Assignments, assignments, and more assignments

Hi there =)
right now there are not so many new posts (as you can see XD) as I'm working on many assignments due in early march.
I'm also planning some cosplays and a recipes to show in this blog =) Anyone interested in muffin or cupcake recipes? Or maybe some ramen or tamagoyaki =D I'll decide later (a comment might influence may decision ;-D)

Next post will probably be my cosplay plans =D

Love
Thym

Calligraphy and Take Me Out

Valentines Day is over and I'm still single.... maybe I do something wrong? Be it as it may be XD I still had a fantastic time before and on Valentines day XD
To start of the friday before the 14th I went to a Calligraphy session with a friend. It was sooo funny! The instructor was a japanese woman from Kyoto and really nice. But she gave me the chance to prove again that I should use my brain sometimes -.-
Situation is like this:
Me and my friend sitting in a room full of japanese language students and some real japanese people inbetween. The instructor tells us she's from Kyoto and asks if anyone ever was in Japan. Me, not using my brain raised my hand and drifted of again. Of course, with my luck -.- , the instructor picked me and asked were exactly I've been. I answered Kyoto and at that moment my brain restarted and I sat there like a deer in the headlights. The situation came crashing down to me: I forgot most of my japanese over the last 2 years. I'm sitting in a room full of people who speak fluent japanese and the instructor might be asking me something in japanese the next second O.o (this emoticon reflects my feelings at that point pretty well)
Lucky me she didn't actually ask me anything but jsut skipped to the instructions on how do calligraphy. =D
I have rarely felt so relieved XD
My friend and I then had a great time drawing and joking around while trying to capture the essence of what we where writing XD
In my opinion she did a way better job than I did... but we both had a great time XD

she wrote music and I dragon =)

After the calligraphy workshop we went shopping for dinner and that was when I met the second great thing that day. In front of the shop was a guy giving away free ballons *__*
I couldn't resist XD

my happy ballon :3 (you could wear them as bracelets too *__*)

After another night of eating too much and watching something.. (I don't remember much after the balloon XD it was jsut too fascinating *_* ) we called it a night and my friend went home =)

And we met again on Tuesday. Valentines Day.... Well us two being singles decided to go to the UCLan Take Me Out at 53° (the club of the university).
It was hilarious! One of the girls was either reallyyyyyy stupid or reallyyyy drunk XD But it was so funny to watch her XD
And the host! The host was just fabulous! XD I think I nealy died of laughter at one point. =D We both had a great time watching the show and just enjoying how the host made fun of everyone and everything XD
There was also a chlamydia awareness thing going on to which the host made the best comment ever... You see for protection they gave everyone who took a chlamydia test thing a bag with a condom and a lollipop in it. Comment of the host: "Well, guys, you know they kinda give off the wrong ideas here. If you need the lollipop to be able to convince you're partners they're probably way too young for you! *evil grin* Oh yeah, come to daddy little boy. Time to earn you're pocket money! "
XD lines like that the whole evening XD

After the event we went to the Source (bar at uni) and listened to the karaoke for a while. (It was great XD)
When we got fed up with the songs we changed to Roper Hall to meet with some people my friend knew. The moment we arrived I realized that I knew some people too and it was a really nice night talking and hanging out with friends =D
Oh! And I found a hat I want to steal at one point XD Or buy it when I find it XD

I just love the hat! 

At around one o'clock we decided to go home as we were really tired...
But alas =) our stomachs had another idea and we had to stop to get some pizza first XD It was... okay XD the chips with it were gross but the pizza itself was acceptable ^^ and together with a drink for 4 pounds you can't complain =D

That's all about my adventures besides assignments and logbooks (both which I should be working on right now instead of writing this blog XD)

Love
Thym

Random Post

This is just a random post about some things that have happened in the time I didn't write as much.

Waaay back in november we celebrated a small Thanksgiving for Ashley. It was really nice =D Lots of food and drink and some more talk after the feast (well a feast for student standards XD). 

