Sunday, November 1, 2009

My First Halloween In England

So last night was Halloween here in Oxford and it reminded me a lot of how the holiday has changed in my life since I was little. I remember Halloween being my favorite holiday, as I would roam the buildings in New York loading up on candy and treats that my mother usually threw out the next morning. Halloween here in England used to be more of a performance than just handing out candy to little kids. People here used to have to all gather at a house and preform for people. Afterward they would get some kind of reward to show the appreciation of the people hosting the event. It was not until we Americans turned Halloween into a night of excess candy collection that the holiday deteriorated. However, being the American patriot I have become over here at times, I will say that I like our way better.
Celebrating the event, I went to a bop(that's the word for party here) on Saturday night to discover a few things. Firstly, as most of the music was American, I recognized it, but the specific songs that were being played amazed me. Now I like throwback backstreet boys and Britney Spears songs as much as the next person, but I really haven't heard much of that music since it was popular back in high school. I now know who in the world is keeping the record sales of those groups still alive.
As for the rest of the week, it was rather uneventful with classes and study time with the occasional basketball playing thrown in. I found myself wondering, especially this week, what my life would be like if I rewound the clock and was back in Louisville at this time a year ago. Basketball practice would be dominating my life, as I have absolutely no desire to go through the psychical aspect again what the guys on the team are going through right now. I am not exactly sure when games start this year exactly but they are probably soon. It will be a challenging year for the Cards with all that is currently surrounding the program, but I have no doubt that they will pull through. I am still trying to figure out exactly how I am going to catch a game this year, but hopefully I can make it back to Lville for one....Anyway, I hope everyone back home had a great Halloween and is doing well.