Liverpool

I am officially done with the first week of classes! I am looking forward to the semester. My classes will be challenging, but it will be fun to learn things from a different perspective. The weather has been overcast, but usually between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, so I can't complain. I have mastered the bus system and am able to get from student housing to Tesco (the English version of Wal-Mart) at the city center.

I am a part of a group called International Student Association, and this weekend we took a trip to Liverpool. Liverpool is on the west coast and a little further south than Hull; it took us about three hours to drive there. It was a really good trip. The first thing we did when we arrived was to take in the Beatles exhibition, which was located right on the dock. It is a museum that took us right through the lives of the band members. I learned all about their childhood, how they met, how their career started, and who important people were in their success. They recreated the street where the Beatles began, Matthew Street, and also the pub they played in, which is called the Cavern.

I also visited the Martime and International Slavery museums.

The Mereyside Maritime Museum had exhibits on the Titanic,

Lusitania, and the Empress of Ireland. Thousands of British people lost their lives on these three ships that sank within three years of each other. The International Slavery Museum told the stories of past and modern slaves. There were video interviews and stories to read on the walls. There were also quite a few exhibits on different African tribes. Liverpool was once a major port for slave ships; you could actually look out the window of the museum and see the dock where slave ships were repaired. After we went to the museums we got some lunch and did some shopping. Next week we head to Newcastle!

Map: http://www.visitmap.info/britainvisitoratlas/england.asp?x=100