I have been living for more than four years here in Southampton, so it is difficult deciding what to do during the long Christmas break!
Yes, it is the long break for us PhD students! We can choose to work on campus during closure days, but we have to submit a Health and Safety form! Who wants to work with a risk of health and safety? It’s better just to avoid the uni.
Year 1!
In my first Christmas break, 2012, I went to London. For two days I went with a peer scholar related to our consular thing and scholarship. We visited Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, the British Museum for the second time for me, and Stamford Bridge Stadium. Yes, the home stadium of Chelsea FC, even though I’m not a fan. But, this was the experience did make me start to pay attention to EPL.
After going back to Southampton for a couple of days, I then went to London again with two friends. Based on an unpleasant experience staying in a hostel with more than twenty bunk-beds in a room, we decided to stay in a hotel. The price was the same as the hostel. I would definitely recommend you are careful when booking a hostel as the price can be the same as a convenient room in a hotel.
On 24th December, we visited places that were far from the centre of London since tube was still operated. We stepped our feet to London Bridge, Stamford Bridge Stadium (again), King’s Cross St Pancras Station for the Harry Potter cart, Emirates Stadium, and Baker Street.
On Christmas, no transportation operated except taxi. So we decided to explore places close by such as Parliament House, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, and Trafalgar Square, by foot. On the Boxing Day, we dedicated our time for shopping in Oxford Street and I was trapped in the sea of people going crazy hunting for the sale. At that point, I made a decision to not going for shopping again in Boxing Day, haha! Then my friends went to Edinburgh to celebrate Hogmanay while I went back to Southampton continuing my work.
Year 2
Because of unforeseen circumstances, I had to change my PhD programme in the second Christmas break. Unfortunately I couldn’t go home because of this matter, despite missing my parents and brother. Instead, I decided to go to my friends’ houses in Coventry and Manchester to find the warmness of family. In Coventry you can visit the ruin of St Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry Transport Museum where you can see Thrust SSC and Thrust 2, the supersonic cars. You can also go to Birmingham which is only an hour by bus. There is the biggest library in Europe and its Shakespeare Memorial Room.
In Coventry I met two teens that reminded me of my niece and nephew, and a cute tuxedo cat! It was warming to listen to their stories and their small arguments reminded me of my relationship with my brother. It’s bizarre how when we are close my brother and I often fight for no reason, but when we are apart we miss each other! After that I went to Manchester visiting another friend. There I found twin boys, with their own language! So I learnt a little bit how to translate twin baby boy’s language to our daily language, ha!
Year 3
In the third Christmas break I didn’t go anywhere. I only stayed in Southampton. Well, I had planned to go home but the flight ticket was already very expensive so I gave up. Fortunately, a lab-mate invited me to celebrate Christmas in his house, along with other lab-mates that didn’t go home. They ensured me that all food cooked was halal. I went there by foot with a lab-mate that was living in the same student hall through the Common. I don’t have any picture of this year break as we were too excited playing Playstation Move games such as Gladiator games until was pass the midnight. A note, when the majority people in your field are lads, they will not see you as a lady. For the rest of the break, I spent my days in dormant mode. I needed to sleep more before going back to the routine.
Year 4 (HOME!! FINALLY)
I had a chance to go home to Indonesia in my fourth Christmas break (!!!!!) with a reasonably priced ticket. I was advised by my supervisor that taking a break is a must for a refreshed mind. Finally, after more than three years I could see rice fields and mountains again in my home island, Java. Did pranks with my brother and got terrible dad’s jokes, played with our cat and met a number of friends. I struggled for ten days there because of jetlag, and a week here after. So when my friend from Coventry came to spend New Year’s Eve here, she just recorded fireworks around the city from the window of my flat while I was asleep. I’m sorry for her…
Year 5
This Christmas break, I spent it with a lot of gathering activities. Because some friends who celebrate Christmas couldn’t go home to celebrate it with their family, we decided to have Christmas dinner at my flat to accompany them so that they could feel it like at home. We made roasted turkey with Yorkshire puddings and vegetables. It was our first time cooking a turkey and it was a success! Several days after, my friend invited us to celebrate his birthday. We had lunch at Sula’s Greek Restaurant at Portswood and then had Asian desserts at Hashtag Serendipity. Then I stayed overnight at a friend’s house to play Just Dance as the consequence of reducing our fat. I stayed overnight again the night after to help my friend preparing her farewell party. She went back to Indonesia at the end of 2016 after finishing her master and attending the graduation day. Hope she will be back to continue her study to PhD. Coming back from Heathrow in the evening, two friends and I went straight to my flat to prepare the New Year’s Eve party. Well, because we PhD students didn’t want to spend our time alone, that makes us feel more the loneliness of PhD life, so why not we gathered together in my flat. We could see fireworks surround the city from the kitchen or my flat, played monopoly deal cards and tried our best in strategy, laughed together, avoided the cold weather and drunk people outside, and selfies, haha!
Being far away from your family doesn’t make you feel you’re alone. Spend your time with your friends. Keep your friends as they are your family here, who listen to your happy and sad stories.
Niken Syafitri
International Student Digital Ambassador