When Life Gave Me Lemons

Oh my, it seems like just yesterday I pulled in the manor drive for the first time and now I've only got a month left. My last month here has been fairly uneventful in the travel department. I went to Oxford and Cadbury World on day trips as well as a field trip to the Jaguar plant, but that has been all. I'll start with Oxford. When I went there I wasn't expecting much. I mostly went because I was curious to see the university. The university itself was not particularly spectacular though. The highlight of my day was eating lunch at the Eagle and Child. Getting to sit in the pub where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien along with several other writers met weekly for nearly 30 years was truly amazing. Other than that Oxford didn't hold my awe like Ireland. Not long after Oxford my American Corporations class (the irony of which has been often noted) traveled to tour the Jaguar plant in Birmingham. Quite honestly I could have done without that trip. Seeing the production of cars neither captivated my attention nor bolstered my knowledge. This past weekend I returned to Birmingham for a trip through Cadbury World. I was literally a kid in a candy shop. Cadbury chocolate is the most famous chocolate bar in Britain. Learning about the production of the chocolate was fascinating, and the free samples didn't hurt.

In between all of that fun, though, I've had to deal with some issues. The big issue is that British hospitals (just like all other hospitals I'm sure) are not fun to visit as a patient. A few weeks ago I was kicked in the hand during the House football competition. I had a small bump and was told to ice it and it would be ok. Not bad logic right? Wrong. I knew something was definitely wrong with my hand so I went to the emergency room the next day. After 5 hours and some x-rays, I was told that I had broken my hand. Later that week I got to have surgery to put a plate in my hand. Now my hand (which happens to be my right hand which I use for everything) is in a cast until Thanksgiving when it will be re-x-rayed before a decision is made as to whether or not more time in a cast will be necessary. In the mean time I've been learning to use my left hand to do everything. I even took a British studies exam (3 essay questions) using only my left hand (fortunately they let me type it). The experience of breaking my hand in England has taught me far more than any trip or lecture could. I have learned over the past few weeks how much I took my hand for granted. That pretty much sums up this entry. I shall leave you with this quote from Vince Lombardi, "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get back up." I've been knocked down a bit in my time here, but I got back up. Until the next time, keep it classy internet.