I lament that I wasn't able to blog when I lived in Papua New Guinea or Belfast. However the recent trip back to defend the dissertation did give me the opportunity to take some pictures so I can at least show off the city I called home for over 3 years.
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Home - I lived in this flat in the "Holylands" area of Belfast. It is really a great place by student standards with lots of character. It's hard to believe now that I shared the place (and its one bathroom and kitchen) with 4 others and lived in a tiny bedroom! I don't want to do that again anytime soon. But it did serve its purpose and allowed me to save money so I could travel Europe and beyond. My flatmates were some great people and I still keep in touch with one, Cathal, who I met up with in Dublin just before returning to Tokyo.
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Work - I worked at the David Keir Building on campus. It's a nice, old, red-brick building with some character including its strange shape from straddling Stranmillis and Malone Roads which diverge at an angle. Unfortunately, the building had absolutely horrible insulation and windows so it was often cold and drafty. Plus it was not heated on weekends, so working then during much of the year was uncomfortable.
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Home - I lived in this flat in the "Holylands" area of Belfast. It is really a great place by student standards with lots of character. It's hard to believe now that I shared the place (and its one bathroom and kitchen) with 4 others and lived in a tiny bedroom! I don't want to do that again anytime soon. But it did serve its purpose and allowed me to save money so I could travel Europe and beyond. My flatmates were some great people and I still keep in touch with one, Cathal, who I met up with in Dublin just before returning to Tokyo.
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Work - I worked at the David Keir Building on campus. It's a nice, old, red-brick building with some character including its strange shape from straddling Stranmillis and Malone Roads which diverge at an angle. Unfortunately, the building had absolutely horrible insulation and windows so it was often cold and drafty. Plus it was not heated on weekends, so working then during much of the year was uncomfortable.
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Botanic Gardens - On my 5-10 minute walk between home and work, is the beautiful Botanic Gardens. The old, glass conservatory, the beautifully tended flowers, and immaculate, green lawn made for a wonderful commute.
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Lanyon Building - When the Botanic Gardens were closed, my commute took me through this gorgeous and majestic building which is the literal and figurative center of campus. It also adorns the back of one (of the four!) sets of currency.
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Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) - Apart from home and work, this is where I spent the most time in Belfast. I watched at least two films per week at this small art-house movie theater which was conveniently a 5-minute walk from my flat. The films were a mix of foreign, independent, and documentaries. That was another who education unto itself and I really miss it.
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City Centre - The center of Belfast was only about a 20-minute walk from my flat and I probably went down there about twice a month to shop or for other miscellaneous reasons. The City Hall is another wonderful Belfast landmark. I also loved seeing "Samson and Delilah;" the two huge Harlan & Wolfe cranes where the Titanic was built. Other notable points of interest include the Victorian Grand Opera House where I volunteered behind the scenes on two shows (Guys and Dolls and Oklahoma), the Europa Hotel (the most bombed hotel in Europe -- the joke goes "it could use one more bombing"), and the Crown Saloon.
.
Botanic Gardens - On my 5-10 minute walk between home and work, is the beautiful Botanic Gardens. The old, glass conservatory, the beautifully tended flowers, and immaculate, green lawn made for a wonderful commute.
.
.
Lanyon Building - When the Botanic Gardens were closed, my commute took me through this gorgeous and majestic building which is the literal and figurative center of campus. It also adorns the back of one (of the four!) sets of currency..
.
Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) - Apart from home and work, this is where I spent the most time in Belfast. I watched at least two films per week at this small art-house movie theater which was conveniently a 5-minute walk from my flat. The films were a mix of foreign, independent, and documentaries. That was another who education unto itself and I really miss it.
.
City Centre - The center of Belfast was only about a 20-minute walk from my flat and I probably went down there about twice a month to shop or for other miscellaneous reasons. The City Hall is another wonderful Belfast landmark. I also loved seeing "Samson and Delilah;" the two huge Harlan & Wolfe cranes where the Titanic was built. Other notable points of interest include the Victorian Grand Opera House where I volunteered behind the scenes on two shows (Guys and Dolls and Oklahoma), the Europa Hotel (the most bombed hotel in Europe -- the joke goes "it could use one more bombing"), and the Crown Saloon.
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