"Football" is NOT rugby.....

Last night I was treated to one of America's most cherished institutions - American football. Or, as the natives insist I have to call it, just "football" (despite the fact everyone knows in that game you actually play with your feet, and certainly don't where shoulder pads and helmets.) It was the first game of our season, and oddly enough screened on ESPN - apparently college football's a big deal here....Due to an outbreak of respiratory infections/potential swine flu in my flat, we decided to stay in and watch The Game on our TV. Unfortunately for the first fifteen minutes or so, it was just me, Rachael and Lucy (a Scot and a Aussie) cheering the Gamecocks on. After a heated debate as to which team was actually ours ("We're garnet right? Isn't that the same as red?" "But the team in white has cocks on their helmets! *Snigger*"), we settled that discussion, only to be totally confused as to what the players where actually doing - apparently just jumping on top of each other, then leaving the pitch. Wikipedia did little to enlighten us as to what was actually happening, but fortunately the Americans arrived soon after to attempt to explain just why they feel it's necessary to have FIFTY TWO players, and what a "turn around" is. Still, I wasn't that enlightened, but then we ordered cookies online to be delivered (yes, you can do that here....) so I was happy. It turned out to be really quite exciting, once I'd worked out it was nearly like rugby and learnt just to cheer when everyone else did. We won, which is always nice, and apparently quite rare.

Continuing in the vein of american sport, my rooomie Anna decided it would be a good idea for us girls to form an all-girls Flag Football team to play in the USC league. This seemed a great idea at the time - good exercise, a laugh, excuse to make t shirts saying "Global Cocks" on - but after we had registered, we actually began to think about the logistics. Unfortunately, the Aussies had thought "football" meant "rugby" (that's what they call it in Austraila.... why? why??) so had willingly signed up. Us Brits just went with the flow, not really acknowledging the fact that we have quite literally no idea what the rules, aim of the game, or terms of American football is. So now USC has an international team for Flag Football who may actually be the worst American football players they have ever seen... as most likely, we will just play rugby. Could be amusing, anyway... as long as none of our limbs get broken by some die-hard female football players. Gah. I've also joined the "Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance" on the advice of my Woman's Studies professor, which looks so much fun - the first meeting consisted of eating Oreos and deciding what design we want on our Soc t shirts. But we also do fundraising for Columbia's Women's Shelter, including a "tongue in cheek" bake sale (feminists....baking....yeah?) where each customer is charged depending on their earning capacity i.e. white males pay the most, and black women the least. They also organise counter-protests at Pro Life marches, have feminist film festivals and run free women's self-defence classes. After watching "Marley and Me", Anna and I also intend to volunteer at the puppy sanctuary - where you basically get to sit around cuddling all the adorable puppies. The plan is to steal one and make it our room pet, though seeing as we've already had one pet death (Jordan's Bader fighting fish, Napoleon), maybe not.

"Fall" is apparently on it's way, as the humidity has pretty much disappeared, which is such a relief, mainly to my hair. It's still bright blue sky every day though, and warm enough to wear shorts and flipflops, so if this is autumn I'm not complaining! We've already had some scary storms though, which are apparently just normal here - sheet lightening, monsoon rain and deafening thunder. Memorably, Jordan told Rachael and I "I don't think this one will turn into a tornado", just as we drove into the storm on our way to a restaurant. Thanks.

I'm experiencing my first road trip this weekend, to Charleston, as it's Labor (sic.) Day - no one actually knows what it's celebrating, but it's a day off classes so all good. Although all the girls I'm going with insist they're spending the whole weekend on the beach and shopping, I am nourishing my inner geek with trips to old plantations and museums , even if I do the ultimate loser thing and go on my own!