Friday (2/13) was definitely a recovery day cause I was pretty hungover. Luckily I don't have classes on Fridays so I got to sleep in and relax.
Saturday (2/14) was without a doubt the most interesting Valentine's Day of my life. By 11:45 Trev was a bustling sea of white t-shirts; the 15 hour bar crawl was about to begin. There were about 150 people participating, and we were split into 2 groups. Everyone was armed with markers and they were taking turns writing on one another's shirts. Just after noon it was time for Group 1, my group, to head to the underpass and catch buses into town. The group being as large as it was, we had to take 2 buses.
Our first stop on this journey was a bar called Varsity, which I had never been to. I was on the first bus to arrive, so I got right up to the bar and got a pint then joined some friends at a table. About 15 minutes later the rest of Group 1 showed up and filled the bar. There were obviously small groups of people who hung out together for the majority of the time, so I made my way around saying hi to as many people as I recognized. We stayed at Varsity for about 1.5 hours and then it was off to the Lounge. This was another place I'd never been to. I went up to the bar and grabbed a drink and while I was there the bartender told me that they would be passing out free champagne in a few minutes so I hung around till I got some. With my 2 drinks in hand I went and sat with a new group of people and chatted with them for the rest of the time at this bar. The next stop was Revolutions. At Revs we went straight upstairs, which was a part of the bar I'd never seen. There was a dance floor up there and another bar. With everyone a few drinks in it was time to do a little dancing. I grabbed a drink from the bar and hit the floor for a bit. After dancing for a bit I sat down to talk to my new friends Keir and Marc until it was time to move on. Next stop on the crawl was WalkAbout. At WalkAbout we decided it was the job of us pool team members to educate some of our fellow bar crawlers in the ways of the boat race. We did a few of those, then some people ordered food so we sat down and snacked. After WalkAbout it was off to Hustle. I decided to break off from the group and go grab some food of my own at Subway. I wolfed down a footlong sub to soak up the booze and then rejoined the group at Hustle. Everyone was getting pretty well drunk at this point so we did a few shots and then went to the dancefloor. After Hustle it was off to Cuba where we reunited with all the people in Group 2 whom we hadn't seen since noon. Cuba was great. The music was good and we were catching up with all of the Group 2 people. The markers definitely came out as well and t-shirts were being obscenely decorated all over the place, which was hilarious. After Cuba it was off to Toast. Toast was kinda lame so we only stayed long enough for 1 round and a bit of dancing. After Cuba it was off to the final stop on our epic bar crawl, Sugarhouse. We got to Sugarhouse around midnight, which meant we had been going for a solid 12 hours to this point. The sub I ate helped with my intoxication level a bit, but I was still pretty wasted. I think I only had 1 more drink during the 3 hours I was at Sugarhouse, the rest of the time was spent dancing and making an ass of myself. At 3 am, having completed a full 15 hours of bar crawling madness, we headed out of Sugarhouse to catch a free bus back to campus. Back at campus we did our usual stop at Sultan's for some curly fries and then crashed.
The bar crawl was an absolute blast and I'm sad I won't get to do another one with this crowd, cause they only do it once a semester. Below is a link to some photos from the evening:
Bar Crawl Photos
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Crazy Pool Team Night
Thursday (2/12) started off in the usual way with my 3 hours of class from 1-4pm. After class I grabbed some food and got cleaned up before going to Trev at 6 for pool team practice before our match at 7. The match this week was against Cartmel, who is like our buddy college. Since they are our buddies we decided that drinking during the match was required. Also, it was the birthday of one our team members, Matt, so that added to the festivities.
Shortly before 7pm their team arrived carrying two cases of Reef and a big box of straws. Before the first match started, we all headed outside to do a "boat race". After our boat race we headed in to kick things off.
I ended up being chosen to play the first game of the match. I started off poorly, going down by 7 balls to 2, but I ended up coming back and winning by 2 balls. I didn't realize at the time, but the guy I beat had a perfect record coming into our game, so that was a nice little plus to the win. The win brought my personal record to 3-1.
After my game was over it was back outside for another boat race. With 2 boat races out of the way and all of the Reef gone, it was on to Sambuca shots. The trend of game then drink continued pretty much for the rest of the match. By the time we headed into town after the match I had already had 3 pints, 2 Reefs, and 3 shots. A pretty strong pregame I'd say. We ended up winning the match 5-4 btw. Some pics from the match:
Amanda, Urmie, Jessica, and Rosie
Gemma, Jenny, and Ann
The first stop in town was Revolutions to claim our free bottle of vodka and get a few rounds. The next stop was WalkAbout. At WalkAbout we did a few more boat races and had a few rounds before it was off to Elements. I was done drinking for the evening when we got to Elements, so it was all about the dancing, which was a good time with the group I was with. After Elements it was off to the taxis and back to the flat. Here are some pics from the evening:
Left to Right: ?, Alex, Martha, and Bryn
Matt, the birthday boy, is in the center and that is Ed in the green. I don't know the girls.
Jessica, Kirky, Amanda, Rosie, and Urmie
Urmie, Amanda, Rosie, and Jessica
Me and shorty
Shortly before 7pm their team arrived carrying two cases of Reef and a big box of straws. Before the first match started, we all headed outside to do a "boat race". After our boat race we headed in to kick things off.
I ended up being chosen to play the first game of the match. I started off poorly, going down by 7 balls to 2, but I ended up coming back and winning by 2 balls. I didn't realize at the time, but the guy I beat had a perfect record coming into our game, so that was a nice little plus to the win. The win brought my personal record to 3-1.
After my game was over it was back outside for another boat race. With 2 boat races out of the way and all of the Reef gone, it was on to Sambuca shots. The trend of game then drink continued pretty much for the rest of the match. By the time we headed into town after the match I had already had 3 pints, 2 Reefs, and 3 shots. A pretty strong pregame I'd say. We ended up winning the match 5-4 btw. Some pics from the match:
Amanda, Urmie, Jessica, and Rosie
Gemma, Jenny, and Ann
The first stop in town was Revolutions to claim our free bottle of vodka and get a few rounds. The next stop was WalkAbout. At WalkAbout we did a few more boat races and had a few rounds before it was off to Elements. I was done drinking for the evening when we got to Elements, so it was all about the dancing, which was a good time with the group I was with. After Elements it was off to the taxis and back to the flat. Here are some pics from the evening:
Left to Right: ?, Alex, Martha, and Bryn
Matt, the birthday boy, is in the center and that is Ed in the green. I don't know the girls.
