Photo of the Week

This week's photo features the next most well-known attraction: the Pier. With exciting rides, arcade games, and countless food vendors, there is always some fun to be had at the Pier.

An Important Landmark

In preparation for moving to Brighton, I was surprised and confused that a large palace kept popping up in photos, and realized that it is one of the first things that you notice once you enter the town center. 

The Royal (or Brighton) Pavilion was built at the order of George IV as a retreat for when he retreated to the seaside town to indulge in his vices away from the expectations of royalty in London. 

Although it was built with an important purpose for its time, I soon began to wonder why it was still important today, and why even Brighton residents have come to associate it with the city. In a British Culture module I took in the Fall, I got to tour the Pavilion and find some answers to these questions. 

One reason seems so out of place in its setting is because George was incredibly fascinated with Indian architecture and East Asian decoration. 

The outside of the palace is modeled after many domelike structures that were being used in India at the time and George got to add other influences behind the walls.

Although George IV never visited Asia, he really liked the idea of East Asian design, which told his interior decorator when having the palace decorated. Using many reds and golds, the Palace implements many iconic pieces used in East Asian designs of the time. 

The most noticeable piece is perhaps the massive chandelier in the middle of the dining hall. Weighing more than a ton and spanning over 30ft the chandelier features a large dragon surrounded by large banana tree-like leaves and holding the rest of the chandelier.

The Pavilion has also been home to three of England's monarchs (George IV, William IV, and Victoria-- I'm thinking of doing a future post on the royals; what are your thoughts?)  

Additionally, the Palace has acted as Brighton's first library, a model for future gardens in the country, and even acted as a hospital for the Indian army of the British Empire during WWI.

Altogether, the Pavilion has played many parts in the town of Brighton, and perhaps this is why it remains a symbol for the city. It has become a representation of the eclectic and free energy that the town embodies as well as the blending of many cultures that come together to make Brighton such a unique place.

Up until now, I've just been writing about topics which I find interesting but as this blog is for you guys, I'd like to ask: what do you guys want to hear more about? I'm curious to hear what you'd like to learn about!

Cheers!

Photo of the Week

In the spirit of food that is unique to the UK, here is a picture of an afternoon tea that I went to with my mom and grandma this week.

Food Across the Kingdom

Hey guys! Sorry for the mixup with the blog link but it was great hearing from you guys! It sounds like a lot of you are interested in sports, music, and animals so I'll definitely have to get those topics into some future posts.

This week I wanted to talk about something near and dear to everyone's hearts: food. Although most kinds of foods are popular throughout the UK there are some more unique foods that each place is known for, and that I have come to enjoy... and others not so much.

Because Brighton is on the southern coast of the UK, seafood is a bit more common than other places in the country. While it is a common dish throughout the country, fish and chips is often associated with the seaside town.

Usually made with cod, it's generally a full fried fish (sometimes two) served with wedge cut fries (they call French fries chips in the UK) and a side of either whole or mashed peas. While I'm pretty impartial to the peas, I absolutely love the fish and chips. Most people put ketchup, tartar sauce, brown sauce (a vinegary sauce) and/or ranch on the fish and either ketchup or mayonnaise on the fries. Together, the two make the perfect combination of savory goodness.

Once you jump up north to Scotland you'll find two dishes that people find the most questionable, the first of which is haggis.

To be honest, if I'd known what haggis was before trying it, I may not like it as much as I do, as it is ground up sheep intestines. The photo on the right shows a more traditional haggis, but I have only tried them in the form of nachos (perhaps another reason I enjoyed them so much).

The second dish is found in a Scottish breakfast. A traditional English and Scottish breakfast are fairly similar, including sausages, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and beans on toast. However, the latter will often include black pudding. 

Black pudding is a grilled patty of coagulated pig blood that, in my opinion, tastes about as good as it sounds. The texture reminded me of a dry baked potato and the flavor is vaguely like overcooked meat. Above is a picture of my friend Reid discovering what it was after his first bite.

Although it's not a meal, I think this dish deserves a place in this post as they are unique to the UK, and that is the pasty (with a short "a").

A pasty is essentially a croissant filled with stew. Traditionally it is filled with beef but can also have chicken, sausage, or most other kinds of meat. Here's a picture of me trying my first past in Windsor. Although I was a bit skeptical at first, I thoroughly enjoyed it and have had many more since.

The final dish is a personal favorite of mine, partially because for its flavor and partially for its price. Every Sunday, throughout the UK, most restaurants will serve a Sunday Roast for around £10.

This dish features baked potato slices, some kind of veggies (usually asparagus), Yorkshire pudding with gravy, and a steak. Altogether, the medley of flavors is good enough that you almost have to eat the whole thing, despite the large portion. 

These are some of my favorite dishes I've discovered since I've been here. What are some of your favorite meals? And what is the craziest/strangest thing you've tried?

Cheers!

Photo of the Week

During the last weekend of October, some friends and I went up to Edinburgh (in the southern half of Scotland) where we were offered a place to stay by a friend of a friend. When we got there, we were told that there was a single bedroom for us to split between 5 guys (and bedrooms here are much smaller than back home).

Although we groaned and grumbled a bit at first, it was actually a fairly comfortable arrangement once we got Tetrised in. In the spirit of being comfortable with being uncomfortable, this week's photo is of that room.

Sorry we couldn't get a photo of us all sleeping in the room but we couldn't fit a photographer.

A New Home

No matter how many times you move, there will always be anxieties about moving to a new place: What will it be like? Will I find people to hang out with? Will there be fun things to do? The farther or more different it is from home, the greater the chance this place may seem strange or unfamiliar.

Even after having moved a few times before, I was still worried about all these things and wondered what this year would have in store for me. Although I'd done my research before coming here, there was still so much I didn't know about the country, the town, the education system, and so much more that I didn't know what to expect.

At some point in my first few days, however, I realized something: I'm in a place I've never been before and there are many things that I don't know about it but that's okay because I'm here to learn. And this switch in mindset made all the difference...

Once I realized that I was here to discover and learn all I could, I became an explorer rather than just a lost nomad. I discovered the beauty of Brighton and my environment.

Brighton is filled with shops of all kinds with an open market setup in an area called the Lanes (shown above). You can find shops ranging from music stores and charity shops (thrift stores) to cafes and restaurants. 

Exploring the town only led me to explore more which, in time, helped me meet people who like to do the same.

I have since been able to explore many local hikes and beaches throughout Brighton and meet some amazing people in the process. 

Once I let go of the fear of what would happen in this new environment, I was able to embrace it to the point where I can now call Brighton a new home.

When was a time you guys did something that scared you and were glad you did it?

Cheers!

About Me

My name is Isaiah and I'm a Junior, studying English at Portland State University. I am spending my third year in Brighton, England.

I like reading, writing, drinking tea, playing and listening to music, exploring with friends, and being outside in nature. I think it's important to find what makes you happy and to find a way to incorporate that into your everyday life.

What kinds of things make you guys happy?