Happy Holidays

I just want to wish everyone a great festive season. Normal service on the blog will return in the new year. Expect some drunken and maybe even some normal photos from jolly old England.

Mankini pub golf

To celebrate me going back to the UK and passing my viva I let my sister organise a night out. True to form it involved a drink...

... or three

The idea was to do pub golf down Division St in sheffield. As I said my sister made it up so it involved me wearing something stupid. A Borat mankini.

I did say we had a few drinks didn't I?
It was a little tight....
But it got a little comfier after a while
Well maybe not
We found out it wasn't that tight.... you can fit Jon and I in
and a few friends....
Introducing 'Kinky Slimer' available for birthdays, weddings etc

Good times! Thank you everyone who made it out. Also thank you to the guys over on this side of the pond for giving me another celebration, my head hurt for a while after that.

Back to the UK and back again

I have been away for a while as I had to go back to England to 'defend my thesis' or have my viva voce (depending on where your from). I passed with minor corrections just in case you didn't know. I am pretty chuffed with it, even if it hasn't really sunk in yet.

I was a strange week back in the UK. It was great to see all the old faces, family and friends. Sheffield has changed, loads of new buildings, but it was great to here the accent especially people calling each other 'luv'. Dronfield is still the same, as ever. That is comforting though. It was still really strange being back, I don't think I really got used to it at all. I was only back for a week.

The things that made it strange were the little things. The way roads look (apart from the obvious), here they just don't have the gentle curves we have, here they are wide and things make sense. The difference here is somebody thought about what was going on back in the UK some guy just went ooh that looks like the quickest way to get me sheep down the hill so I can get to the pub.

I have also got used to shopping here. The 'Hi, how are you?' ..... 'Have a nice day' that you always get. Paper or plastic? I never try and add my shopping up as the tax is always added later. Paying by card. I went to the Sainsbury's in Dronfield and you get a sweaty teenager serving you with all the social skills of a wet sponge and a granny paying in coppers. I am not saying the American or the English way is better but the American way is not as annoying as 'Have a nice day' is portrayed, in most cases it's not as false either and you do actually get genuine conversations. Maybe it because I'm in the south y'all.

I was also quite surprised about my lack of jet lag. I experimented getting up 2 hours early the week before flying back. This is so I would be 'fresher'. It worked, after two days I was pretty normal for me. My air miles are gonna be great as I will have racked up about 15,000 in just over a month.

One very nice thing about being back is that it was 26 C today. Not the kind of weather you get mid December in blighty.