Hiya Bristol, you alright?

Considering the fact that the majority of my six months abroad were spent in Bristol, it feels necessary to have a post dedicated primarily to this lovely city. For those who have not ventured to this part of the West Country, here's the quick and dirty about this eclectic city.

Occasionally it has been referred to as the 'San Francisco of England' - an accurate description based on the hills alone. Ever had a parent/grandparent describe their trek to school as 'uphill both ways in the snow'? Well, funny story. If you live in city centre, odds are you had to walk uphill in the rain/wind. One route has such a steep incline that it was the location for a waterslide. Got to love that Park Street. Pro tip: if you bother to attend class on a regular basis, your glutes will be in a prime state upon departure.

Has a solid art scene. Which is really cool if you're into street art, because there is a plethora of displays to be found. And for those of you who know who Banksy is, this is his point of origin. You can spot some of his work around the city. The local museum even has a piece of his on display.

                   

Clifton Suspension Bridge. I know what you're thinking, what's so great about a bridge that's not even orange? I'll tell you. It is one of the most beautiful parts of the city, especially at night when it is all lit up and you can see the rest of the city lights dappling the night sky. And thanks to the UK's lack of open container laws, you can meander on over with a bottle of wine and have a grand old time sitting on the hill overlooking the bridge, and just contemplate how swell life is.

University of Bristol. A prestigious uni with far more fashionable people than I could ever hope to be. Unlike my fellow Cal bears, students here wouldn't be caught dead attending class in sweat pants or unwashed hair. Class time is virtually nonexistent, which is great until you realize that the school is a strong proponent of 'independent study' and outside readings are actually necessary to pass the class. They like to keep things interesting here by having your lectures take place in either a Harry Potter-esque venue, or a refurbished home. 

The weather. I have mixed feelings about this one. Like everyone has said a thousand times before, it rains here all the time. Seriously, it's officially summer and it rained a few days ago. I'm not even sure if they have a word for 'drought' in British English. But despite the fact that the sky is typically a lovely shade of unwavering gray, it's really not all that bad. (Granted, there's the little issue of "seasonal depression" that has created a market for sun boxes in order for people get enough vitamin D so they don't go jumping off any cliffs or whatever, but we needn't go into that.) I think what I like best about the weather here is that it is kind of dreary and miserable 80% of the time, so that when the sun does bother to come out everybody truly appreciates it. The moment the weather is the least bit manageable the citizens of Bristol come out in droves. Coming from perpetually sunny Southern California, it's refreshing to see people actually take advantage of the good weather, rather than hole away in their air conditioned caves refusing any modicum of human interaction.

The plumbing. This article actually sums up my thoughts rather nicely on the situation regarding their faucets so I'll just quote it directly. 

"This is the 21st century. We’ve cloned mice with human ears and landed robots on the surface of Mars to probe for water, yet sinks in England still have 2 separate faucets: one for hot and one for cold.I guess no heretic ever dared to ask, “But, Your Eminency, what if the people want… WARM water?”Rebels foolish enough to seek warm water in England have 2 choices: 

1. You can try the Guantanamo Bay torture technique by spastically lunging your soapy hands back and forth between the scalding hot tap and the ice cold tap. (When performed correctly, you’ll be numb enough from the cold water not to feel the blisters forming on your wrists from the boiling water.) 

2. You can employ the time-honored “basin method” in which you plug the drain with a stopper and fill the sink to the desired temperature… and that’d be perfect if my name was Charlotte Bronte and it was 1846 and I had 20 minutes to wash my hands. Then afterwards, maybe I could make a plum pie, cough up blood from my tuberculosis for a while, and maybe do my laundry in the stream."

Cabot Tower. For those who don't know, due to an outdated address on the accommodation website one of my first views of Bristol was this... 

Quaint, no?

Thankfully, one of my last views was from the top of Cabot Tower. It's this nifty little spot where you can see most of the city. Plus, how can you beat the weezing gasps echoing from the steep flight of stairs in terms of tranquil ambiance? 

More general English things -

Sunday roast: picture Thanksgiving every weekend, except British style. What this essentially translates to is American portions of meat and fried sides. Sidenote: vegetables in the UK = overly boiled veggies and peas. Perhaps not the best place to kickstart your vegan aspirations, but ideal for anyone interested in a Mexican food fast.

Afternoon/High Tea: an absolute must. Great way to feel posh and downright dandy. If there were ever a time to raise that pinky, this is it. Pro tip: most places are willing to refill your teapots. True, by the fourth refill (yes, fourth.  I am a college student after all) it's more water than tea, but it's an excellent way to get your full money's worth. Plus, clotted cream is a god-sent. Sure smothering your scone in it could potentially end in a diabetic coma. But man, what a way to go.

Pub Quiz: True you might be at a severe disadvantage if your team is solely made up of young Americans (as mine was), but it can still be a fun night of guessing the answers to random English trivia.

And if you're really lucky, you might just walk away with the consolation prize of free beers.

Cider: In the US this simply refers to the bubbly drink you're served over holidays when still relegated to the "kiddie" table. Which is all well and good, but it is SO much better the way the Brits do it (i.e. with alcohol - I swear, I don't have a problem...). My personal favorite is Rekorderlig. Also good is going to pubs that specialize in it, and getting whatever is on tap.

Evidently I never remembered to take a picture of an actual cider, so here's an "artsy" shot of the label.

Football: or perhaps, more accurately, FOOTBAAALLLLL. Felt it was important to watch at least one match in a pub before departing, and if it just so happened to be the World Cup opener all the better. Two things I took away from this experience - 
1. Games are not nearly as dull when watched with other people. 
2. Pubs are primarily filled with lads on lads on lads (the posher ''Bro'' equivalent. Can be identified by polos and large pitchers in hand). 

Fun fact: even pro footballers can accidentally score for the other team (looking at you Marcelo), something I thought was solely done by six year olds during their first AYSO match. 

And finally, since I refuse to end my time here on a sad note I have decided to list humorous quotes, mini anecdotes, random musings etc. Because otherwise I will find myself curled up in the corner nursing a pint of cider and singing Leaving on a Jet Plane ad nauseam.

• Discussing with Rachel if the common practice in UK strip clubs is to chuck pound coins at the girls performing since the smallest denomination in bill form is a 'fiver,' and that would get real expensive real fast.
• Watching British people attempt to use chopsticks at a sushi restaurant. One person did the classic 'stab and go' technique. While another girl grasped one chopstick in each hand and stabbed the sushi from both sides, and raised it to her mouth in a manner that was highly reminiscent of an arcade mechanical claw. 
• Waking at 3am and seeing how my intoxicated flatmates attempted to fix a malfunctioning toilet. They decided the best course of action was to wedge a five foot long PVC pipe into it, which meant I had to journey down to the lobby and utilize the handicap facilities. 
• "I though Bruce Lee was shot...wait, maybe I'm thinking of Tupac" - Maxine

And finally, to all the truly lovely people whom I have met during my time here, I would just like to say how happy I am to have met you. Thank you for helping to make this the best year of my life, and for making this post unintentionally sappy. Also, please know that I am wholly sincere when I say that I shall miss you all so very much, and that any doubts you might have regarding this stem directly from my total ineptitude when it comes to dealing with complex emotions. So until the invention of teleportation or cheaper transportation (particularly that of the cross-Atlantic flights variety), best of luck and all that stuff. I'm sure we'll see each other again (relatively) soon.

Bya!
xx