An American tourist’s chaotic trip to Manchester has gone viral after he documented the whole thing in a TikTok vlog.
Adeib El Masri, a successful LA-based photographer and TikToker with more than a million followers, said that our city was like ‘a different world’.
He has previously been documenting his experiences of visiting London, including several vlogs about the British weather.
Over the course of two days spent up north, Adeib appeared baffled by the concepts of queueing, fairgrounds, and people being nice to each other.
His pair of heart-warming videos have amassed more than half-a-million views at the time of writing.
ADVERTISEMENT
At St Peter’s SquareAt the Trafford CentreInside Dog BowlAmerican photographer Adeib El Masri documented his trip to Manchester in a two-part vlog. Credit: TikTok, @adeibb
In the first instalment, Adeib films himself at Manchester Piccadilly, saying: “I’m in Manchester. It looks kind of the same except all the buses are free apparently.”
From his taxi, he adds: “Everyone is so much nicer here, I can already tell.”
ADVERTISEMENT
He then takes a trip to ‘Trafford Mall’, where his visit to the cruise ship-inspired food court The Orient prompts him to say: “This mall has the most Vegas vibes ever. Like ever.”
On his second TikTok vlog, he praises Manchester for being ‘so pretty’ while walking through Chinatown, and says we have our ‘own Big Ben’ in the Kimpton Clocktower.
Adeib and his friends tried to go for afternoon tea at an undisclosed location, but were turned away for not booking 24 hours in advance (‘very pretentious’, he says) and end up visiting a local Costa instead.
ADVERTISEMENT
He then documents his trip to a fairground, where everything about the experience seems to delight and confuse him.
He says: “So guess who’s at a carnival! So it’s not a carnival, it’s a parking lot.
“There’s a child running the stands. I’m very confused.
“Moral of the story, check where the funfair is, it could be a parking lot that isn’t a real funfair.”
Fairground disappointment aside, he does concede: “You know what, Manny is a 10 out of 10, d’you know what I mean.”
ADVERTISEMENT
He later says, on a visit to Dog Bowl: “To save the day I decided to go bowling. Bowling is not available. It’s fine,” before heading to Nando’s.
Once safely back in London, he updated his followers with this: “Manchester was like a different world. Everyone is much nicer, like genuinely out-of-their-way nice, which is bizarre.
“Literally nothing went right in Manchester. I was there for like a day and a half, I almost got deported. Let’s just not get into it.
“Will I be returning? Probably not.”
Featured image: TikTok, @adeibb
Trending
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Massive student night returns to Trafford Centre next month with up to 50% off on big brands
Emily Sergeant
Students can get themselves up to 50% off on food, activities, and loads of big-name brands at the Trafford Centre next month.
With thousands of new and returning students starting to arrive for the new academic year at Greater Manchester‘s universities, one of the region’s biggest student nights will be making a long-awaited comeback for one night only next month – and there’ll be loads of exclusive offers and free entertainment to make the most of across the evening.
Taking over the Trafford Centre in early October, the popular one-off student night is happening in partnership with Student Beans, and gives cash-strapped students the chance to shop a variety of incredible discounts all under one roof.
Just some of the big brands offering big discounts include 25% off at Levi’s and Boux Avenue, 20% off at Gymshark, Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch, and 15% off at KIKO, Rituals, and Sephora.
It’s not just retail brands you’ll be able to save some pennies on either, as many of the Trafford Centre’s restaurants and cafes will also be offering discounts and freebies on the night too.
Alongside the offers, students can expect plenty of live entertainment and in-store experiences throughout the evening, including a DJ set and drinks at Calvin Klein, in-store fitness challenges and at Gymshark, an exclusive piercing event at Lovisa, and a Beauty Hub takeover at Sephora.
There’ll also be ‘spin-to-win’ opportunities at places like schuh, River Island, and YO! Sushi.
Massive student night returns to Trafford Centre next month with up to 50% off on big brands / Credit: Supplied
“Student Night is one of the highlights of our autumn calendar, and we’re excited to welcome students for an evening of brilliant offers and feel-good experiences,” explained Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at the Trafford Centre.
“Whether they are updating their wardrobe, stocking up on beauty favourites, grabbing a bite to eat or enjoying the atmosphere with friends, there is plenty to discover across the centre.
“With simple transport links from Manchester city centre and across the region, Trafford Centre is the perfect place for a student night out.”
The Trafford Centre’s Student Night is happening on Thursday 1 October from 6-10pm, and students can now reserve themselves a spot by registering online HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
23rd September 2022 
