Texas, our Texas...

By Saturday night in London, I'd decided that I really needed some Mexican food. I mean, it had been a week and a half, people. I looked in our guidebook and found a recommendation for a place called the Texas Embassy Cantina which was conveniently close to Picadilly Circus (where we finished our day). Off we went.

For those non-Texans reading, a little side note is probably necessary before I go further. After declaring independence from Mexico (remember the Alamo!), Texas was a country. In fact, during that time was when Baylor University was founded, so they were definitely doing something right. So, being a country, we had ambassadors, and a president, and apparently, even foreign embassies - like the Texas Embassy in Britain. Britain and the US were also quick to recognize Texas as a country, probably because neither of them liked Mexico very much and most Texans were citizens of other countries anyway. Texas did its own thing until 1845, when it entered the US pretty much because the Texas government figured out that keeping an army and fighting off Mexican advances was probably not going to work out well for too much longer. Then there was that little dilly-dallying with the Confederacy, but we don't have to go into that right now.

Anyway, the point that I'm coming to is that Texans have a culture we consider very much our own. We like being American (current commentary about secession notwithstanding), but we're always Texans first and US Citizens second, no matter how long you've been away. Some people think this is cocky, but I think it's more just a matter of culture - after all, Puerto Ricans would react the same way, and probably Californians too. There's just something about being Texan, and that probably goes all the way back to when we were a country. There's certain things that define being "home" - high school football, country music, good Mexican food, etc., that just aren't done right anywhere else.

So, in any case, I was ready for a good dose of home, and I was really impressed with how close they got here. Well, in some ways. The couple next to us had red wine with dinner, and then the woman ate her fajitas WITH A FORK AND KNIFE. And then, they finished with tea!! AGH! I guess you can move the Texan to England, but you can't make the English act like Texans, no matter how good of an example you set. And thankfully, Jeremy stopped me from saying something. :)

Texas Embassy, thumbs up! And oops, I just realized I look like an Aggie here.

I got a free strawberry margarita for being Texan. I can't tell you who our waiter was though, because he didn't want to lose his job over it. :)

Sic Em Bears! They had flags from many universities upstairs in the bar.

This sign pretty much sums up the difference in the basic Texan and British personalities.

There was a graffiti wall where many Texans have scratched something in, so of course, I had to participate.

My profound writing here.

Next to another BU, mostly because it was bigger so you could actually see it in the picture.

And a BU license plate!!

All in all, a very fun experience. I'm now temporarily refueled, even if the tortillas weren't fresh and the beans tasted like they were out of a can. At least the salsa was decent!