Two months

 These ducks have been chillin in front of my building for a couple weeks on and off. Sometimes when I go in the kitchen in the morning I look out the window (the one to the left with the light on) and they're right underneath it. They make noises at me like they expect food, kind of reminds me of Bobby in the mornings.

 My flat mate Fi took the picture out the window =)
Skye has started coming to zumba with me and it's still tons of fun. I can feel the shift to the last week of classes, everyones concentrated on school work. I am too but seem to have a lot less due before the break then other people.

Thursday we went out for a friends birthday with Kat & Crystal which is always fun.

 It's been cloudy all week except the day I woke up to this. 

 Friday I tried a kettlebells class and it killed me. It hurt to move for 4 days afterwards. It was such a good workout though!! It sucked being so sore though because the next day Kristine, Brian & I went to Liverpool for our first premier league match!! We had to switch trains and hustle through Warrington so I was just in pain the whole time. We got to Liverpool and took the bus to the stadium. The atmosphere was incredible.

I was so excited by this point. We found our seats and were behind the one of the goals. We were high up enough that we could see everything even though my depth perception was a bit off watching from that angle. It was electric and the fans got so into it compared to hockey. 

It was amazing. The Everton fans lost it when Everton scored. Kristine tried to get a video but they don't work on my computer =( basically it was a roar. They had different chants during the game which were cool but we couldn't understand what they were saying. We had to leave early which I was disappointed about but we had to catch the last train back to Lancaster. We caught a cab back to the train station and I was happy because it was my first time in the ones where you can sit backwards! =D

After we got back Kristine, Elise, Emma & I went out with some friends to elements in Lancaster. The upstairs of elements is great .

Sunday was a good sports day with Kat, Rob and some of the boys. I love hanging out with them because every fourth or fifth sentence someone needs something cleared up. I always get made fun on when I call it a "cab" instead of a "taxi". My defense is that in Jersey Shore, Pauly D says "The cabs are here". Their favorite is when I say "oh my god" or "oh no", they repeat it over and over again. I'm mostly (as least I like to think I am) understanding rugby now. We watched rugby and hockey and it was a really good weekend. 

Monday I had a presentation in my football in society class that went well. I've been working on my psych paper alot. 

Wednesday was so much fun. I always to to Sainsburys weds on the free bus but that day Crystal came with me and grocery shopping turned into actual shopping =D There's a market on Weds as well so I get stuff cheaper then at Sainsburys. After we got back we went and watched her bfs football game and it was nice because I missed watching my friends sports games! 4 of my flat mates and I had dinner together. We hung out and later that night Skye, Liv, Crystal & I went to Pendle blackout. It reminded my of my fire pit with the circle brick on the ground and then 3 steps around it that you could sit on. In the middle were different people with an acoustic guitar playing songs, and they had written "blackout 2012" in glowsticks on the ground. They had free hot chocolate, marshmallows and biscuits =D if  there had been a fire pit my life would have been complete. 

I'm pretty much just finishing my paper and getting my stuff organized for when my parents & Mariah come in less then a week!!!!! Saturday we have a fashion show / photoshoot which should be super fun and then Sunday there's an Easter egg hunt! I was feeling a bit down the other day but when I went and checked my mail my care package from aunty Janet & uncle Tony had arrived!! So that for sure brightened up my day, and my room and my shower! <3 It makes me so happy getting things in the mail. Hint, hint ;)

Edinburgh xo

  

So this is my roooooom! Compared to when I first got here to a month and half after landing. I love it, it's a lot easier to keep clean then my one at home,
probably cause there's a lot less stuff in general.

Thursday was busy, I had dinner with Skylar, Livi & Carolin and Skye's mom. It was really nice to meet her but also weird seeing a parent in one of our kitchens. We watched a video of the last fashion show that the modeliing society did and I met a girl who was born in Calgary! She grew up near Lithowania but when she spoke English she sounded just like home =D. Then I went to the Grad bar with some friends and just chilled. 

I went to Edinburgh for the weekend! My train left at 7 am. It was awesome taking the train all by myself during the day so I could actually see outside. When I got there Katelyn was working so I went and did the free walking tour which takes you to a lot of the big places in Old Town and is really really good to get oriented around the city. 

After my tour I went to New Town and met up with Katelyn! I haven't seen her in a long time and this is the last picture we have together. We went to high school in French immersion together and it was cool seeing a face from back home in a completely new place.

Her flat is pretty big with 4 bedrooms and I loved the couch & TV set up, I didn't realize how much I missed having a living room until I saw hers. We painted our nails and just chilled before we headed out to our ghost/ close tour!

Edinburgh used to have a different layot with really skinny closes (streets) running from the river to the top of the hill but they're mostly covered up now. So it was basically an underground tour of the old streets of Edinburgh. It was pretty creepy. I didnt want to pay 6 pounds for a picture so I just snapped my own photo of it.

That night we made a proper dinner with her flat mates and watched UK reality TV shows. 

We went to the museum and the most interesting part for me was the animals. 

We went to a free lunchtime improv show.

We walked everywhere in Edinburgh 1)because it is possible and 2)I was too cheap to take the bus. We did some serious window shopping and I got way too many ideas. Then we went back to her flat, made a really good pizza and salad for dinner and watched the holiday and I thought of all the snow that I'm not missing from back home. My train left at 8 but I can't wait to go back!!

