It is so popular nowadays to read in motivational posters: jump on a plane, leave everything behind, go on a journey, have your experiences. If one leaves it out, life is not the same.

After all those impressions in my life, how could I possibly leave this social convention out of mine? So on a lovely English economic lesson, (with topic so light, and ideas so bight) I sat down to do my own econ, and ended up calculating a journey to Ireland. Which (as time passed) was enriched with Scotland as well. So in the end it turned out that a 6 day journey with 7 towns would not cost so much, thanks to Fly Be (domestic airline, with 20-30 pounds for a seat, one way) and thanks to all my friends living around Scotland...

So after I set a small budget for me (budgets are of course just for the clear conscious, you WILL end up spending way, way more), I got in touch with my dear friends and buying all the plane, rail and bus tickets.

In the end, with some extensions along the road (e.g. Scotland), my route was all cleared for me:

•          From Nottingham I caught a plane to Dublin
•          From Dublin I took a bus to Belfast
•          From Belfast I flew to Aberdeen
•          From Aberdeen I went by train to Inverness
•          From Inverness I got on a bus to visit the Loch Ness (the village of unbelievably hard-to-pronounce Drumnadrochit)
•          Then I took the train back to Aberdeen and spent the next day there and in the Dunnottar Castle
•          From Aberdeen I went to Glasgow by bus
•          From Glasgow I arrived in Edinburgh by bus
•          From Edinburgh I went by plane to Nottingham… back again.

Lovely 6 days for sure, and suprise-suprise even when I thought I would be alone, I had some great company I did not expect at all. Nice co-incidence for sure.

 After summing up all those information, let me tell you the story of how my plan worked out.

Round 1

Ireland: Guiness-Whisky and some Leprechauns (who stole my cap)…

In the rough 2 days I spent in Ireland, I came to the conclusion, that this country is very much likable. So are the people. 

Dublin was one of the best places I have been to. If you have the opportunity do not leave out the Guiness Factory, which is an awesome kickass place, full of Guiness, and also visit the Old Jameson's Distillery too. There you can learn the differences between Scotch, American and Irish whisky and also, armed with this knowledge, you will be able to determine which is your favourite.

I wish I could tell you more about the city, but shame on me, I was there only for a day. What I have experienced it, that the Liffey River is really lovely with all the little bridges, and O'Connel Street is so magnificent. I was lucky enough to meet someone on my way to Dublin, so I had some company along to explore the Temple Bar (and the moon, which was, look at it! so big), also I tried some fine Guinness, and as I was so forgetful, I left my cap somewhere along the pub crawling. Still, I prefer to say that leprechauns have stolen it, so I would not sound so… whatever

But all good things must come to an end, so did my stay in Dublin, and the next morning (without my cap, on a really cold dawn), I left for Belfast. The road was breath-taking with all the misty mountains and ruins of old castles, but still, I was a bit (I’d like to stick with) tired.

(The minute I stepped into Belfast I decided to buy a new cap.) The weather was horribly windy and cold, but luckily it was not raining (yet). (After finding my new cap in a Primark) I went on with the adventure, visited the Christmas market outside the Town Hall and high street I headed towards the Titanic quarter. I was still amazed by how kind the Irish are, all trying to have a little chat when they found out I am a tourist.

As for the titanic quarter, it is really a place you need to see. With the monument, memorial plaques and the museums you can spend a day there just wandering around, seeing exhibitions, imagining and experiencing the legend. It was moving and interesting at the same time.

The road must go on, and the next morning I was ready to leave for Scotland, the home of the brave and the free. (And they sure do need that bravery during winter when the weather is just cruel. At least it was like that for me) 

I thought Ireland had bad weather. I have never been so wrong.

The moment I entered Scotland my plane got in a strong cyclone, and soon I was praying for my life. It turned out that I was not tough enough for the Scottish winter, yet. 

Round 2

Scotland lvl: WINTER

Aberdeen was my next destination, where a friend was waiting for me. So after I landed safe and sound (which in that case was quite a miracle for me), armed with a bottle of fine Irish whisky, I went to meet him, and the city as well.

