Christmas is here!

Merry Christmas! Since we're in England, I can say it and no one gets mad at me. Why? They don't celebrate Thanksgiving, so Christmas starts early.

Tonight we went to the Christmas Parade in the city center. It was full of interesting characters, including Madagascar animals (I didn't get it either--pure marketing) and Christmas trees on stilts. What an experience!

The parade served as the official kick-off of the Christmas season in Birmingham. The lights are lit and soon the German Christmas market will be in full swing. I love Christmas!

We also learned about Remembrance Day, which is tomorrow. It serves to honor all the veterans who died serving, especially in WWI and WWII.

Have you ever heard/read about the poppies worn by most English people during the month of November? I had seen it before I came but never understood the meaning. The red flowers, literally everywhere you go in November, are part of the remembrance celebrations.

The flowers originate from WWI, because the blood of soldiers in the fields caused the flowers to turn red. According to one of our French international students, there are still fields covered in red poppies in his home country.

Something else we did today was go to the Apple store and play with the new iPad Mini. We were surprisingly impressed. It's still over priced, but it is incredibly light and feels great in your hand.

Here are some pics! Merry Christmas!
Also, check out our new vlog!

Back to Backs. I'm thankful for the dorm!

We've had a very informative week! First we learned about Bonfire Night, and then yesterday we visited the "Back to Backs," a historical site in Birmingham.

The Back to Backs were a popular cheap housing option, and were first built in the 1800s all over England. In 2001, a block of the old buildings were declared a historical landmark and are now preserved as a museum and open to the public for viewing.

Basically, the inexpensive buildings were one room deep apartments, that shared the back wall with another apartment facing the opposite direction. The brick wall dividing the two apartments was one layer thick, leading to terrible noise and over-population of certain areas. By building the apartments in this manner twice as many people could fit on the same plot of land.

Birmingham was the birthplace of the industrial revolution, so a great deal of inexpensive housing was necessary to accommodate all the workers filling factory jobs. It was common for a couple thousand people to live in a single complex, with many communities (built nearly identical) spread out across the city. The cheap housing was built up in other  cities as well to deal with the growing housing shortage. These buildings were used as living spaces well into the mid 1900s, with shops and stores occupying them far after the government condemned them as housing apartments.

The museum in Birmingham has preserved several different units and in each one a different time period is represented. It was really interesting to start in the early 1800s and continue through 2000!

They did not allow photography inside the buildings, but here are a couple from the courtyard. Each complex included outdoor toilets and a wash room, which was put on a rotating cycle for tenant use.

The scariest thing of the tour? The staircases! Each building includes several flights of tightly curled circular stairs, the entire staircase being no wider than a small coat closet. These were hard to climb just for our tour, I can't imagine living there and climbing them several times a day!

Bonfires and Guy Fawkes: 5th of November

The 5th of November has been a memorable day for me since 2006. On this day, six years ago, two friends were killed in a plane crash. It's been six years, but they are not forgotten. I think all of us shaken that day, and in the weeks following, will remember those boys forever.

Tonight I learned about the British 5th of November "Bonfire Night," also known as Guy Fawkes Day. There's a long history to the evolution of the holiday, but it originated with a man who attempted to bomb the king, and failed. Bonfires were lit that night to celebrate the fact that the king lived. Now, the 5th of November is basically a night to shoot off fireworks and light bonfires with friends.

We watched big fireworks in the distance and had some fun with sparklers in the back yard. We were going to make smores but didn't have anything to roast them on... next time maybe!

Tomorrow we are going to visit a historical sight in Birmingham called the "Back-to-Backs." It's sure to be an interesting experience, so look for a blog post about it in the midst of the presidential election news!

Our First Carvery. How English!

I. Am. So. Full.

It's the first time I have thought those words in a long time, and I'm so happy to do so tonight! Since we arrived here in Birmingham, we haven't been eating very much. With limited kitchen resources it's hard to find the things we need to cook fancy meals, and everything we buy we have to carry from the grocery store. Also, every time we go to buy food we look at how much it costs and usually only buy the basics (we're stretching every dollar).

The end result is that we eat a lot of fried egg sandwiches, cereal, and noodles. Tonight, however, we went and enjoyed our first English carvery. We feasted, and it was delicious.