Monday was overall a really good day. My classes had boring tutors but it was sunny all day and I sat in the sun for an hour and had an ice cream cone, it made me smile cause I though of Pigeon lake. Sam lent me a book, a real book! =) I haven't read one in a long time because I didn't bother bringing any over, and I have my kindle. I had dinner with Skylar and Livi again and then watched spirited away with Elise in the JCR. Also, my EVENSTAR NECKLACE CAME!! Soooo excited! Elise loved it so she got a matching one off ebay, we are too cool.

<3

CANADA PARTYYY

OMG SO TUESDAY ME, SHIN, VARUN AND CRYSTAL HOSTED A CANADA PARTY IN MY KITCHEN!

I figured it was one of the only times I could legit show my Oiler pride. <3 I made pancakes with syrup and attempted to make bacon but the cuts are different here so it just ended up annoying me & I gave up. Shin & Varun made amazing poutine and Crystal made a cake with a maple leaf on it. 

Everyone had a great time (at least they told me they did) and for flip cup & beer pong  Drew unscrewed his closet door and put in on an ironing board, I was impressed. Everyone helped clean up after & took out the garbage bags and recycling, I was really grateful for all the help! <3

Wednesday my friend Skye from Australia came over and died my hair! We were both a bit nervous cause she was doing highlights with proper foils and everything. It took us over two hours but it was soo worth it , and it was great bonding time. This picture is just for you Skye <3 So we let it sit for a long time and were worried it wasn't lifting but then when I washed it out I saw it was fine and looked really good. 


I may or may not have ordered Arwen's evenstar necklace off eBay when I was feeling homesick, but it made me feel loads better. I'm stoked to get it.


My friends left me for Amsterdam over the weekend, =( But it was a good time to get work done and I finished one of my papers, only 4 to go now! It was a lazy weekend, in a good way. I watched a lot of sports but England lost to Wales in rugby, and then the Oilers lost their game the same day. Sigh. But I've decided I'm going to marry number 10 on England, Owen Farrell. My friend got the NHL live streaming so he'll start loving hockey as much as I do and that means I can actually watch games over here!  It was pretty funny watching hockey with the guys from the UK. I got a lot of questions like "why is it even on ice, that makes it so complicated, why don't they play on a field with a ball like regular people??" and "wait, was that a goal?" and "why are they jumping over that little wall, do they just join in whenever they feel like it? What do you mean they take shifts are they that lazy?" It was a good time. And we had Chinese food which made it even better!

 Sunday Monica had us over for Norwegian night! Her boyfriend came and brought food & chocolate, I loved it but I know my thighs were mad at me, it was all so good! They had bread with pate and then things that were similar to cinnamon rolls and just pure chocolate. It sounds really cool when they speak Norwegian, even though I have no idea what they're saying.

Turns out Kristine (blue shirt) likes sports just as much as I do so she also watched hockey with me and we're going to go to a football game together in two weekends!! This Saturday though (March 3) I'm going to Edinburgh to visit Katelyn Clarke, who I know from high school <3 it will be nice but odd to recognize a face from back home over here. Less then a month till my parents & Mariah come to visit me!




                                               =)

Carlisle etc

 Saturday Emma and I went to the butterfly house. To get to it you have to go through this really pretty park that is the perfect place for a picnic when it gets nicer outside. The butterfly house had turtles and fish and it was awesome. There was also a bird house and a "mini beasts" house with spiders and snakes and really gross things.

After the butterfly house and lunch we went into town and watched football/ rugby with Brian & Jon. I really liked it it filled a bit of the hole in my heart left from not being able to go watch hockey at Hudsons or something.

Monday Elise and I went to see the Vagina Monologues.. It was really funny but just outrageous in some parts. That night I went to Elements with some friends and it was soo much fun the club reminds me of something out of gossip girl. I love the free buses that take us back to campus! 

Tuesday was Vday! So I tried to give all my friends their valentines.. most Europeans had never had one like the one I gave them but I know they loved them ;)

So Wednesday I did larping. Except the UK people didn't like it when I called it larping. I had a shield and wooden sword and everything, it was awesome. It was really funny and so much fun even though I have some major bruises now.

FRIDAY I LEFT FOR CARLISLE! I got on the train at 7:30 and got to Carlisle at 8:20 ish. I met up with  Andy and we walked to his car and I walked around to the drivers side by accident. We drove to town and what did we get for dinner? Fish & chips of course. We got to his house which is out in some farmland and down a bunch of narrow windy roads and the first thing I see when we park are the stables right beside his house. I must have died and gone to heaven. We went inside and I met his parents, siblings dogs and cats and was soooo happy. I stayed in his sisters room and the duvet felt amazing compared to the one the Lancaster gave me. We went to the Lanercost cathedral which is half ruins and it was really really pretty.

It was noticeably colder in Carlisle then in Lancaster.. I know I really shouldn't be complaining about being cold all but it was really chilly! We went to different parts of Hadrians Wall and to a few Royal Army museums. They were cool but there is only so much time you can spend looking at rocks that used to be a wash house or a tower. Most of the rocks from the wall were scavenged so there's not much left.

We went to Carlisle castle and I'm really glad I have good insulation in my flat. Andys house is so nice and the area around it is beautiful. His house in on a hill and in the back is a creak.

 When we got back from doing touristy things on Saturday his dad was watching rugby. I was so happy to sit there with them watching (not necessarily understanding) rugby and cricket.  His parents were so nice and they said it was because they were "paying back everyone who was hospitable to Andy when he was in Canada". I wasn't going to complain! I hope they adopt me... =)

Sunday we drove up to Newcastle Upon-Tyne. We went and saw the Angel of the North which is the largest angel statue in the UK... It was different looking.

We went to the Life Center which was this really cool science place.

That night I had dinner with his whole family and just hung out. It was really good to have some sort of family time. 

<3