Jessica, Kirky, Amanda, Rosie, and Urmie
Urmie, Amanda, Rosie, and Jessica
Me and shorty
Friday, February 27, 2009
Week 5 Intro
Monday (2/9) was definitely a recovery day. Having gotten back from the London trip at 3am I was exhausted. I slept in till about 1pm, then grabbed some lunch and went to Trev for some tea. I hung out in Trev and talked with the usuals about my trip. After a few hours at Trev I went back to my room and knocked out some laundry and reading for class. I wasn't up for going into town for the night so after dinner I went back to Trev for a few pints and a night in with my friends.
Tuesday (2/10) was a pretty normal night until the evening. I went to Trev at 10pm to hang out for the last hour and get a pint. I ran into Urmie while I was there and we hung out and talked till closing. After closing we ended up going to Sultan's to grab some curly fries. Curly fries devoured, I walked Urmie back to her place then headed to my flat. Along the way I heard noise coming from Amanda's kitchen and then I remembered that they were having a flat party that night. I gave her a text and she buzzed me in. When I got to their kitchen I could tell they had been partying for a while. Everyone was pretty drunk and Amanda was smashed. I had a beer with them and hung out for about an hour then headed off. Right as I got to the door of my building I saw Kirky, Jerry, Cheese, and Tina all coming back from a night out and heading to Jerry's flat. I waved at them and they told me to come up and hang out with them for a bit.
On our way up to Jerry's flat we walked into the wrong flat and startled some girl, which was pretty funny. When we got to Jerry's flat we went to the kitchen and set up shop. We smoked a cuban cigar and drank some whiskey and raided his food supply. I tried patte, which wasn't as bad as I expected. It you don't know what that is it is like cream cheese but made of duck and you spread it on crackers. We ended up eating a bunch of random odds and ends that he had. After all that we went to his room cause they all decided I needed to be cultured in the ways of classic British comedy. We watched several YouTube clips of old British TV comedy. I must say I was unimpressed. After about 30 minutes of that I decided to call it a night and finally go to my flat. It was a fun and surprisingly random night.
Wednesday (2/11) was another chill day, with a nightcap in Trev.
Tuesday (2/10) was a pretty normal night until the evening. I went to Trev at 10pm to hang out for the last hour and get a pint. I ran into Urmie while I was there and we hung out and talked till closing. After closing we ended up going to Sultan's to grab some curly fries. Curly fries devoured, I walked Urmie back to her place then headed to my flat. Along the way I heard noise coming from Amanda's kitchen and then I remembered that they were having a flat party that night. I gave her a text and she buzzed me in. When I got to their kitchen I could tell they had been partying for a while. Everyone was pretty drunk and Amanda was smashed. I had a beer with them and hung out for about an hour then headed off. Right as I got to the door of my building I saw Kirky, Jerry, Cheese, and Tina all coming back from a night out and heading to Jerry's flat. I waved at them and they told me to come up and hang out with them for a bit.
On our way up to Jerry's flat we walked into the wrong flat and startled some girl, which was pretty funny. When we got to Jerry's flat we went to the kitchen and set up shop. We smoked a cuban cigar and drank some whiskey and raided his food supply. I tried patte, which wasn't as bad as I expected. It you don't know what that is it is like cream cheese but made of duck and you spread it on crackers. We ended up eating a bunch of random odds and ends that he had. After all that we went to his room cause they all decided I needed to be cultured in the ways of classic British comedy. We watched several YouTube clips of old British TV comedy. I must say I was unimpressed. After about 30 minutes of that I decided to call it a night and finally go to my flat. It was a fun and surprisingly random night.
Wednesday (2/11) was another chill day, with a nightcap in Trev.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
London Trip
Friday (2/6) started off with sleeping in, which was of course awesome. After waking up the rest of the day was spent having tea at Trev and getting packed for London. At 6pm I met up with Kyle, Urmie, and Amanda in Trev to begin our journey. Luggage on our backs we headed to the underpass to catch a bus into town. At the bus station we chilled for about 30 minutes while we waited for our coach since we had decided to go with the night coach option over the train.
Around 7:30 we boarded our coach to Preston, which is about 45 minutes away. In Preston we had a 2 hour layover to change coaches, so we decided to explore the town a little. The area we were in was not very nice I must say. We ended up going into a pub for a pint and the beer we got was really skunky. I nearly peed my pants laughing because of the disappointed look on Kyle's face with every sip.
Kyle laughing about the crappy beer
The pub with the bad beer
After we left that pub we headed down the street to what looked like a more popular area. Along the way we stopped off for some dinner. We ended up getting kebabs, which seem to be at every takeaway in England. They were alright, but I still stick by the Gyro Joint in Broad Ripple with my undying allegiance. With a full stomach we headed to another more respectable looking pub to waste the rest of our time until the coach.
Amanda
Kyle trying the scarf look out
hmmm....
Back at the bus station we boarded our coach for the remainder of the trip. It was a double decker coach which was pretty neat. We of course went straight up stairs and claimed some seats. The coach was really empty and there were only 8 people on the top level including us, so we each had 2 seats to ourselves. The bus made several stops along the way so as we got closer to London the bus became more and more full and we were forced to share our double seats with others, but luckily that was only for about the last 2 hours.
Kyle and Urmie on the coach
Kyle passed out
We got to London around 5am Saturday (2/7) morning and met up with Kyle's friend from back home, Lizzie. We hopped on a bus and went to her place, which is in an area called Maida Vale and is near Notting Hill. Her flat was pretty sweet. We only met 2 of her flatmates, but they were a lot of fun. Here are some pics of her place:
Kitchen
Living Room connected to the kitchen
Cool light in the living room
Bathroom
After getting to her place I passed out on the floor in the living room for a 30 minute power nap. I was surprisingly revived by the nap in spite of the fact that I had barely slept at all on the coach ride. Around 11am we decided it was time to hit the streets and see the sights. Our first stop was Picadilly Circus, which is kinda like Time Square. We emerged from the tube station (subway) and in the sea of comers and goers. We worked our way down the street and grab some sandwiches from a placed called Pret, which is a popular chain in London. After eating we walked to Trafalgar Square and from there we walked to Buckingham Palace. I must say, Buckingham Palace was a bit lackluster. I expected something a bit more grand and ornate, but I wasn't really awed by it. The fountain in the roundabout in front of it was more interesting in my opinion. After Buckingham Palace we walked to Big Ben and Parliament. Parliament was pretty neat from the outside and Big Ben was fun to see simply because I've seen it so many times in movies and such. We didn't realize that Westminster Abbey was right next to Parliament so we just kept on walking across a bridge over the Thames River. On the other bank we walked into some sort of gallery where Kyle decided he wanted to go into this movie memorabilia exhibit. We all waited outside and rested our feet for about 20 minutes while he indulged. After that we walked along the river and passed by the London Eye, which is the giant ferris wheel for sightseeing. We didn't go in it, which I kinda regret, but it was neat to see anyways. We continued to walk along the river past a number of street performers doing a number of different routines. Along our walk we saw the rebuilt version of Shakespeare's theatre. We wanted to go on the tour but it was a bit too pricey for us.
