Dancing Cat

I should be packing my bags now, because I'm going home tomorrow. Instead, I'm playing with a dancing cat...

I've been eyeing this cat since my arrival in York in September 2010. I looked at it every time I walked past the shop window of The Cat Gallery. I've pointed it out to every person who I walked into town with. I nearly screamed of joy when I saw it was still in the shop when I returned to York after six months. And now, now I got my own dancing cat! An early Christmas gift from (warning, many superlatives follow) my super wonderful amazing boyfriend. Which music would you like to see it dance to?

British Grub: Turkey and stuffing with onion gravy crisps

What: Handcooked crisps - roast Norfolk turkey and stuffing with onion gravy
Where: Tesco

When: Festive season only

Price: £1.39

My first reaction when I saw the bag: do they really taste like turkey?! Yes, these crisps taste like roast turkey (from Norfolk!) and stuffing with onion gravy. The taste is quite overpowering, so a handful of crisps was enough for me. If you really want to the taste the flavours, lick the crisps. You will look like a fool, but you’ll taste everything better! (Don't ask how I ended up licking them).

Tesco’s Finest line includes more flavours: Wensleydale and cranberry cheese, spiced gammon and mince pie (aye, these crisps are sweet!). To my surprise, they were all created by Hans van Wolde, a Dutch gourmet chef! These crisps might not be so British after all…

3 stars. They're very nice, but only during the holiday season.

 

Back in York

I've already been living in York for 2 weeks now! Time flies. I can't believe it's nearly Christmas! Moving here by train was a hassle, but it's finally done. Why do I have so much stuff?

So far, I love being back. The house I live in is lovely (clean and quiet, although a bit cold since we hardly turn the heating on) and the city is still great. More lunch cafes have arrived, my favourite dancing cat is still dancing in The Cat Gallery shop window (a shop that only sells cat related items) and the Minster is still dominating the 'skyline'. However, I can't wait to go back to the Netherlands for Christmas. I need good bread and Old Amsterdam cheese!

Bonfire night

Happy Guy Fawkes/Bonfire night! This is an annual commemoration in England. Its history begins when some people tried to blow up the House of Lords to kill King James I. They failed and one of them (a bloke called Guy Fawkes) was arrested. Now, 506 years laters, Brits still celebrate this joyous event by lightning bonfires and watching fireworks.

Because Fawkes also fought on the side of Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch reformers (booo, naughty man), I had to join the Brits and celebrate. I paid £3 (strange, I always thought watching fireworks was free?) and was rewarded with my first bonfire and an impressive fireworks display. See you next year, Guy Fawkes!

New direction

I started this blog because I wanted to write about my time in Newcastle. Unfortunately, the course was not my cup of tea and I decided to change direction. Two weeks ago I started a new course in York, at the university where I did my Erasmus exchange last year. I’m a ‘flexible learner’ there, because I already have an undergraduate degree and I didn’t want to do another undergraduate or postgraduate course. I'm doing some modules in film and media, because I want to gain more knowledge about these subjects. 

Re-arranging life has kept me busy, but so far everything is going smoothly. I’ve found a room in York and hope to find a new tenant for my room in Newcastle as soon as possible. Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, I’ve kept my eyes and ears open and noticed quite a few idiosyncrasies of the British culture. Fancy dress, beans on toast and tea with milk, why do Britons like it so much? I’ll investigate these quirks and keep you posted!

Life in an Asian kitchen

I share my kitchen with 8 other students. 6 out of 8 are from an Asian country and I can now officially confirm: they eat healthier food than your average Western student. While me and my Canadian neighbor live on pasta and pizza, our Chinese and Taiwanese neighbors spend hours chopping vegetables. Want evidence? Just compare our fridges!

Left refrigerator, the Netherlands and Canada. On the right, Indonesia, Taiwan and China.

Arrived in Newcastle!

I won’t bore you with a long story but I want to share a little! On Tuesday I arrived in Manchester around 11am after a short flight from Amsterdam. There I got the train to York where the sweetest boyfriend awaited me with one of my suitcases. We got the train to Newcastle, but this train turned out be out of service due to an accident. We were kicked out of the train in York and were left to our fate. 2 hours later than planned, we finally reached Newcastle. Of course we got lost finding my accommodation but luckily the Geordies (that’s how inhabitants of Newcastle are called) are very friendly and helpful.

My accommodation

I can say one thing about my accommodation: LOTS OF STAIRS!!! It’s a 250 year old building and I’m on the top floor. This means I have to climb many stairs! There are also a gazillion doors and locks I have to open before I’m in my room. I share my kitchen (which is at the bottom floor…) and bathroom (one floor below me) with 7 people, but so far I’ve only met one guy who’s from Canada. My room is quite big in comparison to other student rooms and I have view on the park, so that makes up for all the stairs!

The university itself is great. The campus is massive, but easy to get around. It’s in the city centre and only 5 minutes from my house. Making friends is easy, because everyone is ‘lonely’. I’m mostly hanging out with a little gang of people now (from the US, Canada and Denmark), but you just keep meeting people from other nationalities.

Unfortunately I forgot to bring the cable to upload photos, but I’ll receive it Saturday!

2 days to go!

Het is bijna zover; dinsdag verlaat ik het land van kaas en koeien en verhuis ik naar Newcastle in Engeland. Ik ga daar een jaar wonen wegens een masteropleiding aan de universiteit. Nu ben ik dus druk bezig met inpakken en mijn kamer is daardoor een grote chaos! Waarom heb ik zoveel spullen?!  

It’s nearly time; Tuesday I leave the country of cheese and cows to move to Newcastle in England. I'll live there one year due to a master's program at the university. Now I’m busy packing and my room is therefore one big mess! Why do I have so much stuff?!