Basically, a carvery is kind of like a Hometown Buffet in the states, except a much more limited menu. We paid for a plate and picked our meat and Yorkshire pudding, and then we could eat as many veggies and mash as we could fill our stomachs with. I think we definitely got our money's worth tonight. How could we resist real food?

After feasting at the carvery, we returned to a friends house and I made them American chocolate chip cookies. What a treat! We were missing brown sugar (it really makes a difference), but they were still very good and tasted like home.

Take a look at this stove/grill/oven they have in their house. I've never seen anything like it! The whole thing is about the size of a mini fridge, with a small oven on the bottom. We had to split the cookies up into batches, but it worked just fine!

Our lovely English friends thoroughly enjoyed them (at least they said they did), so I'll get getting some brown sugar and trying again. I've missed baking!

Culture shock. A church shopping mall?

Today we went on an adventure to Walsall. One of our friends was going to meet some people and plan a birthday surprise, and asked us if we would like to join her. It was a short trip by train, maybe half an hour, and we were able to explore a new place!

In Walsall we explored some shops and had a nice chat in a pub. I also saw one of the most absurd different things I have encountered in England so far -- a church converted into a shopping mall. I wish I had taken a picture so I could explain it better, but basically when we were walking towards the building I thought it was an old cathedral. Once we got closer and I could see in the doors, I almost fell over in shock. Literally, they kept the same walls and stone on the outside and for the ceiling, but took out all the parts inside that made it a church and added walls for shops.

My years of Catholic education quickly brought to mind a specific chapter from the New Testament, when Jesus comes into the Temple and shows the people who's God (I think smashing of tables and market stands was involved). We didn't see anything like that today, but it gave some very literal meaning to the passage for me. What a culture shock!

I just found some pictures on Google so that our much appreciated readers can get a better idea. First, look at the picture from the outside. That is exactly how the building looked this afternoon. Next, look at the picture from inside the door. Wouldn't you be shocked too (American friends)?

Let's be thankful :)

November? Where has the time flown? I can hardly believe we've been here 8+weeks already. We've had a busy couple of months!

In the past few days we've had some things fall into place at home, so while we're not wishing away a single day of this trip, we're excited for January!  It's amazing how we've really started to miss our routines in Kansas. We're also looking forward to graduation in May!

However, we still have six very exciting weeks ahead of us before we return for Christmas. In that amount of time my parents are visiting, we're taking a trip to Paris, finishing up classes here in Birmingham and online, and visiting Linzi in Scotland. That's a lot in six weeks!

Thanks to Pinterest, I've taken on a 30 Days of Gratitude photo challenge. I think it's a great way to spend five minutes a day remembering to be thankful! If you would like to follow me, or join in for yourself, I'm posting the photos on Instagram (look for stanleyrachelann) and Twitter (look for stanleyrachel). Although I'm still working to convince the British of the importance of our American Thanksgiving holiday, I think it is a fantastic time to prepare us for Christmas. So, let's be thankful together!

What are you doing in preparation of Thanksgiving? Also, who is going out to vote in the next few days? We've been actively watching the campaign trail from abroad, and the next week will certainly prove to be interesting.

Today, I'm thankful for the technology that keeps me close to home, so far away across the ocean. Oh, and also for the radiator in the background that keeps me from freezing to death at night! Just so you know, it gets cold in England.

Have a great weekend!

What my suitcase SHOULD have looked like

Now that Raymond and I have been abroad for a couple of months, I know how I wish I had packed for this trip. Even though I lived abroad once before (Guatemala, summer 2010), I agonized for weeks over what to bring to the UK. In the 24 hours before our flight I went through multiple suitcases and repacking scenarios, trying to figure out how to take as much as possible while still keeping under the weight limit.

Remember this photo from the night before we left? I only ended up with a fraction of all that stuff, but  I wish I could go back and take out more!

This is how my suitcase should have looked. Some things I got right, others... let's just say I wish I could have a do-over. I'll tell you, hauling 70 pounds of luggage (a suitcase and heavy carry-on) up subway stairs in London is NO FUN!


