Curious Cat

England Day #1: I was forced to take a croquet (not cricket) crash course this morning in preparation for the bloodbath supposedly taking place on Easter, when the rest of the Townsends will come over for an intense croquet family tournament (the weird things I get drafted into doing whenever I come to Devon…)

What the f* is croquet?

Croquet is a sport and also a recreational lawn game. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops (also called wickets) embedded into the grass playing court. (Wikipedia)

even in 1801 people already found it weird

To me it seems like a mix between billiards and golf.

It’s supposed to be a very “English” game (popular in England since the 1600’s), and, as one of the builders quipped earlier (“where are the cucumber sandwiches?”), paired with cucumber sandwiches (if you’re posh).

The day was pretty exciting, given it was meant to be a rest day after that exhausting 25-hour journey from Hong Kong to Devon with stopovers in Shanghai and London (where I was able to cram a dinner and catch-up with Val before catching the sleeper train to Exeter!).

x

“What language do you need that in?” :)

Can’t count the number of times I heard this question. People were so eager to give me a guide in Chinese/Japanese/Korean that it made me feel slightly bad and weird to decline their offers and choose the English one instead… they were probably thinking I was being stubborn and in denial.

x

Another glimpse of my Christmas holiday in England - a pheasant shoot on Boxing Day. I didn’t even know such a holiday existed; apparently, it was traditionally a day following Christmas when ‘wealthy people’ in the United Kingdom would give a box containing a gift to their servants. Today, Boxing Day is better known as a bank or public holiday that occurs on December 26, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day. (Wiki)

We woke up early that morning and got dressed in breeks, long socks, and barbours (mine were all borrowed from Gus’s mom), and set out to find game. I felt like a total alien amongst the Englishpeople in their traditional shooting gear. I was trying to ignore the fact that I was sticking out like a sore thumb, and did my best to seem like a proper and civilized person.. ha..

The first drive was in an open field, and I did nothing but wait for Gus to shoot something. During the second drive, I was given a stick and was told to hit whatever I could. I thought they were crazy until I realized I was supposed to scare the birds so they would fly and get shot down by the guns. Gus’s brother, Max, was quite successful that day, taking down around 4 or 5 birds, I believe. I and the other beaters (the people tasked to beat trees and make noise), however, were totally useless compared to the dogs who flushed out the game in half the time it took for me to get through the forest. I couldn’t help but think that my golden retriever, Gru, would totally excel at and thoroughly enjoy that activity. I wish I could’ve taken him to England with me. He belongs in a pheasant shoot!

Halfway through the day, Gus and I went home. I only lasted 3 drives, pathetically, before needing a long hot bath and the comfort of a fireplace and food. Plus, I really needed the loo, and was not about to go in the middle of the forest…

x

PS. I thought I could carry anything, but that all changed when I donned a puffer jacket + a long-sleeved turtleneck and realized that I look absolutely ridiculous and inadequate in traditional English shooting garb. It makes me sadder than you think.

I know it may seem like I holed up in a farm in England over Christmas and totally lost it… brace yourself for more similarly-themed photos. In this set, I was challenged to catch Bunny (the white pug) as she’s supposedly surprisingly fast and agile. I succeeded, somewhat - nobody can escape my love!!

x

PS. Just arrived in Hong Kong a few hours ago. Back to realityy :(