Page of Pease 5 - Foreign Friends

In August 1991 my dad got a job transfer to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. So the four of us upped and moved to the States. This was quite a culture shock, although enjoyable one.


RUNNELS HIGH SCHOOL
Katharine and I went to Runnels High School for the two years. While were there where we did all those classic american teen things that they do in the movies: such as drive through Taco Bell for school dinners (mmm chicken burritos mmm!), keg parties (just doesnt work here quite as well), homecoming, graduation, class rings, yearbooks and of course Prom (Katharine was prom queen in 1993 - the star!)

L-R Hayes Harris, Ashton Constantine (nickname Hippy - cant think why), Matt Lane and my sister Katharine outside of RHS gym.

THE BENGAL

Well, as a lot of you may probably know - your supposed to be 21 to drink alchohol in the States... except for Louisiana. (i dont know how the law stands now). You could drink in a bar at age 18, and just six months after we moved there I turned 18. Lucky me...
This picture was taken at a bar called The Bengal, where Wednesday nights was renamed "Drinking with Lincoln". $5 on the door, and all you can drink for FREE! Thats about £3 - WOW! The difference with bars here in England and bars in Baton Rouge is that they check everyone for i.d. even if your 40, unlike here where you only get carded if you look about 10... (even then the bouncers must be in a bad mood)
Spot the pale tourist...

L-R Ned Peneguy (married with child), Stephanie Shauger, Mandy Taylor, Myself and the US's only prayer for any luck in the World Cup at all - Russ Longeway (soz if the spelling aint right).


MARDI GRAS

Mardi Gras is something else... Kath and I went in 92 with our parentals, and again in 93 with a load of our friends from school. We left at about 7am to get to New Orleans - gotta start early! Mardi Gras is Mad... the ultimate party. The roads are blocked off from traffic and the whole of New Orleans just Parties! Parades, people in Fancy dress, bbq's, ice - chests, music - people everywhere having a wicked time. Mardi Gras theme song of this day was "Million Dollars" by Bare Naked Ladies. Also this particular Mardi Gras fell in March - and I got sunburned - in March! Cant ask for more than that.

Standing: Tine Harris and Katharine laughing at Mandy
Grass: Jason Jordan (love the hat!) sitting on Mandy Taylor. Mandy got so drunk that day. I thought I had been bad the day before, but this girl shall never forget (what she can remember) of Mardi Gras 93! Foreground: Traci Douglas... She'd lost her keys (to the convertible in the background) and was just phoning her dad to let him know after a mad search of about 3 hours she'd found them and we could all go home!
Sitting on the ice chest - er, Sorry! I cant remember
HOME


This was probably the saddest day of my life, returning back to England.
Leaving England hadnt been too bad, because we knew that in the far off distant future, we were going back home and would see all our friends again. The chances of us seeing many of the friends we made here again seemed very remote.

BUT - The last 8 weeks before we left had to be the most fun times I've had though, spending hot sunny days swimming in Stephanies pool, fishing, going to the Bengal, mudriding, partying, bbq's - completley carefree typical neverending summer - ah those were the days!

L-R: Jeff Marx and Myself in Stephanies station wagon on the way to the airport.
RETURN VISIT


In August 1994, Katharine went back to camp, in North Carolina where she had been the previous year and I went back to Baton Rouge for a fortnight. I stayed a week at Stephanie's and a week at Mandys houses. Talk about memory lane. Taco Bell, several trips to New Orleans, Celebration Station meeting up with old friends.

Left: Mandy, me and a real live N.O.P.D policeman and Stephanie in New Orleans (I want one of those badges).
Right: Real live Statetrooper, me, Mandy, real live statetrooper on the way home from New Orleans. These cops had stopped Mandy on the way there that evening for speeding (and let her off) but some 6 hours later we bumped into the same guys on the way back.
The pictures had to be done - I was a tourist for crying out loud.
VISITORS


Hayes Harris visited us the first christmas we came home for a fortnight, and the following christmas we had a visit from Kaths friends John and Connelly.

Katie Marx has been to see us twice, hence the reason she gets an updated picture on here. She got the whole tourist thing including yorkshire puddings and Katie also got her picture taken with two english policemen (like me above) - tourist!
Above Katie taking part in the great Connect 4 championship of 1998. Cant remember who won but I dont think it was either me or Katie!


One Last thing - mines an X-tra Large Plum Stupid from Daquiri Cafe - cheers!

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