Time for an update. The past couple of days since I have arrived have been full of new impressions and things to reflect on. Getting the hang of a new town is always hard in the beginning I guess as it definitely was the case now. Getting so horribly lost trying to find places by car, I spend the majority of Thursday and Friday walking around Wycombe just to get a feel for the place. What really surprises me is the amount of cars that continuously drive through the town, it seems that every single person here owns a car and drives in it constantly.
Attempting to find the local Tesco seemed more of a challenge than it ought to be. After ending up in three different towns trying to find it by car, I decided to leave the Beemer at the house and try to find it on foot. After 45 minutes of walking I had finally found it! Funny thing is that the walk back only took about 20 minutes… yeah even on foot I am still a bit disorientated. So mission accomplished and I had gotten some of the necessary groceries. The price difference between the Tesco and the nearby Indian Deli was very noticeable though. I think the prices at the Deli are almost 50% higher and so I won’t return there. So yeah, that was basically my Thursday and Friday… sleeping a bit, trying to find the Tesco, eating a bit, trying to find the Tesco, and sleeping a bit.
Yesterday I went to drop off a bag that I had taken with me for another exchange student, and after the now so familiar navigational troubles I had found her house as well. After getting a tour through her house I offered to give her a ride into town so she could do some groceries as well. High Wycombe is located in the middle of what looks like a valley. The center of the town is at the lowest point of the area and then to the north and south there a big hills. I think they go up to about 100 meters at their highest point, but the roads are very steep and driving on them is what I imagine is the same driving through San Francisco (just to give you an idea).
Back to the story. Ok so we had arrived in the center of Wycombe and I had found a big parking garage close to the Tesco and to my surprise there was a shopping mall attached to it. There was a lot of construction going on to the place as well so that’s probably why it hadn’t caught my attention yet. But inside we thought it would be a good idea to get some English cell numbers right away, so we got that and then it was off to the Tesco once more. This time I had my car with me so I could take a bit more of the heavier stuff as well (read beer).
Car fully loaded with snacks and supplies we went back to her house and we chilled there for a while and then we decided to explore the area a bit more by foot. We looked for the school which supposedly was only two streets away from where she lives but it took us a good 45 minutes to find it and then figuring out on the way back that it was actually only two streets away and about 10 minutes to walk. But it was good that we went wrong the way there because I finally found a gas station in Wycombe. When we got back to her house the other girl had called as well and we met her there. We decided that it would be a good idea to get fish & chips in accordance with proper English etiquette. We went to a place that sold fish & chips and was located next to Mr. Chan’s Chinese restaurant; only when we came in it looked like Mr. Chan was running both establishments, so we ended up getting Chinese English Fish & Chips. Whether or not it’s any different from just English Fish & Chips I wouldn’t know, as I do, I’ll let you know.
Well I don’t really feel like typing any more so I’ll leave you with some more pictures, this time from the outside of the house, and if I can find them, also some pictures I made in the town center. Other than that I’m starting school tomorrow and I’m excited to see what will happen there. Keep you posted.
My front door
The front of the house with my car next to it
Better view of the front of the house
Back yard, although not really accesable
Front yard
These are pictures I took from the top of the parking garage with my phone. Just to give you an idea of the area.
This post was created under the influence of Sublime’s 1992 40 Oz. To Freedom.
4 comments:
Still wondering whether your house is on the flank of an hill, or the photograph of the frontdoor was turned 90 degrees?? Good to read that you'r already a little familiar with your hometown. In the meantime I wish you luck and success on your first day at college tomorrow. Hope that you will find and get what you'r looking for.
Damn it, my father stole my joke about the front door!
Snacks and supplies is not under the influence of sublime but just blatently copying their lyrical abilities. Have you found the 'local' (pub) yet? Without that you're nothing.
Have fun in class.
Me, lyrical content was stolen from RHCP... There's many local pubs and I'm yet to find the cheapest, 2 pound per pint seems to be the going rate here.
Ok, it's hard to admit... I was wrong.
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