Weird & Wonderful New Britain

Since I have become a local resident in New Britain, I have come across some weird and wonderful people.

1) First off, I had run out of milk so headed out to the local Rite Aid which is a mere 5 minute walk from the house, if that. Firstly the housemates thought I was mad for walking to the shop, offering me a lift as I left the house. I've said it before and I'll say it again; Americans rely on their cars for everything.
As I approached the shop there was a woman crouched outside the door routing through her handbag. As I got closer she shouted up from her handbag that it was closed.
"Is there anywhere else locally to buy milk?" I asked,
"Just up the street there is a Gulf Gas Station. Are you walking?"
"Yes."
"Well, I don't do this often but you don't seem to be giving off any dodgy signals. Hop in the car and I'll give you a ride."

Contact Details Thrust Into My Hand.
I Think I'll Ignore It To Be Honest

I stood by the car as she told me all about how her father gave her this ring when she was younger and one of the stones had fallen out as she tried to find if it had fallen in her bag. When she finally opened the door, there was nappies everywhere. As we put them on the back seat I clambered in as she shot questions after question at me. Am I a student? Why am I still here? When do I go back? Do I like 2Pac? How old am I? What music do I like? What films do I like? etc etc. When we finally got to the shop she decided to see if her lottery ticket had won, which she never usually plays, and followed me inside. It was noticeable that she was very much a local in the shop as she joked with the clerks who stood in silence. She then decided to spend $20 on scratch cards which again, she doesn't do often, and I had to help her pick a winner and then scratch them off. No winners. She was going to buy another with a ripped up $1 that her ex boyfriend and kiddies dad threw at her. Apparently if you have three corners of a dollar bill it counts, although I doubt three individual corners unattached would work.

As we were about to leave a child didn't have enough money for her sweets so the lady nicely paid for them on her card before saying that it was her good deed for the day. Yes weird, but very friendly. Hopping back in the car she gave me the dud scratch cards, some dead flower heads that were lying around the car and a McDonalds yoghurt that had been there God knows how long. She wasn't settled with just giving me the yoghurt, I had to eat it. Yummy.

The Smiling Thief

As we approached home, she told me all about her daughter and wanted my phone number, and facebook email. She then gave me hers saying that if I ever need a ride, or if I'm bored and want to hang out just to give her a call. As I fought with the door handle she leaned in for a hug whilst continuing to talk through the hug and as I made it to my front door. As I said, friendly but weird.

2) The next event was at a bar that John and Lauren took me to one evening and I was wearing my UCLan jumper. The owner of the bar greeted us and asked for our ID’s despite struggling to stand. At this point we didn't know he was the owner. He threw my UK driving license on the floor not knowing what it was, and then asked if John and Lauren were brother and sister. After accepting our ID’s he sat down beside us, bought us some shots and then declared that he wanted my jumper, at first offering $100. I thought he was joking and brushed him off whilst accepting the free shots that he kept pushing our way. He ended up snatching a bottle of vodka off the bar and began pouring it down our throats. At this point I twigged that he was the owner as the barmaid didn't bat an eyelid. He then moved back into business mode, now offering $50 and his jacket for my jumper. Asking if he was serious, he responded by taking off his jacket, putting it on the bar with a $50 note on top. I took them and gave him my jumper and accepted another drink from him. We noticed however, when he left that he had forgotten to take my UCLan jumper with him. John, Lauren, and I looked at each other, picked it up and made our escape $50 richer with a free jacket. I don’t think I’ll go back to that bar anytime soon although I regret not taking the $100.

Jenn's Jacket Dress

Upon telling Jenn, a close friend of mine, the story she was not happy. Since we met she has adopted my UCLan hoody as her own and couldn't believe that I would contemplate selling it. Her way of settling this was to steal the jacket that I had acquired. Women!

3) Evan and I had just come home from the pub when one of my housemates asked if we wanted to go to a friend of his' house for a couple of beers. Never ones to turn down free beer we went and partook in a couple of beverages before leaving to walk home. The housemate needed the toilet as we walked out of the house and decided to use the tree in the front yard as a substitute for the toilet available 30 seconds ago. As he approached the tree I noticed that the car in the driveway next door had the door open and a guy half in and half out fast asleep. I walked up to the car and shook him asking if he was alright. The response was not what I was expecting.

"Get off my lawn."

"I'm not on your lawn, I'm on the driveway."

"I said get off my lawn."

I take one step back returning to the property of the house I had just left. I notice Evan was now stood on the road. After his little stint in prison there was no chance he was being accused of trespassing.

"I'm not on your lawn, now are you ok."

The figure shook his head, obviously becoming aware of what was happening.

"Hey. You've got an accent."

"Yeah, I'm English."

"Oh my God, I love accents. I'm really sorry about that, I'm a little wasted."

"You better get inside mate, who knows if someone has called the police."

"Thanks a lot mate, I love your accent by the way."

There was plenty of hand shaking and requests to say certain things before he went back in the house.