Hello! Okay so
you've been reading about some of Jen's adventures, now here are
some of mine. Last week my former UMaine roommate arrived for her
spring break visit. Jen picked Alia up from Manchester Airport on
Sunday and I met them at the train in Lancaster. Her first day here
she was jet-lagged but wanted to dive right in so after dropping her
bags off at the University we headed back into town to watch a
football (soccer) game at a pub. Sunday night we ate at the Spicy
Hut--an Indian Restaurant on campus and Alia ran into someone she
knew from UMaine! Apparently another Honors student who is studying
at Lancaster this term, what are the odds?
Alia and I were
roommates for two years in Stodder, and for the two weeks she's
visiting we'll be roommates again....but in a much smaller room.
We're making it work though. Alia has a blow-up mattress and
sleeping bag at the end of my bed. Her big suitcase is wedged
underneath the sink in the room, and her smaller ones just kind of
hang out on the floor....where we try not to trip over them :-)
Here is a picture of the room configuration. Cozy, huh?
Lancaster's
spring break doesn't start until March 18th, so while I was in
class, Alia was catching up on her sleep. Tuesday, Alia, Jen and I
went to the movies to see Million Dollar Baby (since it won
the Academy Award). I thought it was pretty good, but Alia and Jen
weren't fans. On Wednesday I only had one class in the morning so
Alia and I went into town to do some site-seeing. We toured
Lancaster Castle--here's a picture of Alia in front of it--and
walked around until it got really cold and we went for coffee and
hot chocolate. Jen met us in town and the three of us rode the
train to Wigan where we met up with Jen's friend Donnah, and some of
the kids from the Royal School for the Blind. We all went out to
eat because it was Donnah's co-worker Bert's birthday. We ate at a
place called Frankie and Benny's which is pretty much like Applebees
or Ruby Tuesdays but with more English-type food.
On Thursday some
more of our friends from UMaine arrived. Laura (Jen's former
roommate) and Lauren had been to visit friends in London and Dublin
before meeting up with us in Lancaster. It was like a European
Roommate Reunion because Lauren's former UMaine roommate, Jen Houle
was who they visited in Ireland. Laura and Lauren stayed the night
in our dorm--it was close quarters--then on Friday they said their
goodbyes to Jen, and Alia and I headed off with them to London for
the weekend! That trip is another adventure in itself so check back
for Alia's Visit: Part 2.
--Erica
