illusioned.org - hesam panahi

Back in the U.S. today. Plenty of photos to come, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share with you my experience from my last night in England.

I went to visit Gareth in Bath. We watched the Holland-Portugal game, and met up with one of Gareth’s friends, Amit. A few drinks later, Gareth went to go buy a round of drinks known as the “Snake Bite”. Created with lager, cider, black currant, and other various ingredients, both Gareth and Amit warned me that the cider would hit me hard later on, and to not fall asleep on the train on my way back to Reading.

After leaving the pub, saying goodbye, and having a random conversation with some British woman who thought it was amusing that I was from America, I boarded the train.

And guess what?

I fell asleep and missed the stop.

Next thing I know, I’m at London’s Paddington station and it’s 12:30 a.m. (I left Bath at 11:00 p.m.). The next train back to Reading is at 1:30. While waiting, I give a call to my other friends (Dave and Phil et al) and let them know that I’m going to be a bit late.

Finally, after riding on the train, I get to Reading. The problem is, it’s 2:30 a.m. now and there are no trains to the small city outside of Reading (Wokingham) that my friends that I am staying with live. After sitting around for a while waiting for a cab to come (alongside a bunch of drunk college students who were coming back from the pub, might I add), I’m approached by a random guy (I later come to find out his name is Dave) that asks me:

Dave: Where are you going?
Hesam: Wokingham.
Dave: Where in Wokingham?
Hesam: (names the other Dave’s street)
Dave: What part of Wokingham is that?
Hesam: I don’t know…I’m not really familiar with the area.
Dave: Cool, want to share a taxi with us?
Hesam: (realising that it would cost about £20 to get there alone) Sure!

As seems to be the case with every British person I meet, the people that rode the taxi were equally amused by the fact that I was from America. Or it could have been that they were just really drunk.

Anyhow, we figure out that I can just go to Wokingham train station and take a local taxi from there. So they drop me off at the train station and leave.

At that point, alone at the train station at 3:00am, I realise something.

If there are no more trains to Wokingham at this time, why on earth would I assume that a taxi was at the train station?

Having no idea where to go, I guess.

4 a.m. - After an hour of walking, and one phone call from a phone booth, I finally arrive at Dave and Phil’s house. Did I mention I left Bath at 11p.m.?

6:20 a.m. - The taxi picks us up to take us to the train station so we can go to the airport.

How’s that for a last night?