Ride The Beaver and The Arctic Monkeys

Yes I realize what that title connotes which is why I picked it. See one thing that hasn't happened much, against promises that it would, is total miscommunication between American and English idioms. While spotted dick may sound lewd to an American, it's a type of dessert, or pudding as they call it, in England. However before I get into all that, let's get back to The Beaver.

All adult humor aside, I was perplexed to see a single-decker bus fly by my usual stop this morning brandishing the phrase "Ride The Beaver!". I don't know what this means and I can't pretend to even begin to comprehend why this particular bus is "The Beaver" but I figured it was some distant relative of a Duck Boat. See, in the land of the double-decker the bus with one level is most definitely not king. They're out of place and strange. I can only compare it to seeing a Duck Boat in the US. You all know what I mean, like when people passing by may pretend it's a normal occurrence yet they all manage to sneak a gaze and sometimes do a quick 180 like Freshman do when they first realize that a) Leslie is a man and b) Leslie is a man in purple lingerie.

So it got me thinking, as the empty Beaver flew by (does this mean it's hungry?), what exactly does The Beav do? Does it give tours like a Duck Boat? And if so, tours of what? Creeks and trees? Are you supposed to eat off your tummy (two points if you got that reference)? I'll be honest there isn't much worth getting on a tour bus for in Leicester even if Ricky Gervais is manning the mic. Perhaps the bus is a single-decker so that it may drive below the branch line (England is very, very green) which would explain it's functionality as a rare sight in a land where anything less than two stories is plain silly really (two more points if you get that reference). Anywho, I'm going to turn Inspector Morris (read: Columbo) on this whole Beaver phenomenon and figure out what the deal is. With my archivist-like knowledge of archaic detective shows (Murder She Wrote anyone?) and the fact that I can stumble into any situation then pull the "I'm sorry I'm just an American!" card, this surely won't take long to figure out. But I'm gonna have to save that episode for another entry as I have simply too much to write about at this juncture!

Back to the whole spiel about idioms... they seem to have bridged our cultures. While some of the things I may say make my British friends laugh and giggle like little schoolgirls checking out the new kid (Charlie & Phil this means you), it's not offensive because most of those things are humorous to me and said in a joking manner as well. And while they might not say (to my dismay) "Care for a shoeshine governa?" I still get my fill of British mannerisms all the time. I suppose most of that doesn't make sense, but what I'm getting at is that our cultures really aren't so different. Perhaps it's because the kids I'm around come from largely the same background as me (minus the whole different country thing... but I digress) but we seem to speak mostly the same and get one another... well aside from Alizter who is pretty much incomprehensible not to mention still has a name which is impossible to spell correctly. This phenomenon can probably be attributed to watching too many American TV shows which, despite what our parents may have told us as children, appears to not be a bad thing. While the content may be gash (2 more points), they do help lessen the gap between cultures.

As a side note. One word the boys like to describe the ladies with is "fit" which just means attractive as opposed to in shape. And after thinking it over the answer, Greg, is no. You are not "fitted" to someone if you think they're good looking. There is no conjugation this word is standalone.

Ok so I'm done being academic. I'm going to talk about music now and not just any old type of 80's cover bands, but England's very own Arctic Monkeys who I was lucky enough to see at a club at Uni (translation: on campus) the other night. Going to concerts might not seem like a big deal back home, but it was the way this concert took place that really resonated with me. See the Arctic Monkeys are huge in England, think of it as like seeing N'Sync, The Fray, 50 cent, and The White Stripes all rolled into one. This is a band which seems to thrive here and with good reason. They're young, catchy, and smart lyrically while spreading their musical flare out just enough to not sound redundant. On top of that, they sing about local things, such as fruitless flirting vs actual desires, which anyone who has ever been attracted to someone else can understand. The crowd ranged from a kid who couldn't have been more than 12 to a group of 40-somethings chain smoking right in front of me. Thousands of people, both different and similar, were crammed into a tiny University club (think of the Iron Cactus with a stage) to watch this globally renowned band play their gig. It was pretty amazing, I'll admit the band isn't my favorite but the atmosphere was made of the same stuff American Gladiators made their reputation off of: late nights, legal or illegal ( depending on your views) substances, and pure unfiltered Nitro (2 more points). To top it off, there was no sign letting you know these guys were coming. No PR team thrusting fliers in your face like the Young Democrat Initiative around election times. There wasn't even a mention in the school newsletter which circulates to every Leicester email address. The only PR this band had was a flier on ONE bulletin board somewhere in The Student Union. Needless to say, it was great experience and something you just can't get at UT. I can't imagine Justin Timberlake (bad comparison) showing up unannounced and playing at Cain and Abel's or something, it just doesn't happen.

In another side note, it is now my quest to see Muse live. After the way they took over ACL this year (or maybe it was SXSW?) and the way they've taken over my iTunes, it's time to see this band in person. So if anyone knows someone with a ticket to one of their shows or a way to get one at a reasonable price, please hook it up. For those of you who don't know Muse, the only way I can describe this band is the Eighties gone right.

Anyways that's about it. I recently got Skype which is quite possibly the best thing ever invented. And I know what all the female audience is thinking and the answer is yes, even better than hair straighteners. So that's about it, stay up. (3 points if that makes any sense to you whatsoever).

PS - Tally up your points and send em my way.