1. On 18 Sept, I moved out of the temporary place I was living in (Sherwood Hall) and moved to Cripps Hall!
A bit about Cripps Hall
According to Wikipedia Cripps Hall provides accommodation for just over 300 students. The hall is named after its benefactor, Sir Cyril Cripps. It opened in 1959, and was originally all male, but has been mixed sex since 2000. Cripps Hall was designed by the architects Donald McMorran and George Whitby, and is a grade II listed building (one of only relatively few post-war buildings to be given such status). Cripps Hall has a perennial rivalry with its neighbour, Hugh Stewart Hall. Cripps Hall is the only hall on campus to have its own gym and has won the intramural sports competition for the past three years. The current warden is Dr Gethin Roberts.
Did you read it all??? we have a GYM! but i should take photo of that thing, because it is quite a depressing sight. But nonetheless we have a gym! There is a BAR in every hall as well. Yes, a bar with alcohol and everything. It is a really good way to ensure that you get your dose of alcohol every night (As I have been. Thankfully I haven’t been getting drunk or anything, just been enjoying a glass of beer every night or so. :p)
Below are the photos of my room!
The view from the window
Basin in the closet. LOL.
"Fresher's Welcome" Pack from Notts which was on the desk when I got there. Very cuute.
I love Cripps Hall. It is pretty. The only downside to Cripps would be its ghastly interior inside the rooms: the furniture looks funny and smells a bit odd too. But other than that, its allll g.
There are blocks dividing the buildings, I am in B block. It think the block goes from A to W. I am on the 2nd floor(or 3rd floor- The Brits seem to be quite fussy about the whole "Ground floor" stuff) in room 25. I like my room. It's got a little basin in the cupboard which is quite cute.
I am in a Single Study room, which means that I have to share a bathroom with strangers, but there are two bathrooms between the 6 of us on 2nd floor, so it is not that bad. I haven't had a really big problem with bathrooms or anything.
And the cleaner is uber nice.
2. On that Saturday I met with some other International/exchange students that will be living in my hall over a luncheon. I met a couple of great people including some very English tutors as well. :)
One of the international people I met: Katie from US.
Lovely lovely girl.
That night, went out to a pub in Beeston(which is a small “town” like thing right next to UP) and had steak and chips and a drink(I opted non-alcoholic. Are you proud?) It was really good- for 5.99 it was not a bad meal at all.
Hon Xing, Peter(Tutor), Ye Lim, Paolo
3. Sunday: the BRITS INVASION! lol the first years (we call them Freshers here)moved in on Sunday- all quite frightened of not knowing anything/ anyone. It was quite funny saying hi to everyone in my block etc. Sweet people in my block. First two days, they were really keen to get to know people, but after that they all kinda stopped and started hanging out with their block mates. My block mates are nice- but there are two groups now(it was a developement after a week). I dun particularly enjoy being in the middle of anything high school-y again. I am way too old for that.
4. Freshers' Week Parties from the Monday onwards!
There are literally parties EVERY NIGHT.
First night was back to school theme: This i attended, and got to know some of my block mates better(Connie and Sophie- lovely people). I ended up dancing with a random English guy from Lenton Hall- which made me wonder whether I should keep going to these parties at all. They are all 18 year olds! gaaah
Second night was Traffic Light, you indicate your availability by wearing different colours! I did not attend this.
Third night was Baywatch. Self-explanatory? Apparently it was all decked out with actual sand in the bar(the Walkabout). SOunds cool, but lack of gear made me feel less inclined to go.
Fourth Night was Boogie Night/ Uniform party.
Fifth Night was angels and demons.
Sixth Night was the Hall Party- we went out to a club in town after drinking at the Bar. I attended this because this was to be the first "hall" specific party. Other parties were had with some other halls as well(not every other halls, because then that would be too many people!).
This proved to be a good night, I had fun, got suitably tipsy and all(I didn't realise how much I drank until I counted the next night- about 9 shots? but surprisingly I didn't get wasted! Spreading those shots over 5 hour period had its benefits.)
I ended up getting home at about 3.30. They bus you in and bus you out for these freshers events, which is a bonus for me. I am too lazy to go otherwise.
There was an incident with a boy from my hall- nothing too scandalous but more and more I am realising how out of place I am in terms of my age! ggggaaah.
3. Party continues
EVERY NIGHT. yep. the freshers go out every night- not ALL of them but it seems to be quite constant.
I hear their first year grades don't really matter in the UK- no wonder!
oh and there are HEAPS of takeaways being had in the halls: I have only had some pizza, but there are delivery people going in and out ANY HOUR OF THE NIGHT.
Dino's Pizza, Fortune Boy (Chinese), Indian food..etc. Freshers' Fifteen will be a reality.
I think I did put on some weight here, what with the drinking EVERY NIGHT (i didn't go out every night, but ended up drinking every night for one reason or other, possibly for society meetings and stuff.)
4. Fresher's Fayre
This is where all the society gather and present their societies for the benefit of freshers- HEAPS of stalls. This was set up next to the Sports Centre. Just walking around the whole thing took about an hour and a half. There were free Dominos Pizza slices being given out and other free things.
I joined a few societies: travel society, Christian Union, Korean Society, Investment Society, Entrepreneur Society...
With most societies, you have to pay to join- around 3~5 Pounds(with exception of Law Society: 25 pounds for a semester! gahh!)
Other fun societies include(and not limited to)
1) Harry Potter Society(!)
2) Cake Society
3) Secular Society
4) Real Ale Society
5) Chess Society
Been to a couple of gatherings.
Korean Society BBQ: met some great Korean people. I am starting to think less bad things about Korean people. Genuinely Korean people(not whitewashed) are better in my opinion. But I dun think it is about ethnicity but more about people in general: you can't trust people wholeheartedly without reason. That's just me going off tangent.
Dropped by the Library on the way to the Korean gathering.
Our famous lake by which the bbq was held.
Cripps Hall people at the bbq. Hon Xing, Ye Ji(Victoria) and Ye Lim.
New addition is Hee Young Kook! :D
CU: Christian Union is always good. I met some Cripps Hall people. There are reps in the Halls from CU. 2nd years living in Halls are seen as somewhat less cool due to the fact that well...many people move out after their first year. BUT some people have reasons for being back in the Halls- missed out on contract deadline for Flat, came back from overseas after a year abroad, helping out with CU! CU people are lovely- just as we have back home. I missed my church a little bit though. I am still searching for a church. I went to one this morning, which was a bit of a disappointment. Going to another tonight.
I feel that this post has been kind of EVERYWHERE, but it is because I am lazy and I haven't been updating as much as i should have been! :)
xxx