Aberdeen is a world famous city as a result of the North Sea oil and gas reserves. THe town has a beautiful beach, a breath-taking harbour with large ships, some fine museums, but I did not find it out for a couple of days, as on my arriving a strong storm made me unable to do the city tour.

But the next day I was much luckier. After a good night sleep I got on a train to Inverness, the city in the Highlands. Loch Ness is just a 30 minute bus drive from the town, and I would highly recommend you to pay a visit, as there are castles, villages, Loch Ness & Nessie exhibitions, as well as countless Nessies, the Loch Ness Monster legends around the lake. Although I had to fight the elements, like hailstorms and strong winds, it was a wonderful day.

The next day I decided to see Aberdeen. Foot Dee is a small fisherman’s village, next to the beach, just outside the harbour. It has preserved the past, and it is a wonderful place to get lost in. The maritime museum of Aberdeen is also a great place, one can get a glimpse of what life is like offshore at the oil drilling islands.

It is easy to make daytrips from Aberdeen. I went to Dunnotar Castle in the afternoon, a majestic ruin of Scottish history situated on a cliff, surrounded by the Northern Sea. This is a place where time stood still for the past centuries. Among the walls of the castle you can capture history coming alive. You can almost see William Wallace or Mary, Queen of Scots walk past you there. 

Slowly snow has arrived (not Jon, but the real thing), and Aberdeen was covered in a thin layer by the time I had to leave for Glasgow. I must say Glasgow was not as great as I expected, but I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Let's just then leave it like this here. From there I hopped on another bus, and arrived in Edinburgh an hour later, just in time to see the night lights of the city. It was fascinating, but I have already told you about Edinburgh way back in October.

And in the end there came a point when I had to leave for Nottingham. My journey was over. It was amazing, and even with the weather being so… let’s just say Scottish I had an great time.

So I hope that you will all have your adventures in the near future, and I also hope that some might be inspired by my experiences. Thanks for reading, have a happy new year!

  I hope you liked my article, you can find the previous ones here. 

Recently I have been involved in several conversations about travelling in general. I have been asked countless times about my opinion on the topic of travelling alone or with company. Seems like there is a never ending debate on the subject...

Let me just gather my thoughts for you on the subject then: This article is for the ones who have already experienced travelling alone, for the ones who are addicted to it, for the ones who are afraid of it, and even for the ones who dislike it.

When it comes to travelling, I have always preferred going alone, and try to avoid travelling in big groups of aquintances. There is something entirely peaceful when you explore places for yourself, by yourself. (or if you have a really worth companionship, that can be wonderful as well, but more on it later...)

I have fallen in love with cities and countries so many times, that I just stopped counting. But only when you are on your own, can a place touch you so deeply that it steals your heart once and for all. Because traveling is all about that afterall, isn't it?

It is a romance... an open relationship, where new loves do not mean you have to break up with the old ones, but it means that your heart and soul is enriched with another blissfull expreience along the way. Traveling leaves you speechless, then makes you a storiteller for a lifetime.

 So pack your bag, and let's escape from reality for a little time...

1. Finding yourself is extremely hype today, may it be through songs, novels, make-ups, sexual orientations, writing, drinking...  and so on, and so forth. Every day I see people trying to find inner peace or whatever they are searching for, with more or less success. Blessed you are if you can be successful with those. But let me just tell you a little secret: being on your own in a foreign country means you will have to learn to count on yourself. And in this way you will find yourself, you will gain strength and confindence you have never ever dreamed about. It is worth a try, isn't it?

2. If you are willing to explore another city or even another country and you go in a huge group of people let me just tell you what will definitelly happen: one of you will want to see the local cathedral, others will want to take a picture with their cup of Starbucks coffee, other people will want to go th the riverbend or to the nature, and there will be some, who just want to take hundreds of photos in general and check in on Facebook. So you will have to compromise, you may even be stuck in situations you want to avoid. And might just skip what is important to you as time is always limited.

