Could someone ship me a Zaxby's Zalad?

This week has been pretty quiet in Oxfordshire, England. I had two tutorials last week, which made for a much more eventful week than this one. Also, my tutorial topic for my one paper that is due this Friday is "To what extent does the proposed European Constitution help to overcome Europe's democratic deficit?". If you can imagine, this subject matter has lulled me into several small naps a day since I began my research. Needless to say, I've been reading a few books on the side and downloading episodes of the new "90210" online to pass my idle moments (I can't study all time!), and I've been compiling a list of a few things that I love about England and miss about America, with various contributions from others. So, as I procrastinate finishing my paper today (one page left!) I thought I would share some of these things with you so that you can enjoy my favorite things in my memory or stew in jealousy over the things that I am able to enjoy.

One thing that I think many of us talk about the most when we discuss things that we miss is food. This is a little pathetic, but the truth is that food is much more expensive here, and we pay so much but we experience a great deal of disappointment. For example, today Grey and I went to Penelope's and Francis' to return books and then decided to celebrate the beautiful day with breakfast at a "diner" on St. Giles. We walked in and I was in heaven. It looked just like every Greek-owned diner or family restaurant found in Chicago and the suburbs. It smelled like grease, cooked eggs, and sausage and promised to serve breakfast all day long, and its plastic covered booths were occupied by an impressive number of construction workers. These were all good signs. So, Grey and I ordered sausage and egg baguettes, which I imagined would be like a sausage and egg biscuit on a baguette. YUM! Unfortunately, we received our order and it was actually a long baguette cut in two with halved sausages (like, shaped sausages) placed in the baguette and one egg over easy thrown on top in the middle. I should have taken a picture of the food and of Grey's crestfallen face. It was not quite the sausage patty and scrambled egg concoction we had hoped for, but it did taste alright. So, this being just one experience out of many that has yielded unexpected and slightly disappointing results, here are some things I miss the most in the food department: Zaxby's Buffalo Zalad (eat one for me, Alyson); Bear's Den (all of it); sausage that doesn't come in long, sausage-cased form; spaghetti sauce that has a taste; Velveeta; Ranch dressing (it doesn't exist here); and all forms of beef that aren't filled with strange bits and gratuitous grease.
Now, this is not to say that the Brits don't have some things right. I'll give them some credit - specifically regarding Cottage Pie and Shepherd's Pie. DELICIOUS. As a Midwesterner, I think I'm drawn to this mashed potato, veggie, and meat casserole, but I will say that I have never had a better one than I have had over here. Also, biscuits have become a fast favorite. For those of you who are not familiar, British people use the word biscuit for what we would call cookies. They prefer biscuits that are not soft like we like, but are more along the lines of shortbread. The beautiful thing is that most often the biscuits are completely covered in chocolate, and the chocolate here is very impressive. Similarly, I have enjoyed many delicious soups and breads while over here. I think the trend is that British people are good at comfort foods and casseroles, so I will try to give up my dreams of cheeseburgers and grilled chicken salads.

Aside from food, I also really miss girls who know that leggings are not a good idea when they are worn as pants. The fashion is pretty impressive over here; you can find Grey and me salivating over many of the store windows on any given day, but some of the styles here are a little strange to me, this one in particular. Girls will wear a shirt that is moderately long (but by no means a dress), leggings, and boots. No pants. It's a little disconcerting and not something I'm ready to subscribe to.

Another major difference that one may not expect would be dancing. I miss people who dance like I dance. We have gone out dancing a few times since coming here, and it is comical to look around our group of girls and see us dancing, and then to compare it to the rest of the people in the club. There is a lot of bouncing and flailing of arms here in Europe, and it just looks odd. This is not to say that our dancing is superior, but that it makes it pretty easy to guess that we're not from around here.

There are plenty of other things that I am missing and that I love about being here, but I have plenty of time left to share those. I will tell you that the most fun and educational event I have experienced since my last entry was speed dating at the Oxford Union. The five of us Mercer girls thought it would be worth the entertainment value and it sure was! We met about 40 boys in 2 minute increments, the vast majority of which were 18 and 19 years old. I didn't ask to see anyone again, but I do have a good amount of funny moments and memories from the event. It leads me to believe that speed dating is a great idea if you're over 25, serious, and not in a foreign country.

I'll leave you with that. I'm in my fifth week here and things are really going well. Plans for our five week travel term are in the making, and it looks like we'll start in Brussels, move on to the German/French border for a few days, and then head to Spain for a full week where I'll meet up with my mom. The rest is undecided as of yet, but let me know if you have any good tips on traveling in Europe, whether it be a cool destination, hotel, or just a tip.

Cheers!