I am coming to Birmingham. Please list places to stay (bed and breakfast preferred as I want to gain the local experience). I know there is nothing to see in Birmingham, so after watching the game at Edgbaston I will have three days to roam around. What to do and what not to do while there?. What are the local customs. Are people friendly with Americans?. Would it be safe to wear a T with Bush’s giving a birdie to the Queen?.
Any help will be appreciated.
Hahahahahahhaaaaaaa I would have been there, had the tickets for the game not been so expensive.
Newsnight is on, so I can’t stay, but I’ll come back tomorrow and give you a list of dos and donts. You’ll love it!
Here’s a little taster ..
Re: Birmingham, here I come
Yeh aap amreekan kabb se bann gaye? 
In B’ham you’ll always be just another Paki :-p
Sod that brum, come to london for a few days I'll treat you to a kulfi from southall and all will be well.
When are you coming. Let me know. Plenty to see and do.
Aho so where was I? Oh yeh, it’s kicking. You can usually get a decent B&B for around 35 quid a night. If you’re here for the cricket, might I recommend a B&B/Hotel on Hagley Road - there’s one called the Garden House, which is a little expensive, but really really nice. The staff are dead friendly and very knowledgably about Birmingham.
There are a few decent desi restaurants in city centre, but to get an authentic taste of the Balti belt you need to venture into the Paki places like Sratford Road/Ladypool Road and the likes. There’s a lovely little homely restaurant on Stratford Road called the Royal Naeems, which is an absolute treat – you have sooooooo gotta check out their Peshwari Naans :rotato: There are a few posher restaurants in city centre, which cater for the gora palette (and you may well prefer 
) To start with there’s Cafe Laziz in the Mailbox, really nice food but as expensive as hell. Then there’s Shimla Pinks and Bollywood Mix on Broad Street, but although they maintain they’re halal, I have my doubts. If you’d prefer something that won’t have you popping to the loo every other minute, then go for an Italian (Bella Pasta on New Street or Time on Broad Street) or French (Chez something in Brindley Place). I tend not to eat in non desi places cuz of the meat restrictions, so I don’t know that many non desi places to eat – sorry!
If you’re into clubbin/pubbin, you’ll love Broad Street, which is head to toe drunken slappers in next to no clothes. I used to work on Broad Street and it’s all well and good, but to get away from all the buzz I used to walk down Brindley Place (2 minute walk) which is a load of canals and boat people (Birmingham has more canals than any other city in Europe). I used to sit on the bench chatting to the boat people, they are by far the friendliest people you will ever come across – very anti capitalism though, so watch what you say in front of them! If cinema/bowling/pool is more your thing, then there’s the Broadway Plaza just off the Five Way Island which is built on top of an old children’s hospital (hence the eerie feeling you get when you’re in the ladies loos all by yourself – or maybe that’s just me …). If you want a more desi feel, then pop down Star City in Aston for a Bollywood Flick followed by meal at Nandos/Fatty Arbuckles (or both if your name is Sadi Sobi :o )
Shopping … Birmingham has the biggest shopping centre in mainland Europe (I do like reeling off my facts, don’t I?!). There’s the Bullring, Mailbox, Pavilions and Palisades and all the surrounding streets. You can usually pick up a cheap Alum Rock slapper from these shopping areas for the price of a nice accent and a promise of a ride in your car. Joke, I love these girls really … it’s just that they all look so similar – you’ll know what I mean when you see them. If you wanna do some Asian shopping, you can pop down Alum rock Road/Stratford Road/Ladypool Road/Coventry Road/Soho Road and my recent discovery – Cape Hill High Street :love: My favourite has gotta be Stratford Road. Soho Road is also good, but as it’s based in Handsworth, most of the shops are run by Sikhs and their sense of style is slightly different to Pakistani fashion (nb: nice little place to eat on Soho Road = Shalimars).
Transport – busses are dead good to get about, as are black cabs. If you’d prefer to hire a car drop me a PM, I can arrange for my friend to give you a cheap deal.
There’s also museums (which incidentally has a Bollywood thing happening at the moment), art galleries etc in and around Birmingham, but they’re all too posh for me so I’ll let Ehsan fill you in on those.
I think I’ve covered just about everything …. Get 5abi to give you a few lessons in Mirpuri and you’ll sail through it.
