"TRUST ME."

 Oxford as a whole was nice. Not too much to talk about. It's very much a university town, though much more town than I was expecting. There were lots of shops and shopping centers and pubs and then the University scattered in the middle of it all.

   One day I had the fortunate opportunity to go "punting." This activity consists of pushing a boat along by a large metal pole and then using the pole as a rudder after you've gone along a bit. (Maybe like a gondola). 

   My group was the lucky group that got coached until we were out of site (and voice range). The boat renter could clearly see our potential. 

   As we tried our hand at punting the boat renter yelled, "toward me, turn the boat toward me. Nope, that's not toward me. The rudder, turn the rudder toward me. There you go... Nope. Now you over-steered. TRUST ME, do what I'm saying." 

   The first punter responded, "I'm trusting you, I just don't know which way to go!" 

   "Nope, that's the wrong way. Ok, you see. When you turn it toward me, the boat goes toward me, you see that? And your arms, your arms are at your face. Do you see that? Why are they at your face? They need to be out to the side. Trust me. Do you see that now? Now they're out to the side. Se and that's much better. Nope, now they're at your face again."
   And after a bit. "Ok, now you're headed to the bank... And you pushed off wrong. You see the angle you pushed off on, you pushed your bot at an angle. That's no good. Trust me. Oh, now you over steered."
    The first punter was very patient and the three by standers (me and two other Rhodes girls) sat watching the whole scene somewhat amused.

   We finally got down the river a bit. Or at least out of eyeshot. After we were down the river about twenty minutes, we proceeded to direct our boat toward some trees. Then under some trees. Then into the bank. Then our punting pole got stuck in the trees. Then in the mud. Then we were all stuck in the trees. We pushed back branches and they returned to whack someone else in the face. But we alleviated the stress of all this by singing "Just around the River Bend." Once we were stuck, a chorus of "Colors of the Wind" began. We got out of the mud and decided while we were that far to one side, we might as well turn around. So we started back and continued, "Just around the River Bend." All was well. Enough. 

   In the end, we managed about a quarter of a mile in an hour. Good timing I'd say.