My "Top 10" things I should and should not have packed:

10. In this digital age, I have plenty of pictures on my phone and iPad (not to mention an unlimited amount on Facebook), so I didn't take the time to pick out actual prints to bring with me. I wish I had! Since I'm basically living out of a suitcase for the semester, my dorm room is pretty bare in comparison to my room back home. A few pictures of my family would have made a big difference, especially in the first few weeks when everything was new and a little hard to adjust to.

9. I wouldn't consider us addicted to the television, but at home Raymond and I do occasionally like to sit at night and watch a program or a movie. I thought ahead to bring my favorite, The Proposal, on DVD but Raymond forgot IronMan in Kansas. We've wished for the movie many nights when we just wanted something "comfy" that reminded us of home. True, we could probably buy the movie and stream it online, but we're trying to save as much money as possible. The DVD that sits packed in a box in Kansas would have been a light addition to his suitcase that brought us the joy of home!

8. When we travel, we do it on the cheap. That means hostels! My flip flops have been one of the most important things I packed and brought with me, because I can shower without feeling gross about the floor. I'm glad I brought them because they're hard to find in winter in England (go figure). Also, a small hand towel has been great as hostels do not provide anything but sheets and a bed!

7. I admit it, I brought too many dresses. At home, I wear a dress almost 4-5 days every week. I love them, and I have to dress professionally for my job! Here, it's cold and I prefer my jeans. In hindsight, I wish I had only brought one dress and packed more shirts and sweaters.

6. The same goes for my shoes! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love shoes, especially heels. Unfortunately, I should have saved the space in my suitcase and only brought one pair. You see, I walk about 10 TIMES more here than I do at home, which makes the heels I wear daily in Wichita not very practical in England. I've worn them a couple nights down at campus events... and that's about it. Also on shoes, when we left it was summer so I brought what I thought was my most versatile and warmest pair of boots. What I didn't realize was that they were about ready to fall apart (and they did, in London). I had to buy a new pair when I could have just brought a different pair from home. Darn, I had to buy shoes! :D But seriously, we're trying to save as much money as possible, remember? Moral of this post: check your shoes and buy new ones at home if necessary (they'll be less expensive in the USA).

5. An absolute must for this part of the world: an umbrella. I'm also glad I brought my rain coat, even if most locals don't wear them. I probably stick out like a tourist badly, but guess what? I'm always dry!

4. More deodorant. I know, this sounds silly. I'm living in England, I should be able to hop in any drugstore and pick up more deodorant  right? WRONG! Yes, it is widely available, but only in the aerosol version. If you're American and you're used to stick deodorant (I've used both but much prefer solid), make sure you bring enough to last your entire trip. I've only found about one brand of stick deodorant and it was three times the price I would pay at home. Worth the weight in the suitcase, and it will leave some extra room for the trip home.

3. Power converters. This is quite possibly the most important item for your suitcase, since wherever you are going will not have them for you. Why would they have a converter, their electronics work in these sockets! If you want to charge your cell phone and computer ASAP, I suggest having a couple ready to plug into the wall right away.

2. A backpack. I LOVE purses, and brought two of my favorite saddle bags with me. While they look great and I love to use them during the day around campus, I ended up buying a cheap backpack for traveling after our weekend in London. Eventually, one-shoulder bags start to kill your back. Trust me, the backpack just works better for overnight stays. It only cost me 9 pounds, but again, this is something I easily could have brought with me and saved a little money on.

1. The number one thing I wish I could UNPACK: my Chi hairdryer! I picked up this fantastic dryer at TJMaxx about a year ago for less than half the retail price (great bargain). I had been warned not to take any appliances like that, but I carefully read the directions on my power converter and it said the voltages would be okay. WRONG. The very first night we were in Italy after a very long day of traveling, I blew my converter because I tried to dry my hair. It's yet to be known if the dryer will be okay... I can't test it out. I plan on taking it back with me and hopefully it works at Christmas, otherwise I hauled several pounds there and back for absolutely no reason (and killed a great hair dryer). Really sad.

Hope that helps anyone planning on studying abroad! Feel free to comment with any other questions or concerns. Happy November everyone, last night we reached 4,000+ hits on the blog! Thank you SO MUCH for all your love and support!