The snowy days have stopped and it has gradually began to become warmer. It snowed a little last night though, as evident from the white snow deposits on the roofs of the house opposite my room... Yes, my room. I finally have found a place to stay for the next four months, and I have finally settled down.

The supply of student homes in the vicinity is higher than demand as many students need other people to take over their contract. I got a large room in this house for a very good deal. I will be staying with 4 other British students. This will be a fun and interesting exchange.

I have been cooking for myself for all three meals, just like how I did when I was in Australia. The strategies are quite similar, actually. I can finally start to have proper, full and healthy meals.

As for the administrative matters side, I am finally able to enter the office using my visitor card, which is a great relief. I have made an appointment next Thursday to open a bank account. Things are finally turning for the better and I can look forward to a new kind of life in Sheffield. Looking forward to start my research with Maria here!

Most of my blog entries have a title, which is usually the name of the place I am going to for that particular trip. However, for the next few posts, probably, there would be no titles. It would become my PhD exchange diary, very much like what I had during my undergraduate exchange. Today is already my fourth day in Sheffield. I finally found time to jot down all my thoughts and feelings that I have so far.

This time, my exchange is to The University of Sheffield, Leverhulme Centre for Climate Change (LC3M for short), to carry out research under the supervision of Prof. Maria Val Martin. Anyone who has been in the CESM modelling community would definitely know of her, a semi big shot in the field. I am truly thankful for this opportunity.

On the night of 24th Feb, I bid farewell to my friends and loved ones, and journeyed for about 20 hours from Singapore, all the way to Sheffield. Thankfully, I managed to find my way from Manchester Airport to Jonas hotel while carrying all my luggage. I also gained 8 hours. 25th Feb was a bright and sunny day. The picture above is the train station at Sheffield. After putting down all my luggage, I went out to the nearby shops to get some groceries and food. The architecture of the houses along the streets of Sheffield is really different, and I find them beautiful.

On the first day of work, I was greeted with warm hospitality. I was warmly introduced to some of the staff working in here. A lot of administrative matters to handle in the first week. The picture above is Alfred Denny Building, where my office is located. The two biggest things I have to settle is probably the accommodation for the rest of my four months in Sheffield, and to open a local bank account for convenient purchases. It snowed lightly the next day. A cold front coming from Siberia will pass through Europe, bringing chilly weather for the entire week. I was happy at this, because I would be able to witness snowy conditions again.

Today is where the snowy conditions picked up. Temperatures of -6C combined with heavy precipitation means that the whole of Sheffield is covered in thick snow. Since it stayed constantly colder than -5C, the snow didn't melt even when the sun shone. I took my time to walk to my office, capturing many beautiful pictures along the way while being mesmerized by the snow.

I visited Weston Park, a park nearby my office. The park was converted into a white winter wonderland. The snow here is clean. Adults lose their age here and started playing in the snow just like the children. As for me, I was truly amazed, since everything here is very different from what I am used to. More snow awaits for the rest of this week.