jaq (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} jaq) wrote,@ 2007-11-19 11:47:00 |
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another crazy weekend trip
One of the things I long desired to do to 'learn America' was to go and see a football game. Unfortunately it's virtually impossible/very expensive to get tickets to see our local team, the New England Patriots, at home. So whentheora saw MITAC was organising a trip to see the Patriots away in Buffalo we decided to go along.
It meant getting up rather early on Saturday morning to go join the bus in Cambridge. We then spent much of the day on the bus (and had to endure a couple of crappy movies, but thankfully the organiser agreed with Theora's suggestion that we have a break after the second one). Once we reached the hotel, we relaxed, taking advantage of the bath and cable TV since we have neither at home. We had a snacky dinner at the hotel bar - I guess we didn't eat that healthily over the weekend.
On Sunday morning we went out for a wander, and found a trail running alongside a river near the hotel, so walked for an hour or so, and then relaxed in the hotel some more.
The football game was originally scheduled for 1pm, but it got moved to 8.15pm at short notice due to TV demands. So to fill in the afternoon our tour took us to see Niagara Falls and the Seneca Niagara Casino.
Niagara Falls is apparently much better viewed from the Canadian side. But in my position I didn't want the hassle of crossing the border (and as it happened I'd forgotten my passport anyway). It was kind of weird seeing the border gates though. We had some lunch in the Hard Rock Cafe, who had a Jimi Hendrix guitar which I admired for a while.
After that we went to visit the casino, since I felt I should at least research it due to my work. I felt very overwhelmed and uncomfortable once we got in there though. There were flashing lights and beeps going off all around from the slot machines. I didn't want to play slot machines, since they were too much like work, and I didn't fancy dropping $10 a time on the table games either.theora wanted to play something before we went, so put some money in a slot machine, pressed 'play' once, and immediately won $14! She decided that would do, so we went back to the Hard Rock and spent it on drinks.
Eventually it was time to get back in the bus and go to the stadium. It was an incredible sight when we got there, with people who lived on the roads nearby selling parking spaces on their lawns, and what seemed like vast fields of buses and RVs and tents with lots of people milling around, across the road from the stadium. Once inside it seemed pretty big to me, but they said it was a smaller one - we had a pretty good view of the pitch despite being nearly at the top of the highest level of seats.
The game itself was probably not the most exciting introduction to seeing live football, as it was so one-sided. The Patriots had scored two touchdowns within the first five or so minutes of the game, going on to win 56-10. By the end of the third quarter many Bills fans had given up and left. It was a fun experience though, and seemed slightly less full of interruptions in real life than it does on TV. I managed to follow what was going on some of the time, and cheer at most of the right moments. Hehe.
After the game it was back on the bus, and we tried to get what sleep we could while it drove through the night back to Cambridge. 'Scuse me if I am dozy today.
One of the things I long desired to do to 'learn America' was to go and see a football game. Unfortunately it's virtually impossible/very expensive to get tickets to see our local team, the New England Patriots, at home. So when
theora saw MITAC was organising a trip to see the Patriots away in Buffalo we decided to go along.It meant getting up rather early on Saturday morning to go join the bus in Cambridge. We then spent much of the day on the bus (and had to endure a couple of crappy movies, but thankfully the organiser agreed with Theora's suggestion that we have a break after the second one). Once we reached the hotel, we relaxed, taking advantage of the bath and cable TV since we have neither at home. We had a snacky dinner at the hotel bar - I guess we didn't eat that healthily over the weekend.
On Sunday morning we went out for a wander, and found a trail running alongside a river near the hotel, so walked for an hour or so, and then relaxed in the hotel some more.
The football game was originally scheduled for 1pm, but it got moved to 8.15pm at short notice due to TV demands. So to fill in the afternoon our tour took us to see Niagara Falls and the Seneca Niagara Casino.
Niagara Falls is apparently much better viewed from the Canadian side. But in my position I didn't want the hassle of crossing the border (and as it happened I'd forgotten my passport anyway). It was kind of weird seeing the border gates though. We had some lunch in the Hard Rock Cafe, who had a Jimi Hendrix guitar which I admired for a while.
After that we went to visit the casino, since I felt I should at least research it due to my work. I felt very overwhelmed and uncomfortable once we got in there though. There were flashing lights and beeps going off all around from the slot machines. I didn't want to play slot machines, since they were too much like work, and I didn't fancy dropping $10 a time on the table games either.
theora wanted to play something before we went, so put some money in a slot machine, pressed 'play' once, and immediately won $14! She decided that would do, so we went back to the Hard Rock and spent it on drinks.Eventually it was time to get back in the bus and go to the stadium. It was an incredible sight when we got there, with people who lived on the roads nearby selling parking spaces on their lawns, and what seemed like vast fields of buses and RVs and tents with lots of people milling around, across the road from the stadium. Once inside it seemed pretty big to me, but they said it was a smaller one - we had a pretty good view of the pitch despite being nearly at the top of the highest level of seats.
The game itself was probably not the most exciting introduction to seeing live football, as it was so one-sided. The Patriots had scored two touchdowns within the first five or so minutes of the game, going on to win 56-10. By the end of the third quarter many Bills fans had given up and left. It was a fun experience though, and seemed slightly less full of interruptions in real life than it does on TV. I managed to follow what was going on some of the time, and cheer at most of the right moments. Hehe.
After the game it was back on the bus, and we tried to get what sleep we could while it drove through the night back to Cambridge. 'Scuse me if I am dozy today.
