Final Countdown

A lot has happened the last two weeks, from going to Scotland to saying goodbye to new friends. Now that almost everyone's gone it's gotten really boring and the weather doesn't really allow for excursions. The wise thing would be to study for the coming CPE exams, naturally I am binge-watching Netflix.

Scotland is absolutely breathtaking. It's wild and mountainous and I can't wait to go back to go for a long hike. We (US: Ricky and Ellye, DE: Karo, NL: Pleun & I) spent only a couple of days in there, one of which was a day-tour through the Scottish Highlands, going all the way up to Loch Ness and back. It's definitely a bucket-list trip. Edinburgh itself is completely different from most other big cities I've been to, there's tons of green and parks, it's open and spacey and doesn't actually feel like a capital of a country. It's filled with museums, culture, beautiful architecture and interesting things to do, and of course J.K.Rowling lives there.

Ricky was the first to go, then Pleun and Renée left last Thursday and finally Ellye left last Saturday. Now I'm being driven to make plans with people I don't know that well (which I actually don't mind, lots of interesting people still around). My dad's actually coming to Hull for the day on Thursday, then we'll take the ferry back that evening. I honestly can't wait to be back on Friday, because dear lord I miss our six cats. And the people of course. And good food.

Nearing the end

The last couple of weeks I haven't had any classes, most of them broke up either the week before the Easter break or after the Easter break. Exams are taken over this and the next couple of weeks, which are also full of deadlines.

The first week of the break I mostly spent working on assignments, so that I could spent the second week with my mother, who came over here.

She stayed at The Lawns as well, which meant we got to explore Hull a bit more and we ran into some nice streets I hadn't gone to yet. We also went to Leeds for a day, where I dragged her to the local catcafé. We met the cutest little kitten there:

I was very close to sticking him in my backpack and smuggling him out, but he seemed pretty content so I managed not to. There was another kitten who pretty much baptised me by licking my forehead and my nose, so that was nice.

Spring is also slowly but surely making it's way here (even though it turned cold again...), so The Lawns are looking beautiful:

The cold unfortunately somewhat spoiled an event we'd been looking forward to; a showing of Bohemian Rhapsody outside, after sundown.

We held out for a bit, but eventually the temperature got lower than 7 degrees Celsius with a chilly wind and we gave up. We still had to walk back to civilisation, because the showing was in the middle of nowhere, in order to catch a bus.It was cold.

Events I still have to look forward to:

- Submitting all my assignments

- Going to Edinburgh with three other friends for a couple of nights

- Visiting my grandmother (who is 99 and lives in a care home all the way down in West-Sussex, which means I have to stay at my aunt and uncle's for the night)

- Re watching Endgame in the theatres with people who have not seen it yet

- My dad actually driving up here to come get me and Pleun, which is pretty cool of him

- Going home and eating good cheese

Birmingham and Gossip Girls

Since the weather has taken a turn for the better, it's been really lovely here at The Lawns. There's bird chirping everywhere, squirrels can be spotted running up and down trees and you almost trip over the amount of wild bunnies hopping around. It really brightens up the scenery.

I still need to do a lot for my courses; there's another essay due this coming week for An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition and I'm still waiting for feedback and my grade for the essay on The Rime of the Ancient Mariner I submitted over a month ago. Last Friday I also had to do a presentation for Writing Poetry Now. The task was to present a poem that's inspired your work or is otherwise important to you and to elaborate on it. I chose Walter de la Mare's Under the Rose, which I ran into when I was about ten while reading Tonke Dragt's Ogen van Tijgers. I really liked the mystery and dreaming it spoke of and I can still recite it ten years later.

Then last weekend I visited Nina (and Tessa, Nicki and Sven) in Birmingham. This is Nina:

Unfortunately, Birmingham is not particularly close to Hull AT ALL, so I had to get up at 4 on Saturday morning in order to be there at 9.

We went sightseeing for a bit, had sushi and pizza and went to the museum and library. While in the library, we found they had a partnership with Ancestry and offered a search through their database to find information on relatives. I searched a database from 1939, and found information on my grandmother, who was born in 1920. She was my age at the time, and I could see where she worked, who her siblings were, what her late mother's name was and that she became a Watkins upon marrying my grandfather, whom I never met. There was less information about him, just the location of his parish and his name, date of birth and age of death.

The Museum of Birmingham was interesting. We only went in half an hour before closing, so we just rushed through the important bit: sketches and artwork by Da Vinci. Incredible to see. Nina and Tessa also insisted on dragging me through the weirdest exhibit I've ever seen, something with smileys and the relationship between cute and ... murderous? It was unsettling.

I really miss those girls now though, and seeing them (and also the Hema they had at Birmingham station) actually made me a bit homesick.

