BY SURANGNUT, REPOSTED FROM PGCAFE
Being almost 6,000 miles away from home it is so difficult to imagine “how is my life going to be?” This is the longest alone trip of my life – from Bangkok, Thailand to Newcastle upon Tyne. I kept thinking about the choice I had made. I had to quit my job, leave my family and be alone for a year. But I decided to pursue my dream. I chose the university before I looked at the city information. I chose Newcastle University because of the course: MSc International Marketing, which has an E-Marketing elective which I was really interested in. Also, the university provides many scholarships.
The Geordies
After I made the decision to study at this university, I began to find information about the city. One thing I found out was that the people who live here are called Geordies. This made me so curious about the city and the people.
Eating Well
Another worry I had was about the food. Would I have to eat bread and cheese every day? Where can I get Thai food? How expensive will it be? But… Here in this city, I feel like I am at home! I can get many Thai ingredients from the Chinese supermarket and also at the Grainger Market, there are so many fresh fruits, vegetables and meat. Luckily, they are not expensive.
Another incredible thing is bread, which I was afraid of eating every day.But truthfully, I eat it almost every day because there are so many types of bread sold at the Grainger Market (especially at The French Oven) and Marks & Spencer. Their loaves are amazing – you should definitely try.
New Friends
I found out about most of these places through the international students I met at the Welcome Week held by the university. It was such a wonderful week. I made so many new friends and got loads of information about my course, the university, places to visit, the city and activities. I tried to join in as many activities as I could during this week (I suggest you guys do the same) because I want to have lots of friends and learn about their different cultures. Different cultures will show you just how big the world is.
The Friendly Locals
The Geordie accent might be hard to understand at first, but even though I struggled, no one ever acted frustrated with me. They are so nice. They always help me and my friends when we get lost or try to find something in the stores. They usually smile which is one of the things I love because it makes me feel at home. Some of you might have heard about this – Thailand is the Land of Smiles.
Easy Transport
The convenience of transportation also made me fall in love with this city. The rail station (Central Station) is around a 15 minute walk from the Newcastle University Business School (NUBS). There are many metro stations and bus stops in the City Centre which is only a 10 minute walk from NUBS. However if I don’t have any plans to go out of the city, I usually walk into the city centre from home.
Just Do It!
Don’t be scared of the newness. It will bring you into a new chapter of your life. You won’t be alone no matter where you go. Just open your mind and learn new things. Fortunately, if you come here to Newcastle, you will learn and gain new wonderful experiences. Believe me!