Final year begins!

HI GUYS!  LONG TIME NO HEAR FROM YOU (especially 2 of you)

In case you guys haven't met our flat pet, this is Totoro the hamster.  My housemate and I adopted him after a sad story, we saved him from certain death (so he says).  He also wont tell me what Totoro's original name is except that it's "a stupid chinese name".  He's a happy hamster though!

That's him getting to know my dad

Mayu and I went to visit a pet shop (you'd be surprised how hard it is to find a pet shop that sells birds).  Mayu's dream pet is a bird.  

Specifically a parrot.  I thought she meant those colourful parrots, but nooooo her ideal parrot is called the African Grey parrot (see above) which looks like a giant pigeon.

Also Mayu found this weird Japanese recipe which involves stacking a billion crepes on top of each other and putting cream and nutella and bananas in between.  Highly recommend 5/5

So then my parents showed up, and if you have my dad as a friend on FB (add him now) you should have seen ALLLL the stuff he put up on my wall.  They stayed for a few days in the UK, we got stuff down then we flew down to Copenhagen where we got on a cruise!  

In the UK they thought that Stonehenge was a good place to visit.  People I told that I was headed here all gave me really funny looks.  It's one of those places where you get there and you think "well that looks cool.  what next?".  Literally could have stopped by the side of the road and taken a picture.  But still, interesting place!  Fun fact of the day, NO ONE KNOWS WHY STONEHENGE WAS BUILT.  

This here is in Copenhagen, where I saw a packet called Pumpernickel and decided I had to try it.  

Don't try it.

In Copenhagen there are bikes lying everyday, FOC.

(Didn't try taking one in case I got arrested)

  

So this is the boat we got on.  It's essentially a big hotel that floats - up to 3000+ passengers and about 1500 crew, or so they say.  This is the nicest pic I have of it.

And this is the main common area of the boat.  Next BERK trip = cruise??!

And if you tell them it's your birthday they give you balloons and stuff.  We celebrated my chinese bday and my dad's real one

This is a park in Oslo full of weird ass sculptures, and this is my personal favourite - man kicking babies.

[Vigelandsparken Sculpture Park]

We spent a day in a town called Aarhus, Denmark; was just a pit stop on our way to Berlin.  There was this old church tower and I was bored so I went to climb to the top, there was no one else there, and when you reach the highest room it's pretty dark and deserted.... and on the far wall.  I think those were torture instruments.  Got the hell out of there quick!

Spent another day in Berlin - went to see a couple of landmarks then HAD TO GO SHOPPING FOR THIS ONE BAG MY SISTER WANTED WHICH MY PARENTS PROMISED TO GET.  Great sightseeing in Berlin, all the best department stores (I am not amused).  After we got this bag, I started rolling it and my mom said, "What are you doing?  It's new.  You have to carry it."  At which point I had to carry a new bag in a plastic bag for the rest of the day =]

Next we come to Tallinn, glorious capital of Estonia. That tower in the back is called....

KIEK IN DE KOK.

(sorry i'm easily amused)

In St Peterburg, Russia, my dad kept asking me to pose with random paintings in all the places we went to.  I'm not completely sure what criteria he uses to select the pictures for his collection of photos of me + paintings, but i think it has something to do with naked women.  

St Petersburg is a great place!

In Hellsinki.  My dad is professional photographer.  

And finally the cruise ended and it was back to the UK for me while my parents went home.  

My housemate made 2 cakes for my birthday.  This is how he keeps things a surprise.  

And this is the cake mayu ordered for me!  See if you can spot it.  I see she put up a few photos on facebook so you can go there =]

That's about it for me, I am 2 weeks into my final year here.  Gonna be doing the same stuff until March, that's when my finals are.  See you guys in December?!  And please update, YOU KNOW WHO ARE.  Hope you guys are doing well!

Totoro says bye!

K