3. As I mentioned before, a city can only really seize you when you give it a chance to come up to you and show its secrets. But while you are outside having a chat, posting statuses on FB with your #travellingBFFs & #Starbuckscoffees it is quite hard to hear its calling. What I would highly suggest is to walk down main street, turn left or right on the first lane and find a quiet place with locals. Have a coffee or ale in the nearest cosiest pub, which is not a main tourist attraction, and ask your bartender for some ideas. If you are respectful towards their city and they see a true interest in your eyes, I guarantee you that they will help happily.

When you go alone you explore yourself, you rely on your skills, you dive into your thoughts, you find emotions and secrets about you that were just around the corner all these years, but you haven't had the chance to meet them as the surrounding noise of the world was just too loud. 

So what I ask you politely, please go out and expand your limits, you will not regret it, I promise.

And if you have mastered this form of art, try out the next level: there are those lucky combinations of travelling companions (usually 2 people) who can just understand each other really well, have similar thoughts and a well balanced friendship. It is quite rare to find, you can consider yourself lucky if you have one or two of those individuals. Rather pleasant can it be to have a conversation over the meaning of life while walking on the streets of a lovely town or city. 

So when you have already mastered the art of travelling the world by yourself, have a friend by your side who is much alike and do it all over again. You will have then two rather astonishing worlds to compare.

 I do hope you liked my article, you can find previous ones here. 

Mostanában számos beszélgetésem fő témája az utazás volt. Számtalanszor kérdezték a véleményemet arról  hogy mi jobb: egyedül utazni, vagy többedmagaddal? Egy olyan vitába csöppentem, mely utazók körében régóta eldöntetlen...

Ha már itt tartunk, összegzem a gondolataimat a témában. Azoknak mesélek, akik már rég szerelmesek a magányos utazásokba, akik nem szeretnek egyedül kalandozni, akik függők, akiknek fenntartásaik vannak, és azoknak is akik nem szeretik. 

Ha utazásról van szó, mindig is egyedül szerettem menni (esetleg olyan baráttal, családtaggal, akik nagyon közel állnak hozzám, de semmiképpen sem nagy baráti társaságokkal). Egyedül utazni egyenlő a lelki béke megtalálásával és saját magunk megismerésével. 

Rég nem számolom már, hogy hányszor is szerettem bele városokba vagy országokba. De csak akkor tudod igazán őket a szívedbe zárni, ha nem habozol egymagad belevágni a kalandba. Végül is ez az utazás lényege, nem? 

Utazni annyi, mint romantikázni, nyitott kapcsolatban élni, ahol az új szerelem nem feltétlenül jelenti azt, hogy fel kell hagynod régi románcoddal. Minden a lelked gazdagítja, új kalandokkal, érzelmekkel és életszemlélettel. Az utazástól elakad a szavad - majd egy életre mesemondó leszel. 

Csomagolj is be gyorsan, mert ma megszöktetlek a valóság elől... 

1. Dalok, smink, könyvek, szexuális nyitottság, írás, olvasás, ivászat, szociális média... az önkeresés útjai lassan mindent behálóznak, és manapság egyre trendibb, ha valaki meg akarja találni önmagát. Minden nap szembe jön velem egy-két sikeresebb vagy éppen sikertelenebb egyed az utcán (pedig néha igazán nem hiányolom őket...) Áldott vagy, ha neked épp szerencséd van, és sikerül magadra találnod a folyamatban. De elárulnék egy kis titkot, lélekbúvárkodni szeretnél? Menj el egy idegen országba, vessz el egy idegen városban, ahol csak magadra számíthatsz. Így aztán megtanulhatod, milyen az, amikor bízol és elfogadod magad. Higgy nekem, amikor azt mondom, hogy olyan magabiztosságot szerzel, mint soha, és egy reggel csak úgy kelsz fel, hogy bizony ez egy csodálatos nap lesz. Egy próbát megér, nem?  

