I have up to this point filled you in on my trip here. Now here is everything else.
Saturday January 9th 2010:
I woke up at like noon. My room was still freezing and I didn't have any food really. I still didn't have internet so I got dressed, packed my computer into my backpack and went to see what the computing services could do for me. They were closed, but at the same time I found the grocery store here on campus and got myself a loaf of bread and a box of Cheerios. I then went back to the payphone and called the parents again because I needed a friends phone number so I could call her. Of course it was while sitting on the phone in the corner talking to my parents that I got internet to work. FINALLY!!! I was reconnected. Facebook loaded, mail could be checked, and I was again in the loop. After talking to parents and experimenting with various calling plans we hung up and I called Katherine. She didn't answer at first, but then the payphone rang and it was her. She invited me into the city to hang with her and her mother. She didn't know that we could have moved in early, so she was at a hotel. I decided to join them because I still needed a phone and this was the perfect opportunity. So I took my carbohydrates home and went in search of a bus stop. Now the nice taxi driver had shown me where the bus picked up and how it was easier to walk across campus to grab it then around campus so I wandered my way across and found the stop next to what I perceived as the library (later I discovered that no the library is across the street and up a very tall hill). A bus pulled up (not purple...the taxi driver said the purple busses were the ones to city center) but it had the right title so I got on and asked the driver what I should do. He answered "I don't know what you want to do" and I then looked the dumb american I was trying not to look like. I told him then that I wanted to get to the Minster and he said "single or return" and I said single (because he was by then pretty frustrated with me) and paid my pound ninety and sat down.
Now unlike any bus I have ever been on- the English buses don't tell you which stops are coming up...so, when the lady next to me pushed the stop button I asked her kindly which stop this was and she said that it was Clifford St. and the stop I wanted. We then bonded slightly over being both from different countries (her Toronto Canada). She also gave me some very vague directions on how to get to the Minster (because it is on the other side of City Center).
I got off the bus...walked about a block or two...turned...looked up and saw a steeple...thought oh hey its a church must be the Minster...and ended up in front of a catholic church...oops. I was lost. So I asked another lady who gave me some more detailed instructions along the lines "walk down this street till you get to a squareish place walk straightish across and then turn right after you see the mcdonalds." Umm...ok. thanks. I headed off.
As I was walking I saw a "Phones 4 U" store a "vodophone" and a "T-Mobile" since the other two seemed a little sketchy (i wasn't familiar with them so I didn't trust them) I went with the T-Mobile. Guess who is now paying more than anyone else for texts and minutes...ME!!! yup but i did manage to get myself a phone without help and for only twenty pounds (cash). The guy who helped me was really nice and recognized that i was new and a little bit crazy and so didn't mind me whatsoever. I kept walking and actually using those directions I had gotten did make it to the Minster in one piece. Here I met Katherine and her mom and we headed out to explore the town. Both of them had already figured out the streets and which ones were the most important. So we traveled down the Shambles and looked in shop windows and watched the people. I was getting a little hungry, having not really trusted solid food in a while and so we decided to stop at a teashop named Betty's. It was sooo pretty and quaint and delicious! If you come to visit, I will take you to tea there. It's a little pricey, but really worth it. After tea we went back out to shop and recognized that neither Katherine or I had any tea, or a mug, or anything to eat on. So we found a tea shop and purchased a bowl/plate piece and then a mug and some tea. I have not brewed my tea yet...will try later, but it smells nice. We then went back to their hotel to dry off and decided where we were going to go to dinner. They stayed at a really nice hotel and will recommend it to anyone who needs a place to stay in York.
We ended up deciding to eat at Oscars which is a pub/bistro/wine place. We were going to try Indian, but with my stomach still iffy, simple food sounded better. I had a burger, while they both had tikka masalla (I apologize spelling wise).
Quick side note...everywhere serves curry dishes...as in CURRY NIGHT MONDAY NIGHT! or CURRY DISH AND FREE DRINK. I haven't been anywhere yet that hasn't had this as some option on their menu (well Betty's didnt...but thats a tea shop).
Ok, so after dinner we went next door to a nice bar and met some friends of Katherine's mother. They were really really nice and welcoming and invited us to call on them if we ever needed anything. We talked until late about everything from school, to books, to traveling, to dogs, to food, etc. Then I caught a cab back to my dorm and went to bed.
That is saturday...I hope I haven't forgotten anything, I might've but if so then tit wasn't as important...maybe.
Well I got to run to meet some friends for coffee, so cheers for now!
Tikka masala only has one L.
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