After that we walked through this local market which had all sorts of delicious-smelling things for sale. I was dying cause I really wanted to stop and eat something, but the group wanted to press on. After the market Kyle, Urmie, and I split off to walk out on London Bridge and get a view of the Tower Bridge. With our day of sightseeing concluded we headed for the tube again to get back to Lizzie's flat and prepare for an evening out. Here are some pics from the day:
Amanda, Rachel, Lizzie, and I forget the guys name. Rachel and the guy are Lizzie's flatmates.
Kyle on the subway
Back at the flat we took naps and people took turns grabbing a shower. Around 7pm we headed out to grab a quick bite and some drinks for pregaming. With a few drinks down and some food in the stomach we all suited up to hit the Ministry of Sound, which is a really popular club in London.
Ministry of Sound was awesome. It was really expensive to get in, but it was worth it. The place was packed so it took us a bit to work our way up to the bar. Drinks in hand we hit the dance floor. Saturday nights at MoS are dance, house, techno nights. The girls decided to make it a mission to get at least one free drink during the evening, which is so unfair. After a few songs I went exploring, cause the club has a number of different rooms as well as a balcony overlooking the bar room dance floor. I made a stop in the bathroom where I saw a flyer advertising guest appearances for the year. After seeing the flyer I made my way to the information desk near the door to ask if anyone was gonna be in the house that night. To my delight there was a guest DJ coming on at 2am, and it was one of the few I'm actually familiar with. The DJ is named Sasha and he is world famous. I rushed back to the dance floor to rejoin the group and spread the good news. We killed the time until Sasha's set over several rounds of drinks and plenty of dancing.
Around 1:45 we worked our way into the main room, which is called The Box. The room was shoulder to shoulder, but we were able to work our way up towards the front by hugging the wall. We found a bit of space near the front next to some huge speakers. The girls got up on the speakers and danced which was good for some laughs. After about 20 minutes we decided to try and get closer so we started weaving our way closer. We managed to make it all the way to the front next to another stack of speakers. The music was great and we partied the rest of the night in there listening to Sasha's set. Sadly we ended up leaving around 3, after only 1 hour of his 4 hour set.
After leaving the club we hopped on a bus and headed back to the flat to crash. On the bus we went up to the top level and grabbed some open seats. There was a really funny bunch of guys from Canada sitting by us so we talked to them the whole ride back. Back at the flat I snagged a blanket and picked a spot on the wooden living room floor to sleep. Not the most comfortable night sleep, but it was free so I can't complain.
The next morning Lizzy and her flatmates went on to campus to get some work done so Urmie, Kyle, Amanda, and I packed up our stuff and headed back into town. This time we got off the tube near Notting Hill. We walked a few blocks and arrived at Hyde Park. It was a beautiful park, but things were a bit dead due to it being winter. Right next to Hyde Park is Kensington Gardens, which I think is better than Hyde Park, but again most things were dead. We walked through Kensington Gardens and saw the Peter Pan statue, which was something Kyle said he had to do while he was in London. We left the park on the south end on our way to Harrods, which is a ginormous famous department store. We went into Harrods but it was so overwhelming and our time was short so we didn't stay very long. It would certainly be a cool place to go and spend some time looking around, but you kinda have to be rich to really shop there.
After Harrods it was lunch time and I was craving fish 'n' chips. We scoured the area around Harrods for any place advertising fish 'n' chips, but things looked scarce. Just when we were about ready to give up we spotted a little pub on a small street that had a fish 'n' chips lunch special for takeaway. We went in and sat down to relax for a bit while they made our order. When our order was up we grabbed the food and hit the road, eating as we walked towards the subway stop. The fish 'n' chips was the best I've had since I've been in England, although I will admit that it didn't strike me as the traditional kind.
We hopped on the train and headed for the Tower of London, which has a tour of the building as well as a torture exhibit. The train lines were all messed up for the weekend so we had to do a lot of switching to get near our destination. The closest we could get was about 10 blocks away, but that was close enough. We made the trek from the train stop to the Tower of London, which is right along the river and right next to Tower Bridge. We ended up getting there too late to do a tour so we just walked around along the water and looked at Tower Bridge, which was pretty neat. It had started to get dark and the time for us to leave was nearing so we hoofed it back to the subway stop to catch a train to the bus station.
We got to the bus station with about 2 minutes to spare and headed for the gate for our coach. There were a bunch of people sitting around at our gate so we figured they hadn't boarded yet. In reality it had boarded and we watched it drive away. There was another coach leaving 30 minutes later going to the same destination so we pleaded our case to the next bus driver and he let us get on. The whole ride to our first destination we were sweating, cause when we got there we needed to change to a different coach and we were already 30 minutes behind on what was supposed to be a 40 minute layover. To our pleasant surprise we ended up getting there with 20 minutes to spare and we made our connection just fine. The coach going back to Lancaster was pretty full and not a double decker which made me sad, but it got us there. When we got back into Lancaster at 3am we grabbed our stuff and got off. There was a taxi sitting there so we went over and asked if he could give us a lift back to the university. He gave us the nod and in we went. Right as we closed the doors to the taxi I realized that I had left my camera bag on the coach. It had my nice Nikon D40 camera and my video camera in it. My Nikon had all of my pictures of the trip except for the ones I took in the Ministry of Sound, hence the reason this post is so barren. I was pissed as you can expect. I called the coach company, but it has been 2 weeks and I haven't heard anything back which tells me its gone. Anyways, that was my trip to London. With the exception of losing my camera it was a good trip. The link below is to a photo album that has all the pictures I took with my other camera.
London Photos
Around 7:30 we boarded our coach to Preston, which is about 45 minutes away. In Preston we had a 2 hour layover to change coaches, so we decided to explore the town a little. The area we were in was not very nice I must say. We ended up going into a pub for a pint and the beer we got was really skunky. I nearly peed my pants laughing because of the disappointed look on Kyle's face with every sip.
