Birmingham

The other day I went shopping in town. I went to the big shopping centre first and did a bit of general shopping and then walked to Fiveways and did my food shop in the big supermarket there. As I was walking through the town and past the canals I had this weird feeling of some sort of nostalgia, I suppose. I have an odd like-hate relationship with this city. Like-hate because the feeling very rarely, if ever, goes up to love.

After the first year of my studies I've not gone to town all that often, partly because it's not a walking distance away anymore and partly because I realised if I don't go there I won't use that much money. And now, whenever I go I don't tend to walk far from either of the two stations I use, one for the cinemas and the other for shopping. And it is the area in between the stations, the area that I only border on both sides, that is the nicest in town. It is so nice around the canals and the park kind of area (which has a name but I've blissfully forgotten it) between the Symphony Hall and the Paradise Forum. That's where I feel like this city is actually an alright place. But when usually I'm just in the shopping hell that is the Bullring and the high street area around it where I most often go, I just get this feeling of anxiety and/or depression whenever I'm there.

Hm, this post isn't going anywhere, I suppose there's not really a point to it. I leave you with a photo of the view from my room. It was taken on a sunny day when they sky was an amazing shade of blue. I like that plant that is on the wall of the next house, it makes the view from my window a lot better than just looking at a white brick wall.