Of Driving Tests, iHop, and Adverts

Hello my lovelies, reminiscent of my blogging days in Australia, I am updating from my workplace. I don't have anything to do for the moment so why not? Although perhaps it would be more productive to work on one of my essays rather than updating the Pommie Diaries... but anyway.

I am a totally legit driver in the US now! I would post a photo of my driving license but I'm not going to make it easy for someone to steal my identity. Not sure if that's how it works. Also it has my weight printed on there... I'm sure it as because I already know how to drive, but that test was ridiculous. I read through the manual twice, maybe three times, and passed to the theory part with flying colours. That may also have had something to do with the fact that I got the same question three times. If the test is set on 'Shuffle,' I think it's broken, but now I am really certain of what to do when an emergency vehicle pulls up behind me. The driving practical was just silly, but again I'm sure that's to do with the fact I already passed the test so they figured I could drive. We left the rest centre, drove to a residential area, drove around in a loop, and then came back again. America is now sure I can accelerate and brake acceptably. They are unaware of my parking skills (bay parking - pro. parallel parking - scary).

But now I have that I can drive golf carts around campus and I'm about to take a test drive in a 12-passanger van. Seriously, in about half an hour. I've driven a seven-seater Kia, is a van much different?

Check out that seating cover!

In other news, I am now acquainted with iHop. What a weird place. It looks like something from the 60s, but not in a cool retro way, but a "what were they thinking when they chose this carpet" way. They seem to really like pancakes, and have come up with many many ways in which to serve them with other foods. I'm sure on the menu is a Steak-and-Pancake option. Last night I had chicken strips and waffles. On the same plate. Crazy stuff! But very useful because I ate the chicken last night and the waffles this morning. I had to protect them from my ravenous colleagues at work.

Say What???

I have also been taking advantage of the fast food options here. I recently got my pension fund back from when I was working in Australia, at least I think that's what the Super Annuation was for, and so I've taken out as much of that as possible, but I had to leave a little bit in the account because American banks are stupid and charge you in weird and wonderful ways to take out your own money. Anyway, I kind of see that money left in the account as "free money." Don't ask me why. But that means I'm okay with spending it and so I've been able to enjoy Taco Bell (meal number 8, yum!) and Zaxby's (they serve chicken fingers with chips, and a slice of toast. Random). I was on a healthy eating spree but I cave easily. America has the best food.

There are so many things right about this cereal

And now for something completely different (Monty Python reference there) One thing I've noticed about American adverts on TV is that they're strange. For example, "If you are experiencing dizziness and a lack of appetite, you are probably suffering from this condition. Take this medicine to make you feel better and all warm and fuzzy inside. Side effects include fatigue, sore muscles, losing your hearing, hair loss, and eventual death." Nice. Let's just diagnose and medicate myself, yeah? And then this is followed up by "Have you or anyone you know been taking omnidoziflopsyoxin and have suffered side effects? We can sue the bastards! Call this number now!" American adverts are very keen for you to sue people. It's like a side hobby.


I should probably get back to work before my boss looks over her shoulder. Fingers crossed I don't hit anything on my bus test drive.

Of Beignets, Huge Ass Beers, and Harry Belafonte

Yeah, I know, I've been a bad blog writer lately. Bad bad bad. But in my defence it's not quite as easy to update anymore. My prime writing time in Australia was at work.... (shhhhh...) and while I work in America as well, my boss sits behind me. Literally, right behind me. So I can't get away with anything.

Anyways, that, a trip to New Orleans, and a bout of food poisoning have kept me from updating, but I am finally back in business. Yes, I am still overusing my car, just a little, but I've restrained myself a lot more than I was. I am still plucking up the nerve to do the American driving test. Not that I don't think I can pass it, but even the possibility of failing any kind of test has always made me anxious. But I will do it. I kind of have to, my boss wants me to learn to drive a mini van.... I don't know why.