2. Ha tényleg szeretnél megismerni egy várost, vagy országot, de nagy társasággal mész, az egész előbb-utóbb nem lesz más, mint ivóverseny. Ami biztosan bekövetkezik: egyikőtök meg akarja nézni a városházát, másikotok a Starbucks-ban kávézna, a harmadik a folyópartot vagy a parkot akarja látni, a negyedik meg egész nap csak magát fényképezteti, és ki se bújik az okostelefonjából, Facebook postokat rakosgat ki az idővonalára, és egész nap #hastag-el. Aminek persze természetes következménye, hogy igencsak lemarad, és mindig rá kell várni... és így tovább, rengeteg variáció van még. Előbb-utóbb kompromisszumot kell kötnöd magaddal és a társaiddal, amit persze senki sem akar, de hát az idő kevés, a preferenciák pedig határtalanok. 

3. Mint ahogy arra már kitértem, egy várost csak akkor ismerhetsz meg igazán, ha esélyt adsz neki, hogy megmutassa apró titkait. Igen nehéz meghallani azonban a hívást, ha közben állandóan zavarnak a többiek, és lefoglal a pózolás a Facebook dokumentációhoz meg a #utazóöribarik és a #Starbuckskávévaldemenő című állapotjelentésekhez. Az én javaslatom az lenne, hogy térj le a főútról az első kereszteződésnél, és keress egy kis kocsmát vagy kávézót, ahova láthatóan kevés turista és sok helyi jár. Rendelj magadnak valamit, válts pár barátságos szót a pultossal, és kérdezd meg udvariasan, hogy ő, mint helyi lakos, mit javasolna neked. Ez eddig mindig bevált, ha kedves vagy, és látszik rajtad, hogy érdekel a város, szívesen segítenek. 

Ha megvan benned a merészség, hogy egymagad elindulj a nagyvilágba, csodálatos dolgokra fogsz bukkanni. Megismered önmagadat, leküzdöd a korlátaidat és új horizontok nyílnak meg előtted, melyekről korábban tudomásod se volt, s hiába voltak veled, nem láttad őket a körülötted lévő akadályoktól. 

Kérlek indulj útnak, és ismerd meg magad és a világot, s ha már művésze vagy a műfajnak, próbálj ki még valamit. Keress magadnak egy-két olyan embert, akivel hasonló az érdeklődésed, és utazzatok ketten is. Olyan barátságok ezek, melyek ismét új világokat tárnak föl, így összehasonlítani a tapasztalataidat mindennél jobban megéri, talán még az élet értelmét is megtalálhatod.

 Remélem tetszett a cikkem, korábbi írásaimat itt találhatod. 

Yes, today I am doing the usual "what to do in a city" stuff. But I just don' want to miss out on the experience of writing it. Previously I had some nice friends in my lovely town, so I feel qualified enough to give you advice on a sightseeing tour if the time you have is only a short 5 hour break here.

1. Start your walk by having a look at the "Ye olde trip to Jerusalem" in order to assure yourself, that by the end of the day you are going to have one of its finest ales as a final reward (this way you will have energy to be in time). It is always a lovely starting point, as the Inn provides you just the best mood for your trip.

2. Pay a visit to the castle. You can go inside  if you feel like, otherwise just have a look at the beautiful garden and the building itself, and go for a walk orund the walls of the castle.

3. Head towards the city centre. Visit old Market Square, have a look at the magnificent Town Hall, get a glimpse of Theatre Royal, go and see Nottingham Trent University and especially get lost in one of the little streets, which are full of lovely shops, cafés, and vintage stores. 

4. Are you ready to meet The Batman? Find a bus stop in the centre, get on bus 35 or 36, and head towards Wollaton Hall. Besides seeing the Wayne Manor (which is a rather interesting science museum itself) you will also realize that it is a lovely deer park, and that the animals are not afraid of you at all.

5. As we are running out of time (ohh Dear, only one hour left!), head back towards Ye olde Trip to Jerusalem for that fine English pint of ale, and enjoy every sip of it, because you deserved it.

I hope you liked my article, you can find the previous ones here.