Kyle laughing about the crappy beer
The pub with the bad beer
After we left that pub we headed down the street to what looked like a more popular area. Along the way we stopped off for some dinner. We ended up getting kebabs, which seem to be at every takeaway in England. They were alright, but I still stick by the Gyro Joint in Broad Ripple with my undying allegiance. With a full stomach we headed to another more respectable looking pub to waste the rest of our time until the coach.
Amanda
Kyle trying the scarf look out
hmmm....
Back at the bus station we boarded our coach for the remainder of the trip. It was a double decker coach which was pretty neat. We of course went straight up stairs and claimed some seats. The coach was really empty and there were only 8 people on the top level including us, so we each had 2 seats to ourselves. The bus made several stops along the way so as we got closer to London the bus became more and more full and we were forced to share our double seats with others, but luckily that was only for about the last 2 hours.
Kyle and Urmie on the coach
Kyle passed out
We got to London around 5am Saturday (2/7) morning and met up with Kyle's friend from back home, Lizzie. We hopped on a bus and went to her place, which is in an area called Maida Vale and is near Notting Hill. Her flat was pretty sweet. We only met 2 of her flatmates, but they were a lot of fun. Here are some pics of her place:
Kitchen
Living Room connected to the kitchen
Cool light in the living room
Bathroom
After getting to her place I passed out on the floor in the living room for a 30 minute power nap. I was surprisingly revived by the nap in spite of the fact that I had barely slept at all on the coach ride. Around 11am we decided it was time to hit the streets and see the sights. Our first stop was Picadilly Circus, which is kinda like Time Square. We emerged from the tube station (subway) and in the sea of comers and goers. We worked our way down the street and grab some sandwiches from a placed called Pret, which is a popular chain in London. After eating we walked to Trafalgar Square and from there we walked to Buckingham Palace. I must say, Buckingham Palace was a bit lackluster. I expected something a bit more grand and ornate, but I wasn't really awed by it. The fountain in the roundabout in front of it was more interesting in my opinion. After Buckingham Palace we walked to Big Ben and Parliament. Parliament was pretty neat from the outside and Big Ben was fun to see simply because I've seen it so many times in movies and such. We didn't realize that Westminster Abbey was right next to Parliament so we just kept on walking across a bridge over the Thames River. On the other bank we walked into some sort of gallery where Kyle decided he wanted to go into this movie memorabilia exhibit. We all waited outside and rested our feet for about 20 minutes while he indulged. After that we walked along the river and passed by the London Eye, which is the giant ferris wheel for sightseeing. We didn't go in it, which I kinda regret, but it was neat to see anyways. We continued to walk along the river past a number of street performers doing a number of different routines. Along our walk we saw the rebuilt version of Shakespeare's theatre. We wanted to go on the tour but it was a bit too pricey for us.
After that we walked through this local market which had all sorts of delicious-smelling things for sale. I was dying cause I really wanted to stop and eat something, but the group wanted to press on. After the market Kyle, Urmie, and I split off to walk out on London Bridge and get a view of the Tower Bridge. With our day of sightseeing concluded we headed for the tube again to get back to Lizzie's flat and prepare for an evening out. Here are some pics from the day:
Amanda, Rachel, Lizzie, and I forget the guys name. Rachel and the guy are Lizzie's flatmates.
Kyle on the subway
Back at the flat we took naps and people took turns grabbing a shower. Around 7pm we headed out to grab a quick bite and some drinks for pregaming. With a few drinks down and some food in the stomach we all suited up to hit the Ministry of Sound, which is a really popular club in London.
Ministry of Sound was awesome. It was really expensive to get in, but it was worth it. The place was packed so it took us a bit to work our way up to the bar. Drinks in hand we hit the dance floor. Saturday nights at MoS are dance, house, techno nights. The girls decided to make it a mission to get at least one free drink during the evening, which is so unfair. After a few songs I went exploring, cause the club has a number of different rooms as well as a balcony overlooking the bar room dance floor. I made a stop in the bathroom where I saw a flyer advertising guest appearances for the year. After seeing the flyer I made my way to the information desk near the door to ask if anyone was gonna be in the house that night. To my delight there was a guest DJ coming on at 2am, and it was one of the few I'm actually familiar with. The DJ is named Sasha and he is world famous. I rushed back to the dance floor to rejoin the group and spread the good news. We killed the time until Sasha's set over several rounds of drinks and plenty of dancing.
Around 1:45 we worked our way into the main room, which is called The Box. The room was shoulder to shoulder, but we were able to work our way up towards the front by hugging the wall. We found a bit of space near the front next to some huge speakers. The girls got up on the speakers and danced which was good for some laughs. After about 20 minutes we decided to try and get closer so we started weaving our way closer. We managed to make it all the way to the front next to another stack of speakers. The music was great and we partied the rest of the night in there listening to Sasha's set. Sadly we ended up leaving around 3, after only 1 hour of his 4 hour set.
After leaving the club we hopped on a bus and headed back to the flat to crash. On the bus we went up to the top level and grabbed some open seats. There was a really funny bunch of guys from Canada sitting by us so we talked to them the whole ride back. Back at the flat I snagged a blanket and picked a spot on the wooden living room floor to sleep. Not the most comfortable night sleep, but it was free so I can't complain.
The next morning Lizzy and her flatmates went on to campus to get some work done so Urmie, Kyle, Amanda, and I packed up our stuff and headed back into town. This time we got off the tube near Notting Hill. We walked a few blocks and arrived at Hyde Park. It was a beautiful park, but things were a bit dead due to it being winter. Right next to Hyde Park is Kensington Gardens, which I think is better than Hyde Park, but again most things were dead. We walked through Kensington Gardens and saw the Peter Pan statue, which was something Kyle said he had to do while he was in London. We left the park on the south end on our way to Harrods, which is a ginormous famous department store. We went into Harrods but it was so overwhelming and our time was short so we didn't stay very long. It would certainly be a cool place to go and spend some time looking around, but you kinda have to be rich to really shop there.
After Harrods it was lunch time and I was craving fish 'n' chips. We scoured the area around Harrods for any place advertising fish 'n' chips, but things looked scarce. Just when we were about ready to give up we spotted a little pub on a small street that had a fish 'n' chips lunch special for takeaway. We went in and sat down to relax for a bit while they made our order. When our order was up we grabbed the food and hit the road, eating as we walked towards the subway stop. The fish 'n' chips was the best I've had since I've been in England, although I will admit that it didn't strike me as the traditional kind.
