit from a friend from home. It was really nice catching up with someone from home :) Plus, it is always fun seeing people you know in other countries...at least I think it is fun almost surreal!
This week is St. Patrick's Day and the majority of people I know are headed to or already in Dublin for the festivities. Unfortunately, I am stuck in Bath because I have my lab on Thursday and Friday...I'm still a bit bitter about it. Out of the whole semester, I only have three weeks of lab and of course it had to be on St. Patrick's Day!! Oh well, I guess spending my last few day of my spring break in Dublin will have to do. It turns out the holiday isn't that big in England...I just keep telling people "I'm American, of course I celebrate St. Paddy's Day!" This weekend I plan on drinking a Guinness in honor of the Irish and it will be one of my first full weekends in Bath, so it should be relaxing...I am think of possibly sleeping in on Saturday! I just booked my hostel for Barcelona...three weeks and counting...I'm so excited!!!
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