And so ends my posts about my semester abroad in the beautiful city of Leeds…
It’s been nearly 2 months since my return back to Vancouver and I’m no longer in the I can’t believe I was just studying in England stage. Right now, I’m in more of a TAKE ME BACK TO ENGLAND AND EUROPE/I WANT TO BE BACK IN ENGLAND type of stage. IIt’s that dreaded exchange withdrawal period that every exchange student goes through and I’ve been stuck in it the moment I stepped foot back onto Canadian soil. Every single day, I stumble upon reminders of England and Europe, from friends who are still studying abroad or tweets about certain things happening in Europe. It probably doesn’t help that I’m taking a semester off because I returned a month into the semester… And if you ask my parents, they’re probably sick of me talking in my appalling London accent all the time. It was my way of trying to get them to send me back to London but it didn’t really work. But anyhow, I’m coping with my withdrawals and trying not to constantly dwell on the fact that I’m no longer in Europe.
For those considering going on exchange or even on exchange at Leeds Uni, I’ve uploaded my exchange report here. The report is something that my university requested all returning exchange students to complete for future exchange students so I thought it would be good for my readers to have access to as well. I know quite a few people have had questions regarding accommodation, travel and such, so I hope that I was able to answer a few questions in my report.
I really do hope that you all have enjoyed reading about my experience on exchange and maybe it’ll convince you to take a chance and apply for an exchange too!
Cheers! x
This ‘being back home’ post has been overdue for quite some time now. I’ve been back in Vancouver since the 26th of January, which is still something I’m trying to adjust to. It’s been great to sleep in my own bed and on a mattress that doesn’t creak with every move, and also one that doesn’t feel like the springs are ready to burst through the fabric. It has also been great to eat delicious home-cooked meals and good (and cheap) Asian food, which is something the UK lacks. I’ve reunited with my friends and caught up one what’s been happening with them when I was abroad.
Here are some photos of a few things I’ve seen or done since being back!
Gorgeous view from my house
Salvaged cinnamon buns. I had burnt them and had to cut the tops off.
My first attempt at baking an apple pie.
Best sandwich shop in Vancouver. Period.
My second attempt at making apple pie. Went a little better than my first.
Next post: going through exchange withdrawals. Cheers!
Here’s the last bit on my time in London and my time abroad in Europe!
On my third day in London, I met up with Michelle and Flavia, as well as Flavia’s friend, Mateus. We walked through the Borough Market even though it was closed that day and then, had lunch at the The Old Thameside Inn. I had a delicious beef and tomato stew (below). We chatted for a while and off we went to Camden to check out the famed Camden Market. The Camden area is a little bit on the old and rundown side, but I guess that adds to the character. It’s a little too grimy for my taste, yet still very interesting to walk through. Inside the market, there are heaps of little shops, a lot of which sold goth and punk clothing and accessories.
After Camden Market, I took the tube over one stop to Mornington Crescent to head over to KOKO to see if I could meet Lana Del Rey. She was supposed to be playing the MTV BRAND NEW FOR 2012 gig, but of course, she cancelled due to “illness.” I waited outside for a while, along with other Lana fans, and I even heard Charli XCX soundchecking. Whilst waiting, Lana’s band filed out of the venue with the instruments in their cases and got into their cars. Lana’s amps were also taken out the venue, so I thought it was a little odd. And a while later, I’d find out from a friend back in Vancouver that Lana had cancelled. Disappointed, I left and met up with Flavia, Mateus, and Michelle again. I said my goodbyes to Flavia and Mateus, and Michelle and I went for dinner with my family. Michelle’s London flatmate, David, also joined us for dinner so that was cool too. That would be my last time seeing Michelle since she would be staying in London and I would be heading back to Canada. Sad, but we all must continue with our lives…
The next day, my parents and I went to 10 Downing Street, also known as where the British Prime Minister lives. Then, we went to Selfridges so I could have a quick browse and also, so we could get some food into us. I’m not going to lie, I think I like Selfridges more than Harrods. It wasn’t as overwhelming and definitely not a crazy busy as Harrods. But my first time in Selfridges was a super quick one because we had to head back to Queen’s Theatre in Leicester Square for Les Misérables!
It was my first time watching Les Mis so it was such an amazing experience! My parents saw it when my mom was pregnant with me, but that doesn’t count, obviously. What was really neat about the show was the rotating stage! I love how it was incorporated into the show. So great! I had to stop myself from singing along from some of my favourites like “Master of the House” and boy, when they started “One Day More,” I started tearing up and tears were running down my face by the end of the song. Even the man in front of me was crying and he had to wipe his face with his handkerchief. Anyway, Les Mis was great and I’m so glad we were able to get decent seats in the balcony. Great way to end my time in London!
