Hi! Yasmine again!
Last Sunday, we finally arrived at Durham, UK, and it’s been absolutely amazing so far!
We’re staying at Grey College, one of the 16 colleges of Durham University. The colleges here are quite independent, in the sense that has each has its own dining hall, reception, pub, etc. When entering first year, students are assigned to a college, and becomes ‘loyal’ to it (much like the Greek life in the States). Some students choose based on their family tradition, some based on distinct features of the college (e.g. St. John’s is dominantly Christian, Teikyo is mainly Japanese, etc.), and others are randomly assigned.
Durham is a very hilly place. On the way back to dorm, there’s an uphill climb to Grey College and it’s always a struggle (though the locals say it’s nothing). Nevertheless, Durham is a great place to walk around. The city is pretty compact, especially downtown, and most places are in walking distance. The scenery is stunning. There’s a river flowing through Durham and bridges that add to the beauty of this town. The landmarks here are the Cathedral and the Castle. Two days ago, we had a very formal dinner/tea (as they call it here) in the Castle with Durham University Summer School students, who are currently doing either a 2-week or 4-week course here, based on archaeology, history, geography, or language, and it was interesting meeting people from all over the world. The Castle today is a part of one of the colleges of Durham University, and there’re students living there during the school year. During summer and holidays, it’s open to the public and has many uses, such as a wedding place. The Castle is a world-protected architecture, and it’s amazing how it’s still so accessible to the general public.
The food here is delicious (though I can’t imagine what British life would be without butter butter butter), and we’ve been fed very well this week. Typical British food would be scones (with butter) and sandwiches (with butter). Tea is also a lot more popular here than in the States.
After the welcome party this week, we’ll officially start at our placements next week, and I can’t wait to see what it’ll be like!
Last Sunday, we finally arrived at Durham, UK, and it’s been absolutely amazing so far!
We’re staying at Grey College, one of the 16 colleges of Durham University. The colleges here are quite independent, in the sense that has each has its own dining hall, reception, pub, etc. When entering first year, students are assigned to a college, and becomes ‘loyal’ to it (much like the Greek life in the States). Some students choose based on their family tradition, some based on distinct features of the college (e.g. St. John’s is dominantly Christian, Teikyo is mainly Japanese, etc.), and others are randomly assigned.
Durham is a very hilly place. On the way back to dorm, there’s an uphill climb to Grey College and it’s always a struggle (though the locals say it’s nothing). Nevertheless, Durham is a great place to walk around. The city is pretty compact, especially downtown, and most places are in walking distance. The scenery is stunning. There’s a river flowing through Durham and bridges that add to the beauty of this town. The landmarks here are the Cathedral and the Castle. Two days ago, we had a very formal dinner/tea (as they call it here) in the Castle with Durham University Summer School students, who are currently doing either a 2-week or 4-week course here, based on archaeology, history, geography, or language, and it was interesting meeting people from all over the world. The Castle today is a part of one of the colleges of Durham University, and there’re students living there during the school year. During summer and holidays, it’s open to the public and has many uses, such as a wedding place. The Castle is a world-protected architecture, and it’s amazing how it’s still so accessible to the general public.
The food here is delicious (though I can’t imagine what British life would be without butter butter butter), and we’ve been fed very well this week. Typical British food would be scones (with butter) and sandwiches (with butter). Tea is also a lot more popular here than in the States.
After the welcome party this week, we’ll officially start at our placements next week, and I can’t wait to see what it’ll be like!