We hopped on the train and headed for the Tower of London, which has a tour of the building as well as a torture exhibit. The train lines were all messed up for the weekend so we had to do a lot of switching to get near our destination. The closest we could get was about 10 blocks away, but that was close enough. We made the trek from the train stop to the Tower of London, which is right along the river and right next to Tower Bridge. We ended up getting there too late to do a tour so we just walked around along the water and looked at Tower Bridge, which was pretty neat. It had started to get dark and the time for us to leave was nearing so we hoofed it back to the subway stop to catch a train to the bus station.
We got to the bus station with about 2 minutes to spare and headed for the gate for our coach. There were a bunch of people sitting around at our gate so we figured they hadn't boarded yet. In reality it had boarded and we watched it drive away. There was another coach leaving 30 minutes later going to the same destination so we pleaded our case to the next bus driver and he let us get on. The whole ride to our first destination we were sweating, cause when we got there we needed to change to a different coach and we were already 30 minutes behind on what was supposed to be a 40 minute layover. To our pleasant surprise we ended up getting there with 20 minutes to spare and we made our connection just fine. The coach going back to Lancaster was pretty full and not a double decker which made me sad, but it got us there. When we got back into Lancaster at 3am we grabbed our stuff and got off. There was a taxi sitting there so we went over and asked if he could give us a lift back to the university. He gave us the nod and in we went. Right as we closed the doors to the taxi I realized that I had left my camera bag on the coach. It had my nice Nikon D40 camera and my video camera in it. My Nikon had all of my pictures of the trip except for the ones I took in the Ministry of Sound, hence the reason this post is so barren. I was pissed as you can expect. I called the coach company, but it has been 2 weeks and I haven't heard anything back which tells me its gone. Anyways, that was my trip to London. With the exception of losing my camera it was a good trip. The link below is to a photo album that has all the pictures I took with my other camera.
London Photos
Monday, February 16, 2009
Another Thursday With The Pool Team
Thursday (2/5) was a pretty typical Thursday (i.e., classes, Trev, dinner, pool match, bar crawl). Our opponent for this pool match was Bowland, who are one of the best pool teams in the league. At 6pm the team met in Trev for some practice and then at about 6:50 we worked our way up the Spine to Bowland.
When we got to Bowland it was right to business. I played the third game of the match. I only took 2 shots in my game before my opponent ended up accidentally pocketing the 8ball, which gave me a win by default. I was actually kinda pissed cause I had waited all week to play for about 5 minutes and win by default. It was definitely bittersweet. Anyways, that win brought my personal record to 2-1.
The match came down to the very last game to decide it. It was our team captain Jerry against their captain for the win. It was a close game, and Jerry definitely had some good opportunities to win it, but we ended up losing. All in all it was a very intense match, and I think overall we were fairly pleased with our performance. Anyways, after the match we all went back to Trev to join up with the A-Team (not Mr. T) and headed into town.
First stop was WalkAbout as usual, since they are our sponsor. While we were there I ran into Amanda and her flatmates who were out for a bar crawl of their own. We also ran into the Cartmel pool team, so we challenged them to a few "boat races", which I think I explained before, but if not it is a chugging race with a drink called Reef. Those Cartmel guys dominate boat races btw, so we got owned. Here are some pics:
Amanda and her flatmates
Rockin the Reef
A boat race in action
Jerry, Alex, Matt, and Bryn (Furness pool team members)
Me and the pool guys
After WalkAbout we went to Friary for more cheap drinks. We got a few rounds at Friary and then headed to Elements to rejoin Amanda and her flatmates. Elements had a decent turnout and the music was pretty good. We finished out the night there and then it was off to the taxis and back to the univeristy to crash.
When we got to Bowland it was right to business. I played the third game of the match. I only took 2 shots in my game before my opponent ended up accidentally pocketing the 8ball, which gave me a win by default. I was actually kinda pissed cause I had waited all week to play for about 5 minutes and win by default. It was definitely bittersweet. Anyways, that win brought my personal record to 2-1.
The match came down to the very last game to decide it. It was our team captain Jerry against their captain for the win. It was a close game, and Jerry definitely had some good opportunities to win it, but we ended up losing. All in all it was a very intense match, and I think overall we were fairly pleased with our performance. Anyways, after the match we all went back to Trev to join up with the A-Team (not Mr. T) and headed into town.
First stop was WalkAbout as usual, since they are our sponsor. While we were there I ran into Amanda and her flatmates who were out for a bar crawl of their own. We also ran into the Cartmel pool team, so we challenged them to a few "boat races", which I think I explained before, but if not it is a chugging race with a drink called Reef. Those Cartmel guys dominate boat races btw, so we got owned. Here are some pics:
Amanda and her flatmates
Rockin the Reef
A boat race in action
Jerry, Alex, Matt, and Bryn (Furness pool team members)
Me and the pool guys
After WalkAbout we went to Friary for more cheap drinks. We got a few rounds at Friary and then headed to Elements to rejoin Amanda and her flatmates. Elements had a decent turnout and the music was pretty good. We finished out the night there and then it was off to the taxis and back to the univeristy to crash.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
THE CARLETON!!
Tuesday (2/3) was a pretty basic day and I ended up in Trev as I usually do.
Wednesday (2/4), however, was pretty great. After my 1 lecture for the day I went down to Trev for a cup of tea and a few games a pool to relax. Around 5pm I headed to the Underpass to catch a bus into town and meet up with the frisbee team for dinner and a pool tournament.
For dinner we ate at Weatherspoons, which if you remember was the first place I ever ate in Lancaster. I was really hungry by the time I got there so I went a little nuts and ended up eating 3 courses. When it was over I felt so bloated I could barely speak. After dinner we walked to the main pool hall in town, Rileys.
When we got there we signed up for a membership and got 2 free drinks as result. I was so absurdly full that I couldn't even attempt to drink anything. We were then divided into pairs for the tournament. I ended up being paired with Jon "The Juggernaut" McNauton (he is in one of the pictures from regionals). We played 3 games as a pair and won all of them. After the pairs part was done it just became a free-for-all with people rushing around trying to get into games. I hung around till about 8:30 and then headed back to campus to meet up with Urmie and Amanda.
Back at campus, I met up with Amanda and Urmie at Amanda's flat. Those 2, plus all of Amanda's flatmates and Rosy, Rose, and Richard were all pregaming for a big night out at the Carleton. The Carleton is a cheesy club in a nearby town called Morecambe. Every Wednesday night people catch buses in droves to flood this place. From all accounts I had heard to this point, the only way to go was drunk and with a big group. I had the big group, but I was physically unable to get drunk for lack of space in my stomach.
Amanda and Urmie pregaming
We hung out in their flat till about 10:30 and then headed to the Underpass to catch the last of the 4 buses that were shuttling people the 30 minute ride to Morecambe.