This is a part of what we had that day ^^ mostly the desserts... some vegeterian lasagne made by Ashley, a strawberry cheesecake bought by Ashley XD and two banana breads made by me. I think we ate nearly everything besides some lasagne that Ashley wanted to keep for the next day =D

A few days into december I actually thought it had started to snow one day. Reason? This view from my window:

Sadly, the moment I went out of my flat I realized that all the white stuff was hail O.o That was when I decided to spend the day inside XD

Luckily for me on my last day in Preston before returning to Germany it actually snowed! Bit, round snow flakes! I was in heaven =D

The puddles are from the day before when it rained. Ahh I really liked that snow! It hasn't snowed at all since I came back from Germany. It actually hasn't even been really cold Ô.o I think we have around 5 to 7 degrees celcius right now.

In the evening of my last day I tried the most disgusting bubble tea ever =( It was horrible! Maybe the colour should have warned me....

even the bubbles were gross....

Good for us that the bubble tea wasn't the only thing we had XD

Hanna gave me a cupcake backing set for christmas and I put it to good use ;-D

The results were a 6 pure sugar shocks XD

Chocolate-Nutella-Ferrero Rocher-Cupcakes!

In Germany I had another specialty, but this time a german one ^^ It's called Baumkuchen (engl: tree cake) because it kinda looks like a tree stump and in the inside has markings like the age lines of a tree.

I think it tastes brilliant! 

It is not exactly fluffy but has a rather unique texture. You can just taste the age lines in there =D 

My advice: get a small one and just try it =D

And for the last part of this post something sad. Hanna and Ashley are now both back home after one semester. Traitors! ;-D So now other people might appear in the pictures too XD I'm just telling you this so you don't think I ditched those two or anything =D

And of course, to tell you two, Ashley and Hanna, if you happen to read this: I miss you guys! But our friendship will last! (If not in the end because I won't let you get away from me ;-D I promise you... I'll hunt you down! XDD)

Love

Thym

A very late pre-christmas London post - part2

The second day in London =D  There was not that much we wanted to do this day but I still think it was an awesome day =D
It all started with us having a lay in as we knew that Portobello Market wouldn't be open until 11 am or so. After getting dressed in our great new clothes (shopping on the first day is a great idea XD), being allowed to leave our luggage in the hostel until afternoon (thanks again!) and getting ready we went down for breakfast. The breakfast was a really interesting experience. There was mostly toast and some cereals and only one toaster for everyone. So Hanna and me got a system worked out were one person goes for the toast and the other defends the table XD When we were full we left the hostel and set off to Portobello Market in Notting Hill. I am still not quite sure if that is the market from the movie or not...I have to admit that I've never actually seen that movie.
But anyway XD It was fun getting there and I was very glad that I had bought some gloves the day before as it was really cold!
We went for a stroll around the market and I love it! There are so many things! Antiques, Jewellery, Books, Clothes, Food, and much, much more! Basically everything you could think of.
Hanna got some presents and even though I didn't find anything to actually buy I really enjoyed the experience. We even found a german stall selling real german sausages XD
On our way back to train station we got ourselves some really good crepes. They were awesome *__* Lots and lots of fruits (For me strawberries and bananas for Hanna) and even more nutella on top, and then even some whipped cream! *_* I just want another one of those as I think about them XD

one row in the "clothes section" at Portobello Market

the most awesome crepes ever!! *__*

That sign scared me! O.o

Just gotta love the pizza advertisment with a car XD

One of the things we saw the most this weekend

After the market we went back to the hostel to get something to drink and take a break and of course pick up our luggage. I nearly fell asleep at this point XD
But luckily we pulled ourselves together and went off to the christmas market. But before that I want to show you a really nice sign  in the hostel:

When we arrived at the christmas market it was cold and nearly completly dark. But! The Christmas market called WinterWonderLand was great!! Funnyly enough many stalls were german and there was even a "Bavarian Village" XD It was lovely all around! Hanna and I got ourselves some real german sausages and Glühwein (something like mulled wine but better ;-D) and Hot Chocolate for me =D  

