LOVEABLE MANCHESTER (1) by IGNATIUS SEPTO PRAMESWORO

Why did I choose Manchester as my goal to learn my master degree in the United Kingdom? In this occasion I will tell you a little bit about Manchester.

Manchester is a super modern metropolis city. It is also famous for its football clubs. Although I did not really like football at first but after a year I could feel and was influenced by the euphoria as well as the sadness of the football fans. Who does not know two British elite football clubs from this city? Manchester United and Manchester City are two famous football clubs of the English Premier League. There are also some small British football clubs from this city, like Rochdale, Wigan Athletic, Oldham Athletic, Bury, and Bolton Wanderers.

Besides its fame of football clubs, there are several reasons why I chose Manchester? There are at least five reasons why I chose Manchester: firstly, Manchester is a metropolis city. It can be illustrated as a sketch of a modern city. If I look at its scenery and people’s life, Manchester has a combination of old and modern architecture. The lifestyle of people who live in Manchester is a mixture between the metropolis. Manchester looks like a melting pot of cultures, because the students who study there not only come from Manchester itself but also from other cities in UK. Moreover, there are distinctive ethnics from different countries come either for studying or for working. Therefore, I could find various restaurants from different countries in Manchester. I may eat foods originated from Thailand, Indonesia, India, Turkey, China, and others. It is not difficult to find chilly sauce (sambal), rice, dumpling (lumpia), meatball (bakso), etc. I used to cook Indonesian foods while I studied there because I loved inviting my friends to stay in my room or to just have a chat.

My second reason is Manchester referred to as a football city. As I told you before in the introduction Manchester has some excellent and well-known football clubs. Who does not know Manchester United or Manchester City of the English Premier League? Their homes are in Manchester, the Old Trafford Stadium and Etihad Stadium. The layout of Etihad Stadium is in Manchester City, while Old Trafford Stadium is outside the city of Manchester. I had to take a bus to reach Old Trafford Stadium. These two football clubs are among the richest clubs among others all over the world. They do the transfers of skillful and outstanding footballers from all over the world. When I was there I had been a spectator once. It was a match called derby, the game was between Manchester City and Manchester United.

The third reason is the city of Manchester is cheap. Cost of living in Manchester may be said to be much cheaper compared to the cities in southern England. For the size of a student, I could find a lot of places where I can buy second hand goods. This idea and activity I did because I thought I would use these second hand items in a short tempo. I should save my money for buying books. I did not like asking Perbanas Institute because I know the money I spent for my study was my students’ money and the money was not form Yayasan Perbanas or even the Perbanas Institute principals. Therefore, buying cheaper but useful goods would be better. They would be used, may be, a year at least. There are some places for buying those second hand goods, which are in Indonesia are known as flea markets. In Manchester, such flea markets are called car-board sale markets. The goods sold are still in good condition. I bought small heater, crystals, old stamps, shoes, etc.

My fourth reason is that Manchester is a city that is easily accessible. Manchester has a convenient transportation access. Manchester can be visited and reached from various places in the UK and abroad. Manchester International Airport is a bridging tool between UK and other European countries. This further facility adds to the appeal of Manchester as a city of learning objectives. When I was in Manchester, the university and international society often held some outings. They prepared for foreign students every Saturday a bus or two for excursions to visit some cities in the UK, mostly the England cities, such as Bolton, Liverpool, Bolton, Didsburry, Chester, Lancaster, Salford, Preston, Carlisle, Bolton, and Brighton. Manchester is able easily to be accessed by public transportation. There are trains from London that are operated since in the morning till late at night.

The fifth or the last reason is Manchester can be termed as the Student City. Have you ever been to Jogja? Do you know the similarity between Jogjakarta and Manchester? Jogjakarta is a student city in Indonesia; Manchester is a city of students in the UK. Nearly one hundred thousand students from various parts of the world exist in Manchester. There are at least four universities and several colleges in Manchester. The oldest university is Queen Victoria Mnchester University. It is located in the heart of Manchester. This is my university. The architecture of the buildings are mostly gothic types. I read in magazines that Vidi Alviano studied also in this university. Some other universities add the function of Manchester as a city mainstay for learning purposes.

Those are my reasons why I chose Manchester for my learning destination. They are Manchester is a metropolis city. My second reason is Manchester referred to as a football city. Furthermore, the third reason is the city of Manchester is cheap. My fourth reason is that Manchester is a city that is easily accessible. The last reason is Manchester can be termed as the Student City. I could share some interesting stories about my journey during my study in Manchester.