Christmas in Leicester!

Much to my chagrin, I've been so busy with school, final projects and Christmas (really, what gives? Aren't students supposed to have all kinds of free time for carousal and saturnalia?) that I haven't had a chance to post an update in a deplorably long time. And because at this moment I should be diligently working on my Sustainable Development assignment, but am instead procrastinating in blog form, an entry of mostly pictures will have to suffice. My thinking, however, is that a "tour" of the Leicester city centre is long overdue. And what better light to show it in but all gussied up for the holidays? (Warning: academic overload/induced loopiness responsible for following over-abundance of exclamation points) Lights! Camera! Non-denominational snow flakes!

Some psuedo-Menorahs (and half-Menorahs)!

Silvia and I taking a break after class to enjoy the holiday gaiety!

A sphinxy fountain and Christmas Greetings on the Town Hall building!

One of two large city centre holiday trees next to a strange panorama!

An insanely huge live tree covered in fake snow next to the clock tower in the main center of town (oh, sorry, centre)!

More festive lights and the other clock tower!

Authentic German hot mulled wine served from inside a temporarily-erected manger-type building (absolutely delicious by the way)!!

A giant plastic Santa Clause!

Leicester really was quite pretty and convivial at the holidays - I wish I'd had more time to enjoy the multitude of singers and musicians livening up the streets with seasonal music and the array of international stalls set up in the city centre filled with all kinds of yummy-smelling things and potential purchases. I did get to celebrate the traditional Dutch Sinterklaas Day with several of the flatmates, which, according to Amanda (who is from Holland), is sort of like Christmas but different, is celebrated earlier in December, and involves leaving a shoe by the fireplace (kitchen radiator in our case) in order for it to be filled with little gifts (we filled each other's shoes) by the mysterious Sinterklaas (a bishop dressed in red robes and a red mitre, who arrives in Holland on a steamboat from Spain!) and his helpers, the Zwarte Pieten (see below).

Amanda even wrote us a poem (which rhymed! in English!) for the occasion, which is apparently also part of the tradition. I should make her post it. It was cute. Our boots got filled with gifts (don't we have an awesome assortment of boots by the way?) and we got to eat kruidnoten (a type of little gingerbread-biscuit) by the handful. Much fun.

And here are the flatmates (-1): Nick, from South Africa; Zathew, from China; Amanda, from Holland; and me, all in our little dorm kitchen. Lee, the 5th flatmate, was home sick, sadly.

But truly, I can't believe the first semester of school is already over (if I can get these final projects turned in) and Christmas/New Years have come and gone. I had a wonderful time at home over the break - spent time with friends and family, and even got to see a best friend get married. Plus I had access to Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches for a while. I'll put up some pictures soon (not just of sandwiches, I promise). In the meantime, wish me luck finishing up everything for my first four modules: Sustainable Development, Renewable Energy, Energy in Buildings, and Energy Analysis Techniques (yay for nerdy number crunching!). We start the next two, Integrated Environmental Strategies and Resource Use & Pollution, next week. Exciting!

And speaking of exciting, I wonder if I have any kruidnoten left. I definitely have pickles to eat. Did I mention that I smuggled pickles over in my suitcase? Two jars worth in plastic bags. Yum.