People

Before we set off we reckoned that 19 weeks would be quite a long time to spend here.  Having been here for a month now we both wish it could last longer.  I have considered changing the locks on our apartment and trying to avoid Homeland Security for as long as possible but I suspect that wouldn’t work out too well.

Part of what’s making our time here so pleasurable is the people.  Everyone is genuinely friendly and very hospitable.  I have turned this into a game when we go out for a meal.  Whenever we get attended to I try to see how many times I can get the person who is serving us to say “you’re welcome” in the space of a minute.   Saying “thank you” each time they bring a menu, take an order, place cutlery, whatever, has given me a personal best of 13 “you’re welcome”s.  I hope to reach 15 and break the once every four seconds barrier before we return to the UK.

Folk from the school have also been neighbourly.  One Saturday morning we got a knock on our apartment door.  Marissa, who is a first year and lives across the hall from us, said she had done “a bit of breakfast” and asked if we would like to come over.  As it was nearing lunchtime we figured this would be a good idea.

“A bit of breakfast” turned out to mean plain pancakes, blueberry pancakes, maple syrup, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, cinnamon rolls (with a side pot of icing sugar for spreading), fruit, juice and coffee.  There were about eight of us there and when we left a couple of hours later there was still plenty left over.  I’m hoping we get invited for “a bit of dinner” soon as I reckon that could feed us for a week.

We were also invited to an evening meal recently with Adam and Martha and their delightful daughter Knox.  Adam was at Mrs G’s college in Cambridge at the end of last year/beginning of this year.  They live not far from YDS and Mrs G, Ellen, Rebekah and I wandered down there one Tuesday evening where we had a lovely time being fed and watered.

We’ve also found ourselves at social occasions at Archie Moore’s a few times as that seems to be the local gathering place for YDS students.  We’ve been there just to catch up with folk, to celebrate a birthday, to watch fooball, to celebrate that it’s Friday and also just for fun.  It can be quite trying having this active a social life, especially spending so much of it in a bar with a huuuuuge menu.

Through sheer grit and determination we’re just somehow managing to get by.

Beer Good

So far we’ve really been enjoying our time in the States.    I could quite happily live here.  Well, if Mrs G was prepared to support me indefinitely that is.  Most working Americans only get two weeks’ holiday a year which clearly wouldn’t suit the lifestyle I’m accustomed to.

For most of the time we’ve had lovely weather (apart from catching the tail end of tropical storm Hannah).  It’s almost been too hot at times though and the humidity saps the energy out of you like having to go shoe shopping with your wife.  Fortunately, our apartment is air-conditioned and the bars also have cooling mechanisms.  And there are no shoe shops.

Speaking of bars, prior to coming here I was a little concerned about the real ale situation.  Turns out I was worrying in vain.  So far I’ve sampled quite a number of decent American beers (note: friends don’t let friends drink Budweiser). 

We popped out to The Playwright a couple of nights ago and had a 10 oz New York steak with whiskey and mushroom sauce.  Wonderful.  Mrs G washed hers down with a pint of Sam Adams. I started with a Beach Bum Blonde Ale.  Slid down very easily and though not unpleasant it was somewhat unmemorable.

I followed that with a Magic Hat # 9.  My palate was instantly struck by an unusual flavour. Raspberry?  Echinacea?  No.  Mrs G had a taste. We knew we knew what it was but neither of us could quite pinpoint it.  In the end we asked our waitress and she asked the bartender. Apricot!  Of course.  Easy once you know.  Smells just like Mrs G’s new shampoo.  Tastes much better though.  Very interesting flavour. Couldn’t drink it all night but would certainly have it again.

After dinner the waitress asked if I would like anything else so I asked for a Hooker. Unfortunately they were out so I had to settle for a Blue Moon instead.

It’s not all fun and games here though.  Oh no.  I’ve been apricots-deep in muck while cleaning the apartment.  Scouring pads, rubber gloves and bleach have done wonders.  It seems the previous occupant(s) were allergic to cleaning of any variety.  The amount of scrubbing I’ve done has had me sweating like a pig in a bucket.  Pretty much under control now thankfully.

We’ve also sorted out other essential day-to-day matters such as opening a US bank account, buying mobile phones, visiting IKEA (I sat and read while Mrs G shopped), advising Amazon US of our address, buying lots of stuff from Amazon US, doing laundry, planning a holiday to Florida and so on.

Anyway, that’ll have to do for now.  I’m expecting a delivery and need to go check the mail box.

Food

How time flies when you’re given loads of free food and drink.  They certainly know how to do hospitality here at YDS.  All the food has been rather splendid but my favourite was the pizza topped with bacon and mashed potato.  Yes, that’s right.  Bacon and mashed potato.  Absolutely scrumptious.

As you might expect at a University there are many hotly contested theories which are defended vigorously by their various proponents.  The most bitter dispute here is where to get the best pizzas.  Two of the main contenders are Modern Apizza and Bar.  So far my vote goes to Bar, home of the aforementioned bacon and mashed potato pizza.

The number of free food events has diminished since the orientation week but there are still ways and means to stuff oneself stupid for free should one so desire.

Plus there’s always the option to eat out which we’ve done a few times as well: had a California Burger at Archie Moore’s; sushi platter followed by crispy lemon sea scallops (quite possibly the best scallops EVA!!!) at Kudeta; Vitello Saltimbocca at Caffé Bravo; BLT at The Playwright and Steak Quesadilla at Black Bear Saloon.

For what is a comparatively small area New Haven has a huge number of places to eat with cuisine from all over the globe.  In addition to American food (bar, BBQ, light, new, short-order, southern, soul, steakhouses and traditional) there’s Chinese, Cuban, Eritrean, Ethiopian, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Jamaican, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Nuevo Latino, Puerto Rican, South American, Spanish, Swedish and Thai.  And that’s just giving you broad brushstrokes.

I would love to be able to try them all but I suspect that may not be possible in the time we have here.  However, you can help.  For a small donation to my PayPal account I will be prepared to sample the delights of this masticatory multiverse on a regular basis.

Of course not every meal is had away from our apartment.  We did our first online shop in America a couple of days ago and now have a kitchen well stocked with cupcakes, cookies, Rolling Rock Pale Ale, mac ‘n’ cheese and peanut butter cup ice cream.

Disaster nearly struck as we forgot to order new cereal.  Fortunately I was able to pick up some Apple Jacks (as recommended by the lovely, bubbly Jenny) to replace the nearly depleted Lucky Charms.  Apple Jacks look like Fruit Loops but only come in orange (cinnamon) and green (apple).  I suspect that there may be no natural ingredients used in the production process.

Our American Culinary Experience has so far been very pleasurable and I have no doubt that it will continue to be so.  Now, if I could just track down some twinkies…