The Drank Culture

I'd like to preface this post by stating--quite accurately--that I am neither an alcoholic nor a drunkard. I have an occasional drink at a pub mostly because it's the normal thing to do. The social equivalent in America is going out for a cup of coffee with friends.

See the similarities?

Indeed, on more than one occasion, I've been asked to go out for a pint after society meetings (or even class!) In fact, after I attended church service, the choir director, who is an older man, invited the Girlfriend and I out to a pub. Don't worry, he just wanted to talk to us about getting involved in music.

Anyway, my point is that drinking *responsibly* is a big part of the culture here in England. People don't drink to get drunk, they drink to socialize and meet new people. And because the English are quite chatty, you can expect them to strike up conversations with you at any time, at a pub or elsewhere.

Also, Nottingham is a beer and ale city. You won't see many *cheap* cocktails around, because that's just unheard of. Not really. But it's why I joined the Flair Society: discounts! Oh, and drink knowledge. You get to learn a lot about the nature of alcohol and what mixes well and what doesn't mix at all. For example, did you know that in order to make a Tornado (1/2 part Peach Schnapps, 1/2 part Black Sambuca), you have to pour the alcohol down the back of a spoon so that it separates appropriately? It's true oh em gee you learn something new every day.

Look at my cool drink recipe posters!

The society meets twice a week. We have one-hour training sessions where we get to practice flipping bottles around. And then there are bi-monthly mixologies, where we get to learn how to mix actual drinks. It's pretty fun and I've met quite a few people.

All this is to say that I applied for a job at a pub today. It's about 10 minutes away if I walk, and it's called The Horse and Groom. I mentioned that I'm in a sort of bar tending society at the Uni, and the lady at the bar seemed pleased. She took down my name and number, so I'll keep you updated! My visa allows me 20 hours per week to work in the U.K., and minimum wage is £6.00-£7.00. Awesomesauce!

P.S. Our director's neighbor, Dave, has been working with the Nottingham program for about 15 years or so. He likes the students, and he answers all of our local questions, such as: "where do we get jobs?" Last night he participated with a few of us in a Pub Quiz (see earlier posts), and we won! Yay! It was probably all of those America related questions. Anyway, he told me about the pub job, so here's hoping it'll work out.

More soon, don't worry.

Yours,