Just another Saturday

First stop:  Barkerend Post Office

Made a trek to an unscouted part of the city to get my mail that had finally made its way to Bradford.  Not sure why they didn't send it to the post office in the city centre or to the main mail depot near the retail outlets where everyone else's gets held.  At least it wasn't still waiting for me in Leeds, where it would've taken me at least an hour each way to go get it.  Perhaps USPS's delivery service only partners with Parcelforce in the UK which has a depot in Leeds.  Note to people who want to send me things...


Second stop:  Bradford Central Library via Jacob's Well

Four short tunnels converge in a circular area with greenery planted on the "well walls", allowing pedestrians to cross the street conveniently from the City Centre to get to other various points of interest.  Still creepy, man.  At least it gets aerated, unlike my apartment staircase which has smelled strongly of urine for a week.  I successfully got my library card but the upstairs levels of the library are closed for renovations.  I saw fiction and newspapers but no magazines and only history titles in the non-fiction section.  Way to be the main city library...

A mural of the Alhambra Theatre on the wall of the above tunnel I went down

The real thing, where other Canadian teachers went to see Julius Caesar last weekend (while I went to the Cathedral to see Tasmin Little play)

And next to it, the National Media Museum

Third stop:  National Media Museum

Free admission is sweet.  The special exhibit was on Motion and Movement - a number of photographs taken of animals in motion and time lapse shots.  The number of frames and shutter speeds were incredible, especially for being done so long ago (I'd have to research to find out all this info again, which I don't have time for right now...sorry!)

Also got to see the IMAX projector:

And, the old projector...which is from Toronto!

 

Isn't that neat?  I get excited when I see things that remind me of home :)

 

Not sure if you can see... "IMAX Systems Corporation Toronto Canada [postcode]"

And an exhibit on Kodak cameras.  Did you know Kodak was a unique name made up to be marketable?  And that being photographed at the beach was the thing to do?  And that the first cameras were called "detective" cameras because they were made as boxes and could be disguised as handbags or briefcases?  One photographer was famous for his everyday shots he took from his briefcase-looking Kodak camera.

And the Queen sent the first Royal email in 1976.

That's all for now, folks.


Actually, story of the week:

Two year 7 girls come to my room asking for a pass to use computers during lunchtime.  I send them to the maths department because I don't have passes and one of the teachers comes back asking if they can stay in my room and use the student laptops in my room.  While they're doing their work, year 7 boys run down the hallway.  One of them is in my maths class so he comes in (my door doesn't lock from the inside) and asks what they're doing there.  While he's talking to me, his friends decide I look like Chun Li from Street Fighters and take out a (pink clad) Blackberry to take a photo.  I take the phone from this (forgivably insensitive) kid and ask them if they know how old Street Fighters is because even I played it as a kid.  Some kid yells 1920 or something but I point out that computers weren't invented then (not entirely true but true enough).  I shoo the boys away but they start to take it too far by shooting imaginary fireballs outside my door (open concept - there are ceiling to floor windows).

And the boy in my maths class...hilarious.  Won't stop talking.

Student:  Miss, I'll bring you a panini tomorrow!
Me:  [Name], are you going to be at school tomorrow? (It was Friday.)
Student:  Miss, I'll bring you ten paninis on Monday!  Okay?! *makes a promise fist and bangs it against his chest.