Expand your tastes with pot noodle on toast!

Good News!!  If you are reading this blog, then you are already a small step along the path to greatness!  This is because you are obviously and commendably a very bright character..  You are thinking about advancing yourself in Britain's second city!... You got that it was Birmingham.. right?

While I'm sure you have all the prospectuses and open days you can handle throwing themselves at your feet, telling you why they are the best University for you, and why you should choose one course over another, there is precious little information out there telling you what student life is really like in any given destination- until its too late and you are already committed!!

While it is true that I've met many different people from many different universities, and found very few that didn't LOVE their Uni, it is clear that some have more opportunities, facilities and general things to do when not at lectures, sleeping or playing X-Box (other games consoles are available!) than others!  And while you are at University, life is all about experiences, as you will no-doubt hear a ga-gillion times: Your days at university are the best days of your life! 

So in the vein of helping you ensure the best chance of the best experiences, what am I going to do? 

Tell you which course to choose? ... Nope. 

Give you insider info on the Best University? ... Uh-Uh! ...(Although, Aston is up there!)

Ok, you think you've got it now don't you?!:  He's going to preach to me that Birmingham is the absolute best place to come to study! Erm, well, I wouldn't use the word 'preach'...more enlighten?!...

...Since moving to Birmingham, it has embraced me as a son, showed me the ways of the world, given me more of the best friends and experiences than I could ever have hoped for, and truly become home for me!  And this is true for all the people I know at University here, it really does have everything as a city.  But I'm not here to sell the features of Birmingham to you, I won't even try! You're too bright to fall for a simple sales pitch! No, what I'm going to do is tell you about my experiences that life in the cosmopolitan hub of modern city living has afforded me, and tell you why it inspires and enthuses me so!  I will also give you recommendations of things to do here, and let you make up your own mind that its place for you!

How rude!  How presumptuous!  Who am I to write this blog, after over 350 words, you still don't know who the hell I am!

Apologies, please allow me to introduce myself: 

My name is Graham Curtis, I am 22 years of age and am about to go into my final year of University studying Business and Psychology at Aston.  I moved to Birmingham in September 2005 from a small town in Wales following a gap year- half spent working (retail, warehousing, office stuff), and the other half spent traveling solo around Italy.

Since that decision to come to Birmingham, I have never looked back, and hope that by sharing some of what I have found with you, it might help you make your decision!

Now that introductions are complete, let me give you a flavour of what I will be blogging about in times to come!

If you are like me, or indeed the majority of students out their, one of the most social activities you will find yourself doing is eating and drinking!  While I'm sure you will find plenty of current students who can tell you the places in Birmingham that are great places to enjoy a swift half or three, fewer would venture an opinion on where to go for good grub!

I may touch on bars, pubs and liquid refreshment here on the odd occasion but my main concern is not your dry throat and inexplicable desire to make a fool of yourself (I feel your pain!), but your poor rumbling stomach:

"Make sure you eat properly!!"  If your dear Old Bean is anything like mine this will be something that you will have to get used to hearing in your first few months (or in my case, years) at your chosen Uni....  Funny, my old Mum never asked whether I was drinking enough...

Alas I digress,

Before leaving for University, I had been fully prepared for the radical change in diet, or so I thought... 

I was lucky.  At home I got fed like a king, three square meals a day and ample snacks in the snack cupboard to feed a small army should hunger come knocking in between times! 

I had of course learned from students returning home at Christmas and over the summer that I should be prepared to forget these blissful days as they just weren't gonna continue once moved into halls!

However, these unfortunate pillars of wisdom had not gone to University in Birmingham!  And not long after arriving in my halls of residence I began to see the opportunity they had missed and began to expand my tastes by eating out! Now, firstly, lets not get carried away:  unless you are spoiled rotten, are just plain rich, or are dedicated enough to get a job whilst in your first few years at Uni, money can be tight, and so yes, there is likely to be a fair amount of pasta, baked beans, pot noodle and toast! 

This is largely because there are so many big nights out and activities to do in Brum, that food often falls right off the bottom of the list, and the shrapnel that's left after you've had your fill of clubbing, beer and, a'hem, text books is all you have left for nourishment. 

However, my friends, and girlfriends' (there were a couple, at different times- we didn't all go out together.. that'd have been weird!) made an effort to go out for something to eat every couple of weeks, and it was one of the best things I've ever got involved with!  In and around the City Centre there is so much different food to try:  Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, British, Thai, American, French, Spanish etc etc etc. And in addition to being something for every taste – you may find yourself loving things you previously hated – (I have a newfound love of fish!), a variety of wallet/purse sizes are also catered for!  In entries to come I shall tell you about trips to the high end restaurants (when I was trying to impress someone!), and also the tricks to getting a good meal on a shoestring (when treating your mate to a Birthday meal!).

What's great about eating in Birmingham is that it can be such an event, there is so much choice, so much exploring to do, great food to be had, as well as great larks with mates that result in photo's you can actually show your parents, unlike those slightly less dignified ones of you in a bra and knickers running down the street bottle of liquor in hand.. and that's just the lads!

Over the next few blogs I will share some of the best times and eateries I've stumbled across during my time living the dream in Britain's second city, but for now that's it!..Greedy Beggers..! 

What a tease!

Until next time,

Yours in Food,

GC