Igen, újabb városnézős bejegyzés... De nem tudtam ellenállni neki. Nemrég több ismerősöm és barátom is megfordult Nottingham-ben, és senkinek sem volt sok ideje, így össze kellett állítanom egy biztos tervet arról, hogy mit érdemes megnézni, ha csak 5 órát tölthetsz városban.

1. Minden sétát érdemes az "Ye olde trip to Jerusalem"-től kezdeni. Nemcsak megadja az alaphangulatot a nap további részéhez, de a tudat, hogy utad végeztével betérsz majd egy pint sörre, lelkesedéssel tölt el. 

2. Csodáld meg a várat. Ha van kedved, be is mehetsz, vagy csak sétálj el a kert és a várfalak mellett.  .

3. Irány a belváros! Nézd meg a városházát, sétálgass a régi piactéren, csodáld meg a Theatre Royal-t, majd menj el egészen a Trent egyetem impozáns épületéig, amely már messziről jól látható. Ne habozz belevetni magad a szűk utcácskák forgatagába, az antik boltok és a kis kávézók kavalkádjába. 

4. Készen állsz a Batman-nel való találkozásra? Keress egy közeli 35-ös vagy 36-os buszmegállót, és irány a Wollaton Hall. Azon kívül, hogy élőben láthatod a Wayne villát, amely nem mellesleg egy múzeum, még őzekkel is találkozhatsz, ugyanis a kastély területe egy őzpark is. 

5. Mivel lassan kifutunk az időből, ideje visszaindulni a Jerusalem felé, azért a jól megérdemelt pint házi sörért és fél óra lazításért! 

Remélem tetszett ez a gyors városnézés, korábbi írásaimat itt találhatod. 

Szerencsés vagyok, ugyan is a születésnapomat Angliában töltöttem. Ráadasul nem is akármilyen születésnapról van szó, hanem  21.-ről. Remekül sikerült, nekem elhihetitek. 

Ezért úgy döntöttem összeírok pár hasznos tanácsot, hogy mit tegyen az a szerencsés ember, aki külföldön születésnapozik. Remélem hasznos lesz. Összefoglaltam, hogy mi az amit nem szabad kihagyni, mi az amit nem szabad megtenni, és még a Mikulás is meglátogat minket! 

Először is, szögezzünk le egy tényt: a születésnapok az élet kiskapui a pénzköltés, alkoholfogyasztás és a finomságok megkóstolását illetően. Ezért sosem szabad kihagyni a kínálkozó lehetőségeket. 

1. A nagy nap előtt: utezz el! 

TEDD meg: Szoríts időt egy kis nyaralásra, egy-két napos kiruccanásra, ha belefér. Akkor se habozz, ha egyedül  messzire kellene utaznod. Mindig megéri: tévedj el, ismerkedj helyiekkel, és gyűjts minél több felejthetetlen emléket magadnak. 

Ami engem illet, én is hasonlóan gondolkoztam, és a születésnapom előtti hétvégét Londonban töltöttem. Mint mindig, a város most is elvarázsolt, és ellopta a szívemet. De erre még visszatérek. 

NE TEDD: Ne maradj otthon és ne várd másoktól, hogy megszervezzék az életed. Hidd el, ha mások kegyeire bízod a szülinapod, akik nem tesznek semmit az ügy érdekében, azt nagyon megbánod (persze kivételek vannak, de eddig több negatívval találkoztam, mint pozitívval). 

2. Ha meggyőzött az utazás: irány! Esetleg London? 

TEDD meg: kocsmatúra, andalgás a Temze parton, 9 és 3/4 vágány, forralt cider (vagy forralt akármi),utazás egy Routemaster double-decker buszon, elmerülés a Camden market sokszínű forgatagában, az utcai mutatványosok megnézése a Covent Gardenben... Nem hiszem, hogy be kellene mutatnom Londont. Bátran vesd bele magad a város forgatagába, hívd fel ott élő régi/ új barátaidat, és találkozz velük.

