I know, I haven't updated lately. In a predictable turn of events, the end of the term got busy. Shocking. Luckily that just means I have tons more interesting things to talk about now....
I'm developing a theory of How to Become British. Here's what you have to do:
- If there's an R in the middle of the word, don't pronounce it. Hard becomes "Hahd"
- On that note, if there's an A, it's an "ah" Pahty. Fahncy.
- It's Zed, not Z silly.
- Also a bathroom is not a bathroom because it's not where you're taking a bath. It's a Loo or a Toilet.
- Also, your questions must have a more sing-songy tonal pattern. Like your voice hits high and low pitches several times in a question. I am working on a way to demonstrate the difference.
More theorizing later....
British Ultimate Frisbee Nationals were this weekend in the lovely city of Wolverhampton, which looked remarkably like suburbia U.S.A. except for the double decker buses and the old churches and all of the terrifying roundabouts. So many roundabouts. It's because they didn't do the whole grid-system for roads way back in ancient times when they settled here, I think, so they have these crazy 4-street junctions with 5 lanes of weaving cars. So glad I'm not driving here.
ANYWAYS, I digress, so the frisbee part... We came in seeded something like 15th, worked our way up to seeded 5th after day one, and then dropped down to 9th in the end. 9th best indoor team in Great Britain! It's a bit funny because we hadn't practiced as a team at all; we relied entirely on the fact that we had individually skilled players. We improved a LOT over the weekend and I learned a ton of indoor strategy very quickly.
The only Irish team took the title. Gosh darn Irish. We slept in a church hall with the other 32 teams there which went remarkably well (actually the most sleep I've ever gotten at an Ultimate tournament, huh). We've also begun the attempt to rename the Ultimate team here the Oxford Wizards. Because we have to wear silly sub fusc robes, and because Harry Potter was filmed here, and Tolkien wrote about wizards while here, and Hermoine goes here, and well because it'd be a properly ridiculous ultimate team name.
Other things that have happened in the last two weeks: I rowed in the Christ Church Regatta which is a novice regatta with about 60 other rowing teams, it was insane. I went to London and saw Buckingham Palace and a biking parade centered on celebrating wearing tweed (could you be more British?). I also made the pilgrimage to 221b Baker Street and celebrated my absolute favorite author. I finished up the Netball season here and have mastered the Wing Attack position although I'd be hopeless at playing any other position because I wouldn't know where to go. I also ate fish and chips. Check that off the list. I have also found myself absorbing more and more British terminology, like stash, rubbish, mate, pitch, loo, quid....
I also just now finished with my term which means on to Rome tomorrow! We fly out at some ridiculous early hour and have to catch the bus from Oxford at 2 a.m. Nothing like sleep-deprived sightseeing. I am on a mission to find good Italian pizza. There will be lots of pictures.
Cheerio! Lisa
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