The way back to Hull on Sunday was nice and peaceful. I read a bit, looked around at Sheffield's station during a 30-minute transfer and spent the first 3,5 hours relatively comfortably. That was, until I was back in Hull and had to get on a bus to get back home. It was around 11, so the bus was quiet and two girls sat on the seats next to me. That was fine, I just had my earphones in and was listening to music. Then I got the peculiar feeling they were talking about me, but just assumed my mind was playing tricks. Until I heard them say 'double-denim'. Then I went ah. You see, I was wearing both a denim pair of jeans and a denim jacket. Who cares, I liked my outfit.

I ignored it again, maybe they were talking about something else. They mentioned the phrase a couple of times again, but then they said something about red vans too. Which I just so happened to be wearing as well. They also mentioned Yorkshire pudding a couple of times, saying they hated it?

At this point, I decided I wanted to hear what they were talking about. So I turned off my music and took off my headphones. Of course, then they fell quit. So, I sent a voice message to a friend on Whatsapp in Dutch, to see what they would do. They didn't seem to be very bright, because I had a canvas bag saying Hull University with me prominently displayed in me lap, but alas. They then proceeded to do something that was just ... surreal.

They were busying themselves over their phones, until I heard Google Translate's voice saying: 'Je deteste le double denim'. I kid you not. They apparently thought I was French, and decided to do that?! And they didn't keep it at that one time, they played it no less than ten times. I was trying to make eye contact with them to say something about their behaviour but they wouldn't meet my eye. I sent another voice message in Dutch to see what they would do. They actually had Google Translate say' Je deteste le femme Francaise' ...... It was truly and out of body experience. When they had to get off, I called out Bye! to them, which they first ignored until they were nearly off the bus and then they shouted au revoir. When the bus started moving again they started laughing at me and waved at me, so I just smiled sweetly and waved back and went back to listening to Bowie. I found myself wishing I could have them stay behind at their school and write a couple of hundred lines.

But then I felt a tap on my shoulder from the guy behind me. He started what appeared to be an elevator pitch on his hat which was all the rage on social media and which no I didn't want to buy and no neither did my family or friends. But it turned out he didn't want to sell it, he seemed to be insecure about it. You see, the Yorkshire pudding the girls were talking about was in fact, his hat which they were making fun off.

We then bonded over the girls' idiotic behaviour and I told him his hat was awesome a couple of times until he seemed to be feeling better. We also discussed the trashy behaviour a lot of British people our age seem to display. He was actually and international student too, from Pakistan, but half-English as well.

I am still a bit astounded at what those girls thought to be able to get away with, but I also pity them because they must not have a lot going for them if they have to find amusement in mocking strangers publicly. Their remarks weren't particularly clever or cutting, so ultimately I don't really care. Now I have experienced true British culture, it seems.

Birthdays, essays and exploring

It's been a while since I last posted a story, mostly because I've been incredibly busy here.

My weekly schedule itself isn't that bad: (it's mostly getting together with people and going on trips)

On Monday, I have two lectures, one from Romantic Poets and one from Second Language Acquisition.

Tuesday, I have a seminar on Second Language Acquisition.

Wednesday is my off day (though we usually plan something for Wednesdays)

Thursday, a seminar on Romantic poets. Thursday evening there's a free Yoga and Pilates session, lasting for about an hour or two.

Friday, a lecture on writing poetry and bi-weekly a workshop too.

Then I also work out about 2-3 times a week with Pleun and Renée.

On Sundays I usually Skype with my mother who sometimes grabs one of the cats to show me:

I haven't got any tests for these modules, as far as I know, just assignments. Two deadlines have already passed: for writing poetry now i had to submit 3-5 of my own poems, that had to be 500 words in total. Together with analysing a poems called 'Mancunian Miserere' by Michael Symmons Roberts, which I thought was a bit vague to say the least. That word rapport had to be 1500 words.

For Romantic Poets, I had to write an essay answering the following statement: 'Discuss The Rime of The Ancient Mariner as a tale of sin and redemption', for 2000 words. I'm not really used to writing essays that long, so it was a bit of a struggle at first, but ended up more fun to do than I first expected.

Writing Poetry Now has been the course I've enjoyed most. The lecturer is very kind and the atmosphere is very relaxed and safe, so I don't feel that awkward sharing what I've written. So far the most difficult poem to write was one in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, which I just did to experiment with the form, it wasn't an assignment. An interesting thing we did was exploring writing modernist poetry, where we each got a postcard with some scene on it. We then had to write a line to be the title that described what was going on in the card, then one or two lines more that described the feeling. I was also told I tend to write ballads with rhythm.

Apart from schoolwork, I've also been busy with having fun. For example, Saturday a week or two back, we went to Leeds for shopping.

Then we've also had a few birthdays, one of which my own last Monday. It's really weird to be in my twenties, I am getting old. One of my presents was a visit to the local cat cafe, which I thoroughly enjoyed:

For Pleun's birthday, we planned a suprise party, after which we were to an Italian restaurant about a 30 minute drive away. Only when when we left, we already left far to late so I had to call the restaurant that we weren't going to make it in time, which was fine. Then, far too late too, we discovered we'd gotten on the wrong bus and were almost in Hull centre. We ended up ordering a taxi to come get us. After dinner, we made absolutely sure to get on the correct bus. However, that bus suddenly stopped halfway there. The lights just turned off, as did the engine. When we asked the busdriver, we were told he only was to go that far. So, we had to order a taxi again. When it arrived, it turned out to be the same driver who had a great laugh at our expense.

