Dundee - First Week

Where do I even begin?!

Not gonna lie, my first week in a new country and environment was definitely a roller coaster ride. I still can't believe it has already been more than a week since I've arrived. Damn TIME, PLEASE SLOW DOWN!

Well, I arrived in Dundee on the 19th of August with my parents. The moment we got off our taxi at my accommodation (The Old Mills), it started to pour! Wind + Rain was definitely NOT a good combo. On top of that, we were literally stranded in the middle of the block with our 4 gigantic suitcases. I couldn't get a hold of the person-in-charge because it was a Saturday and the office was closed (NO ONE bloody told me that when I informed them regarding my arrival). So there we were, waiting under the shade (thankfully there was one), super lost and confused. What a great way to be welcomed to a new country eh? THANKFULLY, a couple of students passed us by and decided to help us out by calling Mr. Khalil from security. GOD BLESS THEM! He then gave us the keys and guided us to my flat on the 4th floor.

OH, it doesn't just end there...

We were led through a door leading us to the stairs and I was like "So where's the lift?"

Mr. Khalil replied, "No, there is no lift here. Only stairs" (WHAAATTTTT?!!)

Did I mention we had FOUR freaking large suitcases, carry-ons and that MY ROOM IS ON THE 4TH FLOOR?!

Long story short, we did manage to carry our suitcases up what seemed a never ending flights of stairs. Thank God for constant exercise, lifting and stamina which made it bearable (lol). Anyways, the flat was decent, clean and was newly refurbished which made me sigh in relief. My room was cosy and bright and I liked it. So I was the early bird in my flat and I don't want to bore you with the details but it took me 2 1/2 days of unpacking, organizing & shopping (I had to shop for kitchen utensils and bedding as my flat came with none) to finally settle in. My parents booked a room at an AirBnB nearby and came over every morning for a week to my flat for breakfast.

And then came the next dilemma,

I had a wee bit of a problem in opening a bank account and setting up a proper mobile plan as I have not matriculated yet. The thing is, I had 2 weeks before matriculation (I came way too early to Dundee haha) and there were so many things that needed to be done via debit/online banking. Once again, I was lost and confused. It was actually pretty stressful as well as I was surrounded by a whole new place & environment. However, luck eventually took turn in my favor. A big fat THANK YOU to the friendly and helpful staffs at UoD, Ms Dawn, Ms Libby, Ms Donna, and others (I'm sorry I'm bad at remembering names) that helped me get my matriculation done early.

NOW with all that settled and out of the way, we could finally take a breather and explore Dundee for real!

By this time we were already familiar with walking around the city center. So we took our exploration a bit further by exploring Dundee Law Hill, Broughty Ferry, strolling along the Tayside River Walk, and food hunting . I wanted to make the most out of the time spent with my parents here as they were leaving in a couple of days (yeah, I'm overly attached). The weather on most days were extremely pleasant and lovely. Sunny days suits Dundee wayyy better!

A quiet early morning stroll around the city center on a Sunday. So in love with the architecture.

The Dundee Dragon. Curious about this statue? Well have a read about the tale behind it here.

At the Dundee Law Hill. You could either walk/run up OR drive up the hill. The view at the top was beautiful!

Check out my mini travel vlog down below for more videos from the top.

Brougthy Castle had its own interesting history. Plus admission was free.

I heard there were other beautiful castles nearby and I can't wait to be able to explore them soon.

No hurry as I have like a year and a half to do that (lol).

Ms Libby recommend us to try out Folk Cafe for lunch one day and I absolutely loved it! They serve mostly vegan & vegetarian dishes and their portion size is huge. I ordered a salad plate (pictured above) and guys, it was super delicious! *drools*

Oh and their SCONES ARE FREAKING AMAZING!

And this is coming from a person who has never been a fan of scones. They were that good!

My dad also had his Indian tea craving fixed at Jahangir Tandoori on their last night here in Dundee (he lives for indian tea tbh). The food there was a wee bit on the pricey side but pretty good. On the other hand, I love how fresh and cheap the fruits & veggies are at Tesco Extra Riverside. You know where i'll be when i run out of groceries now.

So the week came to an end and bidding my parents goodbye was so hard. I was in tears the whole time (jeez these ninja cutting onions). They made such good 'flatmate substitutes' and I'm gonna miss having them over for breakfast and cooking with my mom. But anyways, now I have two wonderful flatmates; Gintare from Ireland and Bethany from Glasgow. It has be fun getting to know them. Also, I got a gym membership which I'm super happy about cause endorphins makes me happy.

Dundee is definitely sucha beautiful city and I just love how everything is within reach by walking & how the fresh the air is here (my nose hasn't been bugging me ever since i got here). I have one week more before I begin my classes and honestly I'm already nervous even thinking bout it. One step at a time.