Why Did the Deer Cross the Road?

Merry Christmas Everyone! And a Happy New Year! I hope everyone had fun stuffing themselves with homemade baked goods, ripping open brightly colored packages, and maybe getting a little tipsy. While this is all well and good for you, I decided to forgo all of that and come up with something a little different this year.

Nearby, just a 5 minute walk from my building is a park, Wollaton Park, that is populated by rich people who love to golf in funny outfits, ducks, coy fish, old palace-looking mansions and strangely enough, deer. I know what your thinking, besides where I'm going with this blog. "Deer, is that legal?" Apparently, here in England, it is. Not really knowing what deer eat, but figuring they had about the same digestive system as horses, I brought some carrots. Specifically two bags full of carrots. Why, you may ask? Because I had nothing else to do on Christmas, since everything else was closed. Plus, carrots are much cheaper than apples (which I know for a fact they eat).

So after wandering around, seeing these strangely haunted-looking buildings:


I spotted a group of male deer that resembled reindeer. If you look closely the two on the far right have their antlers interlocked. A few times they would half-heartedly charge and fight with their antlers. I don't know why, since mating season is supposed to be over.

Then I saw that the leader of their group was eyeing me rather strangely, so I threw a carrot in the grass to entice him to cross the road to investigate.

What was strange to me is that the deer suddenly got in a line to cross the road. this is particularly funny if you have ever been to England, because the people here are weirdly obsessed with lining up or "queuing" for everything and get rather grumbly if you cut to the front of the "Que". To see the English deer do this was understandably weird.

Once the Alpha crossed, then the herd followed:



He sniffed at my offering, found it lacking and moved on. Really exciting! Not really, unless you consider how close I got to the animals while taking the photos. You could stand mere feet away from them before they shied away. Amazing!

Then I went back to my room, ate lunch with a chocolate dessert and took a nap. When I woke up around 9 pm I waited around by reading my romance book until 4 am to call my mom and the family. And then promptly went back to sleep.

Your probably thinking, "No presents! That's a crime." Not really since I bought myself a Hoyt bow a week earlier and my mom sent me Sourpatch Kids candies and socks. The former my favorite comfort candy and the latter, because my mom is such a "mom". But I love them just the same because they are knee high and warm.

For the next few weeks I am going to disappear again because I have more studying to do that is conceivably possible. But I'm going to make the effort to tackle all of it. Well, most of it.

So if I don't blog until February, just know it's not because I am spurning my readers, it's because my lecturers and tutors have a sadistic twist of mind.

So, I shall blog in the next year and stay safe and study hard.

Busy Week...

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, life has been a little hectic. First I have to mention the archery fun shoot, where everyone got to shoot at random stuff. The Voltaire book was my favorite, and as you can see it was also the compound bows fav as well.




I went to Victoria Centre (a shopping mall-like place) to do some Christmas shopping and I stopped at a place called Costas, essentially Starbuck's rival. I know! Your asking yourself, Why??? You're form Seattle, show some pride. However if you got this lay out...



for just a cup of tea for 4 pounds, you now understand my lack of loyalty. I would never get the same deal at Starbucks here. A venti chi tea cost me 4.50 pound at Starbucks. In my opinion, they need to step up their game. It's no wonder their stock sank over 90% in the last quarter.

The Archery club also went out for a Christmas dinner at an Italian place called Zizzi's. It included a three course meal and I had the Penne Della Casa (smoked pancetta bacon, roasted chicken, creamy mushroom sauce and baby spinach finished with grated grana padano cheese, baked al forno) This was the best dish of food I've ate since being here. It was like heaven had entered my mouth. And yes, I "borrowed" the Christmas menu, but it's going back, I swear!



Here's a few pictures of the people at my table. Do not be scared, they're nicer than they look.


Josh (American from Connecticut) and Joe (experienced archer and coach to us dumb novices).



Joe showing off his huge pizza and Josh a little drunk and annoying and Hannah sitting between them.



Here's something I didn't know! If you drop a pence (penny) into someones drink they have to down the whole thing to "save the queen" and everyone at the table sings "God Save the Queen". Poor Alex, the queen was dropped into his wine twice.

Today was a busy day too!
For the last four days I didn't come out of my room and disappeared to write a paper due today. So once I turned that in, a couple guys from archery came to pick me up because a group of us were meeting at an archery shop. While there I gave myself an early Christmas present! A Hoyt bow! Most of you won't know what that means, just know it's pretty, very accurate and fun to play with. I have no pictures yet. I tried to take some in my room, but the lighting is really bad and a picture cannot convey what a beauty it is.

Well I'm exhausted and I still have one last review class tomorrow. On Friday I may go see Mama Mia! where the theater is playing it and everyone in the audience is supposed to sing a long. Sounds fun. I just hope I can get tickets.

Night!

Foot in Mouth...

This just happened and I can't resist writing about it. I laughed so hard my eyes teared. I had just come from the Medical Library to get some counselling books and I was standing at the bus stop to go back to my room. There was a guy and a girl at the bus stop too. The guy was Indian and the girl English, and they were obviously flirting and having a grand time. He then began to tease her about her major, American Studies.

"But most Americans cannot even find their own country on a map!" He exclaimed loudly.

Up until this moment I had been standing quietly off to the side, not saying a word, completely ignored. But this was too good an opportunity for me to pass up. It was like the moment was handed to me on a golden platter.

I abruptly turned to him and said calmly with my obvious American accent, "Actually, most of us can." And I smiled.

The girl made a loud noise of embarrassment, something near a scream, but not quite and the guy had a stupid, dumbfounded look on his face. She then started to smack his chest and exclaim, "You are not allowed to say anything offensive again!"

I couldn't stop laughing, as the kid tried to apologize profusely, but the look on his face was priceless.

When I got on the bus I learned the girl was in her last year completing her undergraduate and wanted to go to Milwaukee to get her masters. Then she wanted to eventually get her PhD and move to Utah where her relatives live. She talked with me mostly because she really likes America. The Indian guy sat a few rows back in the crowded bus, and when we all got off he apologized again. I said I took no offense, but I hope he learned his lesson. Making broad statements about another culture and place just illustrates to others how ignorant and narrow-minded you are. And you may never know whose standing next to you when you say something stupid.