NE TEDD: Őszinte leszek, nem sok minden jut eszembe... Egy tanácsom lenne: ne add fel a napot hamarabb, mint ahogy elkopik a cipőd talpa! Az idő kevés, London pedig oly sok minden tartogat látogatóinak. 

...és mivel közeleg a karácsony, szerezz be egy karácsonyi pulóvert is! 

3. A nagy napon: finomságok & egyéb 

TEDD meg: Mindenképpen legyen szülinapi ebéd vagy vacsora a programban! (Én végre megkóstoltam a Sushit) Tedd szabaddá a délutánod, lazíts, nézz meg egy új filmet a moziban... ez a te napod! 

NE TEDD: Szépen kérlek ne tegyél úgy, mint akit nem érdekli a születésnapja. Olyan örömökre ad lehetőséget ez a nap amelyeket máskor talán nem engednél meg magadnak. 

4. A nagy napon: alkohol...

TEDD meg: Nyugodtan ülj be egy vendéglőbe vagy kocsmába (esetleg esetemben pub-ba), sőt még egyszer utoljára megpróbálhatsz egy korhatáros helyre is belógni (miután elmúltál 21, már senkit sem fog érdekelni a korod). Igyatok az egészségedre, próbálj ki valami újat, valami helyit. Anglia híres sörféleségeiről: Black Wych (fekete boszrokány), Dog's balls (a kutya golyója), Hobgoblin (manó), Pumpking (tökkirály), The Dark Lord (a sötét nagyúr) csak pár példa arra, hogy milyen ötletes a választék. 

NE TEDD: ne a szokásos söröddel vagy valami olcsó vacakkal mérgezd magad. Születésnapod van, nem? Akkor tessék úgy is viselkedni!

5. Szülinapi buli

TEDD meg: Csupán tedd meg. Szűk körű, vagy hatalmas, otthonülős, kocsmázós vagy éppen klubba menős, mindegy. Nottingham tele van szép és jó helyekkel. Abban a szerencsében volt részem, hogy a klubban, ahova mentünk maga a Télapó volt a DJ és mindenkinek Mikulás sapkát dobált a színpadról. 

NE TEDD meg magaddal, hogy kihagyod.

Remélem hasznos ötleteket adtam, és a cikk segített kissé belelkesülni a szülinapoddal kapcsolatban. Ennyi volt mára, hamarosan jelentkezem! 

Remélem tetszett a cikkem, korábbi írásaimat itt találjátok.

• Egyedül utazni: nyűg vagy jutalom?
  
  
• Mire elég 5 óra Nottingham-ben?
  
  
• Amire nem készítenek fel az Erasmus tájékoztatón
  
  
• Az élet külföldiekkel: 5 érdekesség
  
  
• Az első hét élményei
  
  
• A 0. hét sava-borsa
  
  
• Bemutatkozik Nottingham
  
  
• Első hét "Erasmusos" diákként
  
  
• Libavásár Nottingham-ben
  
  
• Na Na Na Na: Batman- Nottingham-i őslakos
  
  
• Amikor már otthon érezheted magad...
  
  
• Mi a titok nyitja? Stonehenge
  
  
• 5 igazán angolos étel, kipróbálás céljából
  
  
• Edinburgh-i meglepetések
  
  
• 5 tagadhatatlanul egyetemistás recept
  
  
• Egy egyetemista mindennapjai
  
  
• Halloween-i különkiadás: 3 kísértethistória
  
  
• Mire elég 5 óra Nottingham-ben?

• The big adventure: Scotland & Ireland in 6 days
• Travelling alone: A blast or belssing?
  
  
• What can you do if you have only 5 hours in Nottingham?
  
  
• Preparing for Erasmus: the tricky side
  
  
• First week's surprises
  
  
• Living with foreigners: 5 experiences
  
  
• The fun side of Induction week
  
  
• Meet Nottingham
  
  
• 1st University week
  
  
• Buying Goose in Nottingham: The Fair
  
  
• Na Na Na Na: Batman - Inhabitant of Nottingham
  
  
•  You know you are home, when...
  
