"Queue Up for the Toilets."

Yesterday, my friends and I traveled to Manchester for a half-day trip just to get out of Ormskirk for a change. Fortunately, I traveled with people who understood the train situation and helped us all get to the city on time. When we arrived in Liverpool to switch trains, the train station was closed and they had 'sniffer dogs' going through the station and policemen patrolling the area. This was a small obstacle in the day, and a bit scary; however, we made it to Manchester, which was our goal. The city was very industrial and full of hustle and bustle. We stopped to eat at an Italian restaurant and it was so nice to have a sit-down meal rather than a cafeteria style eating experience.

Everything here requires a queue, or a line. Absolutely everything. Even if the line is extremely long and people are waiting for a meal and all you want is a small order or a grab-and-go beverage, one must wait in the queue.

Another cultural difference is the name for a restroom. Normally, 'restroom' and 'bathroom' are used interchangeably back at home; however, if I ask where the bathroom is in a restaurant, the server will just make a strange face. Apparently, bathroom is a room with only a bath or shower. To use the restroom, one must ask for the 'toilets.' It's way different than I'm used to because I feel inappropriate just saying 'toilets.' I guess I will get used to it, especially if I absolutely need those services.

Although I may only be 21 years old and comparatively young in the grand scheme of life, most of the other students in my dormitory are about 18 and they seem to be indestructible with much more resiliency toward late nights out. Their average bedtime is 4 o'clock in the morning and they are somehow up and out by 7:30 or 8 in the morning for breakfast and meetings. I can't keep up with their schedule and living in a dormitory is more difficult than I had imagined in terms of going to sleep. My iPod has turned into a saving grace in terms of escaping the noise of the halls and finally getting some shut-eye.

Today, my friends and I will be touring Liverpool and seeing all that the city has to offer. Photos and more blog entries will come this weekend when Freshers week comes to an end.

Peace.

Liverpool, Trip 1

Last evening, Edge Hill University sponsered a night out in Liverpool for all of the students here. They provided transportation and rented out three clubs for us to take over. The club scene is very different here than in the states. The English seem more reserved than the Americans, thus taking more time to wait until most of the people are busting moves on the dance floor. We were downtown for about four hours in Liverpool by the dock and the city just glistened at night. It was really beautiful. On Friday, the international students will be able to travel for the day to visit the city and see the sights away from all of the nightlife.

In the States, it is common to hear, "Hi! How are you?" But here, the common way to great someone is, "Are you alright?" At first, I thought I looked ill or sad to the person asking; but, I've learned that this is just the way to great someone here. And to hear someone say "cheers" in place of "thank you" is different as well. I just respond with "cheers" or "you're welcome." It's working so far, but I'm sure once someone laughs in response, I will learn exactly what to say.

We are still having great weather here. Today was extremely pleasant and sunny and the English have been saying that it's the best weather they've had in weeks. The campus is over populated with ducks and rabbits and they just brighten up the scenery even more.

The latest news for American students is how we are all planning future trips to other countries, since we're so close. Hot spots for me to visit, most likely, are Scotland, Ireland, France, and Estonia. The train system is used so frequently over here and it is a great alternative to taking taxis or even trains. Having travel buddies will make the trips safer and more fun, of course, and so many of us want to go to new places that it's not hard at all to find someone to take with you. The best part of traveling from one city to the next is hearing all of the different accents--even within the same small country. It seems as though each town carries with it a new culture and point of view, which is nice and adds to the diversity I see day-to-day. I love meeting new people and during this Freshers week, it seems as though everyone is open and inviting to talking to each other about their stories and from where they come.

Peace.

This is a photo from my Wales trip. The Conway Castle was one of our stops as I wrote about in my previous post.

So far, I am making loads of friends here and meeting someone new everyday. We are technically in "Freshers Week"; however, all years are here on campus. I was surprised to learn that they have a whole week of orientation and meetings with tutors before they even attend their first class beginning Monday, September 29. Also, when referring to any university, it's more common here to say "uni." "College" here is "high school" back in the states. That difference took awhile to get used to, but I've worked it out now.

Last evening, my dorm neighbors and I stayed up late talking about all of our differences in slang, which lasted a long time and I'm sure will continue for the next three months. Two words commonly used are "wicked" and "posh" meaning "awesome" and "trendy," respectively. Some accents are especially hard to understand and I have to ask people to repeat themselves, which I feel extremely rude doing and sometimes it takes four or five tries to understand them. It's worth the work though because making a new friend is such a joy--and I believe they like hearing our accents as much as we like to hear theirs.

The uni held a dance and party last night in the campus club. Again, seeing alcohol served on campus and people carrying it out and into their dorm rooms is such a foreign sight. Most of them are responsible with their drinking privileges, but some get very loud and out of hand. Most of my American friends don't drink and it's nice to have that reassurance and security. I'm sure after Freshers Week, things will settle down a bit and more studying and less drinking will be happening. As long as people are being safe though, it doesn't bother me.

Peace.

"I Love Americans!"

Hello family and friends!

I arrived in England safely and have been here for three days, but it feels like two weeks. The English are extremely friendly and I have heard, "I love Americans!" four times already. It's nice to have praise and excitement everytime an English student or staff member hears one of us American students speak. Very different, but we're eating it up. There are no huge cultural differences to note yet; however, I'm sure as the days go on with all of the English students arriving, there will be a new one daily.

Ormskirk is a beautiful market town and the safest city in England, which is reassuring for me, and I'm sure you as well. So far, there have been many trips into town because it only takes about ten minutes to walk there and it has many pubs, shops, and exciting, fun-loving locals. Football (soccer) is all the rage here with the Uni students and most of them are in the Student Union right now watching a match. At the S.U., alcohol is served almost any time of the day and there is a club in the back, separate from the eating area--much different than the Eagles Nest back home. We have also been warned that the alcohol is twice as strong here than in the States; but, if you don't drink, then it's not a problem and it's also a lot cheaper. I'll save the money I don't spend on alcohol on trendy English fashion statements so I can bring them back and start new fads.

So far, I have visited Conway, Wales--an adorably quaint town about two hours from here. All of us American students traveled together on a Coach that the school provided and spent the day there. A huge castle sits at the corner of town and the whole village is surrounded by castle walls. All the streets are cobblestone and there are many shops with intricate detailing around the windows and roofs. It looked like a scene from a Disney movie. Right outside one of the castle walls is a waterfront where many people were fishing for crabs. Since it was a tourist sight, there were also many families who brought dogs on their trip. It reminded me of home to see the little puppies, which was nice.

"Take an umbrella." I probably heard that twelve times before I left for England. I did bring one; however, it has not rained yet. The beginning of school should be sunny, though. We're all still optomistic about our studies and this school year. Once the exams come, then the rain is sure to follow.

I have more than enough photos to upload; however, I forgot to bring my connector to the library. I plan to blog nearly everyday, though, so photos will be coming soon. This is the first time in three days that I've had Internet access, so typing alone is a real treat.

Peace.