When we got to the Carleton we piled out of the bus and into the queue. We only waited about 10 minutes and then we were in. We ascended the 2 flights of stairs and then crossed the threshold into what reminded me of a high school prom. The first music I remember hearing was something by the Jackson 5. I then turned to my right to look around and the first thing I see is this.
My friend Kyle riding a mechanical bottle of WKD
I can't really put into words how happy I was when I spotted this. I rushed over to cheer him on. After his run was over I turned around and saw French-Canadian Jessica. We talked for a few and then I headed back to catch up with the group I came with. On my way to catch up with them I ran into the Aussie Jess.
Me and Jess
I finally did catch up with my group amidst the packed dance floor. We got our dance on as the songs progressed from one cheesy track to another. After a while we ran into a large group of international students. A lot of them I hadn't seen since week 1 or 2, so it was nice to get a hug and catch up. Here are some pics:
Oh snap, who is this sexy character?!?
Rosie, Dennis, and Ruth
Lee, Amelia, and Neenah
Richard and Rose
Jessica
Dennis and Me
Left to Right: Lauren, Gemma, Ann
Amanda and Kyle
:( Wheres my hat???
Aha, she stole it
Group shot (thats Matt on the right)
Urmie, Rosy, and Amanda
Urmie, Me, and Rosy
We partied till around 2:30 and then caught the last bus back to Lancaster. It was a really fun night.
Wednesday (2/4), however, was pretty great. After my 1 lecture for the day I went down to Trev for a cup of tea and a few games a pool to relax. Around 5pm I headed to the Underpass to catch a bus into town and meet up with the frisbee team for dinner and a pool tournament.
For dinner we ate at Weatherspoons, which if you remember was the first place I ever ate in Lancaster. I was really hungry by the time I got there so I went a little nuts and ended up eating 3 courses. When it was over I felt so bloated I could barely speak. After dinner we walked to the main pool hall in town, Rileys.
When we got there we signed up for a membership and got 2 free drinks as result. I was so absurdly full that I couldn't even attempt to drink anything. We were then divided into pairs for the tournament. I ended up being paired with Jon "The Juggernaut" McNauton (he is in one of the pictures from regionals). We played 3 games as a pair and won all of them. After the pairs part was done it just became a free-for-all with people rushing around trying to get into games. I hung around till about 8:30 and then headed back to campus to meet up with Urmie and Amanda.
Back at campus, I met up with Amanda and Urmie at Amanda's flat. Those 2, plus all of Amanda's flatmates and Rosy, Rose, and Richard were all pregaming for a big night out at the Carleton. The Carleton is a cheesy club in a nearby town called Morecambe. Every Wednesday night people catch buses in droves to flood this place. From all accounts I had heard to this point, the only way to go was drunk and with a big group. I had the big group, but I was physically unable to get drunk for lack of space in my stomach.
Amanda and Urmie pregaming
We hung out in their flat till about 10:30 and then headed to the Underpass to catch the last of the 4 buses that were shuttling people the 30 minute ride to Morecambe.
When we got to the Carleton we piled out of the bus and into the queue. We only waited about 10 minutes and then we were in. We ascended the 2 flights of stairs and then crossed the threshold into what reminded me of a high school prom. The first music I remember hearing was something by the Jackson 5. I then turned to my right to look around and the first thing I see is this.
My friend Kyle riding a mechanical bottle of WKD
I can't really put into words how happy I was when I spotted this. I rushed over to cheer him on. After his run was over I turned around and saw French-Canadian Jessica. We talked for a few and then I headed back to catch up with the group I came with. On my way to catch up with them I ran into the Aussie Jess.
Me and Jess
I finally did catch up with my group amidst the packed dance floor. We got our dance on as the songs progressed from one cheesy track to another. After a while we ran into a large group of international students. A lot of them I hadn't seen since week 1 or 2, so it was nice to get a hug and catch up. Here are some pics:
Oh snap, who is this sexy character?!?
Rosie, Dennis, and Ruth
Lee, Amelia, and Neenah
Richard and Rose
Jessica
Dennis and Me
Left to Right: Lauren, Gemma, Ann
Amanda and Kyle
:( Wheres my hat???
Aha, she stole it
Group shot (thats Matt on the right)
Urmie, Rosy, and Amanda
Urmie, Me, and Rosy
We partied till around 2:30 and then caught the last bus back to Lancaster. It was a really fun night.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Week 4 Begins
Monday (2/2) started off nice with my 10am seminar getting canceled because of a little snow. It was nothing compared to what Indianapolis got. With my seminar canceled I just went back to my flat for some breakfast and to get some work done. I went to my lecture from 1-3 and then it was down to Trev for my usual 2 cups of tea. While I was in Trev I was invited by Kirky to go out with him and some old JCR members (people who have executive positions for the college) for the evening. I decided to take him up on the offer, so I went back to my flat and got ready.
I made myself some dinner and got showered up then headed back down to Trev to pre-drink a bit before going out. At about 10:30 it was time to get moving so we headed down to catch a bus into town. Our first stop of the evening was WalkAbout. We hung out there and played drinking games for a few hours. While we were there the women's netball team showed up so they joined in the festivities.
Next stop was Friary. We didn't stay there too long, but enough for about 2 rounds. After Friary some people went to get takeaway while the rest headed to Elements. I went with the takeaway crowd to chill for a bit before going to Elements.
Elements was surprisingly packed, which made it pretty good. We only ended up staying there for about an hour though, and then it was back to campus.
I made myself some dinner and got showered up then headed back down to Trev to pre-drink a bit before going out. At about 10:30 it was time to get moving so we headed down to catch a bus into town. Our first stop of the evening was WalkAbout. We hung out there and played drinking games for a few hours. While we were there the women's netball team showed up so they joined in the festivities.
Next stop was Friary. We didn't stay there too long, but enough for about 2 rounds. After Friary some people went to get takeaway while the rest headed to Elements. I went with the takeaway crowd to chill for a bit before going to Elements.
Elements was surprisingly packed, which made it pretty good. We only ended up staying there for about an hour though, and then it was back to campus.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Regionals With The Fish
Friday (1/30) started off by me sleeping in till noon. When I finally came to I made a sandwich and headed down to Trev for a some afternoon tea. After a few hours of chatting with the usuals I headed back to my flat to get packed for the trip to regionals. At 6pm the team met up outside the Chaplaincy Centre to load up the van and head out. With 10 members of the team tucked away in the van we hit the road to Manchester, which was about 1.5 hrs away. Between listening to RHCP and listening to the team rip on each other constantly, the ride was great.
