8 months in Brum

Ok, so it's taken a while to get this show on the road, but nothing good is ever delievered on time right? It's been 8 months since I first arrived in Brum, and it just wouldn't be right for an Aussie not to have a whinge about English weather. Things started off well, but when winter came I couldn't have frozen quicker unless I was dipped in liquid nitrogen. I figured I'd survived a winter in Japan, England couldn't be much worse...boy, was I mistaken! It snowed twice, in October and in February, which was an absolute blast I must say. I ran around taking photos and made my first ever snowman, so freezing my butt off has been worth it. And the rain! I love it when it rains here because it rains like it means it; it seriously chucks it down with big satisfying splats against the window.

Other than the weather keeping me amused, finding ways to get by on a shoestring has been a real adventure. Shopping at the markets in town can be a great way to stretch your pounds, but I think almost every time I've bought fruit, at least half the bag is filled with dodgy, overripe stuff. They should just let you pick your own, like in good ol' Paddys! My local Sainsbury's also gets a mention for it's discount section up the back; lots of little gems there for 99p. It may be tiny, but it's worth checking out.

So what can I say about Brum city? I haven't really ventured past the Bullring yet since everything you need is there. The shopping centre is really quite open and spacious, but I still think it needs the Westfields treatment! One of my favourite shops in there has to be the teddy bear shop. You choose your bear, get it stuffed and then dress it up. I'm determined to get one before I go. Chinatown is also a short walk away from the Bullring, the biggest one in the UK apparently, but it sadly lacks any character. There's no big gate marking the entrance like the other Chinatowns I've been to, it's just a disparate group of shops, some hidden down tiny backstreets. If I hadn't been told it was Chinatown, I never would have given the area a second glance; it's pretty dodgy-looking. Still, the shops that are there have a good range of oriental products (I would've said Asian, but that means something else here) so I can still get my fix of decent Chinese or Japanese food (I'm not even going to start on that, I'll save it for another post).

There are, of course, a lot of other places in Brum that I want to check out, but til I'm rolling in it, it's just going to have to wait. For now, I guess I'll just have to write this blog...