Good luck :k:
Oh thank you so much Sobi. Seems like I have visited B’ham already. This is indeed exactly the kind of info I needed. And coming from a local is so re-assuring. Oh I luv you 
.(stretch marks). Also, it’s good to know you only eat ‘halal’. I am into kosher girls.
I like the B&B on Hagley Rd. Will do a google to get their phone number.
ehsan, yep. We’ll definitely meet after Pak kicks India’s ass.
Here are some links:
Do you have ticket to the match? If not I am sure you will be able to pick one up on the black market. I have two tickets and might sell you one for the right price. That means you are coming in September.
ehsan, thanks for the kind offer. I have already procured tickets to the match through my contacts in London. I do not know the exact details of where I would be sitting but can definitely share it with you closer to September.
Thanks for the info links.
The B&B aint called Garden House, however it’s situated dead close to it. Will be driving past there tomorrow so I’ll get the name and number for you. The things I do for my city :o
I so wish I’d ****ed my family/friends and gone without them - we coulda had a mini meet after the game 
Word of warning, if Ehsan starts talking about football, ignore him … no American (or Human for that matter) should have to put up with listening to a Bham City supporter 
Lemme know if you need any more info.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Sadi Sobi: *
Word of warning, if Ehsan starts talking about football, ignore him .... no American (or Human for that matter) should have to put up with listening to a Bham City supporter :p
Lemme know if you need any more info.
[/QUOTE]
Just because Villa sucks. Wait a minute, is there a team called Aston Villa? :p
This is such a timely thread and thanks to ehsan bhai and sadi sobi, i am already feeling comfortable. inshallah i am also planning to come to b'ham from usa in mid-june. Whats the best way to get there from the London heathrow airport? How much will it cost? I am coming to check out Aston university's research program. On their website, it says that its a 10 minute walk from the B'ham new street train station. How much would a hotel cost located close to the univ? and ehsan bhai, i am counting on you to set a get-together with a county playing pakistani player (I've heard that they like to socialize with fellow pakistanis). I will be posting some questions about aston in the C&A forum as well.
Jayzee there are a lot of direct flights from states to Brimingham. That would be the best way to travel. Otherwise catch a coach or train from Heathrow to Birmingham. Train is more complicated as you will have to take the underground to Euston station and then the train to Birmingham. Coach is much simpler, straight from Heathrow to Birmingham.
Whats with this sudden influx to Bham?
Sobi, how much have you paid them?
Yeh, the same team that finished a full 4 teams ahead of you in the premiership 
You know ur a closet Villa fan really … infact all zulus are closet villa fans 
Jayzee, agree with what Ehsan said. If you do end up coming via Heathrow, then a train to New Street Station would be your best bet. You can usually book a decent hotel room for 35 quid, bed and breakfast would be cheaper.
Don’t go to Aston, come to Bham instead. The guys that I get my sandwiches off at lunchtime did a PHD in Aston and look where he ended up
DD, bas tumhari kammi hai
Thanks so much sadi sobi and ehsan bhai. Is the Coach called national express and costs 32 pounds roundtrip? correct me if i am wrong ehsan bhai. I don't think I am up for changing trains. So there is no train that goes non-stop from heathrow to birmingham? Please let me know.
35 "quids"... i tell you sadi sobi, you brits sure use some interesting slang (i guess i should start getting used to it now). Also, thanks for scaring me off aston. You were not serious now, were u? I won't mind going to bham instead of aston, the biggest reason being that aston is accredited by aacsb, and thats very important for a business major (i have a seperate thread going on it in C&A). So hopefully, the only sandwiches i make would be for myself (and maybe friends and family or the fine birmingham guppies) and not for commercial purposes:-)
Actually the airline i am taking only flies up to london heathrow. So ehsan bhai, r we still up for the pakistani cricketer get together (or may be even a little guppie meet if the dates work out for the uk guppies)?
Funguy... PM me before you come here.
We'll hook up for sure... either in London or Birmingham. I am travelling up n down the whole country on a weekly basis now..... so B'ham is no distance at all.
Looking forward to seeing ya!!!
Re: Re: Birmingham, here I come
^ Zindagee mai pehlee bar I totally agree with u..
FG in birmingham , thinking people will mistake him for an american..tsk tsk tsk I think this should be on candid camera.
correction required the MetroCentre situated in gateshead, tyne and wear is the biggest shopping centre in europe