Greetings from Leicester

This building here is De Montfort University's Campus Centre. All the different departments and student accommodation halls are situated around it. Everything is within walking distance, for example you can walk to the city centre in about 10-15 minutes.

We had a Welcome and Registration Event at the Campus Centre on Monday evening. There was a jazz band playing, food, wine, welcoming speeches and all the international students were gathered around. The event was really nice and well organized but there was one thing that bothered us. Amongst international students, me and Lilli are part of a really small minority. Almost all the others are from somewhere Asia and they have their own things. We tried to be nice and welcoming to everybody but these people just make their own groups where they have their own language and stuff. This made us kind of pleased that we're not from those countries because now when there's only two of us, we have to use English and get to know new people perhaps more than they do.

Today we had a couple of information sessions and a cinema night. And we actually managed to get to know a bunch of new people!

This is a gate to Leicester Market, a place where I'll spend much of my time here. They sell fresh fruits and vegetables here and all the prices are shockingly cheap. Salesmen shout to attract customers, shout to each other and the atmosphere is absolutely fantastic. If you buy something (and trust me you will) they greet you with "hello love, what can I do for you" or something that'd never be said in Finland.

I read that there's a Farmer's Market here on the last Wednesday of every month. Then all the food must be made within 30 miles of Leicester, it cannot be genetically modified and it must be sold by someone who helped make it. I'll definitely be there!

I have to say that I love the way people behave towards each other here. Everybody smile to each other, greet one another and ask how they're doing. Of course they don't really want to hear anything specific but it's a nice habit. And all this is done to a complete strangers too!

This is a landscape from our kitchen window. Not bad isn't it? Especially when there's a bunch of swans swimming around the river.

We don't have any room mates yet. But all the British student's are coming to DMU next week so hopefully we get some company then.

This is our kitchen. Simple but nice.

This is what we bought today from the Leicester Market. All this and it cost less than £5!

And here they are on their way to our plates... Yam! Clean, fresh and cheap food - how could it be better?

I miss you all back there so please comment or otherwise contact me! :)