  
• What is the secret? Stonehenge
  
  
• 5 very English food to try
  
  
• Surprise in the Box: Edinburgh
  
  
• The 5 emergency recipes of a university student
  
  
• The everyday struggles of a university student
  
  
• Halloween's special: my ghost stories to you
  
  
• Turning to 21: the DOs the DON'Ts and Santa Claus

Lucky girl I am, I had the chance to celebrate my birthday in England. And not just any birthday, it was my 21st. It was just great, trust me on that one.

So I decided to write a brief guide if you just happen to have a birthday while you are abroad. Hoping it will be useful. I am collecting a nice bit of the DOs the DON'Ts and yes, Santa Clause is coming to town as well.

First and foremost as birthdays are the official loopholes in life for spending money, drinking alcohol and eating nice things, you should seize the opportunities lying ahead.

1. Before the Big Day: plan a trip

DO: Plan a trip, go on a short break, if you can. Don't ever be afraid of travelling alone or travelling far away, it is always worth. Get lost, meet locals and collect some nice memories. 

As for me, I went to London for the weekend just before my birthday. Lovely, as always, the city has stolen my heart again. But more on this later.

DON'T: Do not stay at home or hope for others to decide about your faith on your birthday. Trust me, you will regret it later.

2. If I convinced you to go somewhere, why not London?

DO: pub crawling, sightseeing on the banks of the Thames, Platform 9 and 3/4, trying mulled cider (or mulled anything), travelling on a Routemaster double-decker, visiting Camden market, going to Covent Garden to see the street performers... I don't think I have to introduce this gorgeous town to you. Go ahead, call your old or new friends who live there and meet them as well.

DON'T: Actually I cannot think of a relevant thing, shame on me... My only word of caution would be not to go to bed early, and walk until your feet hurt so badly they are killing you. Don't stop before that, as time is short, and London has much to offer.

Also as it is almost Christmas, get a Santa sweater!

3. On your birthday: food & stuff

DO: Have a nice birthday dinner/lunch, try new food (like Sushi for me), take your afternoon off, go and see a movie.

DON'T: Please don't pretend the day is not important. You might say you hate your birthdays, but they have so much to offer as little cheerful events and possibilities.

4. On your birthday: About drinking

DO: Go to a pub, even try to sneak in to an age limited one (it is your last chance for that, after turning to 21, no one will care anymore). Have some drinks, try the ones with the funniest names: Black Wych, Dog's balls, Hobgoblin, Pumpking, The Dark Lord are just some good examples of how creative the English are when it comes to ales and beers.

DON'T: Please avoid regular drinks and cheap beers, or something you already know too well. It is your birthday, isn't it? So go for the new ones, try to make things count.

5. Birthday Party

DO: Just do it. Big or small, going out, or drinking in, who cares? Nottingham has some really lovely places. I happened to be in a club where Santa Clause was the DJ, and he gave us all red hats.

DON'T miss out on it.

I hope I could provide you with some ideas and gave you some enthusiasm about planning your own birthday! That was it for today, thanks for reading it. 

 I hope you liked my article, here you can my previous articles.

Halloween is really a thing in the UK. It is almost as important as the Santa Clause. But it is creepy.

So, nowadays my friends and I found out a new game: they gave me the name of a fictional ghost and 4 characteristic words. And from this I had to create a story. 

As it is Halloween today, I am here to tell you 3 of my most vicious ghost stories for the Holiday.

1. The Yeast Ghost of Edinburgh

It is quite common in Edinburgh to smell yeast around the late night and the early morning hours. So when I visited my friend there, it was clear that I have to come up with something that serves as an explanation.

The clues they gave me for the story: Mel Gibbson (aka. William Wallace), haggis, the most English man ever, kilt and whisky.

From these information let me tell you the vicious story of the Yeast Ghost of Edinburgh...