Later that week, I went to Hull a bit later in the evening by myself. Normally, I can get the 103 or 105, who's final stops are exactly where we live, which is brilliant. We can also get the 115, which stops about 1 minute from The Lawns, where I reside.

That evening, the 103 and 105 weren't going to get at the Hull Interchange for a really long time, so I decided to take the 115. I had taken it before and knew exactly when to get off. What I didn't know, was that there was road work somewhere near the Lawns, so it wasn't going to go there. When I realised that I recognised my surroundings at all I went to ask the busdriver, who replied: 'Oh no, we're loooong past The Lawns'. Which was great. But I figured I could just use Google Maps and find my own way home, in the dark, because I am a grown person who should be able to do that. Except Google Maps wasn't working and it was very very dark and I was very very lost. So I just went into a Fish and Chip shop, where a couple of extremely sweet women were working who seemed to feel quite a bit sorry for me. They tried explaining what way I had to go, but as it was more than a 20 minute walk I suppose I must have looked a bit confused. The oldest women ended up drawing a map for me on the paper they normally use to wrap the fish. Armed with my map, it wasn't actually that difficult to get back.

That's all for now!

Settling in & exploring

Last Tuesday, a week ago, I was very excited to leave for a five month adventure in Hull, Yorkshire. I travelled from Rotterdam to Hull Harbour on a night ferry, which was a very comfortable journey. I even got serenaded to by waiters who looked quite unhappy to be there, while having to make awkward eye contact with them.

After arriving at the Harbour, Pleun and I got a bus that could directly deposit us at Hull Station. We were lucky enough to get a good luck at the local architecture, which was very British and quite beautiful (in some places).

On arriving in The Lawns in Cottingham, which is to be my place of accommodation for the months, I found out that it's set in a really pretty park, which I expect to look quite lush in the spring/summer. There's a big building that's the Centre and has a dining hall (with free evening meals), a sport facility, a reception desk and a few places for us to hang out.

Blocks of buildings are scattered around the park, I'm in the Morgan A hall. There's a good mix of nationalities in here, from French to American to German, French and Danish. The first Friday, we were invited to a Karaoke night hosted at The Lawns Centre, where I met a lot of other exchange students and may have embarrassed myself with my singing ability. I also went to a board games event and a Harry Potter quiz hosted in one of the University buildings.

We've had so many opportunities for me that it felt, up until today, more like a break than a study experience. Last Saturday, for example, I went on a partly subsidised trip to York to see the Ice Trail. York is definitely a must see!

One of the things that strikes me is that while we, as foreigners, all love Hull, the true Yorkies hate it with a passion. When I ask them why though, they can't explain and just shrug. They are convinced I'm going to hate it by the end of my time here.

I was supposed to start classes last week, but unfortunately that wasn't possible for many exchange students due to a scheduling error. I was finally able to go to my first two lectures today: Visionaries and Rebels, romantic poets from Blake to Tennyson and An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition. While I was worried that Second Language Acquisition might be a bit too easy because I've been studying it for 2,5 years already, this lecturer really has a passion for teaching. He made it a fun and interactive lesson and it's interesting to see some different perspectives. The lecture on romantic poets was widely different. While it was extremely interesting and I've learnt a lot about Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, the professor was almost rambling (in a good way?) and I had to type like mad to be able to get some notes out of the class.

I'm excited for the rest of the week!

Welcome!

On the 22nd of January (six days from now!!!!), 2019, I will be leaving for Kingston-Upon-Hull. I will be spending half a year at the University of Hull, studying various aspects of the English language and literature, as well as teaching didactics and pedagogy.

Never heard of Hull? Here are eight things you should know:

1. Hull gets its name from the River Hull. Its proper name is Kingston-Upon-Hull

2. In 1299, King Edward the First gave it the name Kings-town upon Hull.

3. In 1642, St George's Day, King Charles I was refused entry to Hull. This in turn led to the Siege of Hull, which has been described as the first major action of the English Civil War.

4. The George Hotel in Hull claims to have the smallest window in England.

5. People from Hull are called Hullensians

6. The Deep, in Hull, calls itself the 'world's only submarium'. Here, visitors may see its 3,500 fish, including sharks and manta rays, while walking under the water through a viewing tunnel.

7. Hull was the birthplace of boiled sweets.

8. Coach parties come to see the many uniquely designed public toilets.

Express. (2017, 2 januari). Top 10 facts about Hull. Geraadpleegd op 14 december 2018, van https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/top10facts/749427/Top-10-facts-about-Hull

I'll be taking the following modules: