British Bakery, Archery, and GUY FAWKES DAY!!!!

So there are three events that stick out in my mind from the last few days. The first one is my visit to a British bakery that sells goods wholesale. I walked in and said, "I'm an American and I have no idea what most of this is, so tell me what you recommend." And it was scones! They were lovely "fruit scones" (scones with raisins). They were only 30 pence each and they were so delicious I ate them both in one sitting. That's probably not the best idea, but that was what I considered "lunch" for me and held off eating anything till a light dinner. The Bakery Lady was very nice. She said she guessed I was American from my accent, but I reminded her I could be Canadian. "That's true" she said. Then she went on to tell me about her cousin who lives in Virginia and that's she's been meaning to pop over and visit him. If you're wondering if this happens a lot, it does actually. I always hear about the family member who lives in the States and how they've been meaning to visit. I always ask where in the States the relative lives and comment on the weather there. The topic of weather seems universal.

Next is my Wednesday Archery Lesson. I scored a 366!! For those of you who have been following this, that's a 44 jump! If I can reach a score of 400 by Saturday, then at least I know I won't embarrass myself at the competition in Warwick. On one of my last shots of the day I accidentally held my bow incorrectly, and the string snapped my arm. Right behind my arm-guard! Here is the what happens when your elbow tends to invert into the path of the string:


Also, today, November 5th is Guy Fawkes Day!!! He's the guy who inspired the movie "V for Vendetta" He tried to blow up Westminster Abbey and kidnap Princess (future queen) Elizabeth I. There were three men actually, but Fawkes was the leader. So every November 5th, people blow up fireworks and start HUGE bonfires. I don't know why? Maybe to celebrate his pure audaciousness to do something against the nobility. Who knows? It was fun just the same.
So I had to go to the Old Market Square and this is the government-looking building at night:


Here is a picture of the fireworks:

And some of the pictures of the Bonfire:
This is before they lit the stack, this is what it looked like. At the top, if you look closely you can see the three dummies representing Guy Fawkes and his buddies.

Just before they lit the Fire, the firemen surrounded the tower with torches.

They lit it and up it went. It was HUGE!!!!

Picture from a distance:

I also got some Cadbury Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows. They were heart shaped and flavored!

The last event I saw before going back to my room was a group of guys, probably mid-twenties all dressed as FAIRIES! Yes, that's right, they were prancing and running around. It looked like a hazing ritual to me. But it was funny as hell. This is not a great picture, but they were moving around a lot. They only had tights, tutu's and t-shirts on, so I imagine the prancing was a way to keep warm. At least I hope it was.


So that was my exciting day. Other than boring classes and studying. Tomorrow I intend to sleep in, relax, read, and study.

Good Night Everyone!!