Manchester, the RNCM, and Welcome Drinks

TL;DR:

• I finally arrived in Manchester
• I began life at the RNCM
• I eagerly participated in the UK’s boozing traditions

Life Update

After spending the entirety of the previous day travelling, I finally arrived in Manchester on the 20th. With my journey there taking a lot out of me, I wasn’t able to do much other than walk around my current lodgings and unwind after such a long journey.

My real adventure in Manchester truly began on the 21st, as that was my first day at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). Unlike UBC’s Imagine Day, the RNCM’s orientation lasts five whole days as part of their Welcome Week, with classes only starting next Monday. The first day mainly consisted of welcomes from the faculty and lectures on course material, though there was this seminar on hearing protection that I found rather interesting (partly because I got a pair of rather nice earplugs out of it). Unfortunately, I was still suffering from a bit of jet lag, so I was feeling slightly out of sorts and couldn’t socialize as much as I wanted, but didn’t prevent me from striking up some conversations with other trombonists and masters/postgrad students.

I also spent some of my downtime on the first day walking around the RNCM’s campus, comprised of two buildings linked together by a set of walkways. One thing that surprised me was how large and devoid of people the roof was, and it even had it own garden to boot, complete with an euphonium given new life as a fountain. Given its isolation from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the RNCM and Manchester, I think I’ll be spending a lot of time there if the weather allows. On the flip side, finding practice rooms proved to be rather challenging, and I even had to enlist the help of a student ambassador to get to one through a maze of doors, corridors, and stairs.

The second day of Welcome Week on the 22nd mainly consisted of more lectures, chiefly on various services offered by the RNCM or related organizations, though I did get to meet a few more trombones after the WBP (Winds, Brass, and Percussion) meeting. One particular highlight was the game of snakes and ladders organised by the library to familiarise us with its offerings, which was where I learned that laws against copying sheet music were more stringent (or at least more strictly enforced) in the UK compared to Canada, which likely means I won’t be able to scan as much sheet music onto my iPad anymore. On the other hand, I also found out that being a masters student basically lets me into any university library in the UK and Ireland, so I guess I know where I’ll be getting the sheet music I need now.

The 23rd involved quite a bit of booze. Aside from singing Tuba Mirum to get an orchestra’s craft beer during the Freshers’ Fair (think something like Clubs Day at UBC), I also went to the RNCM Student Union’s (RNCMSU) Bavarian Night at a club close to campus, the first of their events I managed to make time for. The litre of beer I got as part of the price of admission (which could’ve been swapped for a cider) was brewed by Carling, which I later learned had its roots in London, Ontario (not England), so I guess I unwittingly found a way to buy Canadian with my drink of choice (it being brewed in the UK notwithstanding). However, the night’s real highlight was the Bavarian brass band comprised of my fellow RNCM colleagues and alumni, who provided polka-esque covers of pop songs throughout the night, and hyped up the crowd with some drinking games to boot. With how loud it got (especially considering that the band was playingg with mics indoors), I’m thankful that the club provided free earplugs for me to use.

After I made a quick stop by Manchester’s iconic John Rylands Library in the morning of the 24th due to being in the area, the alcohol continued to flow, as I drank some free prosecco during the RNCM principal’s reception for students. Since UBC discontinued their longstanding tradition of giving new grads a complimentary glass of prosecco by. the time it was my turn, I’m glad to have finally had my rightfully-deserved sparkling wine.

I had my first RNCM audition on the 25th for November’s performance of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, which will be under the direction of the conductor of Manchester’s Hallé orchestra. Since this is my favourite symphony, I wanted to pass the audition, even if I already had the chance to play it before during my undergraduate studies. Overall, apart from a particular area I fully anticipated to miss, I thought I did rather well, though it’ll be more than a few days before I’ll find out the results.

Baked Pork Chop Rice Review

Being served baked pork chop rice as an in-flight meal is perhaps the strangest context I’ve ever eaten it in, but that was exactly what happened to me during a flight I took with Cathay Pacific on the 19th as part of my journey to Manchester. When I saw it on the menu, I knew I had to try it, so let’s dig in and see if this mile-high dish can measure up to its ground-based original.

Sauce: 3/5 - Mixed well with cheese, but was more gooey than usual, and didn’t have enough tomato flavour.

Rice: 3/5 - While I could taste that it had been fried, it was soggy by the time it got to me due to in-flight preparation, similar to the pork chop

Pork chop: 3/5 - Rather small, similar to the rest of the dish. There was an attempt at making it a cutlet, but in-flight preparation resulted in it being soggy upon arrival to my table.

Additional toppings: 4/5 - This was one category that really surprised me, since celery, corn, mushroom, and onions were all included, giving the dish some much-needed nutrition.

Portion size: 2/5 - Way below average size even by Hong Kong standards, and slightly smaller than your average in-flight meal. Still, it was pretty filling, especially when combined with everything else being served.

Total score and final remarks: 15/25 - While I may have been a bit harsh with my scoring in places, especially since I’m comparing something prepared in the sky to its counterpart on the ground, Cathay Pacific’s baked pork chop rice is still my favourite in-flight meal out of everything I’ve eatn on a plane. Despite the logistical and technical difficulties of recreating such a complex dish for mid-air consumption, Cathay Pacific ultimately managed to make something that holds it own against actual restaurants, and I couldn’t be a happier customer. Unfortunately, seeing as I don’t fly with Cathay all that often, it’s likely going to be a long time before I have another chance to taste their bake pork chop rice again.