In Manchester we stayed at the house of the team captain, Max. We unloaded the van, then gorged ourselves on an awesome pasta dinner made by Max's mom. After dinner we just hung out and watched some TV till about 11:30 when we decided to pass out. I didn't have a sleeping bag so I ended up freezing my ass off over night, and apparently I snored something terrible.
In the morning we all got suited up in several layers for the cold day of games ahead. The weather was about 40 degrees with 15-20 mph winds, not the greatest conditions for an ultimate tournament. All geared up we loaded up in the van for the drive to Liverpool, about 1.5 hours.
At the fields we unloaded the van and headed out to claim a spot amongst the other teams. There were 16 teams in total. We came in as the 8th seed. After a short warmup it was time to kick things off.
Our first game was against a team called Duff 2. We ended up smashing them 10 - 2. I played pretty well, throwing 3 points and catching 2.
Our second game was against Pies 1, the #1 seed. Obviously we expected to lose to them, but it was a hard fought game. We started off trading points and then they took off. We ended up losing 2 - 11.
Our third game was against Hull, who is historically a pretty even match with the Fish. The game was really tight the whole way through, but we ended up losing 5 - 7. Also, about half way through the game I hurt my leg, which had me sidelined. I think I hyperextended my quad in my left leg. Whatever it was it hurt and it pretty much eliminated my ability to sprint or make sharp cuts.
Our fourth, and final, game of day 1 was against Phat'Eds. With everyone tired and our team banged up we were no match for them. We lost 1-12.
In between all of our games we went into a building near the fields and sat under heat lights to warm up and eat a snack. After the games we piled back into the van and drove back to Manchester. When we got back to Max's house we all took turns with the showers. Cleaned up and relieved to be in a warm house and out of our game clothes, we all just chilled in the TV room. His mom made dinner for us again, this time it was ribs and pizza. The ribs were without a doubt the best ribs I've ever had. After dinner we decided to watch No Country For Old Men. I'd seen the movie before, but it was just as good the 2nd time around. Here are the only pictures I got of the weekend:
Left to Right: Max, Ross, Harris, Charles
Sam and Anett
Left to Right: Rick, John, Martin, Mike
There was one other member of the team who was not in the pictures because he only came for the 2nd day.
Sunday morning went in similar fashion to Saturday. Everyone grabbed a bite to eat and got suited up, then we loaded up the van to head back to Liverpool. At the fields we set up just like the day before and got warmed up.
Our first game of the 2nd day was against Phat'Eds 2. We beat them in convincingly with a final score of 2-11.
Our second game was against Halcyon 2. This was the closest, and hardest fought, game of the tournament for us, but in the end it was the wind who defeated us and we lost 7-8.
Our third game of day 2 and final game of the tournament was against Pies 2. This game went down to the final point, which we managed to score after about 20 minutes. Final score 8-7 us.
Tournament Summary:
Record: 3-4
Final Place: 11th
Team Injuries: Max, Martin, Anett, and Me
Despite the previous stats, it was a great tournament. After the last game we said goodbye to the other teams and hit the road. The ride home was so relaxing, everyone was comforted by the fact that we wouldn't have to play anymore freezing cold games for several days.
In Manchester we stayed at the house of the team captain, Max. We unloaded the van, then gorged ourselves on an awesome pasta dinner made by Max's mom. After dinner we just hung out and watched some TV till about 11:30 when we decided to pass out. I didn't have a sleeping bag so I ended up freezing my ass off over night, and apparently I snored something terrible.
In the morning we all got suited up in several layers for the cold day of games ahead. The weather was about 40 degrees with 15-20 mph winds, not the greatest conditions for an ultimate tournament. All geared up we loaded up in the van for the drive to Liverpool, about 1.5 hours.
At the fields we unloaded the van and headed out to claim a spot amongst the other teams. There were 16 teams in total. We came in as the 8th seed. After a short warmup it was time to kick things off.
Our first game was against a team called Duff 2. We ended up smashing them 10 - 2. I played pretty well, throwing 3 points and catching 2.
Our second game was against Pies 1, the #1 seed. Obviously we expected to lose to them, but it was a hard fought game. We started off trading points and then they took off. We ended up losing 2 - 11.
Our third game was against Hull, who is historically a pretty even match with the Fish. The game was really tight the whole way through, but we ended up losing 5 - 7. Also, about half way through the game I hurt my leg, which had me sidelined. I think I hyperextended my quad in my left leg. Whatever it was it hurt and it pretty much eliminated my ability to sprint or make sharp cuts.
Our fourth, and final, game of day 1 was against Phat'Eds. With everyone tired and our team banged up we were no match for them. We lost 1-12.
In between all of our games we went into a building near the fields and sat under heat lights to warm up and eat a snack. After the games we piled back into the van and drove back to Manchester. When we got back to Max's house we all took turns with the showers. Cleaned up and relieved to be in a warm house and out of our game clothes, we all just chilled in the TV room. His mom made dinner for us again, this time it was ribs and pizza. The ribs were without a doubt the best ribs I've ever had. After dinner we decided to watch No Country For Old Men. I'd seen the movie before, but it was just as good the 2nd time around. Here are the only pictures I got of the weekend:
Left to Right: Max, Ross, Harris, Charles
Sam and Anett
Left to Right: Rick, John, Martin, Mike
There was one other member of the team who was not in the pictures because he only came for the 2nd day.
Sunday morning went in similar fashion to Saturday. Everyone grabbed a bite to eat and got suited up, then we loaded up the van to head back to Liverpool. At the fields we set up just like the day before and got warmed up.
Our first game of the 2nd day was against Phat'Eds 2. We beat them in convincingly with a final score of 2-11.
Our second game was against Halcyon 2. This was the closest, and hardest fought, game of the tournament for us, but in the end it was the wind who defeated us and we lost 7-8.
Our third game of day 2 and final game of the tournament was against Pies 2. This game went down to the final point, which we managed to score after about 20 minutes. Final score 8-7 us.
Tournament Summary:
Record: 3-4
Final Place: 11th
Team Injuries: Max, Martin, Anett, and Me
Despite the previous stats, it was a great tournament. After the last game we said goodbye to the other teams and hit the road. The ride home was so relaxing, everyone was comforted by the fact that we wouldn't have to play anymore freezing cold games for several days.
Partying With The Pool Team
Thursday (1/29) was the night for my second match as a member of the Furness Pool Team. We were playing at home against Pendle. I ended up losing my match by 1 ball and our team lost 1-8, which obviously had everyone a little be deflated. To lift our spirits we headed out in mass to town to get wasted.
