So British

View from my window this morning: English snow.. just as miserable as snow in Vancouver!

Some of my friends here starting using the phrase “so British” a while back to refer to something that was typically British, or for something they perceived was typically British.  I wasn’t there when it started but in theory I like it, except when it is used in a negative way or as a put down.

Part of why I chose to come to England on exchange was to have the opportunity to discover a new culture without the challenge of learning a new language.  Some say it’s debatable that Canadians and Brits speak the same English but that is another argument entirely.  Without a language barrier one can jump into another culture that much quicker.

One of the things I learned while on exchange in Sweden was that 5 months is not enough time to properly learn a language and not knowing the language can prevent you from learning some of the nuances of the culture.  Not speaking the language of your host country can also pose a challenge to developing strong relationships with the locals.

I am very thankful to have met and become friends with some lovely British people.  Who better to learn about the country and the culture from then those that live here?  Now I almost never refer to the garbage as garbage anymore.  It’s rubbish.  Probably not the best example but it is the one that came to mind.

This week I did a bunch of things that could be called “so British.”  But to save time I’ll just mention a few.

First off on Tuesday I went to a pub to watch the football match – Real Madrid vs. Manchester United.  Watching a football, or soccer match, is not just a British thing but it is not something I would typically do in Canada.  My Mom might disown me for saying this but I find football much more interesting to watch on TV than hockey.  For me I find it much easier to follow a white soccer ball on a green field than a small black puck on a sheet on ice.  Plus the atmosphere while watching was electric. 

We watched the first half of the match in a large pub in town called the King & Queen.  Despite being so big it was packed and there was standing room only.  It was annoying to be bumped by people trying to pass through the crowd but kind of cool to be surrounded by people who actually care about the outcome of the game, who would grunt, yell or cheer at the giant projector screen.  For the second half we went to a small pub where the guys typically watch matches and where we could sit with room to breathe.  Overall it was cool experience.

Saturday I went for proper English tea with Melissa and Justine.  We went to a cute little place aptly named “That Little Teashop in the Lanes.”  Tea, scones with jam and clotted cream, and small sandwiches – you can’t get much more British than that.  It was delicious!  Justine was pretty excited when I told her that I know how to make scones so that will be our next baking endeavour.  Justine is passionate about learning to bake and I love baking so teaching her gives me an excuse to make delicious treats.

Yesterday I had my first visitors from Canada – Katherine and Gord.  They are travelling around Europe for two months and came down to Brighton for the day.  Katherine and Gord were some of my mentors from my first exchange to France with Rotary International.  We couldn’t remember how long it had been since we last saw each other but it has to have been at least 5 years.

It was so lovely to see them and catch up.  Unfortunately the weather was pretty miserable, not as bad as it is today but still quite cold.  We spent some time wandering around the Lanes and the Pier but mainly we spent time in restaurants and cafes.  It was almost nice to have an excuse to spend more time inside just chatting.

I learned from Katherine that mushy peas are a very British thing and also a favourite of hers.  Mushy peas is a side dish made from a specific kind of pea that is first dried then slightly rehydrated and mashed.  Having never heard of them before I wasn’t sure where to take her where they are served.  We tried a couple pubs that I think of as typically British but alas no mushy peas on the menu.  At the second pub the staff recommended we try Harry Ramsden’s.

Harry Ramsden’s is a very popular fish and chips restaurant directly across the street from Brighton Pier.  According to the sign Harry is the uncrowned king of fish and chips.  When you go to a restaurant like that you just have to get fish and chips with mushy peas.

While we were there it occurred to me that since my arrival in England I had yet to eat fish and chips.  Let me tell you it was so good!  It was some of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had.  The mushy peas were pretty good too but I think I still prefer good old plain peas.

That is a snapshot of my week and my attempts to do more things that could be deemed as “so British.”  I am really enjoying my time here in England!  It is hard to believe how quickly time is flying by.  I am determined to make the most of it.

This coming weekend I’m off to Dublin, Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day.  I have always wanted to experience St. Paddy’s in Ireland and I’m so excited that I finally will be able to.  Then once I get back my little sister Amanda arrives for a two-week visit.  We will be spending her first week in England and then making quick stops in Paris and Lisbon.  In Lisbon we will be staying with Claire, a former Rotary exchange student to BC from Belgium, who I haven’t seen in a few years.  I’m really looking forward to seeing her.  So good things happening in the weeks to come…

That is all.  Hope your week has been as good as mine!

Oxford, Windsor & Eton

Favourite shot of the day!

I’ve been living in England for a month now and time seems to be flying by.  One down, three and a half to go…

This past week was probably the best yet.  It had a little bit of everything – good times with friends, not being sick, travel, adventures in cooking/baking and a birthday.

In this post I’m going to focus on my Oxford, Windsor & Eton trip organized by a local tour company called Discovery Tours.  It was quite a fun trip due in part to the fact that most of the participants were exchange students from the University of Brighton.

We had to meet the bus bright and early at 8am Saturday morning.  It was quite the challenge for me as the night before there was a kitchen party next door to my room and I was a little lacking in the sleep department.

Unfortunately I forgot my headphones so unlike many of the others I was unable to sleep on the drive to Windsor.  On the bright side I had a spare seat beside me so I could put my feet up and get a little more comfortable.

The overcast weather in Windsor was regrettable but the town was charming all the same.  The Queen was in residence at Windsor Castle but I didn’t get a chance to meet her because she wasn’t feeling well.  Next time for sure. 

