Yesterday I had my second day of orientation, where they gave us a packet of useful academic information. But that isn't the part I worry about. I'm more worried about day to day life and adapting from the United States, such as how to get around the city and the different rules and regulations. There was no information on that. I'll have to ask Francine and Katia.
So after the almost-waste-of-time that was orientation, I went out with the same group as the day before for lunch at a Brazilian place. It was really good, but it was a really long walk from campus. We also went shopping in an absolutely gigantic outdoor mall called Arndale. I didn't get much, just some body wash and such. But it wasn't really the shopping that was interesting.
The architecture in this city is amazing. Absolutely amazing. There are huge churches that you can tell are ancient, and old buildings that have been converted into apartments.
I took a few photos, but I'm afraid they aren't very good. I was on a bus (my first ever ride on a Double-Decker!!), and they drive really fast, especially for the amount of traffic that they have. It was hard to get the pictures because we were going so fast.
They also drive on the opposite side of the street. Everyone already knows that, but it's different when you're actually here. When I look to cross the street, I always look wrongly because I'm used to driving on the right side of the road.
And like I said, they drive really fast and weave in and out of traffic like crazy. Yet pedestrians don't always wait for the walk signals; sometimes they just jump right out there and go. Its really scary and will take some getting used to.
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