It was a long time ago, back at the time of William Wallace (who was later known as Mel Gibbson with a Scottish accent) that the most English man of all time, whose name was Edward John Smith, came to Scotland with a secret mission. He became the official haggis maker of Wallace, but he had a horrible secret: his haggis was made out of Scottish soldiers. But as the Man-Haggis was always smelling whisky, he added some yeast to cover the smell. He himself was always smelling of yeast as well. But one night when he was out in his man hunt he made a fatal mistake. His kilt (as he had to wear one, part of the disguise) was ripped, and parts of it were found at the place of the murder. So he was caught and sentenced to death. He was executed in Edinburgh at the darkest hour of the night, just on the eve of Halloween. Since then he has been hunting for victims, and the last thing they smell before their mysterious disappearance is the smell of yeast...

2. The Sneeze Ghost of Ireland

As the game went on, and one of my friends started to sneeze, they got another idea of a frightening ghost. So they gave me the details, and I gave them a story.

The clues they gave me were: Ireland, leprechaun, 4 leaf clover, potato and angry mob.

So it was my turn to tell the story of the Sneeze Ghost...

Once upon a time in Ireland there was a wicked leprechaun who wanted to make the best joke ever. One day he went out to the potatofields and turned all the potato into 4 leaf clover. At first people were amazed, but later they realized, that with all the potato gone, they are most likely going to starve to death during the winter. So they went to the fields, and tried to dig it for food, but they did not find anything. The evil leprechaun was hiding in the bushes, trying so hard not to laugh, but suddenly he had to sneeze, and this blew away his cover. The mob found him, and tried to convince him, to give them back the crop. But he did not want to end his joke yet. So as the situation became more and more desperate, the mob started to hit him with stones. He was tortured to death, and as he died the four leaf clovers all turned back into potato plants. However the leprechaun did not rest in peace, as his spirit came back soon after he passed away. He was angry and confused, but most of all he wanted vengeance. And since then he has been haunting the world, sneezing his victims to death, until their eyes explode. The last thing they see is the wicked leprechaun covered in blood and having the most evil smile imaginable.

3. The Clashing Spirit of the Student Dorm

 Later on I told another good friend of mine about the stories, and of course, he asked for his own one about the Clashing Spirit of the Student Dorm.

My words were: clashing spirit, student dorm, a beautiful evening dress, heating system, flower

So I tried my best to tell him the story of The Clashing Spirit of the Student Hall...

Not so long ago there was a student dorm in the heart of Budapest. It was well known not just because of its great parties, but because of the cold air that rushed through its floors without any explanation. However they had the best heating system available, it was always chilly inside the building, and when they tried to start the heating system, the clashing sounds were unbearable. One day as the plumber tried to fix the system in the basement, he found some flower seeds. He gave them to one of the tenants to look after, and raise the little plant. In the middle of the chilly winter, the flowers started to blossom with blood-red blooms. That day a bloody beaten up guy appeared in the room, and claimed it to be his. This was the last story ever heard of that student dorm, as the next day they found all its tenants frozen to death. Death took them in their dreams, as they were seeing a vision of a long gone story...

Once upon a time there was a marvellous New Year’s Eve ball in the halls of the dorm, and as part of a bet the most handsome man of the ball was dressed up in a beautiful evening dress. The result was so perfect, everyone would believe he was a young woman. So a young man started to pay compliments to the he-lady and asked him to dance. He even gave "her" a beautiful white flower. But at midnight when the young man wanted to kiss the he-lady, (s)he humiliated him in front of the whole crowd. They all laughed at the poor guy, who then started to plot his revenge. At the end of the night he followed the he-lady to the basement of the dorm, where he pushed him to the radiators, and beat him to death with parts of the heating system. The clashing sound would not stop, as he continued to hit the he-lady. The dead body was found the next day in misery, and the beautiful flower turned red from the spilled blood. This meant the end of an era, filled with parties and music for the dorm.

Some may say, that during that night, when all the tenants of the dorm were frozen to death there was, however, music and cheerful sounds again in the old building. They even saw silhouettes, dancing away the night. It were the ghosts of the dying, rushing towards their eternal sleep.

That was my Halloween special for you, I do hope you liked it. For now have a fearsome night, sweethearts!

 If you liked my article, here you can my previous articles.