After a long night of adventures, many of our intrepid adventurers were in dire need of some sweet, sweet, sleep. As a result, a group decided to miss the typical breakfast and venture out into the wild, yet often far too mild, jungle that is typical British cuisine. Good (albeit overpriced to some) food ensued, and after splitting a single pot of English Breakfast tea 9 ways, many drinking from the same cups they used to refill their water bottles, our proper chaps chose to head back for this day’s sessions, not before paying a quick homage to everyone’s favorite advertised product, the all-natural, nightly laxative, Bile Beans.
Meanwhile, another group searched in vain for a post office to mail a postcard (everything's closed on Sunday apparently). Instead, they ended up practicing their Chinese and buying pins and sea glass at a farmers' market.
With bellies full and spirits high, so began our explorers to learn all about the wonderful world of A&M’s academics. One PowerPoint later, we faced our most perilous task yet: surviving the wilderness of Minnesota, armed with little but ski poles, chocolates, and broken lighters. Can our team put aside their differing ideas and come together to escape to the nearest town, or even survive a single night? As it would seem, according to expert opinion, although some groups were able to unite more successfully than others, the entire program would most certainly face a painful, wolf-encouraged, probably whiskey-abetted death. Key lessons were learned by our valiant heroes-turned-dog treats; first, always bring chocolate to the woods, but more importantly, make sure your team is aligned in the proper general direction before going after minute details, or else it’ll be near impossible to decide anything. Speaking of starving, by the way, who wants lunch?
With an hour and a half break, the team split up to find local food: fish and chips, and Nepalese. The Nepalese group repeated the winter survival experience, switching priorities several times and shouting in British accents before ending up at an Italian restaurant. It seemed like the only place in York that would seat 9 people. The waiter had a strong (fake?) Italian accent and would randomly start serenading the group. Turns out he was from Connecticut. Jaden got to practice speaking Italian while also maintaining his British accent. Several excellent pizzas and one awkward hug later, the group headed back to the dorm to change, then to the classroom for a mini-lecture on punctuality.
In the meantime, following a sprint to the dorms and back, the other half of “Man vs. Wild”’s upcoming cast was at a crossroads between hunger and convenience: fish and chips, the store with no queue (that’s proper English for line “line”, for all you Yankee lads out there), or a classic and imaginably delectable Yorkshire pudding, and risk missing lunchtime altogether? In our all-too-familiar unified manner, we split once again, with half opting for the fish and half the pudding, admirably braving the interminable wait and incremental gnaw of hunger, their palates pleading for the tempting dish. While the pudding-goers excruciatingly engaged in the mental confrontation of their lives, the fish guys watched the Banana Man! In his shocking return, the fan favorite plantain punisher freestyled about everything from underwear to Cinderella, all while bravely (read: barely) performing his classic death-defying stunts. After a quick, slightly rushed, yet all the tastier lunch, interrupted by the next villain of this tale; the infamous yellow jacket. Yet another cautious escapade later, we landed back at the DG building for the closing remarks on today’s sessions.
Today was the last Evensong of the season, and our well-dressed group attended a special service. For some, the challenge was staying together as "the Texans" in the queue, and for others, it was maintaining consciousness for the entire event. But it was a great experience for all, and the team all enjoyed seeing the minstrel from the inside.
Our team had a few minutes before the ghost tour, and with no Brits around to befriend, they conducted some statics experiments with cell phones and bollards. The ghost tour guide told great stories, a surprising number of which contained explicit material, or at least innuendos. By the way, what’s that smell? No, it’s not your damp towels (although you should probably go check that out, if that’s the case), but rather a visiting ghost of York, here to join you in your stay!
After making wishes on the guide's staff – which has a history of both luck and early death – Ian and some others tried to borrow a car from some local girls. After convincing them it was legal, but failing to ensure safety, our rejected team hit the casino. Their idea of high-rollers and partying was slightly inaccurate - it was mostly empty, with a few old people losing at slots in the back. Still, the team got a kick out of showing their driver's licenses, passports, and military IDs to a slightly amused bouncer. After a stop at the ATM, Nick, David, and Ian decided to play until all the money was gone. The rest, including a few minors, stopped for a photoshoot in an alley before walking arm in arm down the Shambles to bring luck for the coming year.
Pip pip cheerio,
Allie and Nacho
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