We just stayed in a corner for some time and enjoyed the feeling to be there. There was even a speaking moose head that sang german and english christmas songs XD Of course we sang along once or twice ;-D

During the singing they also starte up a snow machine! So that we got our snow at least for a short time while we were in London. When we started walking again we just looked around the market and walked farther and farther ^.^ 

It was beautiful and then awesome! =D The reason? Well there was an amusement park connected to the christmas market and that was the real WinterWonderLand! We didn't even see it the day before XD (Or at least I didn't). It was great! I would have loved to get onto some rides but sadly it was not meant to be but I found a really soft bunny plushie XD So I was happy once again when I could keep it. 

Here are some impressions of the WinterWonderLand and christmas market:

See the snow! =D

real sausages!

everthing is ordered in England XD

A picture from the outside 

After sitting on a bench for some time and just talking we finally went off to Camden Market or mor specificly the Camden Market Hall. 

I just loved it! *__* The whole place jsut emitted this christmas feeling and you just felt the festive spirit everywhere =D And the decorations and live music! =D I felt like I was in movie! Everything was just perfect!

these musicians were phenomenal! Especially when they danced all around the place! Even the  bass player XD

I think we stayed there for an hour or two just listening to the music and walking around the place XD 

When we finally decided to get back to where our bus was departing from (even if we were like 3 hours early) I bullied Hanna into showing me Kings Cross Station... all Harry Potter Fans will understand me XD

I have to say... Hanna was right. It is disappointing. But it still felt good to have been there. Even if only to see it once.

Here are the pictures:

this sign was actually at the station for Camden market. Good to know exactly how far to go XD

the real platform 9

and the real platform 10. Not even connected!

In the end we spend another 1 1/2 hours in a McDonald's across King's Cross and jsut waited for some time before going to Victoria Station and our bus.

There we got our seat and promptly fell asleep (at least I did XD). Good thing to as I had a test the next day another one on the day after that =D

Good news for those: Passed both with a first =D I just go to London more often before writing tests XD

Love 

Thym

A very late pre-christmas London post - part1

Sorry for being so inactive again v.v
As my apology I give you some pictures of Hannas and my pre-christmas London trip.
It all started late in october when I bugged everyone about wanting to go to London in the christmas time. Most of the others wanted to go to but sadly they didn't have the time.
In the end (one week before my depature) it looked like I actually had to go there all on my own. I was anxious and afraid to get lost in the big city. In the end I was lucky as Hanna decided to go with me =D yay ^.^
We booked the hostel and our bus tickets (cheaper than train ;-D) and decided to take the busses in the night.
So at 1:15 a.m. we met in front of our hall and went off to the buis station to catch our bus at 2 a.m. As anticipated we were way to early and we were afraid to be at the wrong bus station as nobody else was there and we couldn't find the right bus slot.
Thanks to a very nice security man at the bus station we found our bus slot and waited for the bus to come. At that point we realized that we might have a different way to tackle uncertainties: Hanna plans everything through (to the minute!) and checks everything twice to be sure it's okay. I am more of a lazy person and let things just go the way they are XD So while Hanna makes sure we get somewhere I make sure she doesn't go crazy with worrying.
When the bus came (10 min. late and Hanna close to a panic attack) we got onto it and finally could get some sleep until we would arrive in London (scheduled at 7 a.m.). As soon as I sat down next to a nice girl I didn't know I fell asleep. Later on one of the most funniest moments of my life happened though I couldn't appriciate it in that moment. It roughly went like this:

Thym: *snore*
Girl (next to me): Excuse me. We're in Birmingham.
Thym: *half asleep* Oh that's nice. *Turn around*
Girl: No please. Excuse me. We're arriving in Birmingham.
Thym: *Cracks open eye* Yeah. But I have to get off in London. *Turns around again and falls asleep*
Girl: *shakes my shoulder* No. We're in Birmingham and I have to get off here!
Thym: *half awake* Oh sorry. *stands up and falls over to the person on the other side of the aisle (who luckily is Hanna having a laughing fit)*
Girl: *somewhere between annoyed and amused* Thanks. 
Girl gets of the bus and I sit down on her place. Hanna sits next to me and I just fall asleep again.


