Since last we spoke, I've been a very busy little boy. I want to apologize for the inconsistency of my posting habits.
Last Thursday was the day of my first poetry tutorial in Oxford. As you can imagine, there are some serious stigmas and stereotypes that accompany such an undertaking. When one thinks of Oxford, Cambridge, and the rest of the stuffy, hallowed institutions that sort of epitomize the American view of British academia, it's hard to see past the curtains of tweed and corduroy or past the monocles and pipe smoke. Honestly, I can't tell you whether any of those stereotypes are true at the moment because my tutorial takes place in the seclusion of my tutor's residential apartment rather than at one of Oxford's various bustling colleges. My tutor is a rather quirky sort of fellow, which I began to pick up on when he turned me away from his door for showing up ten minutes early. This notion was only further confirmed during a brief explanation of what the city has to offer me, as a student and a human being, when he pointed out the best part of Oxford in which purchase a gun. Another fact that he took the time to make me aware of is that Irish girls have good posture because of all the step dancing they do. Oh...and we talked about writing poetry a good deal as well, but I don't want to bore anyone with that. If I write anything particularly interesting, I'll be sure to post it somewhere down the line.
The REAL highlight of this past week, I feel, was my experience at the Bath Cider Festival. It was an event completely dedicated to the tasting of locally-brewed cider and perry. There were close to 100 different varieties to choose from, ranging from the sweet and admittedly delicious fruity varieties (usually middling somewhere around 9-12 proof)to the formidable "question marks" that had no listed content and tasted more like the barrel they were brewed in than the fruit they were made of. It was more of a tasting event than a consumption contest, so everyone was given small glasses at the door and was required to purchase tokens with which to place their sample orders. Some of the more entertaining cider names include (but are not limited to): "Pheasant Plucker," "Sheep Dip," "Pig Swill," "The Devil's Device," and "Old Rat's Tail." If those names don't get you thirsty, I don't know what will.
The most entertaining aspect of the night by far was the live entertainment. A trio called the Mangledwurzels provided the soundtrack for this particular evening of drinking, belching, and flannel-clad tomfoolery. They (and many of the good folks in attendance) are what I might go so far to define as the "hillbillies" of England. Having grown up in a log cabin with my fair share of flannel, I do not use this term lightly. And they were terrific...if you're into British bluegrass music, which became easier and easier to put up with as the night went on. They belted out such classic tunes as "I am a Cider Drinker," "I've got a Brand New Combine 'Arvester," and "Ey, You, Get Orf of My Land!" (No, there are no typos in the listing of those song titles...) I was lucky enough to have my photo taken with the lads, and I've posted that picture and some links to the original Wurzels songs on Youtube below:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5SX3A-ifME (Cider Drinker)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btEpF334Rtc (Combine 'Arvester)
My last noteworthy exploit of the past week is my new volunteer job as a Tower Tour Guide at Bath Abbey. I spoke with the director of tours during my programme's introduction to the Abbey during the first week, and she set me up with a free tower tour, a script, and a uniform shirt. The tower has 212 steps and I will be climbing them twice every Monday that I am in Bath for the rest of the semester. By the end of my stay here, I will hopefully be somewhat versed in the history of the Abbey and the city of Bath. I'll be sure to list any really interesting facts that I come across in the weeks to come.
Alas, my homework beckons, so I must leave this post as it stands. Stay tuned for more in the very near future.
-The Cider-Drinking, Tour-Guiding, Wandering Wordsmith (The artist formerly known as Eric Kozlik)
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