After a blasting three days, we had to see Jan and Max off again. (Btw: they slept in the two unoccupied attic rooms and we also had a cosy How I Met Your Mother night up there. You name it: nobody cares anyway.) We took farewell photos, picturing both the grandiosity of their stay and the tragedy of parting:

As the picture on the right already hints at, the worst pain came down on Mick, and unforgotten shall be the very first words to leave his mouth the next morning. -

Quote of the day: Mick: "My liver hurts."

On Tuesday, we went to a huge bike fair outside our beloved Student Union. Our thirst for a bicycle, rendering us independent of the city's public transport system which continues to be a mystery to us, would finally be quenched. Had we read this blog before, we might have lowered our expectations by some grades:

Definition #5: bike fair, huge: [definition through visual representation]

And yet another award-winning Sheffield peculiarity: the world's smallest bike fair.

PLUS: they didn't even sell bikes. They only repaired them. But how, we wondered, are people supposed to have their bike repaired when it's virtually impossible to obtain one?! We'll probably have to ask our next visitors from good old Germany to bring some along. "I'd like to transport these two means of transport by means of your plane but I wouldn't like to pay an extra fee for them." We're sure the generous Ryanair personnel will understand and not object:-P

We've started checking out some of the sports and activities being offered here, namely boxing (Mick) and table tennis as well as volleyball (Nick). We also plan to have a go at badminton once the rush of freshers has settled down.

Additionally, Nick rather spontaneously and just-for-fun-ish went to yesterday's audition for the uni's musical group's upcoming piece, "Footloose". Having sucked sooo bad at the dancing/choreo part, it must have been singing or acting that made them call Nick later last night and give him a part in the piece.

Insight #4: Britain is an ideal place to holiday in autumn.

Clarification: Since our arrival, the total amount of rain descended on Sheffield adds up to an estimated two tea cups. If at all.

When a gentle dribble set in last night during ManUnited's defeating Wolfsburg, it was announced by our British neighbours at table that this was the end of sunshine and the beginning of a very wet hardship (any "Casablanca" fans around?;-)). This morning, however, the British sun imperturbably continues to shine onto our transitory home, facilitating photos like the following one

and having us ask ourselves if we maybe got on the wrong plane and ended up in an old British colony somewhere in the South Seas.