I will get to New Orleans, but I just want to say that my coursemates have been lovely yet again. They invited me out with them to the Square (where the clubs at!) and we went for a few drinks in the bars, as well as a couple dances. Turns out I really can't dance very well. I think I was in denial about it. Collin and Levi can attest to my poor partner co-ordination. Thanks for trying to spin me guys, but it only made me fall over my feet and wack you in the face. I will try practising though. As you can see from the photo below, they really are a good bunch :-)

So, New Orleans! I went as a chaperon for a group of international students I am sort of in charge of (did I ever explain my job? Well, I work in the International office at my university, and we deal with students coming to study here from all around the world), and by "chaperon" I mean responsible for head counting them on and off the bus and having my phone nearby at all times in case one of them gets arrested.

That didn't happen.

The rest of the time I revisited some favourite spots in the French Quarter avec my friend Jodie (see what I did there? French! Clearly fluent). The weather wasn't that great so I didn't take too many photos as I have quite a lot of nice ones from the previous times I've been. This time I did manage to get into Cafe du Monde though. If you haven't heard of it, it's a very famous French cafe in the New Orleans French Quarter which sells delicious beignets, which is pastry with powdered sugar. It's a nightmare to get into the cafe, the queue is always miles long. So when I say we succeeded in getting into Cafe du Monde, I actually mean we successfully found it's sister cafe in a mall with relatively no queue. But it was still called Cafe du Monde, and it sold the exact same beignets. So hah. By the way, I shared those beignets with Jodie, they weren't all mine.... although they should have been....

And I still have the cup.

A cute eating place that Jodie introduced me to from when she last went to New Orleans (separately from me, we didn't even know each other then) was a place called Camellia, which is a pink American Diner. And it's pink. It serves really yummy breakfast foods, all your classics, and it's pink.

The photo doesn't show it very well, but it is pink. Also it was the waiter's idea to put the menu in the picture for "free advertising" so if anyone is actually reading this blog, and also happens to be going to New Orleans, and goes to Camellia because of this, then I have fulfilled your wishes Chris-waiter-man!

The rest of our French Quarter wanderings was largely centred around shopping. What can I say? We're girls. And I always check out the flea market whenever I'm there. And I think I've bought a mask every single time. I did this time too, it's part of my Halloween costume. I wish I had more to share, but we only had one full day there and as I was there before in better weather I didn't bother with a few things I otherwise would have. One thing I have to say though, is that Bourbon street is very interesting, if not... "uncivilised" is how I think our Dutch student put it, and so Frenchman Street really is the place to be with all the piano bars and stuff. Couldn't resist walking up and down Bourbon though to catch a few beads, which we did, and to hold up this rather heavy sign, which we had to pay 2 dollars to do (nothing is free in this town).

What else has been happening... apart from the food poisoning, which I won't go into. It's better that way. Well, I've been neglecting facebook for 4 days now. Except this was on purpose. I'm a refresh-er, guilty as charged, and I realised I was doing hitting that silly little button on facebook too often instead of doing actual work and having a life. So I decided to detox. I've been on it once in those 4 days, but that was work related believe it or not. I do miss it. I feel like I'm missing out on what everyone is doing. How do people who have no facebook at all have a social life? Surely they never get invited to anything, as that's all done on facebook now... well, time is up Sunday at midnight and I can't wait.

It's definitely Fall in Mississippi now. It's not nearly so hot as it used to be, and I get dew on my car in the mornings. This makes me sad. The heat of summer here is extraordinary and rather unbearable but it helps me feel like I'm definitely somewhere completely different from home. Now it feels like England on an unusually sunny day. Then winter will come... dang it. I suppose it's better temperatures for standing in the grove all day this Saturday for another football game. We're not badly this year, which is always nice.

And I can't possibly forget to mention that this week has been a celebration of 50 years of integration at the University of Mississippi. On October 1st 1961 James Meredith took his first class on campus. Since then a lot has changed, and we have been celebrating that change with many events. James Meredith couldn't come unfortunately but he has been here for a book signing and to watch the Texas game recently, and he'll apparently be back after too (is he avoiding it?). The event I went to was a talk given by Mr. Harry Belafonte. What an extraordinary and humble man. He was incredibly funny, and talked about knowing Bob Dylan and Martin Luther King Jr. as if it were completely normal to know people like them. I suppose to him it is. Add of course he talked some about the Civil Rights Movement, which quite rightly, in his own words, is "not just a thing of the past, not just a moment, Civil Rights is a way of life." It was a great honour to hear him.

UM Photo by Kevin Bain

TTFN!