food, food and sightseeing

On thursday after work we went to city centre to have some food and wine with A, N and E. Got home just on time to sleep.

Friday had a bigger adventure. Cycled home after work, to start walking immediately to E and M's house to have dinner. Google map said it would take 40 min, my phone (OVI maps) said 20 min. OK, I go with the phone (and it kind of knows I walk fast - I am not sure it remembers this, but I thought maybe it has). Walk, walk, walk and suddenly it says "cannot continue, only point to point navigation possible". I cannot fly over houses, so wen back to Quinton road and asked way. A couple with a dog helped me, ta least they were not scared to talk to me (this is why I asked them, they think a person who wnats to attack them would not choose people with a big dog. They told me to go to REservoir road. I did. Walked, walked, walked and could not find a way to turn to the parallel road, still hoping there would be a small road connecting the two roads. No, I had to go back to big road. Safe way was to choose a street, but I was already late, so went through Selly Oak Park. Scary and dark. At the end of the park I managed to take another wrong turn, ending up nowhere with a fence separating street and the park. I had already texted M, that I a in the park have been lost a few times but hopefully this is the correct way. C and J, other students who were invited for the dinner came to meet me. Good, because the road did not have road name and house numbers were supersmall too.

On Saturday, A came to Birmingham, for a day trip from near London. We met at New Street and went to Moor St to get some vouchers for Cadbury World. The station was closed, but we said we only want the vouchers, 2 for 1 and could go and look for them. First we took 2, but soon realised it is not 2 for 1, but 30% off, so had to go back to get one for M. M took train from Uni, and we met in Bournville. Cadbury world was good, I like how Cadburys treated their employees and the exhibition was not too childish. Actually it was really good and we even enjoyed the childish bits. We could taste some warm chocolate, a bit too much! After buying some misshapes, we took train back to New St. M went home, me and A did the traditional sightseeing tour that I do for all my visitors. Bull outside, bull in Selfridges, St Martins church, Victoria Square, walk through the Symphony hall to Brindley Place and walk along the canals. Because it was late, we could not go to the Ikon gallery. Also no time to show the uni campus (this is actually amazing). We went to eat and because she had some time until the train, tried to sit down and have coffee, but unfortunately Starbucks was already closing (the one near the station), so had to walk with coffee.






I learnt how gossip develops! Not in a bad way, but the messages tend to get mixed in our families, Her family had told here that my sister has been visiting me for a few month, but in fast she has been here for 2 years and is working. I knew that her sister saw living in the UK when her brother was studying here, but her sister has never lived here!



She got the train and I got a train back to uni. Walk home (when was the last time? I rarely walk, just cycle).

D offered us some sweets, they were good, but we had no idea what they were. After google and Wikipedia, we found it is a bush that grows in UK too, Crataegus monogyna, it is viirpuu in Estonian. I was also informed by the Hungarian housemate that "puu", tree sounds a bit strange in English.

Planning D's birthday, she said she cannot go skating next weekend, so we were thinking of an evening sometime. Googling ice rinks in Birmingham (hoping for a Christmas one), we found that there were next from Oct 2010 that an ice rink would open at the end of Oct. Our googling skills did not find where and if it is already open.

Typing in the living room, E asked if I am working and was relieved when I said am was writing my blog:D

E is a granny, doing cross stich! D had bought a set of pattern and thread and proposed that if she leaves it in the living room, everybody could do a bit! I a a bit impatient for so small work, I prefer knitting and sowing!

By the way, I have had my phone almost a year and M has the same phone. I always send her texts in English because this was I cna use predictive text. Now she showed me that I can actually get a full keyboard on my phone if I turn it sideways. Funny! I still think a touchpad is not good for writing and with predictive text I have to hit the screen less.