Culinary discovery

Just in case anyone was worried after that last post, I am now happy and warm and full of beer. Well, not that full. But I am kind of excited about it, so I thought I'd tell you. Caroline, Tanja and I went to our dorm's Social Center tonight, which is like a pub, except less cool. :) But I decided, while I'm here, I might as well try beer again because, as many of you know, in the US I pretty much thought it was disgusting. But I asked the barman what he recommended, and he said "Bitter or lager?" and I remembered having a sip of Rebecca's Sam Adams Boston Lager in our kitchen last year (and had a momentary stab of Rebecca-missing) and thinking it wasn't too bad, so I said "Lager." And he said "A pint?" And I, remembering my mum's tales of Dublin in the 60s, said, "Do you have half-pints?" And he said, "Sure." So there it was. 80p. Not bad, eh? I've never had a beer in an American bar, but I'd think it wouldn't be that cheap. And it was actually good! I actually enjoyed it! I think the brand was Chapman's.... I feel a new day is dawning.

Just in case anyone is now worried, don't be. I'm no more likely to drink to excess here than I was in the US--in fact, a lot less likely--and I'm loving the half-pintness. But I'm just excited that I now like beer. Opens up a new culinary horizon. And it'll make this year more enjoyable. In a taste-discovery sort of way. Ok, I'm going to put my shovel down and go read "Bibliography and the Sociology of Texts." Which is very good, by the way.