So we all knew I wouldn't update my blog more than once per exciting incident

The current exciting incident is that I completed a four week cookery course, I even managed to pass the food hygiene exam which means I'm allowed to work in a commercial kitchen, not that I'd want to, although it also means that when the time comes I may just be able to persuade a company to take me on as a Chalet Girl at some point.

I wish I could tell you that I learnt something amazing about myself (other than I can cook proper food...properly) but I didn't really, it was fun and will be hopefully useful. But it was still another adventure, one which will be defined as the point in my life in which my cholesterol tripled, the time I almost went veggie after preparing chicken from scratch and when I realised that doing the washing up isn't nearly as bad as you remember it being (yes I had to remember the last time I did the washing up)

And so moving forwards, the next couple of months currently look void of proper adventures, other than the everyday sort, if you have any suggestions just tell me, until then I'll be browsing for typing and piping courses (not together) and dreaming about trips to amazing places, I really should stop googling 'train to Morocco'.

It all started with the laundry

Giving up is never easy, and coming home early and not going back feels like giving up. To counter this feeling I have been thinking about all I have learnt while I have been over here.

For a month after my accident I lay in bed doing exactly what I would have done had I been at home, nothing, and the pressure slowly built. And so they day eventually came when something had to be done, when the crux had come and I had to take action, yes, I had completely run out of clean clothes. Had I been sick at home laundry would have been the last thing I had to worry about, but apparently in the real world, when your on your own, time and housework stop for no concussion. But, and I will admit this, it was the saving of me. A month was perhaps the longest I've gone in life with out completing something, but I did the laundry, start to finish, and it left me feeling empowered to do something about my situation.

I think in the way that Namibia taught me who I was, America has taught me how to cope, something I've never really had to do on my own before, making realise how lucky I am to have so good a support system back home. For the first time it was my full responsibility to get to the doctors and the hospital on my own, book the appointments and make sure I got the insurance to pay for it all, sort out all the academic work and make decisions that my parents, or friends, or lectures weren't there to make for me.

So whilst I wish I could have been easier, I'm thankful that I had to do it on my own and while I may be sad that the adventure was shorter than I planned I think I learnt more than if all had been well. I even managed to have some fun and make some good friends when I wasn't sitting to far deep in self-pity. At the very least I got over my fear of telephoning people I don't know, and that in its self is worth it weight in transatlantic plane tickets.

Some observations...

• In America using the phase 'Oh sorry I don't have one, I'm British' is just as good as producing an ID stating that your over 21 when asked
• Not only do Americans pronounce herbs 'erbs' they pronounce the haircare products 'erbal essences' which is rather off-putting
• Homecoming is not really like it is in the movies or how it was hyped up to be by the US students, in fact (at least at Stony Brook) it is rather dull other than the free balloons and foam 'paws' (as opposed to fingers) they're was not a lot going on. I'm still looking for the free alcohol that was supposed to be abundant during the game.

For those of you who are unaware of what homecoming actually is:

The first home game played at the University that year, which it wasn't. The first game was played about 2 weeks ago but they chose this one because it was supposed to be a sure win, although that did mean that far more people had midterms to revise for so fewer people came to homecoming than the first game.

• Bagels taste better here, this has been accredited to the NY water with which the dough is made
• When an American states that they have found the best beer in the world expect what we would deem a decent beer in the UK, never get your hopes up, it will still be a cold fizzy lager.
• They don't know that naught means zero (as in naught point seven means 0.7) but this becomes even more interesting when discussing the physical constant: epsilon naught, most students I talk too have yet to realise it is called this because it is in reference to a VACUUM (as opposed to some other medium; air, water etc.)
• And lastly: I miss you

This is about as topical as its gonna get folks

As you all know I'm highly political and could not possibly have come to the US without thoroughly immersing myself in the politics so I decided that I couldn't form a proper view as regards the health care debate in America without experiencing the current situation first hand. In order to do this I did have to sacrifice some brain cells and a couple of days of clear thought but I came out with a blurry (in more ways at one) view of the A&E of the USA.

Firstly, they love the 'blue and twos', which I apparently got for a 5 minute trip across campus to the University hospital. Secondly they can't decide anything without my consent, as soon as I woke up they asked me whether I wanted any treatment, or just wanted to walk out of the hospital. Great to have someone make a conscious decision about their well being when they can't even tell you their mobile number (which I haven't learnt yet) or who the Vice President is (which I wouldn't know anyway) and kept getting their birth date wrong.

The long and the short of it is that at the moment their giving about the same level of care with a lot more faffing about and form filling, I hate to think what would have happened to me if I had got it all for free.

'American' English?

So having made it through orientation with my mind only slightly turned to mush by the endless taking and my hands only slightly turned to mush by giving myself a round of applause for everything from getting on a plane to listening so intently, I attempt to register for classes, but as I don't have any prerequisites needed for the 'advanced' physics courses they need me to present my transcripts (understandable) and then comes the clincher, "Oh, you haven't taken any English classes, how do we know you can cope?" They didn't seem to accept my nationality as proof of fluency so I had to take the English test:

You have studied English for several years. Perhaps you feel confident about your writing, more likely you do not. To let us know your strength and your weaknesses, take 30-45 minutes now to write a brief essay about your training in English to this point, and about what kind of writer you now are as a result of that training.
--Be as specific as possible
--Restrict your essay to a single English class if you prefer
--Cross out and revise as much as you wish

Thankfully whoever marked it seemed to understand British sarcasm as after that there were no suggestions that I take any English classes

GUYS I'M GONNA MAKE AMERICA BRITISH AGAIN, ONE TEA AT A TIME!!!

So after a seven hour flight, an hour talking a simply lovely man from boarder control, who did everything from threatening me with manual labour to putting me on 'the list' (I'm pretty sure he was joking) and another hour waiting for the car hire people to take their lunch I am in, for 30 days at least.

Hopefully I will remember to get and send off the form I need before they kick me out.

Other than that, I am attempting to integrate myself into the society by visiting a mall, which is where I saw the holy grail that was the Slap Chop, wanted to by it purely for Irony sake
In case any of you were wondering the big advertising line on the packaging was 'Guys we're gonna make America skinny again, one slap at a time'.

I believe the jury is still out on how successful the campaign has been.