Back home in the USA - a retrospective of the past 3 months

So,

I am sitting in the Chicago airport enjoying my internet amidst all of the chaos everywhere. The first flight from Manchester was rather uneventful, and the food was pretty good. Watched a few movies, read a little...had perfect intentions of getting some work done, but realized two hours into the flight that my work was tucked neatly under the plane in my checked bag. Oh well.

It has been a really great three months. I feel that I am a better musician because of being in England. I like that I am able to concentrate on playing, and feel that I am making progress. Some of what I want to concentrate on for next semester are my 'weaknesses' in my playing. Every player, regardless of skill, has things in their playing that they wished were better. I really want to concentrate on getting as few 'holes' in my playing as I can by July. That is the goal. That way, when I get to ASU in the fall, I can concentrate on the book-work (because there will be a pile of it) - and get my DMA off to a good start.

So, I thought I would share a few "observations" of England, and the way that they do things over there - sort of an "American's Guide to the UK" or a Top-10 things that Pat learned this fall, so here goes. This is in no particular order...

1.) There is more to the world than the United States.

2.) If you are ever in a foreign country, and you talk like an American - and you get into a conversation about politics. Say you are from Canada. Nobody messes with Canadians.

3.) The $ to £ ratio really sucks. Deal with it.

4.) When looking at nutritional labels in the UK, realize that they are always labeled in 100g measurements. So, if you have a bag of candy that is 300g - you have to multiply the calories by 3. Learned that one the hard way... ;)

5.) British people are nice, they just don't always show it.

6.) Not all forms of public transportation are created equal. This is just a fact of life.

7.) Spaces, just like the people, are smaller outside of the United States.

8.) Driving more than 100 miles causes people to really get cranky.

9.) Minced meat is one of the scariest things in the world. It's not natural. Don't eat it.

10.) When going to an Indian restaurant: if the sign reading "FULLY LICENSED" is bigger than the name, you need to find another restaurant.

11.) And, the number one.... No matter what the problem is: it's George W. Bush's fault... :-P

It's good to be home. More posts later, but this weekend I get to see my family. Love you all! Thanks for the support over the past few months! Have a great holiday, and a happy new year.