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...To weekly blog updates.
So yeah, hellooooooo all a y'all!! How's it going??
Ah crap, I remember, you can't answer me... Well, you can't answer me face to face at least..... Unless I skype/ facetime you.... Damn I'm just contradicting myself now.
Basically, you can't answer me IN PERSON until I get back, which isn't actually that far off now- only three weeks!
I'm not sure how I feel about coming home in three weeks: I'm in two minds.
On one hand, I'm very sad. This has been an amazing experience, and one I'll never forget. I mean, I've been wanting to experience "true" America all my life, and I'm finally doing it/ have finally done it! It will be hard to come home and leave all the people I've gotten to know so well and return to my normal, English life.
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But at the same time... I'm going back to my normal, English life! I'm going back to everything I've been away from! I miss my Mummy and Daddy, I miss my friends, I miss my Grandma, I miss being able to go out for a drink, and I miss English sweets.
Yeah.... Sweets.
Ironic really, how America: the country of "too much sugar", has sweets (or candy) that are, to be honest, mediocre. Like, we have Hershey's chocolate back home, and I quite enjoy it- but it's not the "go to" chocolate in Blighty like it is over here. Oh no, that spot is reserved for the one, the only: Cadbury's Dairy Milk. That stuff is the BOMB! The Bee's Knees!! The Dog's Bollocks!!! I personally enjoy it the most with Hula Hoops...
In the same mouthful.
I know, I'm weird.
But weird is good!
Anyway, I'm drifting away from the point. My point is that the original, essential chocolate of America doesn't even come close, in terms of quality, to our chocolate. And that is pretty much the same for all of their sweets, they're all a bit tacky. Now, this is just my opinion, but I think it's one most of y'all will agree with me on.
Soooooo...
I should probably share with you guys what I've been up to this past week...
But I don't have to...
In fact, why should I? This is effort for me! I could spend this time watching Top Gear on Netflix!!
What have you done for me?!?
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Other than read my blogs each week
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And probably a variety of other things
...
So yeah, I'll tell you.
On Monday (seems like a reasonable day to start), I spent the day with a Mr Rick Holland at the Gibsland Bank in Bossier. This was arranged last week when I was introduced to My Holland at the Veterans job fair by members of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce (with whom I had been doing some work experience). Mr Holland told me that he could set me up with a few placements relevant to Marketing and Psychology, and so I met with him to discuss these.
As it turns out, I actually spent the day there, as opposed to just meeting with Mr Holland. This wasn't what I was expecting, although I did make some connections for possible work experience placements (with the Bossier City Police and LSU Shreveport's Psychology division, both of which to be confirmed). The day with Mr Holland was actually very profitable: I got those connections, I gained valuable insight into certain Marketing campaigns used by Mr Holland to promote the bank, and I even had a lunch date with James Burton roughly set up. Now, that came about because I told Mr Holland over lunch that I was a guitar player, so he asked me if I had ever heard of James Burton- which I had.
SIDE NOTE
I'm sure some of you are reading me blabbering on about James Burton like
So allow me to clarify, James Burton was one of Elvis Presley's guitar players. Yes, you read that right- Elvis Presley.
When Mr Holland told me this, I was in awe. I sat there with eyes gleaming with anticipation.
But , I did have some anxiety. Although, I knew who James Burton was, I hadn't heard a whole lot of his playing, so I was thinking: "What the hell am I going to talk him about?!". But luckily, I know someone who is very well versed in Country/ Rock 'n' Roll/ Rockabilly, the style James Burton is a titan of- my Dad. So when I got home, I facetime'd my dear Mother, regretfully forgetting about the time difference and waking her up (sorry Mum!). However, my Mum was incredibly kind and got up just so I could share the good news with my dad and ask him for some listening material to prepare me for this lunch. Anyway, sooner or later this lunch will be sorted out, and I can't wait.
Now, unfortunately I didn't get up to much else for the rest of the week, work experience wise, as I kept waiting on Erica Adams from Cumulus radio to get in contact (like she said she would) to arrange some more time with her, but she has yet to do so. But I have gotten up to some other things.
I don't know whether you know this or not, but in Louisiana, they have a thing for Crawfish. A big thing.
Crawfish are like small lobster/ shrimpy things. But oh my God are they good. There's a lot of waste involved in eating them, in so far as the only real meat is in the tail and you've got to remove the body, and then the shell from the tail before getting to the succulent, heavenly flesh.
If you say to a Louisiana resident: "Crawfish and Ice tea", they will get a look in their eye similar to when one puts a bowl of bacon, cheese, and tennis balls in front of a dog.
And I totally understand why.
I couldn't get enough of the things.
I'm really glad that I enjoyed them as the other Louisianan food that I had had since getting here (red beans and rice, and gumbo) I hadn't enjoyed so much. So now I'm feeling more like a true Louisiana resident!
Later that week, on Friday, Rick Gates picked me up to take me to lunch at somewhere called Fuddruckers, which prides itself on making the best burgers in the world. And they weren't lying.
I had a 12 ounce (340g) burger with cheese and it was the best burger I have ever had. Ever. That's one thing the Americans do better than anyone- Burgers. I've had many since getting here, and they've all been amazing, but the Fuddruckers..... Just blew me away.
After that, Rick took me to a shop called "Bass Pro Shops", which is an outdoors-y, fishing, and general "American frontier" kind of shop.
With a lot of guns.
So that pretty much concludes my week. I'm kinda tired writing this, so apologies if this blog has been somewhat un- animated (which is what it seems like it's been to me).
Nonetheless, thanks ever so much for reading and be sure to tune in for next week's blog, which will be the penultimate blog written in Louisiana! Eeeek!!
Jya ne
James x
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