This week has been a strange ‘un. As per English Daylight Saving Time rules, British summertime officially ended last weekend, knocking the clocks back an hour. And for one, glorious week, I was only 5 hours in the past. Strangely, just gaining one hour on England made communications easier and gave me an extra hour during my daytime that I could contact friends and family before they slept. That said, Central Standard summertime also ended yesterday and now the time difference is back to usual. As I write this, its half past ten in the UK and only 4.30 here. Which raises another notable point- Americans don’t say ‘half-past’, only hour-thirty. Every time I’m asked the time in the lab, they laugh if I say half-past. Weird Northern Americans.
With the changing of the clocks and the passing of Halloween, America seems to have cottoned on that Christmas is on its way and, almost overnight, the shops stores began to overflow with Christmas-orientated goods. I like that they don’t jump the gun- at least not by British standards- and I guess that’s because Thanksgiving is on its way before December even starts, giving the American population plenty of holidays to focus on before Christmas becomes important. I’m pretty sure, as all things seem to be over here, Christmas will rather rapidly become a massive deal now. Which is great, if you ask me because the closer we get to Christmastime, the closer I get to my flight home (for those of you who didn’t know-I LOVE to fly!) and, I guess, also to seeing my friends and family back home!
This week I ticked off one massive item from my ‘America To-do List.’ (I also LOVE to make lists...) On monday, after a long but not particularly eventful day in the lab, I mentioned to one of my new biophys lab friends that I was desperate to eat Mexican, we decided to call his flatmate and head to their favourite authentic mexican restaurant, El Banditos. When we arrived at northside dowtown I was a little confused. I couldn’t see any mexican restaurants- only a pizza place and a couple of diner/cafes. My friends then pointed out a building wedged between two bric-a-brac stores that looked suspiciously like someone’s garage had been converted to a biker gang’s dodgy munitions warehouse; dark, slit windows, scuffed bare-brick exterior and only a tiny little sign.
If you think I may be exaggerating a little, there is no convincing way I could possibly explain how good the food we ate here was. Every metaphor to describe the restaurant’s dingy, nondescript facade is knocked on its back as soon as you walk in to the half canary yellow, half wood-clad hall. We were seated at a long oak bench and bought glasses of water and tortilla chips and homemade salsa immediately (as you seem to be in almost every American restaurant.) As we were reading the menus, I mentioned in passing that I had never tried guacamole- to which my American companions insisted I must, ordering a pound of the house’s own. And so my tastebud's epic journey began. The guacamole was amazing! So fresh and crunchy, but still tangy with chipotle spice. (I now LOVE avocados, too.)
For my main I ordered a Steak Fajita Burrito with Mexican Rice and Mexican Five Bean Salad, the guys ordered a mixture of beef and chicken tacos.
It was phenomenal and just typing this my mouth is watering. Definitely going to be back there sooner than my diet would appreciate!
In other news, I am getting increasingly excited for my Nashville roadtrip the thursday after next and am keeping my finger’s crossed for the weather to hold out from snowing just until after we have gotten back to Iowa City this time in a fortnight! So far we have plans to visit the renown St Louis Zoo in Missouri, crossing through Kentucky and Illinois on our way to ‘Music City.’ I am expected plenty of yummy BBQ food, and to hear some real southern drawls- lets hope I get them, eh?!
If anyone happens to be looking for something to read, I read one of the best books I have read for a long, long time this week. ‘The fault in our stars’ by John Green was so good that it took me about twenty four hours to finish (I had some free time in the lab on tuesday- and this book filled it perfectly!) I haven’t read such a deeply emotional, yet comedic and intelligent young adult novel since Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zervin when I was only holiday in Ireland in 2006. I definitely think this is worth a shot!
After a busy weekend of shopping, and cleaning, and gym, and cooking (I made leek and potato soup), and talking to family, and popping to the lab, I am planning to spend my night firstly in the bath with the new Cosmo and then firmly in front of the TV- the Indiannapolis Colt’s game is on Sunday Night Football and I’m excited to see star quarterback Andrew Luck tear apart the Texan defence, haha!
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| The trees across the Iowa River are still holding off Autumn, for now! My view on the walk home from work on Saturday… |
Love love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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