Autumn has finally come to the West Midlands, and it's beautiful. Though there is a definite chill in the air and darkness is coming earlier with each passing day, it amazes and delights me how England's die hard gardeners manage to coax the last of late-summer blooms into clinging stubbornly to their stalks. Although I love my home back home, I am not looking forward to leaving this, my adopted home. I feel as though I've become part of the community. This experience has opened up a whole new world of possibilities to me, and I've learned so much about myself and about the world around me. I've always thought that England was somewhere "in my blood" which may explain why I've never really experienced homesickness. The friends I've made here will be dear life-long friends. Of that I am certain.
With Venice still on my mind, it was back to work on Tuesday. (Monday was a professional development day, called "inset" here.) No sooner had I just started teaching my class about American Thanksgiving did I find out that we needed to have the kids start learning songs and lines for the Christmas play--oh yeah, AND teach curriculum. Hmmm . . . it's going to be an interesting few weeks.
During my outside duty on Tuesday, one of the year six boys came up to me and asked if beef burgers were really big in America. I told him that we call them hamburgers, and yes, they can be big but generally they're just normal. Then I told him about a restaurant in Colorado Springs that serves hamburgers as big as a dinner plate. His response: "I've got to get me self to America!"
Thursday night I went home with Jane H. and had dinner with her lovely family, then we met up with Eileen and went to the cinema to see The Help. I was really excited because I had read the book and was "gutted" (I'm learning the language) that I wouldn't get to see the film that came out in Colorado the day after I left. So I was very surprised that it played here! Good movie--book's always better.
Friday was Guy Fawkes Day and Bonfire Night, a holiday eagerly celebrated every November 5th in Great Britain (Britain's answer to our Fourth of July). A very brief history lesson: in the early 1600's there was a plot to kill King James I (Elizabeth's successor) because of his persecution of Catholics. A group of conspirators stored gun powder under the Houses of Parliament, but the king found out about it, and Guy Fawkes, who was guarding the gun powder, was killed. Subsequently there were bonfires all over London to celebrate the failed plot--hence, Bonfire Night where people bring stuff to the bonfire sites to burn, and sometimes there's a "guy" that they burn in effigy. There are also many, many fireworks that are not contained to just bonfire night. (I've been hearing them for a week and a half now.)
This weekend has been just gorgeous, weather-wise. Today Eileen came and fetched me and we went for a nice long walk in the country and along the canals in Wombourne. I kicked myself because I didn't have my camera with me. (Note to self: take your camera EVERYWHERE.) The country lanes we walked through were lined with trees dressed in autumn color that formed arches over the paths and narrow roads. The lanes cut through idyllic farm land that stretched for acres and acres, green and populated by cows and horses and sheep. There were lots of walkers and runners and bicyclists along the way, but also people on horseback. The horses seemed huge and of sturdy stock, part Clydesdale I was informed when I asked a passing rider. And instead of the cowboy hats we would most likely see in Colorado, these riders wore English riding hats. I am definitely going to want to go walking there again--with camera. What topped off the experience was on the way back to the car we heard the music of Scottish bagpipes comng from somewhere in the distance. I've just been so fortunate to get to live in such a beautiful part of England.
I had invited Nigel over for a late lunch, so when I got back home I prepared a proper Colorado tex-mex meal of pork green chili burritos. I couldn't find green chilies, so I had to use jalepenos which were in a jar marked "very hot" but were not at all and worked out fine. By the way, I've heard it will be very difficult to find canned pumpkin for pumpkin pies as well. I'll have to go on a Thanksgiving reconnaissance mission.
No comments:
Post a Comment