MELTIN'

IT'S SO HOT AND SUNNY IN MANCHESTER NO-ONE KNOWS WHAT TO DO WITH THEMSELVES. So we had no choice but to nip into Temple Bar for a lunchtime pint. This tiny bar is similar to the new ones popping up in Sydney, apart from the fact that it is an old public toilet (and my companion reckons it still smells that way).

- people are sunbaking in the parks dressed as though they are off to big day out

- cold showers

- constant state of dehydration

- ice-cream van parked outside my house is so. damn. tempting.

- we went into the city just to buy an allen key to wedge the kitchen windows open more & are considering buying a fan

BECAUSE OUR KITCHEN IS AN OVEN

- the funny thing is, it's only 26°C. Give it a few days and I will be moaning about the wind & rain again.

I went and saw Drive at the cinema the other day for £2.80 (!!!) Ryan Gosling kills people.

First celebrity sighting - I was waiting at the traffic lights behind my house and was standing next to Mickey Maguire from Shameless. Not bad, but I'm still waiting to find Morrissey lurking around a corner nearby................

Sunshine?

Scarily enough, Sunday was quite a sunny day in Manchester. I finally discovered how to walk from my house to the city then wandered around the Northern Quarter and bought lilac-coloured lipstick.

Today was my first day of classes. Well, MMU hasn't bothered to enrol me in any subjects yet but I am just attending the ones I have chosen -

Media Law

Medical Law and Ethics

Cyber Law

Human Rights Law.

I bought the textbook for Media Law and it was £29.99. Australian law textbooks are never under $100.

Today I met a Liverpudlian with a Beatles shirt. It was too much.

End of Freshers

Customisin' my shirt for tonight's party. Everyone is sitting in the kitchen doodling on their shirts instead of drinking.

Old Trafford

This morning the MMU Student Union held a tour of Old Trafford and the Manchester United museum.

ME INSIDE YAY

But I still have to go to an actual game.............

Australasia

On mum's final night in Manchester we dined at Australasia restaurant at Spinningfields. So cool IT HURTS. ow :'(



Despite the fact that it's name is suggestive of meat pies, vegemite and a Trans-Tasman pavlova, the food was very Japanese - similar to Sakè at The Rocks.




We ordered some fabulous cocktails for just £7.50 - pineapple and coconut mojito, honey and kiwi crush, asian mule and orange blossom tea.



(iPad winelist & menu with heaps aussie beach photo)

But for me, the highlight was the BIG FAT MANGO SOUFFLÈ. The passionfruit marshmallow wasn't too bad either.



I will dream & drool of this evening as I enjoy three months of student meals that will invariably involve toast. Or mushy peas.

Location:Back Red Bank,Manchester,United Kingdom

Lake District

Another train journey - this time two hours to get to Windermere for a half-day tour of the Lake District! We chose a Beatrix Potter-themed tour out of love for little Peter Rabbit & Co.

So quaint! So kawaii!

Wray Castle - the first home that Beatrix Potter and her family stayed at the Lake District. Not a bad summer holiday house.




Miss Potter and I at Hill Top - it's still the same!









This image may cause distress to any of my fellow classmates from Ms Cleary's Advanced English class who spent a large chunk of Year 12 attempting to work out what exactly Mr Wordsworth was on about. For the sake of one lousy exam.




Had lunch at this cafe........ check out dem sponges







'Scenic cruise on Lake Windermere'






Free cupcakes, yo.

(there is no actual need to wear a hat in England).

Uh-oh.

Last night was my first night at college. I woke up this morning with a badly sprained hand. I have no idea how this happened.



Was it the gin?
Was it the heavy bags I dragged to my new flat?

I guess we'll never know.

Location:Watson St,Manchester,United Kingdom

Day trip to Edinburgh

This morning I sat on a train for three hours and BAM - I was in Scotland.


Walked the Royal Mile in the rain.



EDINBURGH CASTLE! Went into the room where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to James VI in 1566!




My First Bagpipin' Boyfriend.




Sweet view from the Castle.




Lunch at Deacon Brodies Tavern. I have eaten a lifetime supply of mushy peas in two weeks.


ETON MESS!!!!!!!

Edinburgh was lovely & I want to go back & stay for a few days. And Glasgow is only 50 miles away!

Sorry about the lack of posts, have been busy moving into student halls. CRAZY TIMEZ

Back to Reality

Yesterday I went to MMU (my host university) for the first time. Classes haven't started yet, in fact I still don't know what subjects I am doing, but there have been some introductory sessions I attended to suss out what is going on. I joined the International Society because they have some interesting-sounding cheap day trips around the country.

Last night I hopped on a bus with fellow new exchange students for a Welcome Meal and Ceilidh at the MMU Cheshire campus, about an hour's drive away. Free food and got to watch people Irish/Scottish/barn dance like it was grade six all over again.

Above: today at Arndale mall, BBC Scotland was giving out free cups of tea. They interviewed me so I might be on TV ^_^

This is my superboss new Jeremy Scott x Swatch watch from Dublin. Very practical. (But seriously, the wings are removable).

I made a new header. Wasn't feeling the burgundy times new roman font. Every night I pray that I run into these fellows. So far, the closest thing has been a guy down the street with a Je Suis Morrissey shirt.

Location:Ducie St,Manchester,United Kingdom

Goodbye Iceland, Hello Ireland

DUBLIN IS A 35-MINUTE FLIGHT FROM MANCHESTER ♥

and I finally got to fly Aer Lingus.

Our first stop on the city sightseeing bus was the Guinness Storehouse. Nothing like a breakfast pint with a terrific view over Dublin.

We did the food, fairies and folklore dinner at Ireland's oldest pub. Oh, and saw the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells at Trinity College that afternoon.



Samplin' the local brew.

Determined to make the most of our three days, we squeezed a Glendalough and Kilkenny day trip in. It was nice to check out the countryside and pretty little towns.

It may not have been as cold as Iceland, but it was seven thousand times more windy.





Stop yer foulin'


My First Leprechaun Boyfriend


On our last night we did the Dublin Literary Pub Crawl. Hello, Beckett, Wilde and Joyce!
Back to Manchestaaaa

Location:Dublin Airport,,Ireland