Thinking about it know makes it seem pretty funny but I still feel sorry for the girl that sat next to me. She must have believed me to be so rude...
Finally at 7 am we arrived in London! =D It was great ^^ even though it was super cold!  So we started our adventure at a coffee shop XD
After that we went to the Big Ben and other tourist points so we would be there before the main mass of people would come. It was so great! Blue sky, nearly no people and all the time we wanted!! =D
Here are some pictures of our adventures:

After wandering around a little bit we decided to got to the tower of London and the Tower Bridge. It just is a must do on a London trip XD
At this point I was so glad that we got ourselves some underground tickets! The walking would have killed me otherwise XD
When we arrived at the back of the Tower we were quite hungry an decided to take a little breakfast break. At this point I was so glad that Hanna thinks things through and actually had some sandwiches and they were delicious! =D Lucky me XD
Afterwards we took of th the Tower Bridge which I faintly remembered from my last visit in London.
The Bridge was very impressive and I long to see it actually open one day! Next to the stairs that led up to the bridge I saw a sign and decided to read it (go figure XD) and it has potential for a horror or criminal book O.o It was about the Dead Man's Hole and well.. just read for yourself:

After walking over the bridge and back again we toured around the Tower of London. When I saw the entrance prices I tok my wish back to enter it and we decided (or more acureatly I wanted) to got to the Buckingham Palace to see the guards. But first some pictures of the Bridge and the Tower:

A small door we found right on the bridge. It was even smaller than I XD

These lions looked strangely real O.o Whoever made them really captured their movements perfectly.

After finishing the tower we went through the underground to the Hyde Park to take a look at the winter wonderland there.

 

It looked really impressive but we decided to come back later to enjoy it without our luggage which we still had with us at this point.
While we discussed if we should take the tube or walk to Buckingham Palace we spotted a parade of horses. And not jsut ordinary horses but something like a royal group of riders on their way somewhere. Forgetting about Buckingham Palace we decided to follow them. I mean really. Who can resist the sight of this:

Sadly a pedestrian is not as fast as horses so we lost them after a few minutes (helping them was the fact that they got to ignore traffic lights) but we tried to follow at a distance and viola XD we ended up at Buckingham Palace. I think Hanna knew where we were going but was so considerate not to destroy my excitement about folloowing some horses somewhere unknown XD. On our way I found this:

I love it XD
When we arrived at Buckingham Palace I saw the guards and felt sorry for them. It was so cold and they had to stand there for most of the time and just be bored. Honor or not. That must be pretty boring. Funnily enough we met some germans in front of the palace and talked for a little bit XD I think I have some kind of aura around me that screams foreigner or german. How else could people always know?

After this we went to our hostel and left our backpacks there so we had more space to move ^^
Then we went to Harrods. Harrods..... I don't  know what to say about it. In my opinion it is above most descriptions so I won't even try it but show you some of the pictures I took:

cupcakes *__*

After a lot of shopping (in my opinion) we went back to the hostel, dropped of our shopping bags and went to the museum. I am sorry but I love museums XD I just hope that Hanna was not all to bored in there as I went straight to the medical history section. Sadly we only had half an hour before the museum closed so we had to rush through but it was still a lot of fun for me. I really hope to get the chance to got there again!
After the museum we just walked through the evening London and let it do it's magic on us =D Here, I'll share some with you ;-D

After walking through all this we were knackered and just wanted something to eat and then go to sleep. After looking for what felt like forever we got some japanese curry and sushi and basically way to much food but we felt so starved XD

This was just my share. Lots, and lots of rice with even more tofu curry (not spicy according to the employee but she lied. It was super spicy for me -.-), sushi (which was great!), an onigiri with something in it (I forgot) and pancakes filled with anko and green tea (one each). It all tasted good but was way to much food XD Hanna had the same problem and in the end we actually had to through some away. That really felt bad.
Afterwards we went to bed and that's how our first day in London ended. =D