 Shortly after we arrived we got to watch the changing of the guards.  On my previous visits to England I didn’t get a chance to see that so I was pretty stoked.  I was less than impressed with the display.  It was cool but waiting for 20 minutes while my feet got cold for a display that lasted about 2 minutes was not fun.  It was over almost as soon as it began.

After that we wandered over to Eton via a bridge across the River Thames.  There were a bunch of swans swimming on the river and our tour guide warned us against getting into an argument with one them.  Apparently the Queen owns all the swans in England and a disagreement with one of them could land you in jail.

Eton was very small.  Its main claim to fame is Eton College, which is an all-boys school that has educated kings, princes, prime ministers, and even Osama bin Laden.  The yearly tuition is approx. £30,000 and the boys who go there have to wear ridiculous uniforms that include pinstripe pants and a jacket with tails.

On our way back to the bus we took some time to pose for touristy photos.

By the time we reached Oxford the sun had come out to play.  It is amazing how a little sunshine can make a day seem so much better.  While Windsor and Eton were quaint towns, Oxford was a bustling city with many beautiful buildings.

Oxford is known as a university town because it is home to several universities.  It seemed that on every street was a different university.  I think Oxford would be a cool place to study but I’m glad I’m studying in Brighton instead.  Oxford is land bound and I like being by the ocean.  That might have something to do with the fact that I grew up living on a peninsula.

Some of the group opted for the optional tour of Christ Church College home to the smallest cathedral in England and the staircase used in the first Harry Potter film.  The dining hall also served as inspiration for the great hall in the Harry Potter films.  The author of Alice in Wonderland, Charles Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, went to Christ Church.  The character Alice was based on the then Dean’s daughter Alice Liddell.  Carroll was inspired by the stain-glass windows in the hall, which helped him create many of the other characters in his stories.

After the tour of Christ Church we wandered around the city.  We walked through the covered market and over to Oxford Castle.  There wasn’t enough time to visit the castle but we climbed the hill beside it and got an aerial view of the city.  The hill wasn’t as high as I thought it was so the view wasn’t as good as it could’ve been.  It was nice though especially with the sun shining.

Just before having to meet up with the group to head back to Brighton we popped into the Ashmolean Museum for about 15 minutes.  It was a shame to not have enough time to properly explore it.  If I go back to Oxford I’d love to go again.  As an added bonus it was free.

So in a nutshell that was my trip to Oxford, Windsor and Eton.  It was a good trip.  If you want to see more pictures click here.  Some of us are planning to do more trips with Discovery Tours.  We have trips to Cambridge & Greenwich; Bath, Stonehenge & Salisbury Cathedral, and Manchester & Liverpool in the works.

Sunday was a really good day too.  It began with me teaching Justine and my flat mate Philippe how to make pancakes.  They were pretty good at it.  Eating pancakes is always a good way to start a Sunday.

In the afternoon a few of us went into town.  I needed to buy a desk lamp because the lighting in my room is subpar.  We went to a place called Argos.  It isn’t your typical store.  There are a bunch of desks with catalogues and computers.  You browse through those to find what you want, write the codes down and then go to the cashier to pay for them.  Once you pay the staff retrieve your items from a storeroom in back.  It is kind of cool.

While I was waiting for my items Melissa, Alessandra and Estelle wandered over to Primark to do a little shopping.  Once I got my lamp Will, Justine and I joined them there.  I thought they just wanted to stop there quickly but it turned out they wanted to go to a couple clothing shops.  For once in my life I didn’t feel like shopping so Will and I opted to go for a walk along the seafront.

It was a beautiful day for a walk along the beach.  But as Will pointed out it would’ve been nice if it were a few degrees warmer.  I’m really looking forward to Spring and Summer in Brighton.  I think it will be really lovely.

We ran into our friend David with his mom having coffee at one of the main cafes and pubs that line the beach.  Another thing I like about Brighton is that while it is a city it is also seems small.  While out and about you often run into people you know.

As we were walking I was asked to take a picture for a couple tourists and I happily obliged.  My theory is that if when I travel if I want to ask kind strangers to take pictures for me then every so often I need to take pictures for other people.  Later when Will and I turned tourist and wanted a picture with the pier we had to ask someone to take a picture for us.  Sadly not everyone is good at taking pictures…

Fail!

That's a little better.. except for the hair in my face.

After the walk we met up with Melissa and Justine for a bite to eat and a drink at the Irish pub Molly Malone's.  Our friend Edel works there and we surprised her by stopping in.  She is new to the job but she seemed to be well accustomed with how things work.  She even managed to get me a discount!  We timed it perfectly because shortly after we arrived the pub was flooded with football fans to watch the Tottenham vs. Arsenal game.  It was pretty cool to be surrounded by a bunch of people that actually care about a sport.  It reminded me of watching the Olympic hockey games in pubs with my Mom.  Love that atmosphere. 

Sunday evening concluded with a celebration of Christian’s birthday.  In German culture it is customary to invite your friends over and cook for them.  Quite different from the Canadian culture of being spoiled on your birthday.  It was a really nice meal.  Christian, Mario and their visiting friend Sarah made chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce, potatoes and salad.

Charlotte, Justine, Melissa and I made toffee cupcakes for Christian.  Consequently toffee (caramel) is one of his favourites so we chose well.

It was a great weekend and a good week leading up to it.  I feel very blessed to be living here in Brighton with so many amazing friends.  I am also very thankful for my loving, supportive family back home.  Yep life is good!