Mei Grows Tall

Here I am, across the Atlantic having my yearly adventure. For those of you that I didn’t get to chat with, I’m hailing from Manchester, England at the moment, six days and going strong. This summer began with many firsts and continues with more every day. When I arrived, i rode my first train and taxi, being purple and pink respectively. The trains here are nothing like the NYC subways, for they are well kept and clean. The countryside is beautiful.

Manchester is the third largest city in England, so it feels much like New York, minus the fact that the traffic does wait a bit before running you over. It’s a busy place with interesting shops and more smokers, petrol fumes, and litter than I care for. Don’t take that for complaint though – I accept the city for what it is, not what is could be.

My mom doesnt have a car, so we’ve been doing a great deal of walking. It takes nearly 40 minutes to the University to use the internet, so forgive me if my posts are spaced out a bit. It’s also 20-30 minutes from our flat on Rochdale Rd to the City Center (that’s like what we’d call Downtown), so i’ve been getting my excercise. This morning I walked here with Henry, my mom’s husband. He’s only about five inches taller than I am, but he manages to walk about 4x faster. By the time we arrived, i was sweating and sure that I would vomit any second. I wish I was being dramatic about it.

So, the events thus far:

• Saw Beauty and the Beast on Ice on Saturday (personally, i think BHS pulled it off much better). The story was different than Disney, but the skaters were Russian and extremely impressive. The man who played the beast waswell over 2 meters tall, the tallest ice skater in the world, olympic champion, and would certainly give Mr. Barnwell a run for his money. The entire place was magnificent.

• VIsited the Manchester Gallery. It’s about the size of Akron Art Museum, very interesting, and much more free. There are 3 new exhibitions that opened on Monday, so this afternoon I’m probably going to go again if i dont get too lost.
• Shopped around Piccadilly Gardens and the Arndale Shopping Center. There are a bunch of really cool vintage stores and cafe’s around here that sell everything from colored wigs to cocktail dresses. I bought a dress for about £10 and it makes me very happy. I’ll need to hunt around some more, but for the moment, I’ve only got £12 to my name and I’d rather like to eat.
• Stopped in the Manchester Cathedral Sunday afternoon. I’ve seen places like that in movies, but its nothing like in person. The building is so fine and mind bogglingly huge that it truly shows the power of architecture – so well done that it inspires the presence and reverence for God. I enjoyed it very much. Of course, my mom got us in trouble becasue she was snapping pictures in roped off rooms. Really, mum. You are embarrassing sometimes.

This weekend we are planning a day trip to Liverpool, and I should be going to stay with my mom in Cardiff, Whales, where she works. I’ve heard the city is much nicer there – not as big, but much nicer. We’ll be going to Scotland at some point in the near future, and there is always the daily adventure to document. Cheers.