I HATE RYAN AIR

A good start at Weeze airport... When I wanted to check in my luggage it seemed it was overweight. Only 15 kg of luggage per person is allowed on the airplan. Never mind I paid 20 euro extra for my second suitcase, 2 suitcases doesn’t mean twice the weight with Ryan Air, it means you can divide your weight over 2 suitcases! I could take my extra suitcase… if I was willing to pay 20 euro per kilo, which would be at least 300 euro, if not more. Of course I don’t want to pay that amount of money to bring some stuff to Birmingham; I can fly to Bangkok for 300 euro’s.

So I started to unpack my suitcases, sort everything out and selected only the most important stuff such as pictures from Koy, my boxing gloves, underwear and clothes. Everything I didn’t take was put in the 2nd suitcases and went home with mama. Luckily enough they didn’t check my overweighted and overseized cabin luggage. After saying goodbye to mama and all the stuff she was taking back home for me such as my brand new old senseo, my pillow, bed linen, suit, clothes and other stuff.

Than the waiting started… for about 1 hour at the gate before I could board. Ryan Air doesn’t work like other airlines, with assigned seat numbers. You just get in and can sit wherever you want, a little bit strange and also unorganized. After the 1.5 hour flight I arrived at Birmingham International Airport, where I was picked up by the so called “aunties”. I had to wait for a couple of other students, before we could take the coach/shuttle bus to the university.

Arrived at the university, I was given the key of my room and a package with information about the campus and Birmingham etc. etc. 6th room on the 6th floor is my room. The first thing I thought when I entered was: so small… It really is small, about 2.5 x 4.5 meters. Inside my room I found a 1 person bed, a desk with chair, a sink with mirror, a closet, a small bedside locker and an armchair. Unfortunately there is no internet in the rooms… well there is, but it costs me 140 pounds for a year. A little expensive… especially when considering I can connect to the internet for free downstairs.

After settling and unpacking my stuff I went downstairs to have a stroll around the neighborhood and to find some small supermarket. Right around the corner I went to this small mini market owned by a Indian guy with a large “tulband” and a long beard. A very friendly guy with who I had my first real chat . I bought a small piece of instant oven pizza, some bananas, yoghurt for breakfast and a coke zero.

Well that was about it for my arrival in Birmingham and at Aston University. My next blog post will be probably at the end of this week, also including some pictures.