This post covers a few days since I ended up feeling really tired and decided to spend a few days not doing much. I also didn't take any pictures until the 29th because I was taking a break from being a tourist. This post is probably less interesting for most since it just details some mundane details and me feeling tired.
Monday the 24th: First morning in Nottingham. I had a welcome Orientation meeting. It was confusing finding the right room. They name floors by letters here for some reason, and the room I needed, on the third floor, could only be accessed through one specific door of the building. It took me three tries, climbing a few flights of stairs, and descending again to try another door before I got the right door! There was probably a better way, but I was late and rushing so I didn't have time to sort it out. I ended up getting in a few seconds before talking began, so it was okay.
Orientation just told us how we have to enrol, and by which date. It's all done by paper here. No online enrolment. Absurd! They also said there was a party type thing for international students on the following night (tuesday).
I headed home, then headed to a shopping district to get some stuff. Bought a more casual jacket. When I asked the lady what the opening hours of the store are (Tesco's) she said "basically 24 hours". Amazing. When I got home I ran into a nice girl from America who told me that tonight's dinner is a formal dinner so it is later than normal. That was annoying because I was pretty hungry now, and I didn't really have anything formal to wear.
I ended up wearing something fairly mildly formal, while some others were wearing fairly fancy suits. Luckily the people I sat next to were even less formal than myself and made a hilarious mockery of some other formalities of the event. One guy ate at least three lamb steaks and a whole lot of bread. He was very funny.
Another guy I was sitting next to told me that classes started today! He told me how I find out when my classes are and everything. I was feeling a bit disappointed that the university for some reason didn't tell us that small bit of information.
I didn't enjoy the food that much. The spices were a bit weird. Although the cheese cake dessert was good.
Tuesday 25th.
I woke up reasonably early to get to a few lectures that I had now learnt were happening. I had Linear Analysis, Game Theory, and Topics in Scientific Computing. I also had to talk to a professor, sign up for some clubs/societies, and meet the american girl and some others for lunch.
Linear Analysis seems to be an extension of Real Analysis, where it deals more with vector spaces, I think. Topics in Scientific Computing is very similar to Numerical Methods, but I think the lecturer is quite good, so I could have a good shot at doing well, and it talks about the maths properly (it is possible afterall). Game Theory is the same lecturer from Scientific Computing. Class is very full and most people in the class don't seem to be the typical maths type. So this might be an easy-ish subject.
I found the professor who needed to give me permission to enrol in the classes. He didn't have any complaints.
I met with the american girl and her friends. They all seem pretty nice. They're also exchange students from various places around the world. For lunch we have on our card 4.9 pounds. We can either eat as much as we want from the hall where we live, or go to some other place where the cost is deducted from the 4.9 pounds. I would later realise that lunch is a valued time where you can eat something that tastes different to what comes out of the hall.
I joined some university clubs, or 'societies': I joined the ramblers who each weekend take a bus out somewhere nice and go walking through hills; a club which gather and watch science fiction and anime movies a couple times per week; and the physics society who get together to look at things through telescopes apparently, and also perhaps go on a trip somewhere science-y (last year they went to CERN)..
That night I had dinner a bit early. I had a mushroom risotta which wasn't that nice.
This night there was the international student 'party'. But I was feeling very tired, and this thing started at 10:30pm and ended at 3am. I also had joined a few clubs that day which had various regular social events which I thought might be better. So instead I decided to try and get to a swing dancing lindy-hop class. I have done this for a little over a year but stopped about 8 months ago, so I was keen to get back to it. The website said this class had a really good following too.
It turned out that the class was quite far away. I'd have to catch a couple of busses. I decided I'd better walk the distance first, in case I get lost coming back then I'd at least be able to walk back. It was an ambitious plan, but I managed to walk the 6-7km through suburbs and then past some open fields at 7pm after the sun had gone down. Bit scary too, being out in the dark outskirts. But it was exhilerating.
I made it there just on time. 3 pounds for two lessons. Pretty good deal. Unfortunately most of the people here were on the older side of the scale. In Adelaide about 80% of people are in their 20's or there abouts. So I was expecting the same. The dancing came back to me reasonably fast. The first class was a beginner class and quite slow. The next lesson was a choice of either 'improvers' or 'intermediate' in separate rooms, with skill level in order written. After the first lesson I danced with some girls who said I was pretty good, so should go to the third level instead of the second, so I did that.
It turned out that the moves taught in 'intermediates' were ones pretty much taught in beginner class back in Adelaide. So this was a bit disappointing! Still, the people were nice, and it was strange finding myself in this village pub with real English people, doing lindy-hop. Afterwards they said they were going to a more trendy pub or club to do some dancing with band etc. I couldn't really join them because I was exhausted and didn't really know how I'd get from this strange place to the centre of Nottingham.
People in Adelaide should check out: http://www.theswingsesh.com/ . It's great fun, really nice scene of people and a way to enjoy good music.
I had the route worked out from google maps. I waited out the front for a while and caught the bus that I was expecting. Then I told the driver to drop me as close as possible to an intersection coming up, as I was going to get off and then catch another bus which stopped right alongside the university. But a nice lady on the bus used her local knowledge to tell me that I should stay on the bus, since it stops right next to the university further up. So I did that. It turned out that where she told me to get off was the Jubilee Campus. I'm at the University Park Campus. It was about 11pm at that time and I was very exhausted. Also, some time back Nottingham experienced a few gun crimes. I think some people were killed, and so Nottingham received a bad reputation. It's probably not much worse than other cities, but I was feeling pretty keen to get back home. It was 2.7km home. I was exhausted when I finally got back.
I think this day did me over. I wasn't truly recovered from the cold, yet I went to a few hours of lectures, lunch with new aquaintances, navigated the club fayre, talked to a professor, ate a yucky risotto, walked 6-7km, danced for 2 hours, then walked 2.7 km.
Wednesday 26th: This day I had no lectures. I slept in and felt quite sick and feverish most of the day. I skipped a few of the meals. They were starting to taste similar (in a kind of generic fried food way) and thought was making me feel ill.
Thursday 27th: This day I had a few lectures but I was feeling feverish again so I decided I'd have to sacrifice them and stay home. The last few nights I've found that the people in the rooms directly next to me have subwoofers that they have going until 11pm and then start shouting until 3am sometimes.
This day I managed to walk to Beeston shopping centre where I think I got some grapes, orange juice, water, and maybe some other things. The thought of the hall food was making me feel sick, so I needed something else.
Friday 28th: No classes today. Last night was very loud so I was quite tired. I've been falling asleep at 4 or 5pm, then waking up after a few hours, then having to wait until the noise stops at 12am before I can get to sleep. And then being woken up at 3am as they arrive home with a lot of yelling and slamming doors. So this day I was very tired.
I spent most of this day resting in my room because I was very exhausted.
Saturday 29th: This day I also didn't do a lot. However I did make it to the Beeston shopping centre again. I needed some more juice. I think I bought some pomegranate juice this day. I also bought some microwave meals for emergencies, chocolate biscuits, and some various other things. I was starting to feel a little bit better, as I was hoping, since I had a ramblers event the following day.
Walking back from the shop I found a bike store. They are selling a kind of generic mountain bike for 109 pounds. It seems like a pretty good price to me so long as the bike holds together.
This night I had a terrible sleep. People in the rooms next door and all through the building were very loud. I was woken up at 4:30am by people right outside in the corridor kicking a ball and yelling. It took me quite a while to get back to sleep and was generally not a good thing.
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