Next morning, we had to leave super early because we had an early flight. I barely got any sleep because I was packing till the wee hours of the morning, which was much harder than I was expecting. I literally had to take EVERYTHING out of my suitcases and repack it all. And luckily enough, I still had space in my hand baggage but that means I could have bought a few more things at Selfridges. Oh well, what can you do.
The flight back to Vancouver was just like any other long flight - you watch movies, listen to music, eat crappy airplane food, and sleep. I ended up watching Crazy, Stupid, Love for the second time because you can never have enough Ryan Gosling in your life, and I watched a great film called Another Earth. I had actually seen the trailer for the latter when I watched Wuthering Heights back at Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds and it seemed quite intriguing. The film itself was beautiful and the plot was actually much different than what I was expecting.
After a good 9.5 hours, I was back in Vancouver - home sweet home! But to be honest, it didn’t really feel like home even though it was. I just kept missing Leeds and England, and all my friends, who are scattered all over the world now. More on my adjustment later…
LGW > YVR
Canada Line
The state of my room after some unpacking and re-organizing.
See you next time!
Okay, so my second full day in London started off with a trip to see the London Bridge and Platform 9 and 3/4 at King’s Cross Station. If you’re someone who doesn’t know what Platform 9 and 3/4, shame on you! Go and educate yourself by watching the Harry Potter films. After a short stop there, we walked over to a Santander branch to close my account. And my goodness, I wasted so much time there thanks to some person working there. I was lined up and waiting for my turn to talk to someone, and mind you, there was only a couple of people in front of me. Some lady is asking everyone in line what they need and when she gets to me, I told her that I need to close my bank account and she was like ‘Oh, I can help you with that’. I assumed that she would do everything but no, she could only do part of it because she ‘doesn’t deal with money’. Fabulous! All she did was submit a request to have my account closed and I had to line up again. Now, there were a lot more people in line and only two people working. I waited a while and finally, it was my turn. But, of course, I had to wait again because the woman needed her manager to approve everything. My goodness, that was the most frustrating bank experience ever! I’m digressing so let’s get back on topic now…
After that stop at the bank, my parents and I headed over to the Tate Modern to immerse ourselves in all things modern art. If you’ve been following my updates or if you know me, I’m a total lover of contemporary art so I loved being in the Tate. Although, it would have been ever more amazing if I had gotten the chance to see the Gerhard Richter exhibition or the Yayoi Kusama one that I’m missing right now. Adding the latter to the growing list of things that I’m missing or will be missing because I’m back in Canada.
Pablo Picasso, Nude Woman With A Necklace (1968)
Ai Weiwei, Sunflower Seeds (2010)
Günther Uecker, Weisses Feld (1964)
Marisa Merz, Untitled (Living Sculpture) (1966)
Michelangelo Pistoletto, Venus of the Rags (1967, 1974)
Do Hu Suh, Staircase III (2009)
Vito Acconci
Vito Acconci
Richard Long, Small White Pebble Circles (1945)
Abraham Cruzvillegas, Autoconstrucción (2008)
Robert Morris, Untitled (1967-8, remade in 2008)
Pedro Cabrita Reis, The Unnamed Work #1 (2005)
Jenny Holzer, BLUE PURPLE TILT (2007)
My parents and I spent a few hours exploring the Tate Modern, and we took a breather in their café. Unbeknownst to my mom (I spilled to my dad the previous night at dinner), my aunt and uncle were flying down from Northern Ireland to surprise my parents. My mom was under the impression that my friend, Michelle, would be dropping by and she was definitely surprised to see her sister and her brother-in-law! We chatted for a while before making our way to the gift shop so I could buy a few things. I got a bunch of postcards and a great Yayoi Kusama book to appease my disappointment for missing the exhibition.
View of the Millennium Bridge from the café’s balcony
Fabulous flats going for a mere £2 million
Next, we all went to see the Tower of London (just the outside) and the Tower Bridge. It’s such a gorgeous skyline, especially at night with all of the lights. And good thing it wasn’t raining or else that definitely would have put a damper on my mood… After that, we went back to our second home in London - Chinatown. We had dinner at Top of the Town and then, went to my aunt and uncle’s hotel in Soho. Their hotel room was literally the smallest room I’ve ever seen in my life. It was smaller than my room in St. Marks and there was still space for a shower and toilet. Crazy! But the Soho area is great and I could totally see myself living there. Although, I probably couldn’t afford it but a girl can dream.
Tower Bridge
Entrance to the W hotel in Leicester Square
See you next time!
Well, I guess you’re just going to have to suck it up and deal with the cold weather! ;) However, it honestly didn’t seem that cold to me. The temperature was rarely below zero degrees but you have to keep in mind that I was only there from September to January. As for ‘common weather’, it was just damp most of the time. I found it much colder in Copenhagen and Stockholm, so you should be fine.
