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Wednesday was doomed even before it began; that day was listed as a ‘sessions day’ in our orientation handbook. And yes, it was an entire day of sessions. We began at ten in the morning with a session on the Student Union. From the talk, I gather that the Union is not connected to the school but they have a mutual understanding that they would have a building on campus and help out students with any problems that we might have. So the Student Union acts as a liaison for students and people of the university. There’s a student shop in the Union—smaller than Stritch’s but they have food and candy. In addition, students can get a photo ID card that gives students discounts in stores and for trains all around Chester.
Our next session was brief; the accommodation session. We were required to sign a contract stipulating that we are not to cause damage to our rooms and if we do we know there is a charge and blah blah blah…The only thing I got out of that session was that I finally found my correct address. We had two nurses come in next and speak to us about the university’s doctor and where the offices are located—which are not on campus.
Lunch time finally came and I got a grilled cheddar and ham sandwich with a raspberry cheesecake for dessert. The cheesecake was pretty good though—it wasn’t like the cheesecake we have at home, it’s much creamier and softer. I really liked it.
After lunch was over I went back for more sessions; this time in Binks. I found another computer lab there and we all had to sign on to IBIS which is basically like the school’s website—it has our numbers on it, our modules, library information and all that jazz. After a few minutes of trouble with passwords, I was able to log on just fine. After Binks we went back to the Critchley building for more sessions. Learning Support came by and talked to us about what they do and what they can offer students. Basically it’s like Academic Support at Stritch. They made us do some work stuff, boring and it made the session a lot longer than it needed to be.
Finally the last session came; banking. Two women from Barclays came by and they talked for a few minutes about how to get an account in England. I tell you, banking people know what’s what! I had to smile because I worked at a bank when I was home and we would’ve done exactly the same thing Barclays did. The two women brought two kinds of candy for us and a ton of freebie stuff like key chains, pens and paper. It made me feel like I was at home.
The endless day of sessions finally ended at four in the afternoon and I called home as soon as I got out of the building. After I hung up, I felt the urge to take some pictures now that my computer in my room was working. I took pictures of my room, the building, the English department, the church nearby, and some sunsets. Another international American student walked by and talked to me about where he’s been and what he’s explored. I got excited and I changed my mind about staying in until dinner and I went towards the city. I walked the Wall and reached the Water Tower Gardens in a few minutes. The entrance looked so old and historic; I jauntily jumped down the stone steps to the garden. There was a cemented maze path running in a design in the middle. I saw a man and woman pass on the street and they both nodded their heads and said hello—very English to be polite but then the woman said “Did you hear that we’re to have SNOW tomorrow?” The man chuckled, ‘Ah yes, bloody weather.” I laughed out loud because it seemed like that would be a cliché if I were to write something like that.
I took a bunch of pictures and continued along the Wall. I wasn’t planning on walking very far because the sessions wore me out but I pressed on, excited to be taking a bunch of pictures. I reached the Chester Racecourse or Rodee and knew that I traveled a lot farther than I wanted to. I got back to campus in time and just as I started loading my pictures onto my computer Elena surprised me and asked if I wanted to go with her to dinner at Rigg. I grabbed my stuff and we set off. I don’t like the path we have to take to get there—it’s basically an alley. It’s well-lit and has high cement walls on either side but there’s just a creepy feeling about it.
The Rigg was definitely better than the main Canteen on campus—farther away but it is more like a modern café than a dining hall. They have hard wood floors and fifties-style wooden chairs. There was nobody in the café eating so we were first in line. I spotted a plastic carton of milk and decided to get it even if I had to pay for it. I chose to eat the chicken carbonera—a dish that I was going to make before I left for England! What a coincidence! I got a orange/chocolate cake thing that tasted pretty good but the serving lady gave me so much carbonera that I was so stuffed. The milk was free by the way, unless she just didn’t charge me. Their milk tastes slightly different than ours at home but I like it. As we sat two other girls came and sat down by us, they know Elena and are from Spain. Raquel and Laura both speak English pretty well; sometimes they try to say something but don’t know the word for it and I try to help them out. We talked about classes, home, Chester and Disney. It’s funny how often that topic has come up in conversation around here. After dinner we went to Raquel’s room close to the Rigg so Elena could pick up a photo disc. They were planning on going out that night to see Spain versus Manchester United play football (soccer). I don’t know if they ever did go. Elena and I walked back to our rooms and she showed me pictures from their trip they took around North Wales. It looks like an amazing place and I’m definitely going on that trip some Sunday. It runs every Sunday for twenty pounds and it’s an all-day tour. We’ll be going through Snowdonia mom—like on that Rick Steve’s travel program we watched before I left! She also showed me some pictures of their trip to Dublin in early December. They invited me along to go with them to Scotland sometime and I think I’ll take them up on that offer. After that there really isn’t much else I did that day—went back to my room, uploaded my pictures, blogged and talked to my family a bit online.
previous travel blog entry
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