Our first stop in town was WalkAbout, cause they sponsor our team. At WalkAbout we slammed down Strawpedoes, which is a bottle of Reef (orange flavored drink with vodka in it) with a straw in it. Mondays and Thursdays at WalkAbout are Quids nights so there are a lot of drinks on sale for 1 pound. After a few rounds we moved on to Revolutions, where we were given a free bottle of cherry vodka for bringing in a big group. We each got 4 shots off the bottle and bought a few more rounds. Here is the only picture I took from that evening:
Some members of the team. The one lifting his shirt up is Jerry, the captain. The little guy in the front center is Bryn, the one who recruited me to the team.
After Revolutions we went to Hustle, which is a cheesy club that looks like a bit like a 70's disco. It was pretty funny to listen to the cross-dressing DJ at Hustle rip on Bryn for looking like a 13 year old child. After a few hours and several more rounds we headed back to campus to crash. It was a good first time out with the team.
Our first stop in town was WalkAbout, cause they sponsor our team. At WalkAbout we slammed down Strawpedoes, which is a bottle of Reef (orange flavored drink with vodka in it) with a straw in it. Mondays and Thursdays at WalkAbout are Quids nights so there are a lot of drinks on sale for 1 pound. After a few rounds we moved on to Revolutions, where we were given a free bottle of cherry vodka for bringing in a big group. We each got 4 shots off the bottle and bought a few more rounds. Here is the only picture I took from that evening:
Some members of the team. The one lifting his shirt up is Jerry, the captain. The little guy in the front center is Bryn, the one who recruited me to the team.
After Revolutions we went to Hustle, which is a cheesy club that looks like a bit like a 70's disco. It was pretty funny to listen to the cross-dressing DJ at Hustle rip on Bryn for looking like a 13 year old child. After a few hours and several more rounds we headed back to campus to crash. It was a good first time out with the team.
Monday, February 2, 2009
My First Football Match
Tuesday (1/27) was pretty slow, most of it spent recovering from Australia Day. In the evening I went down to Trevor and relaxed with the crew then came back and crashed at a decent hour, which almost never happens.
Sleeping in Wednesday morning was refreshing. After my noon lecture I grabbed a little snack and got suited up for frisbee practice. We were lucky this week because we got to use a hockey pitch for practice, which is made of astroturf instead of the muddy rugby pitches. The practice was a good workout and fun too. Practice ended at 3:45, so afterwards I hauled ass back to my room to get showered up and changed in order to make it down to the underpass by 5pm.
At 4:45pm, with a sandwich and tangerine in hand, I headed down to the underpass to meet up with my friends and go to my first football match. We loaded up on a coach and away we went.
The ride to Wigan was about 1:15, so we made small talk and caught up on any gossip. When we arrived we all filed out and headed towards the stadium. Outside the stadium there were some stands selling hot food so we all grabbed a little something and then headed towards our gate. Here are some pictures:
A view into the stadium from the steps to our gate
Wigan Stadium
Another shot of the field
Urmie and Amanda
Me, Urmie, and Amanda
Wigan mascot
Dennis and a Wigan mascot
A shot of the stands, the one on the left is strictly the rowdy Liverpool fans, and in the distance is the main Wigan stands. They chanted at each other the whole game, it was great.
The players shaking hands at the beginning
The picture nazi who told us not to take pictures
The game
A Wigan player throwing in the ball
The final score
As you can see, the match ended in a draw, which upset the Liverpool fans and thrilled the Wigan fans. The match was a lot of fun, even though I don't fully understand football. After the match we headed straight back to the coach and headed back to Lancaster.
Back in Lancaster a group of us decided to have an after party. First we stopped at Pizzetta for a snack and then we headed to Grizedale where Jessica, one of the exchange students, lives. We didn't really have much alcohol and we got back after the local stores had already closed, but we still had a good time hanging out. Her flat is really nice cause she has a huge kitchen and an actual living room. The townhouses that she lives in are the only flats that have a living room, I'm jealous. Here are some pics:
Diego and Kyle
Dennis
Kyle and Rosy
Sunny
Kyle and Rosy again
Sunny again
Me
Me and Jessica (French Canadian)
Kyle downing some Martini Blanco
The after party was a nice way to cap off the evening. It was my first time hanging out with Jessica, but she seems like a lot of fun. After the party we all went our separate ways.
Sleeping in Wednesday morning was refreshing. After my noon lecture I grabbed a little snack and got suited up for frisbee practice. We were lucky this week because we got to use a hockey pitch for practice, which is made of astroturf instead of the muddy rugby pitches. The practice was a good workout and fun too. Practice ended at 3:45, so afterwards I hauled ass back to my room to get showered up and changed in order to make it down to the underpass by 5pm.
At 4:45pm, with a sandwich and tangerine in hand, I headed down to the underpass to meet up with my friends and go to my first football match. We loaded up on a coach and away we went.
The ride to Wigan was about 1:15, so we made small talk and caught up on any gossip. When we arrived we all filed out and headed towards the stadium. Outside the stadium there were some stands selling hot food so we all grabbed a little something and then headed towards our gate. Here are some pictures:
A view into the stadium from the steps to our gate
Wigan Stadium
Another shot of the field
Urmie and Amanda
Me, Urmie, and Amanda
Wigan mascot
Dennis and a Wigan mascot
A shot of the stands, the one on the left is strictly the rowdy Liverpool fans, and in the distance is the main Wigan stands. They chanted at each other the whole game, it was great.
The players shaking hands at the beginning
The picture nazi who told us not to take pictures
The game
A Wigan player throwing in the ball
The final score
As you can see, the match ended in a draw, which upset the Liverpool fans and thrilled the Wigan fans. The match was a lot of fun, even though I don't fully understand football. After the match we headed straight back to the coach and headed back to Lancaster.
Back in Lancaster a group of us decided to have an after party. First we stopped at Pizzetta for a snack and then we headed to Grizedale where Jessica, one of the exchange students, lives. We didn't really have much alcohol and we got back after the local stores had already closed, but we still had a good time hanging out. Her flat is really nice cause she has a huge kitchen and an actual living room. The townhouses that she lives in are the only flats that have a living room, I'm jealous. Here are some pics:
Diego and Kyle
Dennis
Kyle and Rosy
Sunny
Kyle and Rosy again
Sunny again
Me
Me and Jessica (French Canadian)
Kyle downing some Martini Blanco
The after party was a nice way to cap off the evening. It was my first time hanging out with Jessica, but she seems like a lot of fun. After the party we all went our separate ways.
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